1 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: It it could happen here. Yeah, that's the podcast that you're 2 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: listening to. It's also the thing that is happening. The 3 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: thing that is happening is it is a kind of 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: rough time to be a transperson in the US and 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: also in most other countries. And you know, we do 6 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: a lot of episodes on this show about how it's 7 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,159 Speaker 1: rough and why it's rough and the specific things that 8 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: are happening. But also sometimes we do we do the 9 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: other part of the podcast, which is to put it 10 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,480 Speaker 1: back together part of the podcast, or in this one, 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: I this is more of a bring to birth a 12 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,319 Speaker 1: new world from the ashes of the old episode. And 13 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: in order to talk about doing that, we're talking to 14 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: Samantha Medina, who's an organizer for Donut Workings United and 15 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: also the Coalition of Independent Unions and Shineyid who is 16 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: an organizer for the CiU and also the IWW. And yeah, 17 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: both you two. Welcome to the show. 18 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 2: Hey, thanks for having us, good to be on. 19 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: Great to talk to both of you. And so the 20 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 1: specific thing that Yeah, I wanted to talk about today 21 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: is the trans Day of Solidarity that is being organized 22 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 1: in Portland right now. And Yeah, I wanted to I 23 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: guess we should start with what is this event, who 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: is doing it, and then we can get into why 25 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: it is being done. 26 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 3: Sure thing, So, the Trans Day of Solidarity is an 27 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 3: event being put on right now by the Coalition of 28 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:34,960 Speaker 3: Independent Unions, and it's an event that's basically about both 29 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 3: celebrating trans people in the labor movement and the worker's 30 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 3: movement as a whole, highlighting the importance of workplace in 31 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 3: union organizing for trans communities as a way for us 32 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 3: both to survive but also to struggle towards our own liberation. 33 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 3: And finally, it's a way of it's a way of 34 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 3: sort of us clarifying how we can start using workplace 35 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 3: struggle as a means of turning the tide against the 36 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 3: current genocide. 37 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: With this, Yeah, that covers most of it. 38 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 4: I think the only thing that I'd like to add 39 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 4: is a lot of what this event is around is 40 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:22,079 Speaker 4: bringing awareness to the trans community and specifically our experience 41 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 4: within the labor movement and on the job. And it 42 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 4: is a way, as Shaneide mentioned, to kind of like 43 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 4: highlight exactly what unions do and can do for trans 44 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 4: people well at the same time also giving us a 45 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 4: moment to remind unions that they should be doing more. 46 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 2: Even if what they're already. 47 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 4: Doing is great, they could always do more. And especially 48 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 4: in a time right now where trans people are facing 49 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 4: the discriminations particular to us across this country right now, 50 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 4: and as she mentioned, the world, but focusing on the 51 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 4: United States, it's really important that the avenues that are 52 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 4: there to protect us are aware. 53 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 2: Of how it to protect us. 54 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 4: So I think this is our opportunity to kind of 55 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 4: remind unions to step it up a little bit. 56 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean I think I think another thing 57 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: that's kind of important about this in particular is, yeah, 58 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: you know about bunch of YouTube are intimately aware of this. 59 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 1: But I don't know if overrepresented is the right term. 60 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: But like trans people, like literally right now in particular, 61 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: are effectively the vanguard of new union organizing. They are 62 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: you know, enormously like quote unquole, I guess, I guess 63 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: overrepresentati or whatever that's the word you want to use 64 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: in in you know, like among union organizers a lot 65 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: of actually and then this I think is you know, 66 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: another thing I'm excited about for this is that like 67 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: y'all are kind of like at the forefront I guess 68 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: of like what the new sort of union organizing stuff 69 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: is and how it's how it's sort of you know, 70 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: how how it's been working, and so like that the 71 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: fact that this is like the one place where there's 72 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: actually a lot of us and that you know, is 73 