The Leslie Marshall Show

Teamsters Fighting for Workers from New York to California

Leslie is joined by two different guests that are members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

 

During the first half of the show, Leslie is joined by Peter Vargas, a 30-year insurance sales agent with AAA in Northern California.

 

They discuss how In June, about 460 AAA insurance sales agents in Northern California organized with Teamsters Local 665 in San Francisco – a unique group of licensed 'white-collar’ workers to have formed a union. They’ve been in contract negotiations since August and the company is stalling, failing to seriously bargain, and making changes to the status quo which is not allowed during the bargaining period.

The company has rejected nearly every union proposal, has failed to consider the workers’ positions, and has failed to make any counter offers.  

Rather than get serious about negotiating, the company has actually proposed a rule that would, in effect, allow the company to terminate any employee who curses in front of a “member.” “Member” refers to a current or former member of any AAA club or any current, former or potential customer --- so basically anyone.  There's also a punishment for being 1-minute late.

The company has also imposed a two-tier compensation scale that guarantees that newly hired employees will never have the same opportunities as more tenured employees. Calls from customers for sales agents are getting routed out to lower paid workers. Managers have control over which sales agents can receive calls at their desk and can shut the line down – and these calls are the agents’ livelihoods.  

The local union has filed seven unfair labor practice charges against the company.  AAA has refused to bargain over ‘just cause’ and fair compensation. The list goes on. The sales agents are motivated commission-earning workers who’ve built up this business and are determined to get a contract and to be treated fairly and with respect. 

 

The website for the Teamsters Local 665 is www.teamsters665.org.

 

During the second half of the show, Leslie is joined by Andre Solelyn, a Terminal Operator at United Metro Energy and Teamsters Strike Captain. 

 

The two discuss how essential workers at the United Metro Energy oil terminal in Brooklyn, such as Andre, have been on strike since April 19, 2021. The workers provided gasoline, diesel, and heating oil to New York throughout the pandemic, while the company’s billionaire owner, John Catsimatidis, paid them wages as much as 50% lower than at other city oil companies.

The company has sent letters to eight workers over the course of the strike telling them that they have been “permanently replaced.” The firings have illegally targeted union activists. The National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating charges related to the firings.

UMEC terminal workers, fleet mechanics, and service technicians voted to join Teamsters Local 553 in February 2019, but Catsimatidis dragged out negotiations for a first contract for two years, precipitating the strike. While other unionized fuel terminals in New York City pay good wages and provide quality benefits, UMEC has for years undercut those wages and only offered an expensive health plan that is not accepted by many doctors.

In November, the New York City Comptroller opened an investigation into complaints that United Metro Energy has not paid workers the prevailing wage when delivering heating oil to City buildings.

The oil terminal distributes heating oil to New York City schools and hospitals, as well as fuel to area gas stations.

 

Teamsters Joint Council 16 and its 27 affiliated local unions represent 120,000 workers in the Greater New York area and Puerto Rico.  Their website is Teamsters.nyc and their Twitter handle is @TeamstersJC16.

 

Please consider helping these Teamsters in Brooklyn who have been on strike for 10 months.
They need financial help in order to keep their families fed and housed while they continue to fight for their jobs, and for respect and fair pay.

The Go Fund Me Account where donations can be made in order to help can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/help-striking-families

 

Workers Rising

Leslie is joined by Melinda Newhouse of the United Steelworkers. Melinda directs the USW’s Strategic Campaigns department, supporting members during challenging bargaining. During her 23 years as a Steelworker, Newhouse and her department have helped USW members mobilize and build power across a wide range of industries, including steel, oil, paper, health care and more.

The two discuss how, over the past year, workers have begun standing together, demanding the kinds of wages, working conditions, and benefits that they deserve.

The website for the USW is www.USW.org and their handle on both Twitter and Instagram is @steelworkers.

Evaluating President Biden’s First Year and How Much America’s Campaign Finance System and Corporate Media Coverage Have Shaped Its Perception

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Charlie Cook, Founder and Contributor to 'The Cook Political Report,' and a political analyst for the National Journal and NBC News.

