Revolutions Per Minute

02/22/2024

Tonight, we’re talking to Claire Valdez, a NYC-DSA endorsed candidate for Assembly District 37 in Queens about what being endorsed by NYC-DSA and UAW Region 9A means to her, how she plans to bring her union organizing experience of becoming ‘more powerful than the boss’ to the halls of power in Albany and much more.

There are currently 8 socialists endorsed by NYC-DSA serving in Albany in the Senate and Assembly. If electoral organizers get their way- that number could be 11 next year - the largest socialist block ever elected in New York.

NYC-DSA has voted to endorse three new-insurgent candidates this year- Claire in Queens, Eon Huntley in Brooklyn and Jonathan Soto in the Bronx.

Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/becoming-more-powerful-than-the-boss-with-claire-valdez

01/17/2024

With the battle over abortion rights raging in the United States at local, state, and national levels, we here in New York state cannot become complacent that access to abortion will always be guaranteed here. Economic, social, and logistical barriers prevent many people from accessing the care they need, and without decisive action to change that, working-class New York residents as well as people living in the surrounding area will continue to be at risk. Tonight we're joined live by Chelsea Williams-Diggs of New York Abortion Access Fund and Allie Bohm of New York Civil Liberties Union to discuss the state of abortion access in New York state and their advocacy for the statewide Reproductive Freedom and Equity Fund.

Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/breaking-barriers-advocating-for-abortion-access-in-ny-state-with-nyclu-and-nyaaf

01/10/2024

Last year, Maine DSA was part of a statewide coalition called Pine Tree Power that attempted to take over the two largest corporate utilities in the state through a ballot measure in November. They didn’t win. But here on Revolutions Per Minute we are just as interested in talking about losses as we are victories. Tonight, we’ll go to Maine and talk with Aarron and Dwight about the struggles of organizing in a rural state and the lessons they learned from their Public Power campaign.
Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/the-struggle-for-public-power-lessons-from-maine-dsa

12/20/2023

The holiday season is in full swing, and as some people head toward time off and relaxation, workers in many industries are facing their busiest time of year. We are joined live by Connor Spence, a worker-organizer at Amazon’s first union distribution facility, JFK8 on Staten Island. Connor discusses his work as a co-founder of both the Amazon Labor Union and the ALU Democratic Reform Caucus, and how Amazon workers organized and won new leadership elections in their union.
Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/we-are-not-cogs-in-the-machine-amazon-workers-organizing-for-rights-and-dignity

12/13/2023

On the 1st of December, the United Auto Workers International Executive Board, alongside other labor unions & allies, announced the UAW’s support for a permanent ceasefire in Israel & Palestine. Tonight, we hear from Mary, a labor historian, filmmaker, and a graduate worker in UAW Local 2865, on the history of Palestinian solidarity by UAW rank & file workers, and how those lessons from our collective past can inspire working people today.

Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/just-transitions-palestinian-solidarity-in-the-uaw

11/30/2023

2023 has been a major year for workers so far, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down as we head into 2024. While major strikes by UAW at the Big Three in the auto industry and by WGA and SAG-AFTRA in the entertainment world are making headlines, thousands of workers across the country are taking action in ways big and small that you may not always hear about. On this show, we're joined live by Jenny Brown, assistant editor at Labor Notes and author of Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight Over Women’s Work, to discuss the labor year so far and what organizers can learn going into 2024.
Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/the-hope-of-the-world-2023-labor-year-in-review

10/26/2023

Tonight, we’re traveling to Arizona to learn from socialist organizers who are fighting on their home turf to make forming and maintaining strong unions easier for workers. We’re joined live by Bobby and Kaland of Arizona Works Together and Phoenix DSA to hear about their campaign to repeal so-called “Right to Work” laws in their state and what it means for union organizers in Arizona and nationwide.
Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/working-together-to-repeal-right-to-work-law-in-arizona

10/22/2023

Revolutions Per Minute explores migrant solidarity efforts in Brooklyn, exploring the broader context of the global migration crisis as Israel continues its military offensive against Gaza. RPM interviews people who have recently arrived in New York from Mauritania, and we meet Jaz Walker from Assemblymember Emily Gallagher's office.
Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/border-country-migrant-solidarity-in-new-york-city

09/27/2023

Like many other institutions built to serve the public good, CUNY faces multiple intersecting crises. The university system could not function without its 30,000 strong unionized labor force. Many professors, graduate student workers, and staffers are underpaid and overworked. The Professional Staff Congress, of which Jack Devine is a member, is currently in negotiations to improve the material conditions of workers across the board.