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: a place where there's enough of us that it actually 74 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: matters is important and that you know that that works 75 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: in a lot of directions at the same At the 76 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: same time. 77 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I think it's good to acknowledge that, like, yeah, 78 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 4: there are a lot of trans people that are organizing 79 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 4: their workplaces. There's a lot of trans people taking part 80 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 4: in their unions, and you know, a lot of that 81 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 4: I think comes out of necessity, like if we're not 82 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 4: there to discuss our needs with these unions or to 83 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 4: create our own unions at a necessity where like maybe 84 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 4: our CIS coworkers don't understand the struggle that we face 85 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 4: on the shop floor, so. 86 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 2: By reminding them, we're able to make it better. You know. 87 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 4: Like all that's great and true and everything, but I 88 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 4: think it's also really good to acknowledge that, like LGBTQ 89 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 4: people in general, whether they just be trands or otherwise 90 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 4: have been organizing and organizing their workplaces for decades now, 91 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 4: So I think a lot of this like, yeah, we're 92 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 4: seeing a lot more trans people involved, but we're also 93 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 4: seeing a lot more recognition and visibility of trans people 94 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 4: than ever bookedore right. 95 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 3: Well, and part of the reason we're so involved is 96 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 3: because it's a matter of basic survival. Right. The average 97 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 3: trans masculine and non binary person make about seventy percent 98 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 3: of the media and US wages, whereas transpendent people make 99 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 3: sixty percent. And this is below like compared to SIS people. 100 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,919 Speaker 3: You know, that's that's wild, right. The level of homelessness, 101 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 3: of discrimination of job, loss of hours being reduced, punishment 102 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 3: of sexual harassment on the job is just you know, 103 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 3: it's it's unconscionable, and it always has been, even in 104 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 3: the good days. It was garbage and miserable and honestly 105 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 3: took a lot of us out. 106 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I mean, you know, like part of part 107 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: of the thing with that rud is like that all 108 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: of that has knock on effects, right, you know, if 109 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: you can't get a job and the job you can 110 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 1: get pay less, A lot of this forces people, you know, 111 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,600 Speaker 1: like the rate of homelessness is unbelievably hot people get 112 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: evicted constantly, and this, you know, this, this, this, all 113 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: this ties together with sort of like transhousing struggles, because 114 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: that's a huge thing. And yeah, the conferences, this is like, yeah, 115 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: a lot of a lot more of us end up dead. 116 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: And the way that we don't end up dead is 117 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: by fight, is by fighting. And one of the places 118 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: that you know, like one of the places we've gotten 119 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: good at is fighting in the workplace. 120 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 3: Absolutely, And I like, I mean, I'm talking from my 121 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 3: own experiences, you know, as an organizer and as an 122 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 3: IWW member for god seventeen years now, Like wow, yeah, 123 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 3: it's like I think about all the major campaigns that 124 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 3: I've seen, and all of them, all of them have 125 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 3: had trans people at as core organizers for each and 126 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 3: every shop from the Canvasser's strikes to Burgerville to any 127 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 3: number of like fast food shops and service sector shops 128 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 3: and retail shops. Like every single time, there are folks 129 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 3: that are are trends, that are playing key rules. Which 130 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 3: is given that we're what probably between two and four 131 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 3: percent of the population at least, uh, you know, at 132 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 3: least according to current testaments, probably gonna be higher, but 133 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 3: you know that's shouldn't be possible. 134 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 2: Yes, that is shocked. 