Building Bridges Radio: Your Community & Labor Report

Produced and Hosted by Mimi Rosenberg & Ken Nash over WBAI,99.5FM in the NYC Metro Area

WHO WE ARE

WORKERS OF THE WORLD TUNE IN! Introducing "Building Bridges: Your Community & Labor Report"

Our beat is the labor front, broadly defined, both geographically and conceptually. We examine the world of work and workers on the job as well as where they live. We examine the issues that affect their everyday lives, with a particular sensitivity towards human rights abuses, environmental concerns and the U.S. drive for global domination. We record their global struggles and provide analysis of their efforts to empower themselves and transform society to provide greater democratic, human, social, political and economic rights. Each program consists of feature stories, generally interviews, within a historical context, often accompanied by sound from demonstrations, rallies or conferences, and complemented and enhanced by poetry and instrumental or vocal -- people's culture.

Over the years Building Bridges has produced a weekly one hour program, Mondays from 7-8 PM EST, covering local, national and international labor and community issues over radio WBAI-Pacifica 99.5 FM in New York. We also produce half hour version, Building Bridges National, which is distribtued to over 40 broadcast and internet radio stations.


For more information you can contact us at knash@igc.org
In Struggle Mimi Rosenberg & Ken Nash

Israeli Warfare State with Jeff Halper  

Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report
National Edition - 27:52
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The Israeli Warfare State

with
Prof. Jeff Halper,
Director Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions,
Author of "An Israeli in Palestine"and nominee for he Nobel Peace Prize

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Halper argues that whichever parties coalesce to form the new Israeli government there will be no progress in movingtoward serious peace talks with the Palestinians ending the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. Israel has become addicted to war in its dealings with the Palestinians, in itseconomy and society. the Israeli economy thrives on the export of urban warfare strategy and weaponry. Change will have to come from outside forces pressuring Israel.

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Lincoln Cantata - Earl Robinson's Lonesome Train  

Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report
National Edition
28 minutes
******************************
Earl Robinson’s Cantata, Lonesome Train,
as part of Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial

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The Riverside Church in NYC presented the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, The NYC Labor Chorus and The Riverside Inspirational Choir in Earl Robinson’s cantata, The Lonesome Train in honor of the 200th birthday of the great emancipator Abraham Lincoln. The work had not been heard in its entirety for more than 50 years. The performance featured theatrical direction by LorcaPeress,a narrator played by acclaimed actress Ruby Dee (American Gangster, Steam), a chorus led by a balladeer, Michael Mark (I Love My Wife, Cotton Patch Gospel), barn-dance caller David Amram (composer/Author/Jazz musician), banjo soloist Eric Weissberg (Dueling Banjos, Deliverance) and Sam Waterston (Law and Order) as President Lincoln. The four join gospel preacher Tyrone Aiken and his choir, a barn dance caller and fiddler to honor Lincoln’s message of “a new nation conceived in liberty.” The Riverside production was introduced by Pete Seeger.

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Sitting In for Justice on the Job  

Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report
National Edition
27:22
******************************
Chicago Strikers Stood Up for Justice by Sitting In
with

Ricky Maclin,VP L. 1110, United Electrical Workers(UE)
Raul Flores,Steward,Local 1110,UE
Mark Meinster, UE Field Organizer
Joycleyn Campbell, Domestic Workers United
Sara Rodriguez a striking Stella D'Oro Cookie Worker,
L. 50, Bakery, Confectioners, Tobacco Workers Union

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In December, in an electrifying action 260 workers at Republic Windows occupied their plant for 6 days in response to the closing of their plant. Their militancy and the national support they gained helped them win a partial settlement from Bank of America and Republic Owners, but the struggle continues to regain their jobs. Now, in a national tour they tell their story, and their efforts to create a broad campaign for worker justice.

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Chicago Sit In Workers; Scapegoating Public Workers; Black Autoworkers  

WBAI Radio's Building Bridges: Your Community & Labor Report
Monday, January 26, 2009, 7 - 8 p.m. EST, over 99.5 FM ****************************************
Black Workers And The UAW In Detroit
with
David Lewis-Colman, author Race Against Liberalism: Black Workers And The UAW In Detroit

The Citizens Budget Commission Lets Big Business Off The Hook And Scapegoats Public Workers

with
James Parrott, Deputy Director and Chief Economist,Fiscal Policy Institute

Chicago Strikers Stood Up for Justice by Sitting In

with
Ricky Maclin, VP Local 1110, United Electrical Workers

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Black Workers And The UAW In Detroit
with
David Lewis-Colman, author Race Against Liberalism: Black Workers And The UAW In Detroit

Too many blame the gain of autoworkers as responsible for the plight of the auto industry. Auto is one of the most critical sectors of our economy and the wages and benefits of unionized auto workers to date & how they achieved them is critical to the advancement of organized labor. We’ll probe with Lewis-Colman his careful history ofthe black labor movement in Detroit and its compelling contributions that shaped the politics of the labor movement.
*****
The Citizens Budget Commission Lets Big Business Off The Hook And Scapegoats Public Workers
with
James Parrott, Deputy Director and Chief Economist,Fiscal Policy Institute

The Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) released a report claiming NY City & State employees receive bloated compensation - unfair pensions and benefits. But, James Parrott corrects the record, explaining that a main cause of the economic crisis is the shift of income and assets to the wealthy, and that the cure must be to redistribute income to the people and not attack the benefits that they have.
*****
Chicago Strikers Stood Up for Justice by Sitting In
with
Ricky Maclin, VP Local 1110, United Electrical Workers

In December, in an electrifying action 260 workers at Republic Windows occupied their plant for 6 days in response to the closing of their plant. Their militancy and the national support they gained helped them win a partial settlement from Bank of America and Republic Owners, but the struggle continues to regain their jobs. Now, in a national tour they tell their story,



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Building Bridges National: Cornel West - America at a Crossroads  

Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report
National Edition
******************************
America at a Crossroads
With Dr. Cornel West,
Class of 1943 Professor, Princeton Univ.. Author of “Race Matters”,
“Democracy Matters” and “Hope on a Tightrope”


Cornel West is one of our most renowned public intellectuals. As we approach an economic, political, & spiritual crossroads, the next chapter of the American story is about to be written. Professor West reflects about America’s continuing dialogue on race and justice, the Obama Presidency, and the economic
crisis.
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