CUNY has also suffered from decades of underfunding by New York state and city elected officials. This has not only forced thousands of educators into precarious employment, but led to decaying infrastructure. As funding has gone down, tuition has been increased at the once free public university system.

We’ll discuss how PSC union organizers and their allies are fighting back to build the People’s University that this city deserves. Later in the show we’ll hear from Amy Wilson and her interview with Wren, a healthcare worker struggling to materialize reproductive rights in a capitalist society.

Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/back-to-school-working-class-struggle-at-cuny

09/20/2023

After Friday’s midnight deadline, the United Auto Workers went on strike against the Big 3 automakers of Ford, GM, and Stellantis, marking the first time in history the UAW has gone on strike against all three auto companies. As of this recording, 12,700 auto workers have walked off the job at three plants: a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, a GM plant in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Stellantis plant in Toledo, Ohio, and there are potentially many more plants to follow. Tonight, we are joined in-studio with Brandon Mancilla, Director of UAW Region 9A, and Chris Voila, an auto worker and UAW member, to hear the latest about this historic auto strike.
Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/stand-up-with-the-uaw-big-3-strike-and-new-york-postdocs

09/01/2023

For this week's show, we’re joined live by Honda Wang of DSA Labor. As a New York City delegate to the recent national DSA convention in Chicago, Honda will be sharing his analysis of the present and future of DSA and what’s next in the struggle for socialism. We also hear from Mac, Smitha, and Adam, three NYC-DSA members who were inspired by their work in DSA to start organizing for tenants’ rights in their own buildings and neighborhoods.

Listen to the full episode: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/200th-episode-celebration-the-future-of-dsa

05/20/2022

Amazon Labor Union scored a big victory for the labor movement last month when organized workers overwhelmingly won an NLRB election at a Staten Island Amazon facility. Yet most of Amazon and the private sector in general remains unorganized. Despite a valiant effort, ALU’s next attempt at a different Amazon facility failed. What is to be done? Brian, a former Amazon worker and member of DSA Labor’s logistics committee, joins us to discuss organizing at Amazon and the state of the labor movement.

Amazon Labor Union scored a big victory for the labor movement last month when organized workers overwhelmingly won an NLRB election at a Staten Island Amazon facility. Yet most of Amazon and the private sector in general remains unorganized. Despite a valiant effort, ALU’s next attempt at a diffe...

10/10/2021

A strike wave is spreading across the United States. Thousands of nurses, carpenters, miners, factory workers, teachers and other workers are taking a stand against the big shots who steal the fruits of our labor. Unionization drives of academic, healthcare, and media workers have brought tens of thousands of new brothers and sisters into the organized labor movement. 60,000 IATSE film workers have authorized a sector strike in the entertainment industry as the hundreds of thousands of members in entertainment unions like SAG, WGA, and the DGA alongside the Democratic Socialists of America have committed to standing in solidarity. Has labor begun to turn the tide against capital in the United States?

A strike wave is spreading across the United States. Thousands of nurses, carpenters, miners, factory workers, teachers and other workers are taking a stand ...

09/16/2021

The world is on fire and the organizations of the international working class are the only force capable of putting it out. Union organizer and campaign worker Marvin Gonzalez, a member of National DSA’s International Committee, joins us to discuss his recent trip to the conference of the International in Venezuela. After that we hear from Zenab Ahmed on Afghanistan. Later in the show, we will speak to Halema Wali, a community organizer and the co-founder of the Afghans for a Better Tomorrow. We also speak to DSA International Committee member Sepehr Makaremi as well as Don Rhodes from the NYC-DSA Anti-War working group. The trio will discuss how the socialist movement has been at the forefront of organizing efforts to assist Afghan Refugees and how we can all work to challenge the power of American capitalist imperialism and the military industrial complex.

