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Artwork for Heartland Labor Forum
Labor Rights
Labor Movement
Trump Administration
Kansas City
Donald Trump
Missouri
Workers' Rights
Kansas City Public Schools
Tariffs
Project 2025
Immigration
Immigration Policy
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

It’s KKFI’s Summer Fund Drive! PLEASE DONATE DURING THE SHOW OR ANYTIME. YOU CAN CALL 888-931-0901 OR GO TO KKFI.ORG.

Thursday, on the Heartland Labor Forum: This year’s Missouri legislative session, perhaps more aptly known as the Legislative Sess... more

We discuss the proposed Kansas City Royals stadium to be built at Crown Center in partnership with Hallmark. The plan seems to be creating more questions than answers, and as part of our recurring coverage of the stadium, we’ll look at the economics ... more

Planning a summer road trip? How about visiting the places where ordinary people made extraordinary change? We’ll talk to Chris Garlock of the Labor Heritage Foundation about their new Labor Landmark Map! Then we’ll visit a nearby landmark – Quindaro... more

Who doesn’t love a library? Unfortunately, library workers at Mid-Continent Libraries don’t feel much love from their bosses, and they’ve organized a union. We’ll have them and results of their vote on it on tonight’s show. Then, one might think that... more

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Recent Guests

Chris Garlock
Executive director of the Labor Heritage Foundation
Labor Heritage Foundation
Episode: It's Labor History Month - plan your vacation with a map of labor sites and Quindaro - some local history
Nakia Hope Paul
Fifth great-granddaughter of Robert Monroe; director of the old Quindaro Museum and Information Center
Oak Quindaro Museum and Information Center
Episode: It's Labor History Month - plan your vacation with a map of labor sites and Quindaro - some local history
Elise Bryant
Former executive director of the Labor Heritage Foundation
Labor Heritage Foundation
Episode: It's Labor History Month - plan your vacation with a map of labor sites and Quindaro - some local history
Shelby Fordham
Library worker and union organizer at Mid-Continent Public Library
Mid-Continent Public Library, CWA Local 6360
Episode: Mid-Continent Library Workers Organize and Retiring Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy
Dawson Sims
Library worker and union organizer at Mid-Continent Public Library
Mid-Continent Public Library, CWA Local 6360
Episode: Mid-Continent Library Workers Organize and Retiring Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy
Rick Levy
Retired head of the AFL-CIO in Texas
Texas AFL-CIO
Episode: Mid-Continent Library Workers Organize and Retiring Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy
Jerome Scott
Author, Motown and the Making of Working-Class Revolutionaries
University of Georgia Press (publisher)
Episode: Motown & the Making of Working-Class Revolutionaries and the Kansas City Public School Foundation
Walda Katz-Fischman
Author, Motown and the Making of Working-Class Revolutionaries
University of Georgia Press (publisher)
Episode: Motown & the Making of Working-Class Revolutionaries and the Kansas City Public School Foundation
John Irvine
IAM Healthcare organizing coordinator, Pharmacy Guild
IAM Healthcare / Pharmacy Guild
Episode: KU Pharmacists Organize!

Hosts

Christina Dismay
Host of Heartland Labor Forum
Judy Ansel
Host/Interviewer on Heartland Labor Forum
Jeff Beatty
Host of Heartland Labor Forum; Co-host/Interviewer
Rebecca Markham Parker
Host/Interviewer on KCPS segment

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.

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.

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
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Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About Heartland Labor Forum

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

A thoughtfully curated labor-focused show that blends local union organizing stories, public policy, and historical context with timely labor news. Episodes frequently center on on-the-ground organizing victories (like library workers joining unions and healthcare staffing debates), while also hosting seasoned voices from national labor circles, educators, and policy researchers. A standout characteristic is the mix of practical organizing advice, historic labor narrative (e.g., Motown-era movements, baseball/union history), and accessible explainer segments on public policy and transit issues, all anchored by local Kansas City–area concerns. Potential listeners include union members, organizers, policy advocates, educators, and transit or ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Heartland Labor Forum?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Heartland Labor Forum. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Heartland Labor Forum and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Heartland Labor Forum get?

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What are the audience demographics for Heartland Labor Forum?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Heartland Labor Forum, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

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. Pod Save America
2. Politically Speaking

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.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

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What guests have appeared on Heartland Labor Forum?

Recent guests on Heartland Labor Forum include:

1. Chris Garlock
2. Nakia Hope Paul
3. Elise Bryant
4. Shelby Fordham
5. Dawson Sims
6. Rick Levy
7. Jerome Scott
8. Walda Katz-Fischman

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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