Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff

Episode: Communities of Women Build a Movement

Date: October 7, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Richard D. Wolff explores grassroots economic movements, focusing on women-led community organizing and the transformative power of solidarity economics. The episode features a conversation with Kim Westcott, Managing Director at Women Building Up (WBU), a Brooklyn-based community organization supporting women and gender-expansive individuals impacted by carceral systems. The discussion illuminates the interplay between economic justice, abolitionist organizing, and practical alternatives like cooperatives, culminating in a preview of an upcoming intersectional movement gathering.

Key Discussion Points

Solidarity with Union Struggles (02:07–03:38)

• Labor Organizing Highlights:

  • Signal Ohio’s nonprofit newsworkers unionizing with the News Guild/CWA.
    • "That's an important movement and it's an important thing that it's solid with the labor movement as well." — Richard Wolff (02:30)
  • 400 workers on strike at the Hilton Houston Hotel, paid among the lowest wages in the country.
    • "It's a travesty. They're asking for $23 an hour, which they should have been paid anyway." (03:12)

• Critical Perspective on Capitalism:

  • The drive for profit at the cost of worker well-being.
    • "There is no excuse except the normal capitalist commitment to maximize profits, no matter what the cost." — Richard Wolff (03:32)

Canada's Political Alternatives and Privatization (04:56–11:35)

• Canadian Political Landscape:

  • Introduction of the New Democratic Party (NDP) as a progressive third-party alternative.
    • "Unlike the United States, [Canada] has a large third party... the NDP. Avi Lewis... has announced that he's running for the leadership of the NDP and wants to make it a real progressive alternative." (04:58)
  • Emphasis on running "against corporate control of the economy" and "the bullying... of Mr. Trump." (05:58–06:05)

• Postal Strike and Privatization:

  • Postal workers' strike due to service cuts and end of home delivery; government frames this as a financial necessity.
  • Explanation of "cherry-picking" by private delivery firms (UPS, FedEx, DHL), leaving the public with loss-making routes.
    • "Private package deliverers... have come in and poached the profitable routes." — Richard Wolff (08:50)
  • The broader pattern: Public services make infrastructure investments, then private companies extract profit, leaving the public to support unprofitable sectors (education, taxis, etc.).
    • "This is a classic kind of story about how capitalism works. It's the same when Uber and Lyft come in and take over taxi riding and on and on. Don't be fooled." (11:38)
    • "This is an ugly capitalist grab. It's not good for the people as a whole." (11:48)

Women Building Up: Movement Origins and Mission (15:38–21:53)

• Introduction to Kim Westcott and WBU:

  • WBU supports "carceral systems-impacted women, girls and gender expansive people and communities." (15:38)
  • Broader definition of "carceral systems" includes "family regulatory, foster care, mental health systems," with focus on punishment and the formerly incarcerated. (17:11)

• WBU's History and Movement Genesis:

  • Sparked by the closure of Bayview Prison after Hurricane Sandy (2012), leading to broad-based organizing.
  • Coalition questioned "does it really make sense to put more resources into a 200,000 square foot facility that's really a deprivation box?" — Kim Westcott (18:53)
  • Major funder ultimately withdraws, but donates a newly renovated office in Brooklyn, allowing the movement to persist and formally organize as a nonprofit (2023).
    • "They gave that office. So we own the building. And it's important to understand that the core activists... continued and they were supported with money to come together and vision what this organization would be." — Kim Westcott (19:31)
  • Commitment to stewardship: Grassroots advisory council and women’s circle ensure community voices guide programming.

Trump Administration’s Impact on Carceral Communities (21:53–23:38)

• Policy Impacts:
  • The need for WBU "predated the Trump administration," but conditions worsened as social safety nets were shredded, healthcare support slashed, and criminalization expanded.
    • "When the Trump administration policies shred the social safety net or slash support for Medicaid and health care... it's just making life harder for our community." — Kim Westcott (22:54)
  • WBU aims to "bring in more resources for our community" regardless of shifting political landscapes.

Solidarity Economics and Worker Co-ops for the Formerly Incarcerated (23:39–26:51)

• Co-ops and Reintegration:
  • Wolff and Westcott discuss efforts to connect formerly incarcerated people with worker co-ops and solidarity economic models.
    • "Solidarity economics... is rooted in values, it's rooted in mutualism, it's rooted in respect. These are things that all people want." — Kim Westcott (25:28)
  • Training in prison could help prepare people for reentry into cooperative enterprises; the WBU acts as a movement hub informed by its community.
    • "There's so much possibility... to connect the resources intentionally to our own community." — Kim Westcott (26:35)
    • Critique of the limitations of the nonprofit sector: "It's like a burning house, you know. And so when you can explore living and working with this kind of human frame... it's extremely appealing." (26:45)

Upcoming Event: Intersectional Movement Gathering (27:12–29:15)

• Event Details:
  • WBU hosting an intersectional movement gathering on October 11th (6–9PM), Brooklyn, NY.
  • Co-hosts: People's Network of Liberation and Land, Democracy at Work Community Worker Ownership Project, and others.
  • Showcasing "national and local solidarity economic organizations," including Cooperation Jackson, Chicago’s Shy Fresh Kitchens (a previously incarcerated women-formed co-op), Maharlika Co-op, Brooklyn Packers, and more. (27:44)
    • "The opportunity is to have people become exposed not only to a worker co-op, but, you know, people active in the solidarity economic movement." — Kim Westcott (28:21)
  • Format: Plenary sessions, breakout groups, food, and refreshments—a space for grassroots learning and networking.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Capitalism and Public Goods:
  • "This is an ugly capitalist grab. It's not good for the people as a whole. Not at all." — Richard Wolff (11:48)
• On Organizing after the Bayview Prison Closure:
  • "What do people need to live and heal and grow? And this coalition of women, they activated over the years." — Kim Westcott (18:59)
• On the Significance of Community Stewardship:
  • "We are committed to community voice in that we are stewarding the community's assets." — Kim Westcott (21:29)
• On the Appeal of Solidarity Economics:
  • "It's rooted in values, it's rooted in mutualism, it's rooted in respect. These are things that all people want." — Kim Westcott (25:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Union/Strike News: 02:07–03:38
• Canada’s Political Context and Post Office Privatization: 04:56–11:48
• Guest Introduction (Kim Westcott, Women Building Up): 15:38–16:53
• WBU’s Mission and History: 17:11–21:53
• Trump’s Policy Impact: 21:53–23:38
• Solidarity Economics/Worker Co-ops: 23:39–26:51
• Intersectional Movement Gathering Announcement: 27:12–29:15

Conclusion

This episode illustrates the interconnectedness of economic systems, social justice, and grassroots organizing. Through Wolff’s analysis and Westcott’s lived experience, listeners gain insight into the challenges and successes of building movements from the ground up—especially among those most marginalized. The upcoming intersectional movement gathering exemplifies these efforts, inviting allies and impacted communities alike to participate in shaping a more equitable economic future.