The two evaluate President Biden's first year in office, and then look ahead to the congressional midterm elections taking place this coming November.

Charlie Cook's Twitter handle is @CharlieCookDC and the handle for 'the Cook Political Report' is @CookPolitical.

During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political round-table with Tara Devlin and Mark Grimaldi. The trio discuss the current state of American politics, including the country's broken campaign finance system, and the corporate media's narrative about the Biden administration and its opponents.
They also analyze what the best approach is for President Biden and congressional Democrats heading into the 2022 midterm elections.

Tara Devlin is a New York City based comedian, writer, and host of the unapologetically-liberal podcast "TARABUSTER.”
Tarabuster is 5-star viewer-reviewed and 100% viewer-supported.
Help keep the REAL liberal media going – and growing – by becoming a Patron of Tarabuster at Patreon.com/TaraDevlin.
You can follow Tara on Twitter at @REALTaraDevlin and on Instagram at @Taradackty.

Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Memoir of a Multicultural Family Offers Advice on Parenting, Hope to Refugees and Empowerment to Women

Leslie begins today's show with her 'Ripped from the Headlines' news segment.

Here are the stories that she gave her take on:

1. AXIOS: "You can start ordering free COVID tests Wednesday"
2. AXIOS: "Biden deploying military medical staff to help overwhelmed hospitals"
3. AXIOS: "Nurses across the U.S. strike against COVID working conditions"
4. AXIOS: "Biden admin threatens to take back Arizona's COVID aid over anti-mask rules"
5. AUDIO - Notorious disseminater of COVID misinformation, Joe Rogan, Admits Josh Szeps Made Him 'Look Dumb' in Podcast Vaccine Debate (1:33 in length)
6. AXIOS: "Biden hosts Manchin and Sinema at White House to push for voting rights reform"

 

Leslie is then joined by Marjorie Margolies, who has experienced the peaks and valleys of politics and parenting. Throughout her career as a journalist, member of Congress, advocate for women’s leadership worldwide, and Mother of 11 children in a non-traditional family of multiple hues, cultures and religions, she has been a trailblazer.
In her latest memoir, "And How Are the Children?", she imparts wisdom and inspiration with her self-effacing humor.

Currently, Marjorie is the President and Founder of Women’s Campaign International (WCI), an organization that provides political, economic and social advocacy training for women in dozens of foreign countries. WCI has yielded phenomenal success such as doubling the number of women in parliaments around the world.

In 1992, Marjorie was elected to represent the state of Pennsylvania in the House of Representatives, making her the first woman ever elected to Congress from Pennsylvania in her own right. She was defeated after one term because she became the main target of Republicans after she cast the deciding vote to approve President Clinton’s budget.

The website for Women’s Campaign International (WCI) is WomensCampaignInternational.org and their Twitter handle is @WomensCampaign.

Marjorie's new memoir, "And How Are the Children?: Timeless Lessons from the Frontlines of Motherhood After Raising a Family of Adopted, Homegrown, Step, and Sponsored Kids," is available for purchase on Amazon at this link: https://www.amazon.com/How-Are-Children-Frontlines-Motherhood/dp/1954332351

Young Generations of Americans Demand Voting Rights

Today's guest hosts are Edwith Theogene and Charlotte Hancock, Organizing Director and Communications Director for Generation Progress.

They discuss how voting rights protections are desperately needed to protect the integrity of our democracy. The situation continues to get more and more precarious—according to data from the Brennan Center at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting in 2021, and even more bills are waiting in the wings: more than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access were introduced in 49 states in the 2021 legislative sessions.

Meanwhile, Congress has struggled to pass desperately needed federal voting rights protections over the past year. Thankfully, Senator Schumer and President Biden have indicated repeatedly that voting rights protections are a main priority for them, and the Senate has dedicated much of its attention in 2022 thus far to passing the Freedom to Vote Act. With a self-imposed deadline of Monday, January 17th—Martin Luther King Day—activists and organizers across the country are calling on the Senate to get the job done now.

