Re:Work by the UCLA Labor Center

Despite a long tradition of midwifery in the Black community, which predates the founding of the United States, less than 2% of midwives today are Black. In this episode we share the story of Kim Durdin, who found her calling in reclaiming midwifery and birthwork.
It is part one of two episodes where we bring you the stories of Black midwives in Los Angeles devoted to helping women experience empowered births through their foundation and birth center, Kindred Space LA.

When we think about college, there’s a certain whimsical image, a time of self discovery and carefree fun before you step out into the “real” world. But now, with the rising costs of education and living expenses, most students work, and work a lot. 
In this episode of Re:Work, Adolfo González shares his decades long journey to provide for his family while pursuing his education. 
To learn more about “workers and learners” like Adolfo, visit our publications page at labor.ucla.edu. 
And to learn more about farmworkers, check out these reports from the UCLA Labor Center Global Solidarity Team:http://bit.ly/farmworkerrebellionhttp://bit.ly/liberationlinked

We often see children as innocents who need love, support, and stability. But not all young people are nurtured this way. Too often youth from marginalized communities of color are not seen as needing protection -- they are treated as the ones we need protection from.
We see this in this episode with Phal Sok, who was once a kid in Long Beach forced to grow up too soon. This episode is part two of our series on Cambodian refugees who get caught up in the criminal justice system at a young age.

In today’s political climate, there’s a prominent narrative of "bad" immigrants who don’t deserve to be here. This isn’t new -- it’s a part of a much longer history of criminalizing immigrants and refugees in the United States.
This episode is the first of two that explore the experiences of Cambodian refugees who get caught up in the criminal justice system at a young age. Billy Taing shares his story of fleeing the Khmer Rouge and resettling in America with his family, only to continue facing hardship.

What happens when you go to work and no one else in the room looks like you? Being the “only one” often means more scrutiny, less support, having to work harder, or to justify why you’re even there. In this episode, Zayana Ross-Torrence shares her experience as a Black woman studying STEM and then working in emergency services, an industry dominated by white men.

Uber. Lyft. Their arrival has transformed daily life and raised important questions about job quality, employment law, and creating an economy that works for everybody. What’s it like to be a woman driving for these rideshare companies? In this episode, Alexandra Carbone shares her story.

Young people spend a good chunk of their waking hours in school, but their world extends far beyond the classroom. During the recent teachers' strikes, educators reminded us to think about students in a holistic way.
In this episode of Re:Work, Los Angeles teacher Rudy Dueñas takes us through his own history at LA Unified School District — as a student then an educator — and the moments that transformed him in and out of the classroom.

The International Labor Organization estimates 20.1 million people are trapped in forced labor globally, in industries including agriculture, construction, domestic work and manufacturing. Who does this happen to? And how does it happen? In this episode, we bring you the story of Lester Ramos and his journey from the Philippines.

This episode is a tribute to the life and legacy of Henry Walton — a lifelong union and community activist. Henry had a special relationship with Re:Work Radio, given that it originated from his KPFK show, ‘Labor Review,’ which ran from 1991-2011. He had a unique way of connecting deeply with people and sharing the stories of communities in Los Angeles. Henry hosted hundreds of guests over the years, including labor leaders, elected officials, global union visitors, organizers, and union activists. He was a consistent source of labor news for thousands of listeners, and telling stories of the movement was Henry’s passion. Before we took over the show, we sat down with Henry for an interview in the conference room at the UCLA Labor Center. The conversation became a series of stories about his life, influences, and journey to becoming a pioneer of radio broadcasting.

Re:Work Radio is back with another episode on LA’s Garment District. This time we explore the Garment District’s rich history through three generations of strong Mexican women. Vanessa, Re:Work Radio staff, comes from a family of women whose lives are intricately tied with the LA Garment district. Starting with her great-grandmother who was a garment worker in the 1920s, the family eventually owned and operated a bridal shop in Mexico for over 50 years -- always returning to the Garment District for materials. This is a story about love, labor, and transnational solidarity.