Deliveristas of the World Unite - May Day Special

We're back for a May 1st Special episode to commemorate International Worker's Day! Happy May Day!

For our May Day special, we're looking at the struggles of Delivery Workers in New York City - we speak with Katya and Juan Carlos, two delivery workers affiliated with Los Deliveristas Unidos, an up-and-coming Delivery worker organization. Katya is a Spanish-only speaker so Lupita Romero helped interpret this segment with us.

Lea Ramirez and Julian Guerrero take on the debate around worker misclassification by Uber, Lyft, Doordash, and other App-based companies explaining how this issue is creating a second-class status for working people across the globe.

Reflections on Building Independent Media

April 23rd, 2021 marks one year of our series, Coronavirus and Class Struggle, on famed Lefty community radio station, NYC's WBAI 99.5 FM.

A few members of the Working Class Heroes Collective, Khadija Mehter, Lea Ramirez, and Julian Guerrero, reflect on one year of producing 32 episodes of interviews, reporting, and discussions on working-class struggles based in New York City. They discuss what they learned, how important support for independent media is needed to report on ongoing struggles, and what lies ahead for the Working Class Heroes Collective.

Guantanamo: Don't Forget Us Here

On this week’s show, we discuss Guantanamo Bay, why it must be shut down, and why we need justice for all detained and formerly detained prisoners

Khadija Mehter speaks with Mansoor Adayfi, who was just 19 when he was taken to Guantanamo Bay, where he spent over 14 years detained without being charged with a crime, and Dr. Maha Hilal, co-director of Justice for Muslims Collective, an organizer with Witness Against Torture, and a council member of School of the Americas Watch.

Building Solidarity with Our Unhoused Neighbors

On this week's episode of Working Class Heroes Radio, we speak with Jasmine and Kali of Southern Solidarity, an organization dedicated to liberation, mutual aid, and the cause of unhoused people, mainly in New Orleans and now, right here in New York City.

They spoke to Lupita about their efforts, what role they see mutual aid can play in the struggle for liberation, and how people can take up the cause of unhoused people.

Khadija Mehter and Mel Gonzalez host the show and also break down the rising number of undocumented immigrants who are unhoused and at risk of evictions in the wake of the pandemic.

Restaurant Workers Organize For Dignity

On this week's show of Working Class Heroes Radio, Julian Guerrero speaks with restaurant workers, Natalia Tylim and Gary Inman, both members of the Democratic Socialists of America and organizers with the Restaurant Organizing Project.

They'll be speaking with us about the struggles of the Restaurant Industry, especially with regard to the ongoing pandemic and their efforts to organize better work conditions through the Restaurant Organizing Project.

Lupita Romero and Danny Katch host the show and speak with Stella Becerril, the organizer of the Street Vendors Project about the recent victories as well as the continued struggles of street vendors as essential workers who have been continuing to serve the public.

Prakash's Homecoming: The Fight Continues

On this week's show of Working Class Heroes radio, we speak with Prakash Churaman, the young Guyanese immigrant from Queens who spent 6 years incarcerated without a fair trial.

Now that Prakash is out on bail, Julian Guerrero asks him about his experience with the criminal justice system, how he's coping with being back home and what his struggle for freedom from the Queens District Attorney's grip might entail.

Lupita Romero and Mel Gonzalez host the show, lay out our latest headlines, and break down the issue of pre-trial detainment in New York City's criminal justice system with the help of Carl Hamad-Lipscombe, director of advocacy and policy at the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund.

The Rise of the Tech Labor Movement

On this week's show of Working Class Heroes Radio, we speak with Aaron Petcoff, a software engineer, member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and a volunteer with the Tech Workers Coalition.

Lea will be speaking with Aaron about the current role of the tech industry in the U.S., Tech workers' efforts to unionize, as well as the potential for the Tech Labor movement under the new Biden administration.

Khadija and Mel host the show and discuss Covid19 and New York State's response to it, including disparities in vaccination distribution and the problems with vaccine registration technology today.

US Postal Service Not For Sale

From budget cuts to Trump's attempts to the sabotage mail-in voting system, Postal workers are fighting to save the US Postal Service.

On this week's show of Working Class Heroes Radio, Julian Guerrero speaks with city letter carrier, Frank Couget, about the struggles that Postal workers have been fighting throughout the Trump administration.

Khadija Mehter and Mel Gonzalez host the show, give us our latest headlines and talk about President Biden's first 100 days in office and what kind of president he will be to working-class people. Dariela Maradiaga calls in to speak about her brother's pending deportation, (Javier Castillo Maradiaga), and how ICE is ignoring Biden's moratorium on deportations.

Fired By Amazon and Fighting Back

On this week’s show of Working Class Heroes Radio, we speak with Chris Smalls, a former Amazon worker who was fired after organizing a walkout to protest the violation of COVID-19 safety standards in the warehouse by Amazon management.

Lea Ramirez and Danny Katch talk with Chris about his experience, what conditions were like for Amazon workers, and what led him to help found the Congress of Essential Workers.

Lupita and Julian also break down the new Tax the Rich campaign in New York by a coalition of progressive organizations.

Starving For Freedom: Life Inside NJ Detention Centers

On this week's episode of Working Class Heroes Radio, we discussed the ongoing hunger strike of over 140 people across immigrant detention centers in New Jersey, who are fighting for their lives, demanding immediate release from indefinite detention as Covid19 cases rise in prisons.