135 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 3: It makes no sense except for the fact that well, 136 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 3: survivability bias. Motherfuckers, it's this or we're dead. 137 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, like no, I mean yeah, very well, no, no, no, 138 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 2: it's I. 139 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 4: Mean that is the blatant truth, right, And I mean, like, 140 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 4: even if we're not talking about life and death, I mean, 141 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 4: it's the difference of whether we have access to a 142 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 4: bathroom to you, you know, yeah, like you know, like yes, 143 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 4: of course this is also about life and death. But like, 144 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 4: you know, I think another thing that trans people based 145 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 4: a lot is like access to health care, or really 146 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 4: the lack thereof access to health care, and especially healthcare 147 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 4: that will actually get us, you know, the medication that 148 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 4: we need to be on or the surgeries that we need, 149 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 4: because again, these are issues that help with dysphoria, and 150 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 4: we all know the statistics on how dyspory affects people 151 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 4: of all ages, and that is again a matter of 152 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 4: life and death. So like, I don't think that's wrong 153 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 4: to not sugarcoat that stagey. 154 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, right. 155 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 3: And there's another side to it too, is that like 156 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 3: this is also a point of community. This is a 157 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 3: point of actually like folks from you know, it's meeting 158 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 3: up with other trans folks, but it's also like working 159 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 3: together with others, like with CIS coworkers and friends. Right, 160 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 3: this is a point of belonging and togetherness and of 161 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 3: being able to really be there for your neighbors and 162 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 3: your friends and your coworkers in ways that like and 163 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 3: to be a part of community, which is something that 164 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 3: is often stripped of us. Right. Yes, it's about survival 165 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 3: and it's about what we need to do in order 166 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 3: to keep breathing, but it's also about we need to 167 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 3: do to live, you know, to go beyond survival, to 168 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 3: have joy and to have enough money to make it through, 169 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:09,119 Speaker 3: and you know, maybe people to actually have something for ourselves, 170 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 3: maybe be able to not have the constant anxiety but 171 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 3: instead spend more time being happy about who we are. 172 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 3: Ceacy to overlook that, but again biased sample source, But 173 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 3: almost all my fondest memories are from being side by 174 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:31,439 Speaker 3: side with my fellow workers. 175 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 2: Right absolutely. 176 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 4: And I think also, you know, like time's gone long 177 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 4: enough now where you know, trans people are starting to 178 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 4: be something that people are aware of, something people are 179 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 4: talking about, whether. 180 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 2: That's in the best ways or not. We're at least 181 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 2: more than we. 182 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 4: And I you know, I think like organizing in general 183 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:57,079 Speaker 4: community in general, whether that's you know, community, uh, within 184 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 4: the city you live in, or within your workplace. You know, 185 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 4: like a lot of our success at being able to 186 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 4: live the lives that we want to have or be 187 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 4: the people that we want to be and be respected 188 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 4: for that really does come down to our family members, 189 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 4: our co workers, our friends, and ultimately complete strangers who 190 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 4: we need to rely on. 191 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 2: You know. 192 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,079 Speaker 4: I hate to use the word ally, but we need 193 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 4: our allies more than ever, and it's about time that 194 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:36,199 Speaker 4: they step up to and that starts typically speaking in 195 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 4: your community and in your workplace. 196 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 2: I think it's also really. 197 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 4: Good to address the fact that, like, you know, when 198 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 4: we're talking about trans issues and organizing around them and 199 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 4: like organizing the workplace in your community and all that, Like, 200 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 4: it's it's also important to acknowledge how intersectional the trans experiences. 201 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 4: And that's something I really wanted to try to We 202 00:10:56,320 --> 00:11:00,120 Speaker 4: got talking about specifically about unions and things like that, 203 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:05,079 Speaker 4: because also unions are an incredibly intersectional piece of politics 204 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 4: and life that we need to appreciate. Because when we 205 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 4: talked about these statistics affecting trans people. They affect disabled 206 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 4: trans people and black and brown trans people at much 207 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 4: much more much high rates then they affect white trans people. 