2023-09-04
35 分钟If the ongoing television writers' and actors' strikes -- and other labor organizing efforts happening across the world -- have been on your radar, this is the episode for you. It's also for you if you are a fan of weekends. Or social security. Or health insurance. Or if you're anti-child labor! Because all of these aforementioned workplace protections exist thanks to the advocacy of labor unions. In this episode, American political scientist Margaret Levi shares the long history of organizing labor, and explains how unions create equality and protect worker rights. Margaret also discusses her optimism about today’s young workforce and why she believes that an equitable future requires a revival of the labor movement. This is an episode we released last year but it feels more relevant than ever as we celebrate Labor Day today in the United States. We hope you enjoy it! For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
TED audio collective.
You'Re listening to how to be a better human.
I'm your host, Chris Duffy.
In the United States this week, we are celebrating Labor Day, which is so much more than just a marker of the end of summer and a fashion reminder to put away your all white clothing ensembles.
Labor Day is a celebration of the accomplishments and the importance of the labor movement.
And we are at a moment in history right now where workers organizing and experiencing their collective power and solidarity has never been more important, in my opinion.
I'm a proud member of the Writers Guild of America, and as you may have heard, we have been on strike since May 2.
I very much hope that by the time you listen to this, the Hollywood studios have given in and the strike is over because they have accepted our very reasonable demands.
I feel very confident that the strike is going to end with a victory for the writers eventually.
But I cannot say how long I think it will take because I just don't know.
And I don't know how much financial damage and pain it's going to cause to people along the way.
That's really hard.
But something that I have learned from these past few months on the picket line is how powerful the feeling of solidarity is for me, seeing the teamsters, the carpenters, the crew, the actors, the whole range of people who work in my industry, supporting and standing together for better conditions.
It's been a much more powerful emotional experience than I would have expected.
Because we're living in a time where it can often feel like the only people who have power are the rich CEO's at the very, or the people behind the newest technologies.
And so much of what I think we are fighting for in this current strike has to do with the importance of humans and not replacing us with technology or AI or machines.
Not saying that our contributions can be devalued because of a secret algorithm that no one is allowed to inspect or audit, that we should be allowed to have a stable, predictable career, not just uncertain gig work.
And in my opinion, those are issues that extend far beyond the narrow world of Hollywood.
That's why I'm so proud to stand with and support the teachers, the delivery workers, the public employees, and everyone else who is organizing and demanding that they be treated better.
If you're in a field where you're not treated fairly, and maybe right now you're thinking, why should all those people be treated better than I'm being treated?