Apr 18, 2021 – The Great Railroad Shop Strike of 1922 – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 366

Description: Bill, Kelley, and Rachel discuss the nationwide railroad shopmen’s strike of 1922 which mobilized 400,000 strikers and kept the union intact but did not achieve its original goals.

Links and notes for Ep. 366 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AFD-Ep-366-Links-and-Notes-Great-Railroad-Strike-of-1922.pdf

Theme music by Stunt Bird.

Feb 28, 2021 – The Illinois Central Shopmen’s Strike of 1911 – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 354

Description: Bill and Kelley review primary source documents to understand the disastrous failure of the 1911 Illinois Central Railroad Shopmen’s strike and lessons it might hold for today.

Links and notes for Ep. 354 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AFD-Ep-354-Links-and-Notes-Illinois-Central-Shopmens-strike-of-1911.pdf

Theme music by Stunt Bird.

[Preview] Feb 23, 2021 – The American Protective League feat. @housetrotter – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 353

Full episode on Patreon: During WWI, a Chicago ad man pitched the Bureau of Investigation on a volunteer secret police, which grew to nearly 300,000 unpaid agents and foreshadowed strategies of the later US intelligence state. Friend of the show Ben aka @housetrotter joins Bill and Rachel to discuss.

[Preview] Feb 9, 2021 – State-Level Labor Law, Part II – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 349

Bill and Rachel examine what an 1842 Massachusetts court decision can tell us about the process of industrialization and the emergence of labor unions and what parallels we can draw for modern gig workers. Full episode for subscribers on Patreon.

Feb 7, 2021 – State-Level Labor Law, Part I – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 348

Description: Kelley, Rachel, and Bill discuss California’s Prop 22 ballot law against independent contractors and New Mexico’s positive reform for public-sector employee unions. Part II coming to the bonus feed.

Links and notes for Ep. 348 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/AFD-Ep-348-Links-and-Notes-State-level-labor-law-part-1.pdf

Theme music by Stunt Bird.

Jan 31, 2021 – Floyd B. Olson and the 1934 Minneapolis Strike – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 346

Description: In 1930, Depression-era Minnesota elected friendly radical and syndicalist Floyd B. Olson as Governor. In 1934, he was forced to declare martial law to protect communist Teamsters from Minneapolis police and business militias. Bill and Rachel discuss.

Links and notes for Ep. 346 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/AFD-Ep-346-Links-and-Notes-The-1934-Minneapolis-Strike-and-Floyd-B-Olson.pdf

Theme music by Stunt Bird.

[Unlocked] Jan 26, 2021 – The 1948 Wall St Strike – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 345

Bonus episode: Bill and Rachel discuss the 1948 Wall Street strike by the United Financial Employees union, Wall Street’s first and only financial sector labor strike. Subscribe at Patreon.

Links and notes for Ep. 345 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/AFD-Ep-345-Links-and-Notes-1948-United-Financial-Employees-Wall-Street-Strike.pdf

Theme music by Stunt Bird.