208 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 4: And I think that unions being something and not just unions, 209 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 4: I mean every aspect of organizing and community building really 210 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 4: needs to pay attention to this. 211 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 2: But I think this is something that is so ingrained 212 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 2: in unions that unions have been fighting for this sort of. 213 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 4: Protections that are very intersectional, you know, like whether they're 214 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 4: protecting women in the workplace, whether they're protecting black and 215 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 4: brown people, whether they're protecting disabled people, or whether they're 216 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 4: protecting trans people. That is a large part of why 217 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 4: you unions were established. You know, we talked about wages 218 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 4: and working hours a lot, and that is all fine 219 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 4: and dandy, and it's wonderful, and that's something that is 220 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,319 Speaker 4: a base core value of unions. But I don't think 221 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:15,439 Speaker 4: it's celebrated enough how much work unions did in equality 222 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 4: in this country. And I think this is just a 223 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 4: continuation of that tradition. And trans people just happen to 224 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 4: be one of the largest topics right now, and we 225 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 4: tend to have one of the largest targets on our 226 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 4: back more than we've ever had before. 227 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,239 Speaker 2: And so yeah, I think that's why. 228 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 4: We discussed unions in relation to this, because for you know, 229 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,439 Speaker 4: working class folk, that's where a lot of our organizing begins. 230 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think I think it's actually honest, it's 231 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: had an interesting impacts on the kind of union organizing 232 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: as happening because you know, like one of one of 233 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: the sort of consequences of transferbent discrimination in workplaces is 234 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: that you get a lot of trans people in what 235 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: is Okay, I refuse to call it service sector. I'm 236 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: gonna there's gonna be a whole episode that's been yelling 237 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: about the service sector that's coming to a recording thing 238 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: near you, specifically like job jobs and fast food jobs 239 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 1: that are very low wage, like high turnover things, and 240 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: particularly fast who's been a very interesting because that's that's 241 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: a sector that like a lot of trade unions just 242 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 1: completely ignored, like they just gave up on and you know, 243 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:32,599 Speaker 1: like they've been starting to organize like Starbucks in the 244 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:36,439 Speaker 1: past few years, right, but like you know, like if 245 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: you want to look at the people who've actually been 246 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,319 Speaker 1: trying to organize fast food workers, it turns out it's 247 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: a bunch of trans people because because because who works, 248 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: because who actually does this stuff? 249 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:45,439 Speaker 2: Right? 250 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,560 Speaker 3: Turns out turns out. 251 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:53,439 Speaker 4: Yeah, there's a lot to be said about that, like 252 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 4: with larger unions, and larger unions, especially within the trades, 253 00:13:57,880 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 4: have done a lot of great work, you know, and 254 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 4: that's the lovely and I appreciate them for that. 255 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 2: But on the other hand, they really did turn their 256 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 2: back on the service sector industry for the silliest reason possible, 257 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 2: which is that. 258 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 4: High turnover is just too difficult. And we want to 259 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 4: talk about people, Yeah, it's just too difficult. 260 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 2: You know, who wants. 261 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 4: To organize something difficult, right, like that might cost too 262 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 4: much money or not make them enough money, And which 263 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 4: I find highly hypocritical of unions in general. I mean, 264 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 4: like not of all unions, but like, if that is 265 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 4: a stance that unions will take to not organize the 266 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 4: service industry, being a union seems to be exactly why 267 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 4: you would target those industries, right, because those are where 268 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 4: workers needed most. And if we want to talk about 269 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 4: high turnover rates being the reason, who do we think 270 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 4: is affected the most by high turnover rates? You know, 271 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 4: like it is hard to find a job as a 272 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 4: trans person, let alone keep a job for any length 273 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 4: of time, there's oftentimes no upward mobility for trans people 274 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 4: in that job, and so you pace a variety of 275 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 4: life issues when you're not making enough money, which inevitably 276 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 4: leads to you losing your job and adding to the high. 277 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 2: Turnover rates in these companies. 278 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 4: This is exactly why, and we can get into you know, 279 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 4: what we've been up to and what we're doing later, 280 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 4: but that's exactly why the CiU and the IWW and 281 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 4: other organizations like us do what we do is because 282 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 4: we believe in helping the workers that need it most, 283 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 4: who are underrepresented and not taken care of by the 284 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 4: larger units. 