Lupita Romero spoke with Marcial Morales, who was formerly detained at Bergen County Detention Center in New Jersey, as well as, Mary A., whose fiance is still detained at the Hudson County Detention Center. They speak about the terrible conditions inside the detention centers and how people are striking for their freedom.

Brianda GuzmanJanuary 11, 2021Season2, coronavirus and class war, Working Class Heroes, WBAI, New York City, Protests

No Pipeline Through North Brooklyn

On this week's episode of Working Class Heroes Radio, we speak with organizers from the Frack Outta Brooklyn Coalition and the No North Brooklyn Pipeline campaign about their efforts to stop the construction of a liquefied natural gas pipeline under Brooklyn by National Grid, a London based energy company that is asking New York State to help pay for its completion.

Khadija and Danny give us this week's headlines and take a special on the ground report from Lupita and Mel on the ongoing struggle in New Jersey to shut down the Bergen County Detention Center. Julian speaks with Monique Roberts, a tenant organizer at Housing Organizers for People Empowerment (HOPE), Pati Ankalli, a member of Mi Casa Resiste and the Frack Outta Brooklyn Coalition, which is a Black, Indigenous and people of color-led coalition fighting the pipeline and Fabian Rogers, also a tenant organizer with HOPE as well as with the Brownsville Resident Green Committee.

Reclaiming Stolen Land in New York

On this week's show, we speak with members of the revolutionary indigenous organization, The Red Nation as well as a member of the Shinnecock Nation about the struggles of indigenous people in New York, focusing specifically on the struggle waged by the Shinnecock Nation against the settler state of New York.

Khadija talks with Lou Cornum, the chairperson of the East Coast Freedom Council of The Red Nation, and Savannah, also a member of the Red Nation, as well as Tela Troge, a member of the Shinnecock Nation.

Essential But Ignored: NYC Delivery Workers

On this week's show, Mel Gonzalez speaks with NYC delivery worker, Miguel, about their job conditions, treatment from the employer and the recent hit and run deaths of delivery workers. Lupita Romero and Julian Guerrero also discuss another segment of the informal labor force, the NYC Street Vendors, and their struggle to address police harassment and the City Council's inaction on street vending reform. Lastly, Khadija Mehter and Danny Katch give us some of the latest headlines from around the world and country.

Stopping Solitary

In this week's episode, Danny Katch speaks with Victor Pate, a formally incarcerated organizer with the campaign for alternatives to isolated confinement about the fight to end the horrific practice of solitary confinement inside New York prisons.

Mel Gonzalez and Julian Guerrero discuss some of the election results and bring you some local headlines while Lupita Romero and Khadija Mehter talk about the two communities who don't get participate in elections.

Can't be a Victim to the System: The Prakash Churaman Story Part 2

On this week’s show of Working Class Heroes Radio, we continue our story of Prakash Churaman, a young man locked up for six years without a fair trial or a guilty verdict, who’s fighting to prove his innocence from within the Rikers Island Jail Complex. In part two, Julian talks about how Prakash has built his support group, his issues with the judge on his trial, and how six years behind bars have affected Prakash.

Can't be a Victim to the System: The Prakash Churaman Story Part 1

On this week’s show of Working Class Heroes Radio, we report on the story of Prakash Churaman, a young man locked up for six years without a fair trial or a guilty verdict, who’s fighting to prove his innocence from within the Rikers Island Jail Complex. Locked up since he was 15 years old, Churaman has spent six years growing up behind bars. Julian talks about what he’s been through, the charges against him, and why he’s not had a fair trial in what will be a two-part story.

Deciding Puerto Rico's Future

On this week's show, Lupita and Mel host, Khadija and Danny bring us a special edition of our weekly headlines, given Trump's diagnosis of Covid19, Lupita and Mel break down some of Puerto Rico's most recent events. Finally, Julian speaks with Paul Figueroa, a San Juan City Council candidate and member of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, about the upcoming vote on statehood in November. We'll be discussing colonialism, democracy, the no vote campaign, and what vision the Independence Party has for Puerto Rico's future.

We Won't Die for the D.O.E.

On this week's show - school is back in session and the city’s failure to address health and safety concerns has already propelled the spread of Covid infections in school buildings. Bill de Blasio has insisted that schools will reopen without giving them funding for ventilation or enough teachers. This week Khadija and Mel host the show and break down school safety before and during the pandemic, Lupita and Julian give us some headlines and Danny speaks with therapist Marilena Marchetti and Paraprofessional Trina Davis about how they and other educators are fighting to keep students safe from their own mayor.

Rezoning Battles in NYC

On this week's show, we focus on the anti-displacement work against the large scale developments of Industry City in Sunset Park and the waterfront in Flushing. Khadija and Lupita host and address NYC's richest residents, Yanny and Danny lay out some of the latest headlines, and Mel spoke with organizers Kimberly Morales and Seonae Byeon on their efforts to push back against these development plans, the upcoming city council votes to approve rezoning requests, and what’s at stake for communities in these neighborhoods.

Tenants Fight Back: Confronting the Slumlord

On this week's show, Lupita and Mel report on struggles tenants are waging against abusive landlords and courts trying to restart the eviction mill in New York City. Julian speaks with tenant and activist Ginger Ging-Dwan Boyd who dealt first hand with a landlord who broke into her home and tried to illegally lock her out of her apartment. Ginger tells us how she's confronted her landlord and organized her fellow tenant neighbors into a tenants association.

SEASON 2: Coronavirus and Class War

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