-The world is on fire and the organizations of the international working class are the only force capable of putting it out. Union organizer and campaign wor...

08/13/2021

Senator Julia Salazar of NY-18 was elected in 2018 after winning an insurgent, grassroots campaign powered by NYC-DSA as well as many movement allies. Three years later, she’s serving her second term in Albany as the chair of the Women’s Issues Committee and the chair of the Crime Victims, Crime, and Corrections Committee.

On tonight’s show, we speak with Senator Salazar as well as her Organizing Director and fellow NYC-DSA member, Ramon Pebenito. Dismantling the carceral system requires all of us to exercise our power to slow, stop, or mitigate the harms of police and prisons, or to throw “sand in the gears” of the machine of bureaucratic state violence wherever we are. In this episode, we hear from Senator Salazar on her surprise visits to NY State correctional facilities and from Ramon on over-policing in New York’s district 18.

You can find Senator Salazar on Twitter or visit her official website: https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/julia-salazar

Senator Julia Salazar of NY-18 was elected in 2018 after winning an insurgent, grassroots campaign powered by NYC-DSA as well as many movement allies. Three ...

07/29/2021

We may be across a “state” line from each other, but organizers in New York and New Jersey know what unites us is much more than what divides us. On tonight’s show, we’re joined live by our comrades from North New Jersey DSA to discuss their chapter’s organizing to abolish ICE and close immigrant detention facilities, conduct mutual aid and harm reduction work with their communities, and elect socialist and union leader Joel Brooks to City Council in Jersey City.

To learn more about Joel Brooks’ campaign for City Council, visit https://www.joelbrooksforjerseycity.com/ or follow .

You can reach out the North New Jersey Mutual Aid Working Group at: [email protected] or contribute to their fundraiser for the Ramapough Lunaape Turtle Clan’s Munsee Three Sisters Medicine Farm in Newton, NJ:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/RLsolidarity

Click here to learn more about the North New Jersey Immigrant Justice Working Group: https://linktr.ee/ImmigrationNNJ

To learn more about North New Jersey DSA, visit https://north.dsanj.org/ or follow .

We may be across a “state” line from each other, but organizers in New York and New Jersey know what unites us is much more than what divides us. On tonight’...

07/01/2021

In the words of civil rights giant Ella Baker, “Until the killing of black men, black mothers' sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother's son, we who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens.”

As the summer of 2021 continues to heat up, reactionaries and conservatives are escalating their assault on our struggle for multi-racial working-class liberation -- but socialists are continuing to fight back and rack up gains. On tonight’s show, we’ll speak to members of Suffolk County DSA about the recent election of DSA member Colin Palmer to the Riverhead Central District school board and how school boards are a crucial front for community control and democracy. We’ll also hear from the DSA’s new National Antifascist Working Group which is working to connect anti-fascists and anti-racists across the country.

RSVP for the AFWG introduction call on July 11 here: https://dsausa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uOOnljlAR0mn7UzUHlv83Q

Follow along with Suffolk DSA’s efforts to organize for socialism in the suburbs on Twitter or at suffolkdsa.org.

In the words of civil rights giant Ella Baker, “Until the killing of black men, black mothers' sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the k...

06/26/2021

Tuesday was election day in New York. Since we’re dealing with the New York Board of Elections and the new ranked choice voting system here in New York City, many of the results are not yet finalized. DSA for the City candidate Tiffany Caban won her city council race in Queens while the rest of DSA endorsed candidates await the final results. Upstate in Buffalo India Walton won the Democratic Party primary for Mayor and a number of Rochester DSA endorsed candidates won their elections. Socialism continues to have unprecedented success at the ballot box in New York, but there is clearly so much work left to be done.

Tuesday was election day in New York. Since we’re dealing with the New York Board of Elections and the new ranked choice voting system here in New York City,...

05/06/2021

It’s our second annual post-May Day labor movement extravaganza! From coast to coast, workers are organizing to win, making gains, and reckoning with disappointments and challenges. On today’s show, we’re joined live by journalist and organizer Chris Brooks and by our radio comrades Jacob and David, hosts of Valley Labor Report -- Alabama’s only union talk radio show! From workers at the heart of New York’s cultural and media worlds to mine workers on strike in Alabama, it’s all on the table for tonight’s show.