285 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 3: Because we are those workers, right, I mean, that is 286 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 3: the thing we're able to do this and put you know, 287 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 3: I mean, we'll put the fucking hours in because that's us. 288 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 3: We're doing this because it's the only way out, right. 289 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 3: So like when we schedule something like or like create 290 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 3: an event like the trans Day of Solidarity, we're doing 291 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 3: this because both on the backbone of years of experience, 292 00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 3: but especially like collectively but also bringing in new organizers 293 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 3: because we knew how we can think back to how 294 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 3: we were brought in, right, we can talk think back 295 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 3: to our friends, our allies, and our especially our transfellow 296 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 3: workers who were the ones who mentored us well before 297 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 3: the tipping point in a lot of cases, right, because 298 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 3: this is why we're here, and like thinking about who 299 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 3: this affects, right, I mean, like it affects trans people deeply, 300 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 3: and it can cut off our access to the healthcare 301 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 3: that many, but not all of us very much need 302 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 3: to keep going. And the threats above us, you know, 303 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 3: only increase as the like you know, the oppressions you 304 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 3: face are are increasing. Right, if you're a transpression of color, 305 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 3: if you're disabled, like you were saying, right, like, shit 306 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 3: gets worse, it gets harder, The sword over your head 307 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 3: dangles a little closer, so we work to figure a 308 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 3: way to get out from under it. But it's also 309 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 3: like why the Trans Day of Solidarity, Like when we 310 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 3: talk about it, it's it's an event that that is 311 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 3: what it is because it's designed to not simply be 312 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 3: us just speaking into the wind, but it's meant to 313 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 3: be a practical thing. Right. The the whole event itself 314 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 3: is is like a rally with you know, trans speakers 315 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,479 Speaker 3: from you know, a number of different shops and unions 316 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 3: in town. But it's also then just quickly becomes a 317 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 3: flying picket, right, And this is a tradition that I 318 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 3: think we do miss a little bit in this country. 319 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:29,120 Speaker 3: The flying picket's an old one and it's a it's 320 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,360 Speaker 3: a fucking goldie. It's where you get a big old 321 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,920 Speaker 3: mob of people and you just start going to places 322 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:40,400 Speaker 3: all over your town and throwing fucking pickets. It's everything 323 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 3: you love about a breakaway march and also a picket. 324 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 3: At the same time, it has direct economic leverage to it. 325 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:54,120 Speaker 3: You can do you know people, it's it took a minute, 326 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:56,200 Speaker 3: but and you know this is also coming from someone 327 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 3: who's organized in premierly in Portland, so there's a certain 328 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 3: bias here. Your locale may have vary. But if you 329 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 3: organize enough pickets in your city, people might cross them 330 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 3: at first, they get a lot less likely to the 331 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 3: more you do them over the years. So the more 332 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 3: pickets to throw, the less likely people are to cross them. 333 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 3: And if they are not likely to cross them, that 334 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 3: impact that you know, increases their impact. So you know 335 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:21,159 Speaker 3: we're gonna be given our speech, is sure, and we 336 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 3: are going to speak to our experiences. That's critical and 337 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,159 Speaker 3: then we're also going to ruin some people's day or 338 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 3: you know, make their day if you're the. 339 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 1: Workers, Yeah, ruin some bosses day exactly. Just always the 340 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: best kind of day. 341 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 3: Well, it's also part of the reason, listen, should bosses 342 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 3: have good days? I'm going to go on a limb 343 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 3: and say no never ever ever you want to, yeah, 344 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 3: damn straight. At the bare minimum, you get at least 345 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:56,880 Speaker 3: one less good day than us. 346 00:18:57,560 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 4: And you know what, you know what if the bosses 347 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 4: don't like having these bad days, then they can just 348 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 4: go find another job. 349 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 2: Yes, exactly, it's not that same deal, right, They. 350 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 3: Can actually contribute to their communities, you know, do some 351 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 3: real work for a change, which in this case is 352 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 3: sometimes just working a fucking tailla. 