
Coal Dust and Coffee Shops
From Labor Radio-Podcast Weekly by laborradiopodcastweekly
May 23, 2026 · 55 min · Episode 354
About this episode
This episode features stories on coal miners, grassroots democracy movements, and labor organizing efforts.
This week on the Labor Radio/Podcast Weekly, we feature stories from across the Labor Radio Podcast Network on coal miners, grassroots democracy movements, labor media, Starbucks organizing, labor music, and more.Working People: Labor journalist Kim Kelly reports on the Trump administration’s weakening of mine safety protections, exacerbating the black lung crisis and jeopardizing coal miners' health.Green and Red: Anthropologist Ida Susser discusses France’s Yellow Vest movement, highlighting grassroots workers' challenges to both liberal and far-right politics while fostering new democratic organizing.The Worker Power Hour: Steve Matthews emphasizes the need for labor unions to adopt podcasts, radio, and digital media to educate and inspire workers in a changing media landscape.I Am An Actor: In this new SAG-AFTRA series, Kate Hudson explores the craft of acting.Heat the Ground Up: This episode continues the oral history of Starbucks Workers United, detailing Starbucks’ anti-union campaign and the organizing efforts that transformed labor in the service industry.Mine Wars Forum: Celebrating the legacy of labor musician and activist Hazel Dickens, stories from her nephew Buddy…
People in this episode
Guests: Kim Kelly, Ida Susser, Steve Matthews, Kate Hudson
Topics covered
- coal miners
- grassroots democracy
- labor media
- Starbucks organizing
- labor music
- mine safety
- worker education
Keywords
- coal dust
- black lung crisis
- mine safety
- labor unions
- Starbucks
- democratic organizing
- labor music
- grassroots movements
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Starbucks Workers United, Labor Radio Podcast Network, SAG-AFTRA
Places: West Virginia, Pittston
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