Valley Labor Report broadcasts Saturday mornings from 9:30am-11:00am on 92.5FM/770AM WVNN. Watch from anywhere on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheValleyLaborReport and follow the show on Twitter .

It’s our second annual post-May Day labor movement extravaganza! From coast to coast, workers are organizing to win, making gains, and reckoning with disappo...

04/22/2021

RPM is ON AIR
Much of conventional labor organizing is centered around a shared physical location for workers, like a shop floor or a break room. But what about those who work in cars, on bikes, or in others' homes? Our labor movement stands in solidarity with all workers because an injury to one is an injury to all. On tonight's show, we'll talk to NYC-DSA endorsed candidate for City Council Jaslin Kaur (PRONOUNCE: jus-LEAN Car like a car you drive) about organizing for justice for taxi workers and why her home district in Eastern Queens is ready for democratic socialism. We also speak to Margaret of the Ain't I A Woman? campaign of home health care workers organizing for control over their time. Finally, we hear an update from our Defund NYPD campaign, which has launched a new pledge for City Council candidates to affirm their commitment to defunding NYPD and investing in social services.

Much of conventional labor organizing is centered around a shared physical location for workers, like a shop floor or a break room. But what about those who ...

04/08/2021

After hours of late night negotiations by legislators and months of organizing by advocates, New York State has a budget. Now that the budget is done, what is the next big fight for socialists in Albany? We have Assemblymember Emily Gallagher on live with us tonight to talk about what the DSA slate has been able to accomplish so far and what comes next. We’ll also hear from comrades from the EcoSocialist Working Group and Tech Action Working Group about their campaigns for Public Power and Public Broadband.

After hours of late night negotiations by legislators and months of organizing by advocates, New York State has a budget. Now that the budget is done, what i...

04/01/2021

RPM is LIVE on the NYC-DSA YouTube channel and WBAI 99.5FM!

With a surge in anti-AAPI violence making news and the Derek Chauvin murder trial ripping open wounds, it's time to keep up the pressure and defund NYPD. On tonight’s show, we’re joined live by Cheryl Rivera, an organizer with NYC-DSA’s Defund NYPD and Abolition Action campaigns. We’ll discuss common myths and misconceptions about defunding the police and organizing for community safety in a non-carceral framework.

We also hear from Lizzy of Queens DSA and our Immigrant Justice Working Group and Yves from the grassroots collective Red Canary Song on violence against Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities and why increased policing is not the answer.

To learn more about the Defund NYPD campaign, please visit www.defundnypd.com. To learn more about Red Canary Song and its work with Asian and migrant s*x workers, visit https://www.redcanarysong.net/. To donate or request funds from the NYC-DSA Mutual Aid fund, visit bit.ly/covid19aid.

With a surge in anti-AAPI violence making news and the Derek Chauvin murder trial ripping open wounds, it's time to keep up the pressure and defund NYPD. On ...

03/27/2021

On this weeks episode, we talked with NYC-DSA endorsed candidate for City Counil District 39, Brandon West about how to dismantle machine politics and his experience organizing the occupation of city hall last year.

WATCH the full episode on the NYC-DSA YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/du1eLl7kneI
LISTEN to the full podcast: revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com

03/25/2021

As the budget fight continues to heat up in Albany, workers in New York City are continuing the struggle for power and equity on the job and at school. On tonight’s episode, we’ll visit the picket line at Columbia University, where unionized graduate students are on their second week of a strike to demand fair pay and healthcare. We also hear an update from last Saturday’s NYC-DSA march to Tax the Rich and Impeach Cuomo.

We’re joined LIVE by NYC-DSA endorsed candidate for City Council District 39 (and community radio fan!), Brandon West, to hear about his work to Defund NYPD, defeat machine politics, fund excluded workers, and build working-class power.

To learn more about Brandon West and get involved with his campaign, please visit https://westforcouncil.com/.

As the budget fight continues to heat up in Albany, workers in New York City are continuing the struggle for power and equity on the job and at school. On to...