353 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: That's okay, speaking speaking of things that suck, we need 354 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 1: to take an ad break. This is the best ad 355 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:32,159 Speaker 1: pivot I've been able I've been able to think of 356 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: in the last like six minutes. So we're taking it 357 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,879 Speaker 1: right now that we're going to get this good again 358 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:53,800 Speaker 1: and we're back. So one of one of the things 359 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: that I also wanted to talk about is about I 360 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 1: guess just talk a bit about what the Coalition of 361 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:06,640 Speaker 1: Independent Unions is and how it sort of formed, and yeah, 362 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: I don't know the sort of potentials they're in because 363 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: it's a really interesting organization coalition. 364 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely. 365 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 4: So the CiU, it's got a long history if we 366 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 4: really dig deep into it, I mean, effectively, this idea 367 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 4: started after organizing within Portland for the last gosh, I 368 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 4: think people. 369 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:33,719 Speaker 2: May people have been organizing here forever. 370 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,360 Speaker 4: But let's say, how long ago did Burgerville Workers Union start, shanaan. 371 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 3: Let's see, there's that's a question. If you want to 372 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 3: talk about the official date we went public shore twenty sixteen. 373 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 3: If you want to talk about the antecedents, you'll find 374 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 3: it in the Industrial Research Organizing Group Precarious Workplace. No, 375 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 3: it is Low Wage Worker Subcommittee the Portland General Membership 376 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:06,160 Speaker 3: Branch of the IWW circa August of twenty thirteen. Incredible, 377 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 3: So you're welcome. Yeah, Oh honey, honey, I'm a whap. 378 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,199 Speaker 3: Do you know how many fucking acronyms do we have? 379 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 3: Oh my god, listen the number of things I had 380 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 3: to take the GMB when I was BST, despite not 381 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 3: actually being the TA part of the BST, the only 382 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 3: T part I'm not part of oh, I could tell 383 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 3: you about the GOB and the GEB until the Cow's 384 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 3: come home. But the point is they're antecedents. The CiU 385 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 3: is a relatively new organization with deep roots in Portland. 386 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 3: It kind of came out of the flurry of independent 387 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 3: unions that kind of in fast food service and retail 388 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 3: that flourished in the wake of the Burgerville Workers Union. 389 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 3: Burgville Workers Union itself goes public in God, that was 390 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 3: April of twenty sixteen, because of course it's been that 391 00:21:54,280 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 3: fucking long. It was in the works a while before that, God. 392 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 2: All those meetings. 393 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 3: The earliest antecedents are arguably the Portland General Membership branch 394 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 3: of the IWW's Industrial Organizing Research Group, the Precarious Worker Subgroup, 395 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 3: or maybe it was the Low Wage Workers Subgroup August 396 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:30,719 Speaker 3: of thirteen. But that's anteceedus, right. This kind of goes public. 397 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,640 Speaker 3: This itself is built on, you know, the Jimmy Johns 398 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 3: Workers Union, especially around the Twin Cities and earlier in 399 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 3: the two thousands, and then of course before that, the 400 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 3: Starbucks Workers Union that had multiple different campaign flourishings. I 401 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,199 Speaker 3: think the earliest in the late nineties early aughts in 402 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:53,879 Speaker 3: New York City on which honestly you'll see some articles 403 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,920 Speaker 3: mention this, on which the foundations of the modern Starbucks 404 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:01,719 Speaker 3: Workers United now rests. So what we've seen now in 405 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 3: the wake of all of this shit, right is you 406 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:10,160 Speaker 3: have an incredibly militant working class coming forward and they 407 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 3: start popping off. They're not waiting for permission from any 408 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:17,919 Speaker 3: org to just start fucking organizing their workplace, sometimes filing 409 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 3: for union elections, sometimes not the ones that have been 410 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:26,680 Speaker 3: filing for contracts. There are, i have complicated feelings, but 411 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 3: there are real gains you can make from contracts, right 412 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 3: that it is a lot easier to get certain victories 413 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 3: than you can in others. Now, there's also limitations, right, 414 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 3: But the CIWU comes from a number of different unions 415 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 3: coming together, you know, don't work as united a few 416 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:50,199 Speaker 3: others to basically like actually preserve you know, democracy in 417 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 3: their workplace, to pool resources around you know, trainings around 418 00:23:55,760 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 3: contract bargaining and elections, as well as to allowing each 419 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 3: other direct for direct action assistance and things like that. 420 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 3: And you know, the IWW has also got a thread 421 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 3: in all of this. But yeah, it's it's essentially a 422 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 3: series of like you know, we're not trying to own everything. Right, 423 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 3: The CiU exists as a platform for all the different 424 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 3: types of independent union activity they're occurring, right, and to 425 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 3: create a base on which we can actually start talking 426 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 3: to each other more, to cooperate and interact with each other. Right. 