Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff
Episode: Renewing Labor's Movement
Date: March 7, 2019

Overview

In this episode of Economic Update, host Richard D. Wolff examines the roots of working people's discontent in the United States, focusing on the decline in wages, pensions, and the overall erosion of economic security. The main theme centers on the necessity—and current momentum—of renewing the American labor movement. In the second half, Wolff speaks to Larry Williams Jr., founder of UnionBase.org and President Emeritus of the Progressive Workers Union, about the evolution of organized labor, challenges to unionization, and new approaches to revitalizing the movement for a new generation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why American Workers Are Upset (00:10–15:57)

Building Discontent

• Frustration among American workers has grown slowly but consistently, especially among public employees like school teachers (00:10).
• Oakland public school teachers’ strike is highlighted as a “service by bringing into a large city that badly needs it a movement to do something for the future generation” (01:24).

The Hidden Pension Crisis

• Workers face a dual pension system: Social Security and employer-based pensions—both under threat (02:32).

• Stark statistics:

  • Pension coverage for workers dropped from over 50% (2000) to just over 35% (2016) (03:38).
  • Poverty rates double after retirement due to inadequate pension coverage (04:42).
  • Half of older, coupled New York City households about to retire have less than $60,000 in total assets; half of single older workers have less than $5,000 (05:52).

• Quote:

  • “Pensions are the difference between poverty and a decent life for millions of our fellow citizens.” (06:32)

Municipal Austerity and Infrastructure Neglect

• To avoid taxing the rich or the general populace, cities and states defer essential maintenance, similar to how pension support is being withheld (07:15).
• Quote:
  • “We are having our roads and bridges and harbors falling apart... Well, you’re doing that now to old people. You're doing that by taking away pensions, which is going to come back and blow up in your face…” (08:45)

International Corporate Malfeasance and Economic Policy

• UBS Bank fined $5 billion in France for aiding tax evasion (09:32).
• Wolff points out that similar practices are common in the U.S. but rarely punished.

Trade & Tariffs: The Case of Black Olives

• U.S. tariffs on Spanish black olives exemplify global trade tensions, protectionism for local businesses, and the undermining of WTO rules (11:03).
• Criticizes hypocrisy of U.S. subsidies and global retaliation.
• Quote:
  • “It’s not about Spain, it's not about black olives. It's really about the United States, desperate in its economic difficulties, trying to re-rig the world system to its own advantage.” (13:43)

Stagnant Wages Despite Productivity Gains

• The Economic Policy Institute’s “State of Working America Wages 2018” reveals that for most Americans, real wages have been flat, while productivity continues to rise (14:45).
• Quote:
  • “All of the increased productivity, the hard work you do, the education you bring, the technical skill you've learned, all of that makes him, the employer, wealthier, and does for you squat. Nothing.” (15:32)

2. Interview with Larry Williams Jr. – Renewing Labor’s Movement (15:58–28:28)

Personal Journey and Origins (16:00–17:31)

• Larry attributes his activism to mentors and a personal history rooted in civil rights, later evolving toward economic justice through union work.

• Quote:

  • “I saw people change their entire life by joining a union. And I decided that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” (17:31)

UnionBase.org – A New Platform for Labor (17:36–18:30)

• Designed to close the information gap, UnionBase.org helps workers find unions, connect securely, and learn about organizing, countering employer intimidation and leveraging technology for the movement.

Youth and Union Revitalization (18:30–20:16)

• Notable recruitment of younger members: 3 out of 4 new union members in 2017 were under 34.

• Unions emerging in new sectors: journalism, tech, nonprofit, and academia.

