Union Talk Podcast

Latest Episode, 9/30/24

Keep Marching, Progress is Possible

Join the AFT Votes campaign during the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference for a political town hall and special live recording of the Union Talk podcast – discussing the modern rise of unionism and pro-labor values, the power of collective action and solidarity between workers, parents, students, and community, and the path to a progressive agenda with real solutions from the workplace to our communities to the polls.

More Episodes

9/20/24

Behind the Scenes of the DNC with Minyon Moore

Everyone in America deserves the freedom to thrive. Join AFT President Randi Weingarten on Union Talk as she interviews workers, policymakers and experts who are confronting the issues working families face and championing solutions from the classroom to the bargaining table to Congress to secure opportunity, justice and a voice in our democracy for all. If you care about great public schools and affordable higher education, healthcare as a right, unions, an economy that works for all and a thriving democracy, Union Talk dives deep into these issues and demonstrates that together we can accomplish for our families and communities what is impossible to do alone.

8/19/24

Union Talk Keeping Teachers Ahead of the AI Curve

AFT President Randi Weingarten is joined by Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, and Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, to discuss the union’s ongoing efforts to ensure that our nation’s educators stay central and engaged during the rise of artificial intelligence technology in our classrooms and in our lives.

7/24/24

AFT President Randi Weingarten’s 2024 State of the Union Speech

In a landmark State of the Union address delivered at the AFT’s 88th biennial convention before 3,500 delegates in Houston, President Randi Weingarten highlighted the union’s historic membership gains, a new fight to protect those with student loans, the union’s full-throated support for Kamala Harris’ presidential nomination, and “Real Solutions for Higher Education,” a new campaign focusing on college affordability, access and academic freedom. Listen to the full speech in this special episode of Union Talk.

6/27/24

Special Education Done Right

AFT President Randi Weingarten is joined by Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery and Illinois special educator Maggie Stewart to discuss the state of special education and turn a spotlight on Bridges, an extraordinary program committed to ensuring differently-abled students thrive and lead healthy, independent lives.

6/20/24

A Union Talk Recap: Pride and Power

5/16/24

AFT Celebrates 10 Million-Book Giveaway and the Power of Reading

5/8/24

A Union Talk Recap: Teacher Appreciation Week with ‘Abbott Elementary’ Actor Sheryl Lee Ralph

4/30/24

The Transformative Power of Community Schools

4/16/24

Experiential Learning: Where Passion Meets Purpose, with Gov. Wes Moore

3/28/24

Standing Together: Fighting for a Unified Israel

3/21/24

Women’s Rights in Focus: Celebrating Women’s History Month

2/27/24

We Were There: To Rustin, with Love, Part 1

2/27/24

We Were There: To Rustin, with Love, Part 2

2/20/24

The Promise and Threats of AI with Rep. Ro Khanna

2/13/24

A Union Talk Excerpt: Teaching Honest History

2/7/24

A Union Talk Excerpt: Finding the Real Rosa Parks

1/30/24

A Union Talk Excerpt—After the Shootings: How to Help Our Kids and Ourselves

1/16/24

How to Preserve Democracy in 2024

12/27/23

Innovation and Tech Partnerships Expand Career-Focused, Hands-On Learning in NY

12/20/23

Pro-Student, Pro-Public School Victories in School Board Elections

11/22/23

A ‘Union Talk’ Excerpt: Are School Vouchers Good for Education?

11/13/23

The Core Values of the AFT

11/6/23

How to Rescue Teachers from ‘Beyond Burnout’

10/16/23

A ‘Real Solutions’ Excerpt: Engaging Students Through Career and Technical Education

10/10/23

A ‘Real Solutions’ Excerpt: Social Media and Our Kids

10/2/23

Real Solutions: Creating Joyful and Confident Readers

10/2/23

Real Solutions: Creating Joyful and Confident Readers

9/25/23

The Promise of Community Schools

9/1/23

The Real Lives of Teachers

7/28/23

How Education Is Bridging the Divides Between Jews and Arabs

7/25/23

Randi Weingarten’s Keynote Speech at TEACH

6/27/23

Pride and Power

6/23/23

Engaging Students Through Career and Technical Education

5/8/23

Teacher Appreciation Week with ‘Abbott Elementary’ Actor Sheryl Lee Ralph

3/29/23

In Defense of Public Education

3/20/23

Why Workers Need Paid Leave Now

2/28/23

Finding the Real Rosa Parks with Soledad O’Brien

2/22/23

Are School Vouchers Good for Education?

2/3/23

The Promise of Community Schools

1/31/23

Randi Weingarten Goes One-On-One with Govs. Michelle Lujan Grisham and J. B. Pritzker

12/20/22

Reading Opens the World: Building a Nation of Confident, Joyous Readers

12/12/22

How to Fix the Healthcare Staffing Shortage

11/4/22

2022 Midterm Roundtable with Congressional Candidates Nikki Budzinski, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rep. Jahana Hayes and Robert Zimmerman

10/3/22

Solutions to the nationwide teacher and school staff shortages

9/16/22

White House “Back to School” Panel Discussion

8/5/22

2022 American Federation of Teachers Convention Highlights

7/21/22

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten’s 2022 State of the Union Speech

6/21/22

After the Shootings: How to Help Our Kids and Ourselves

6/9/22

Guns and Hate: Buffalo, Uvalde and Other Tragedies

5/12/22

Social Media and Our Kids: A Conversation with Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen

1/21/22

Omicron, Boosters and Schools

12/08/21

Teaching Honest History

11/22/21

COVID-19 Vaccines and Children

11/01/21

Do you have student debt? New Changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and how this can help you!

10/07/21

From the Bedside: A Conversation with Nurses Caring for COVID Patients

09/22/21

Prioritizing Student and Staff Safety in the Classroom

09/04/21

Labor Day with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh

09/04/21

A Safe Back to School for All

About UnionTalk

On Union Talk, AFT president Randi Weingarten interviews workers, policymakers and experts who are confronting the issues working families face and championing solutions. From the classroom to the bargaining table to Congress to the streets, Union Talk looks at the past, present and possible ways the labor movement and unions are vehicles to secure opportunity, justice and a voice in our democracy for all. Different episodes of Union Talk do deep dives on great public schools and affordable higher education, healthcare as a right, unions, an economy that works for all and what it takes to maintain a thriving democracy. Union Talk tells the stories that demonstrate that together we can accomplish for our families and communities what is impossible to do alone.