427 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:33,360 Speaker 3: There is more of a contract focus in the CiU. 428 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 3: So you know, I'm a wob with experience in duel carding. 429 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 3: You know, you have your contract union on the one hand, 430 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,440 Speaker 3: and you're fighting union on the other. And this allows 431 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 3: folks to sort of approach union organizing and labor organizing 432 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,920 Speaker 3: from any level of experience and any number of backgrounds. Right. 433 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 3: I think that's the real strength of the CiU is 434 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 3: not to instead to constrain the upswell of worker miltoncy, 435 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 3: but instead to give it a place to help put 436 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 3: down some while also allowing even more relateant struggle to 437 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:08,200 Speaker 3: intertwine within those growths. 438 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:10,439 Speaker 2: So I think that's a really great explanation of the 439 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 2: CiU and how the CiU formed, and the purpose that 440 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 2: the CiU provides to workers. 441 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 4: All. 442 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,120 Speaker 2: I mean, so far, the CiU is growing rapidly. 443 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 4: We've been talking with a lot of workers, and primarily 444 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 4: in Oregon and in Portland, but even workers outside of 445 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 4: that purview. And I have a lot of hope that 446 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,719 Speaker 4: the CiU is going to be able to help unionization 447 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 4: in a way that other unions are not willing to 448 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 4: at the moment or having difficulty breaking into. And so far, 449 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 4: so good. I mean, I think we have gosh, I 450 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 4: think there's like at least trying to do the math 451 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 4: right now in my head. I do lose count sometimes, 452 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 4: but I think we got about six different shops involved 453 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 4: in the CiU currently, six including my own, exactly six 454 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 4: weekublic shops including my own. 455 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 3: Fine, yeah, yeah, honey, there's so much more to come. 456 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:14,640 Speaker 3: There's so much to come. 457 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 2: Oh, they're gonna learn why we picked this city, all right, crows. 458 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 4: But it's going really well, and we have a lot 459 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 4: more campaigns that are going to go public in the future. 460 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 4: But one thing that we really noticed while organizing all 461 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:38,880 Speaker 4: of these campaigns, uh, and you know, whether we ourselves 462 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 4: organize them or whether we had a hand in assisting 463 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 4: them organize themselves throughout the city, one thing that all 464 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:49,880 Speaker 4: of us various organizers started to realize is that we 465 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:51,400 Speaker 4: represent a. 466 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 2: Large amount of trans folks at all these jobs. 467 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 4: And now some of that could be chalked up to 468 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 4: the fact that we live in Portland and we kind 469 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:00,439 Speaker 4: of live in the trans mecca, So of course you're 470 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 4: going to come across a lot of trans workers. But 471 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:04,679 Speaker 4: here's the deal that we kind of noticed, is that 472 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 4: trans workers regardless of living in Portland, Oregon, or you know, 473 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 4: the fact that we have so many trans people living 474 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:12,720 Speaker 4: here for. 475 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 2: A lot of reasons. I won't get into that. We 476 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 2: all know, which is why we moved here in the 477 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 2: first place. 478 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:19,879 Speaker 3: Refugees. We're let's be real, let's run away refugees. 