03/11/2021

Essential workers have been carrying a pandemic stricken New York City on their backs for a year now, and as economic insecurity worsens and the time frame left to address the overlapping climate crisis shortens, there’s never been a moment more ripe, and necessary for militant labor organizing. On tonight’s episode we’ll hear from NYC-DSA endorsed City Council candidate Adolfo Abreu about what essential workers in his Bronx community need and how the NYC-DSA slate plans to build long term working class power. We’ll also talk to Daniel Dominguez of DSA-Los Angeles about how DSA members and unionists across the country are organizing for the PRO- ACT, the most comprehensive labor legislation reform in generations.

Listen to our September 2020 show about the fight to stop the NRG plant in Astoria: https://revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com/episodes/stop-the-astoria-power-plant, then submit a public comment: bit.ly/noNRGplant.

Learn more about and get involved with Adolfo Abreu’s campaign for city council: https://adolfo.nyc/

Sign up to get involved with DSA’s national campaign to pass the PRO Act: https://www.dsausa.org/proact/

Essential workers have been carrying a pandemic stricken New York City on their backs for a year now, and as economic insecurity worsens and the time frame ...

03/04/2021

Yesterday, March 2, New York City DSA issued a statement calling for New York State governor Andrew Cuomo to resign or face impeachment. This comes in the wake of weeks of political turmoil regarding Cuomo’s cover-up of nursing home deaths due to COVID and new testimony about his gendered workplace abuse. The organized left in New York state has known for a long time that Andrew Cuomo is far from a “Resistance Hero”, as the liberal media has cast him. On tonight’s show, we’ll hear from RPM correspondent Michael Carter and Alexandra Walling of our Socialist Feminist Working Group on Cuomo’s persistent disregard for the lives of working-class New Yorkers and what this means for our socialist movement. We also check in with NYC-DSA’s newly-elected Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes of Assembly District 51 on her first weeks in Albany and our fight to tax the rich and invest in our New York.

Yesterday, March 2, New York City DSA issued a statement calling for New York State governor Andrew Cuomo to resign or face impeachment. This comes in the wa...

02/25/2021

While the increasing rate of vaccinations is a rare bit of good news, the pandemic is still raging in New York and Cuomo is yet again throwing workers under the bus by dangerously opening indoor dining. But restaurant workers are organizing to build power that will last beyond just this crisis. Gary Inman from the Restaurant Organizing Project will update you on these crucial efforts. Restaurant workers aren’t the only ones who have suffered from Cuomo’s wrath as thousands died in nursing homes while his friends raked in profits. Alice Murphy () joins us to discuss the protest outside Medgar Evans against the governor this past Monday. Later in the show Madeleine Pelzel from Houston DSA will share with us her on the ground perspective about man-made disaster in Texas and how local socialist have responded to the crisis.

Follow , and who are doing work on the ground right now in Texas. https://powerfortexas.org/

While the increasing rate of vaccinations is a rare bit of good news, the pandemic is still raging in New York and Cuomo is yet again throwing workers under ...

02/11/2021

In this week's episode, RPM's own Jack Devine interviews State Senator and NYC-DSA member Julia Salazar about the state budget process and how New York State can lead the charge against 50 years of harmful neoliberal austerity.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gUGUejHTzvs
Listen to the podcast: revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com

02/11/2021

RPM will be live on the NYC-DSA YouTube channel in at 9PM! Don't miss out on a chance to call in later in the show at 212-209-2877

Our society is in economic and social crisis, and as socialists, we know that the roots of this crisis spread far beyond the immediate cause of the COVID-19 ...

02/04/2021

The failures of our current energy system are all around us. Here in New York City we see blackouts every summer during heatwaves and people lacking heat in the winter. Utility debt is mounting across the state, but investor owned utilities are still building dirty fossil fuel infrastructure at the expense of rate payers, and the health and safety of communities and the climate. Today we’ll talk with Mohini Sharma and Patrick Robbins about how the NY Public Power Coalition is building power across the state to pass two bills later this year that will replace corporate utilities with a democratically controlled, publicly owned energy system.

The failures of our current energy system are all around us. Here in New York City we see blackouts every summer during heatwaves and people lacking heat in ...