• Quote:

  • “If the left wants to really be a movement that wins the hearts and minds of American people, it needs to get into the workplace and the labor movement.” (19:59)

Biggest Obstacles to Unionization (20:16–21:23)

• Key barriers: poor public understanding, intimidation, failure of unions to evolve, generational disconnects.
• Larry shares his personal family connection to organized labor.
• Emphasizes the need to educate millennials about unions’ foundational contributions (e.g., weekends, sick leave).
• Quote:
  • “The trick is trying to get them [young people] to understand that there’s only one way to balance with corporate power and to bring democracy to the workplace, and that’s joining a union.” (21:12)

The Evolution of Labor (21:23–22:40)

• Labor’s adaptability: continuous fights, persistent organizing spirit at all levels.

• Unions have roots in various liberation and labor movements often overlooked in mainstream narratives.

• Quote:

  • “Whenever people predict the end of the labor movement, it’s actually wishful thinking.” (22:02)

Getting Involved and the Role of UnionBase.org (22:40–24:06)

• UnionBase.org offers networking, a jobs board for union and union-represented positions, information on strikes, and unionized workplaces.
• Seeks to centralize and modernize labor organizing information for newcomers and veterans alike.

Unions vs. Worker Co-ops – Changing the System (24:06–26:01)

• Traditional unions remain primary vehicle for benefits and security; co-ops are alternative forms, especially discussed in the context of scale.
• Larry: “Alternative methods should be considered... by any means necessary.” (25:54)

Corporate/Political Resistance – The Powell Memo and Beyond (26:01–28:01)

• Hostility to labor remains active (since the influential Powell Memo of 1971).

• Anti-union bias is embedded in education, media, and politics.

• Government shutdown example: workers’ leverage revealed when air traffic controllers brought the shutdown to a halt.

• Quote:

  • “The attacks come in different ways and they come in waves. So at this point, the battle’s not going to stop. The question is, are we going to evolve our tactics and are we going to meet the challenge?” (27:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Pensions are the difference between poverty and a decent life for millions of our fellow citizens." – Richard D. Wolff (06:32)
• “If the left wants to really be a movement that wins the hearts and minds of American people, it needs to get into the workplace and the labor movement.” – Larry Williams Jr. (19:59)
• "All of the increased productivity... makes him, the employer, wealthier, and does for you squat. Nothing." – Richard D. Wolff (15:32)
• “Whenever people predict the end of the labor movement, it’s actually wishful thinking. Labor is in the hearts and minds of regular people.” – Larry Williams Jr. (22:02)
• “Alternative methods should be considered... by any means necessary.” – Larry Williams Jr. (25:54)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:10 – Episode theme: Why US workers are upset
• 01:24 – Teacher strikes as indicators of deeper unrest
• 03:38 – Pension crisis data (Gilarducci’s research)
• 05:52 – Retirement insecurity in NYC
• 09:32 – UBS bank fined for tax evasion
• 11:03 – U.S. tariffs on Spanish black olives explained
• 14:45 – Stagnant wages vs. rising productivity
• 15:58 – Interview with Larry Williams Jr. begins
• 17:36 – Introduction to UnionBase.org
• 19:05 – Surge of young union members
• 20:16 – Obstacles and union knowledge gaps
• 21:23 – Narrative of labor’s ongoing evolution
• 24:06 – Discussion: Unions versus worker co-ops
• 26:01 – Corporate resistance, the Powell Memo, and labor’s future

Tone & Style

The discussion combines analytical rigor with urgency and optimism. Wolff highlights systemic failures in blunt terms (“an irrational way for a capitalist system to cope”) while Williams brings personal warmth, historical perspective, and hope, focusing on both present barriers and new energy in labor's renewal.

Summary

This episode of Economic Update dissects the economic hardships confronting working Americans—declining pensions, stagnant wages, and a disintegrating public sector—while offering a glimpse of hope through renewed labor organizing. The conversation between Richard D. Wolff and Larry Williams Jr. provides both a sobering assessment of the forces arrayed against organized labor and an inspiring look at how younger generations and new platforms like UnionBase.org are creating pathways for revitalization. The episode concludes with a call to action: to evolve tactics and build solidarity, using every available means to bring democracy and justice to the workplace.