To talk more about the Freedom to Vote Act, actions being taken in the lead up to MLK Day, and how voting rights reform could impact the upcoming 2022 midterm elections, they’re joined by two expert guests.

The guests are Catherine Rowland, the legislative affairs director at the Progressive Caucus Action Fund and Jamal Holtz, the lead organizer for the 51 for 51 Statehood Campaign.

Generation Progress' website is GenProgress.org and their Twitter handle is @GenProgress. Edwith Theogene's Twitter handle is @WhoIsEdwith and Charlotte Hancock's handle is @CharlatAnne. The Twitter handle for the Progressive Caucus Action Fund is @WeAct4progress. The Twitter handle for Jamal Holtz is @JamalHoltz and the handle for the '51 for 51 Statehood Campaign' is @51for51.

What‘s Next Now That Senator Joe Manchin Is a ‘No‘ On President Biden‘s ‘Build Back Better‘ Act?

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Sarah Jones, Editor-in-Chief of PoliticusUSA. The pair analyzes pivotal swing vote Senator Joe Manchin coming out against President Biden's 'Build Back Better' bill during an interview yesterday.

Sarah is a 2 time Telly Award winner, and now hosts Politicus News and co-hosts Politicus Radio. The website for PoliticusUSA is www.PoliticusUSA.com and their Twitter handle is @PoliticusUSA. Sarah's handle is @PoliticusSarah.

Brad is then joined by Dr. Robert Shapiro, Chairman of Sonecon, an economic advisory firm and a Senior Fellow of the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

The two breakdown the economic implications if President Biden's 'Build Back Better' act does not become law.  This includes a new economic forecast from Goldman Sachs that says, per CNN: ""A failure to pass BBB has negative growth implications," Goldman Sachs economists, led by Jan Hatzius, say in a new research report.

Citing the "apparent demise" of Build Back Better, Goldman Sachs now expects GDP to grow at an annualized pace of 2% in the first quarter, down from 3% previously.

The bank also trimmed its GDP forecasts for the second quarter to 3% (from 3.5% previously) and the third quarter to 2.75% (compared with 3% previously). It specifically pointed to the expiration of the child tax credit and the lack of the other new spending that had been anticipated"

Dr. Shapiro is an internationally-known economist who has advised, among others, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Jr., British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and then U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. He was Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs in the Clinton Administration.

His website is Sonecon.com and his Twitter handle is @RobShapiro.

Made-in-America Holiday Gift Guide & More with AAM President Scott Paul

Leslie is joined by Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a partnership established by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union.

The two discuss:

1. Seven Highlights from AAM's 50-State '2021 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide'

2. AAM Statement on the 20th Anniversary of China’s WTO Ascension

3. AAM: "Senate Passes Legislation to Ban Imports from China’s Xinjiang Region" (by AAM's Elizabeth Brotherton-Bunch)

The website for AAM is AmericanManufacturing.org and their Twitter handle is @KeepItMadeInUSA. Scott's handle is @ScottPaulAAM.

Russia, China, Roe v. Wade, Time‘s 2021 Person of The Year

Brad is first joined by Colonel Cedric Leighton, Founder and President of Cedric Leighton Associates, a strategic risk and leadership consultancy serving global companies and organizations.
He founded the company in 2010, after serving in the US Air Force for 26 years as an Intelligence Officer and attaining the rank of Colonel.

The two analyze Russia's provocations toward Ukraine, China's provocations toward Taiwan, and what the U.S. and the rest of the world can do about them.

 

Colonel Leighton's website is CedricLeighton.com and his Twitter handle is @CedricLeighton.

 

During the second half of the show, Brad hosts his progressive political panel to discuss the recent Supreme Court cases regarding Roe v. Wade, as well as Time's 2021 Person of the Year.

He'll be joined by Edwith Theogene and Mark Grimaldi for the panel.

