Listen: UAW Local 259 Takes on Mercedes-Benz Bosses/ Housing Vouchers/UFT Vote
Come out on Wednesday, April 16 for a noontime rally in support of UAW Local 259 workers at Mercedes-Benz Manhattan, 770 11th Avenue.
By Bob Hennelly
On this episode of the Stuck Nation Labor Radio Hour, we speak with James Henry, a Yale University Global Justice Fellow and economist about the week that was and the week that still lies ahead—including a noontime rally outside Mercedes-Benz Manhattan where workers will push back against union-busting bosses.
Over the weekend, Israeli bombing of Gaza continued with close to 40 people killed yesterday. The World Health Organization reported that a Palestinian child was killed after the Israeli military bombed a hospital in Gaza City.
Sunday, the New York Times reported a Gaza paramedic from the Red Crescent Society was now in Israeli custody from a highly controversial March 23 attack on Palestinian first responders.
According to the newspaper, in that same attack, the Israeli military killed 15 other rescue and aid workers, buried their bodies in a mass grave and crushed their fire truck as well as a United Nations vehicle-actions that have drawn international condemnation and scrutiny.
Here in the United States, a 38-year-old man is in custody for setting fire to the Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion on Sunday night while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his wife and four children were asleep after having celebrated Passover, the night before. They all escaped unharmed.
On Friday, in another twist and turn of the Trump tariff roller coaster, President Trump moved to limit the impact of the tariffs on multinationals like Apple by exempting electronics like iPhones and computers from the levies. News of the Trump tech tariff side deal sparked a global stock market rally. Yet, in Sunday news show appearances and on social media the White House said that consumer electronics were still subject to a 20 percent tariff imposed on China for its role in trafficking fentanyl.
The erratic Trump trade policy gyrations that cost investors trillions in the stock market have also upended the government bond market which saw a sell-off on Friday as polling showed voter confidence in Trump's handling of the economy slipping considerably.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to dismantle and defund Medicaid by withdrawing funding for state health programs that help Medicaid beneficiaries to remain at home while they are medically cared for. These essential programs include things like home health aide housekeeping and buildingout broadband capacity that make telemedicine possible in rural areas.
This latest draconian move comes after the Republican-controlled Congress passed a budget that calls for an $880 billion cut to Medicaid, which over 70 million Americans rely upon.
We get labor’s perspective on the deepening crisis from Dr. Joe Wilson, labor historian and biographer of A. Philip Randolph.
We also check in with UAW Local 259 President Brian Schneck about an upcoming rally at Mercedes Benz in Manhattan this Wednesday [April 16] to support that site's vehicle service workers who voted to unionize back in May. The German luxury car maker has been doing everything it can to try and bust the union.
In our second hour we also take a deep dive into New York City's housing voucher program with Council Members Gale Brewer, chair of the Council's Oversight Committee, and Guido Pompili, a real estate broker and property manager.
We also heard from Olivia Swisher, who is running against UFT President Michael Mulgrew to lead the union representing NYC’s public school teachers and paraprofessionals.
Listen to the entire show below: