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Artwork for Heartland Labor Forum
Labor Rights
Labor Movement
Trump Administration
Kansas City
Donald Trump
Missouri
Workers' Rights
Tariffs
Project 2025
Immigration
Immigration Policy
Kansas City Public Schools
Elon Musk
Union Busting
Labor Songs
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers Union
Union Organizing
Worker Rights
Kamala Harris
Apprenticeships

This podcast tracks the audio archives for the “Heartland Labor Forum” radio show. The Heartland Labor Forum is Kansas City’s only program about the workplace. It’s radio that talks back to the boss! Whether you’re a union member or your workplace isn’t organized, Heartland Labor Forum (HLF) has stories for you, guaranteed to inspire, educate, or enrage you.

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Artwork for Heartland Labor Forum

Latest Episodes

Pharmacists at the University of Kansas Medical Center in KCK have petitioned for a union election. It’s next week. They wonder why there’s so little room for advancement in their jobs and why the rules leave them without justice on the job. Our feat... more

What impact are ICE raids having on immigrant workers and communities in rural Missouri? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to University of Michigan Prof. William D. Lopez about his book "Raiding the Heartland.” Then the new Labor Ca... more

There’s been a lot of news lately about the Port Authority and how the Kansas City building trades unions finally got them to agree to require developers that it subsidizes to pay workers decently, but there’s little talk about the cost of economic g... more

A member of the new KC Bus Riders Union says, “We want to show that the buses can serve everyone, not just people who rely on them as a lifeline to get to work.” This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll find out more. Then The International Assoc... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

John Irvine
IAM Healthcare organizing coordinator, Pharmacy Guild
IAM Healthcare / Pharmacy Guild
Episode: KU Pharmacists Organize!
Joshua Radke
Pharmacy technician organizer
IAM Healthcare / KU Health System
Episode: KU Pharmacists Organize!
William D. Lopez
Author, Raiding the Heartland: An American Story of Deportation and Resistance
University of Michigan (Professor); author
Episode: Raiding the Heartland by William D. Lopez and The Missouri Legislature’s Labor Caucus
Adrian Plank
State Representative
Missouri House of Representatives
Episode: Raiding the Heartland by William D. Lopez and The Missouri Legislature’s Labor Caucus
Amy Blouin
President, CEO and founder of the Missouri Budget Project
Missouri Budget Project
Episode: The KC Port Authority Subsidies and Our Schools and Will Killing the State Income Tax Cost Working People More? You betcha!
Jamie Jackson
Co-founder and broadcaster, Understanding Israel and Palestine; transit systems researcher
KKFI guest, Bus Riders Union advocate
Episode: The New Bus Riders Union and IATSE Local 31 is Staffing the World Cup
Cody Sanders
Transit organizer, Sunrise Movement member
Bus Riders Union organizer, Sunrise Movement Kansas City
Episode: The New Bus Riders Union and IATSE Local 31 is Staffing the World Cup
Jacob Hobbs
Business agent, IATSE Local 31
IATSE Local 31
Episode: The New Bus Riders Union and IATSE Local 31 is Staffing the World Cup
Jason Taylor
International representative, IATSE Local 31
IATSE Local 31
Episode: The New Bus Riders Union and IATSE Local 31 is Staffing the World Cup

Host

Judy Ansel
News reader and contributor; core host with long-running involvement.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 12 ratings
  • Readdoctor

    In this day and age where everything in America is for sale, it is refreshing to find Heartland Labor Forum fighting back by airing the truth.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    American-boy
    United States11 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Provides history-informed analysis that challenges mainstream narratives.
Pays sharp attention to worker rights and public education.
Offers strong union leadership perspectives and practical organizing tips.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

KU Pharmacists Organize!
Q: What is the current status of the KU Health System union campaign?
The campaign is actively organizing pharmacy technicians with IAM Healthcare, facing union busting tactics but continuing to push for safer staffing, a clear career ladder, and worker rights, including a mail-in ballot with broad turnout expected.
The KC Port Authority Subsidies and Our Schools and Will Killing the State Income Tax Cost Working People More? You betcha!
Q: Has it destroyed the American dream?
Amy Blouin explains that the income tax is essential for funding public services and that the real issue is rising income inequality, not the tax itself.
The New Bus Riders Union and IATSE Local 31 is Staffing the World Cup
Q: What is your idea of expanding transit?
Our idea is a fast, frequent, and safe transportation system that serves all of us, is equitable, and makes public transit a choice and a quality option for everyday life and events.
The Annoyance Economy and Missouri Workers Center Organizing Restaurant Workers
Q: What could address the health care frictions identified in your study?
Congress could require up-to-date provider directories, mandate online access to all forms, limit prior authorization hurdles, and leverage federal purchasing power to set expectations for companies providing health insurance.
Celebrating 50 Years of Free Agency in Baseball
Q: How did binding arbitration change the balance of power between players and owners?
Binding arbitration introduced an independent arbiter to resolve salary disputes, shifting leverage away from owners and toward players by providing a structured mechanism to set salaries and gradually enabling free agency.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Heartland Labor Forum

What is Heartland Labor Forum about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A listener-focused look at workers' rights, labor history, and current union actions across the Midwest and beyond. Episodes routinely cover union organizing wins, public education funding, healthcare policy as it affects workers, and how political shifts impact labor movements. Notable threads include worker solidarity, internal democracy within unions, mental health in unions, and the role of media and policy in shaping labor outcomes. The show often features practitioners, scholars, and union leaders, offering practical insights for organizers, advocates, and workers seeking to understand or join the labor movement. A standout is its willingness to address hot-button topics like wage theft, political stances of unions, and innovative uni... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Heartland Labor Forum?

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How many listeners does Heartland Labor Forum get?

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What are the audience demographics for Heartland Labor Forum?

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How many subscribers and views does Heartland Labor Forum have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Heartland Labor Forum has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Heartland Labor Forum?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Heartland Labor Forum:

1. Labor History Today
2. Jacobin Radio
3. Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff
4. Organized Money
5. The Daily

How many episodes of Heartland Labor Forum are there?

Heartland Labor Forum launched 13 years ago and published 751 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Heartland Labor Forum?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Heartland Labor Forum?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Heartland Labor Forum from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Heartland Labor Forum?

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What guests have appeared on Heartland Labor Forum?

Recent guests on Heartland Labor Forum include:

1. John Irvine
2. Joshua Radke
3. William D. Lopez
4. Adrian Plank
5. Amy Blouin
6. Jamie Jackson
7. Cody Sanders
8. Jacob Hobbs

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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