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Mexican agricultural laborer topping sugar beets8d29109v

So the mission of the department is… and I quote, ‘to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States’. They're supposed to enforce labor laws, they're supposed to enforce workplace safety standards. They're supposed to be an advocate and protector for working people and poor people in this country. And they have done under the leadership of Lori Chavez Deamer the exact opposite. It's so unfortunate because every federal agency is going through this, right? But the Department of Labor. That touches more people than the the nerdy labor reporters that pay attention, that touches everyone 'cause work touches everyone. Your workplace safety and the labor laws that are supposed to protect you. That is an issue for every person here. And seeing this agency just completely abandon most of us… Everyone who wouldn't fit in on a German propaganda poster from the 1930s. It's really frightening.

Kim Kelly, author of, "Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor", (Atria Books) host of "Unite and Win: A Guide to Workplace Organizing" podcast at workerorganizing.org, speaks with This Is Hell! to discuss her writing at The Baffler, "A Piece of Work: The Department of Labor’s anti-immigrant turn betrays its history."

We will have new installments of Rotten History and Hangover Cure. We will also be sharing your answers to this week's Question from Hell! from Patreon.Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon.

 


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