As America celebrates Labor Day this weekend, Civil Beat’s Pod Squad takes a look at how Hawaii stacks up in the labor movement. Host Chad Blair gathered reporters Nick Grube and Nathan Eagle, and deputy editor Eric Pape, to get the skinny on Hawaii’s unions. The quartet discussed whether union power is on the decline, labor’s impact on state policy, and if there’s a correlation between Hawaii’s high cost of living and the strength of local unions.

“Why do we celebrate Labor Day?” asked Blair. “What is the occasion?”

For those who would like to delve deeper, a history of Hawaii’s labor movement is available here, and data on national union membership rates are available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If after listening to this podcast you find yourself wondering, like Blair did, about union-inspired music, The Nation magazine has a list of the top 10 Labor Day songs.

Listen to the full podcast here or subscribe to it via iTunes or Stitcher.

Mike Webb produces Civil Beat’s Pod Squad every week.

Want to hear more? Check out Civil Beat’s other podcasts.
pod squad badge - smallThe Pod Squad
iTunes
Stitcher
podcast badge - smallCivil Beat Podcasts
iTunes
Stitcher

Want to hear more? Check out Civil Beat's other podcasts.

Are We Doomed?! And Other Burning Environmental Questions
Are We Doomed?! And Other Burning Environmental Questions

What the heck is reef-safe sunscreen? Where does all the trash go? Why is it so hot? Join Civil Beat as we tackle your questions about Hawaii's environment. Smart. Irreverent. Never boring. This is not your grandma's science podcast.

iTunes | Spotify | Soundcloud
Offshore
Offshore

Offshore is a new immersive storytelling podcast about a Hawaii most tourists never see.

iTunes | Spotify | RadioPublic

About the Author

You can subscribe to Civil Beat's podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and your favorite podcast app.