Organizing Worker Power & Political Expectations

We welcome Peter Rickman, president of the Milwaukee Service and Hospitality Union (MASH) to discuss the union’s big organizing victory this week at Landmark Theater in Milwaukee, the rapid growth of the union, and the union's commitment to the Living Wage Coalition pushing for a $20 minimum wage bill. We take a dive into new national polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation showing health care cost is a dominant election issue in 2026, even for Republicans and treasured independent and swing voters. Seventy-two percent of Democrats, 63% of independents and 47% of Republicans said the cost of healthcare will have a major impact on which party’s candidate they will support. Robert updates us on the continued fight for a BadgerCare Public Option and the grassroots leaders and legislative champions making it happen. We also highlight the dysfunction of our health care system, as evidenced by news this week that Ascension Wisconsin now has tele-ICUs at some hospitals… that’s right, no ICU doctors on-site! We close with the scandalous news that more massive “hyperscale” data centers are coming to Wisconsin, according to the head of WEC (the parent company of WE Energies and WPS), who arrogantly bragged at a recent shareholders meeting about the boon it will be to their windfall profits. This is only happening because Wisconsin state political leaders green lighted data center development with huge tax giveaways ($2 billion and counting) while failing to pass any guardrails to protect the climate, rate payers, and public health.

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Episoder(500)

Childcare providers lead the way

We welcome Citizen Action member and child care provider Julia Bennker back to the show to discuss this week’s “strike” and actions at the Capitol by child care providers demanding the Legislature res...

15 Mai 202549min

Time to Fight for Badgercare

We discuss breaking news in the fight to save Medicaid this week as House Speaker Mike Johnson rules out cutting the federal match to states for Medicaid Expansion states. This is huge for Governor To...

8 Mai 202549min

May Day 2025: The power of permanent organizing

At the top we celebrate the decades of permanent community organizing of Voces de la Frontera that makes May Day so powerful in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. This annual celebration of multiracial democrac...

1 Mai 202545min

Stand and fight???

Robert Kraig begins the program with observations on Donald Trump's assault on democratic institutions . Some major institutions, such as elite universities, major law firms, and corporate media comp...

24 Apr 202550min

Corporate bosses cower under Trump

The boss of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce (MMAC) says 99% of business leaders are “afraid to speak out” against Trump. We discuss why these big business cowards take no responsibi...

17 Apr 202550min

The escalatory spiral with China

We welcome back to the show Tobita Chow to discuss how Trump’s 125%+ tariff on China fits into the escalating spiral of dangerous conflict between the United States and China. We review the main curre...

10 Apr 202549min

Justice Crawford

Why does Senator Cory Booker’s filibuster this week matter and how is it connected to the Wisconsin election this Tuesday? We take a deep dive in the epic State Supreme Court election that saw a lan...

2 Apr 202549min

Rural Wisconsinites fight Medicaid Cuts

It’s time to get out the vote in Wisconsin for the Spring Election. We review news that the state supreme court race will shatter all spending records for the prized judicial seat that will determine ...

27 Mar 202552min