Edwith Theogene is the director of advocacy for Generation Progress, the youth engagement arm of American Progress. In this role, Theogene works to develop and lead efforts that translate the experiences of young adults into concrete actions that advance progressive policies and increase voter turnout. Edwith's Twitter handle is @WhoIsEdwith.

Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 13 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Saving Lives with OSHA

Leslie is joined by Steve Sallman, Director of the United Steelworkers Health, Safety and Environment Department, where he’s worked for more than 17 years.
 
Today, Steve and Leslie discuss helping OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) save lives.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the agency that ensures Americans have safe workplaces, has been helping save lives since its foundation with the 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act.
- One of its first standards set permissible exposure limits for more than 400 toxic substances, with more recent guidance covering concerns ranging from bloodborne pathogens to silica dust.

- OSHA performs tens of thousands of inspections every year.

- Between 1970 and 2019, workplace fatalities were reduced by 60 percent and injuries and illnesses fell by almost 75 percent.

Unfortunately, the previous administration starkly illustrated how much OSHA’s ability to perform this vital work can hinge on external factors.

- Under President Donald Trump, OSHA’s enforcement activities plummeted to new lows even as worker deaths soared to the highest level in more than a decade.

- It even rolled back a 2016 rule requiring most employers to electronically submit detailed reports on workplace injuries because powerful corporations didn’t like it.

Now, we have a new administration and new opportunities.

- Health care workers finally got an emergency temporary standard for occupational exposure to Covid-19.

- It’s also working to keep workers safe through vaccination and testing.

- Workers across industries need the protections from other hazards like heat stress—a growing danger because of climate change — and workplace violence

President Biden’s Build Back Better plan also presents an opportunity to enable OSHA to keep workers safe from a variety of hazards by expanding its budget and increasing penalties for workplace health and safety violations.

- The Build Back Better Act passed by the U.S. House last month would provide an additional $707 million to OSHA over the next five years to facilitate enforcement, standards development, whistleblower investigations, compliance assistance, funding for State plans, and related activities

- It also provides $133 million to the Mine Safety and Health Administration for similar work

- While it’s impossible to put a price tag on a safe work environment, it also makes important increases to the maximum penalties OSHA can levy:

    -Penalties for serious violations would increase from $13,653 to $70,000

    -Penalties willful violations and repeat violations would increase from $136,530 to $700,000 

- Both enforcement and real penalties are important for incentivizing employers to address concerns and provide a safe work environment

OSHA has proven to be vital to protecting workers. With the help of this administration and hopefully this legislation, it will be able to do even more.

Steve has nearly 30 years of safety and health experience, investigating fatalities and life-altering accidents, providing assistance to local unions and working closely with employers’ safety and health professionals.

The website for the United Steelworkers is USW.org.
Their handle on both Twitter and Instagram is @steelworkers.

The Attack on Bipartisan Election Institutions in America

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Rachel Kleinfeld is a Senior Fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
There she focuses on issues of rule of law, security, and governance in post-conflict countries, fragile states, and states in transition.

The two discuss:

- Why attempts to delegitimize bipartisan election institutions in Wisconsin matter, and what will happen next

- What role the politicization of law enforcement plays in these developments in Wisconsin, and why that is concerning in Wisconsin and nationally

- How the developments in Wisconsin and in other states increase the risk of election crises in 2022 and 2024

Rachel's Twitter handle is @RachelKleinfeld.

During the second half of the show, Tim Zenk and Mark Grimaldi join Brad for this week's 'provocative progressive political panel.'
The threE talk about environmental policy.

This includes:

- How 'big oil,' Saudi ARAMCO and Russia are affecting gas prices
- Environmental aspects of 'Build Back Better'
- Progress in the fight against climate change

Tim is a Principle at 'Molecule,' a business and public affairs company, a former Democratic staffer, and a well known renewable energy expert. His Twitter handle is @greencrude.

Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.' He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles.
You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.

Watch a video broadcast of this episode here on Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1MYxNnvgXwRxw

Or here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gw3ZwtC2DrQ