NC Labor History Revealed

How did we get here? The recent uptick in worker action isn’t new in North Carolina, it’s part of a decades-long legacy. The roots of worker resistance trace back to the first union in North Carolina, The Knights of Labor. Learn how demands for respect on the job were waged by working people like Ella May Wiggins and The Marion Tragedy heroes, inspiring textile workers across the country.

Who belongs in the labor movement? Resilient worker coalitions are often found at the intersection of labor and race. Tune in to hear how North Carolinians formed multi-racial coalitions to fight racism inside and outside of the workplace, and how farmworkers leveraged such coalitions to overcome racist inadequacies in federal labor law to secure the largest union contract in North Carolina history.

What does solidarity mean? Standing up for a dignified workplace can be a longstanding struggle. These three stories of worker resistance in North Carolina highlight the resilience of worker power, including one that played out over nearly 17 years and another that inspired an Oscar-winning Hollywood movie.

Where do we go from here? In the final episode of the NC Labor History Revealed podcast, we interviewed two workers, Andrew Oyaas with IATSE and Hannah Drummond with NNU, to find out how North Carolina union members of today are carrying the torch of hope passed down to them through the generations.