479 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, but we noticed that there's a lot of trans 480 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 4: workers working, as you reluctantly put it earlier, service industry jobs, 481 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 4: and not just service industry jobs, a variety of jobs, 482 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 4: but most of which are you know, minimum wage, poverty wage, 483 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 4: let's be honest, jobs that offer almost zero upward mobility 484 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 4: for trans folks. And so that's the thing that we 485 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 4: started looking at is the ladder. And as you go 486 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 4: up the ladder, you see less and less and less 487 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 4: trans folks. So down here at the bottom working you know, 488 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:57,959 Speaker 4: fast food jobs, working, sweaty donut jobs, working you know, 489 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 4: in I mean, the restaurant industry, as a whole, I 490 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 4: think is a lot of we assist as well as 491 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:10,040 Speaker 4: you know, potentially some grocery store workers and other people 492 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 4: like that. 493 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 2: We don't have a whole lot. 494 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 4: Of representation in our workplaces that we make up, you know. 495 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 4: I mean, we can look at some of the larger 496 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 4: industries in town that do provide unionization for workers, and 497 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 4: there's many, but you know, I think it's easy to 498 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 4: look at like a lot of the auto industry or 499 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 4: the warehouse industries and things like that, and of course 500 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 4: they have trans workers, but it's an overwhelming amount working 501 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 4: within the service industry. And so as we started organizing 502 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 4: more and more service industry shops, we started realizing that 503 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 4: we are representing a lot of trans people. And what's 504 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 4: really important to us is that if we're going to 505 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:49,520 Speaker 4: be representing trans people in the workplace, then we should 506 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 4: give them a platform and a voice to be able 507 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 4: to speak about their concerns and their issues that they 508 00:28:54,760 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 4: haven't otherwise had. And that's why the CiU decided to 509 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,959 Speaker 4: put on this action, you know, and we chose it 510 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 4: when we chose it for a very particular reason, and 511 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 4: to be honest, we thought about doing it over Pride weekend, 512 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 4: and I think that would have been lovely. 513 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 2: But on the other hand, you know. 514 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 4: Pride is about a celebration of existence, and there's a 515 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 4: lot of visibility during Pride already, so we kind of 516 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 4: step back. 517 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 2: We reflected on that for a little bit, and we 518 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,280 Speaker 2: decided that Labor Day. 519 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 4: Is not exactly a time of year where you hear 520 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 4: about people talking about LGBTT rights and trans rights. 521 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 2: I mean, of course there's a little bit of that 522 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 2: going on. 523 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 4: I'm not sure and say that there's none, but it 524 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 4: seems like a really great opportunity for us to host 525 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 4: this event over Labor Day week and give trans workers 526 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 4: the working class an actual platform and a voice to 527 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 4: express their concerns issues and give their thanks at the 528 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 4: same time to the unions who represent them. And like 529 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 4: I said before, it could represent them even better. So 530 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 4: this is our way reminding them and all so at 531 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 4: the same time follow up picket reminding Portland that if 532 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:11,960 Speaker 4: you don't take care of your community, and specifically, in 533 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 4: this case, you're trans working class community, then we will 534 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 4: make ourselves heard and you will listen to us one 535 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 4: way or another. And if we have to take to 536 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 4: the streets in order to have our voice heard. We 537 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 4: are more than happy to do that. 538 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 3: Read the promise, black the threat. That's an old slogan, 539 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 3: but again it's when we really need to bring. 540 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 4: Back and city birds. City birds are very important all 541 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 4: this but I know important this episode. 542 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 3: But listen, listen, We're in Portland. The obligatory crow conversation 543 00:30:48,760 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 3: is just part of the bargain. The Labor Day weekend 544 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 3: tends to be very important because this has been a 545 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 3: lot of retail and food and entertainment business happens, and frankly, 546 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 3: given you know, the whole genocide, we decided we were 547 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,719 Speaker 3: going to help, you know, show the power of organized 548 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 3: labor by throwing a bit of a wrench into that, right, 549 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 3: So why we chose Labor Day Getting into sort of 550 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,719 Speaker 3: like what the Trans Day of Solidarity is. We're going 551 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 3: to be having a a speaker and rally at four 552 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 3: pm at Pioneer Square in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, September second. 553 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 3: This is a huge, huge weekend for food, service, for entertainment, 554 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 3: and yeah, for retail, and while we're having trans speakers 555 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 3: from a number of different campaigns and you can speak 556 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 3: from four to you know, wrapping up at around five. 557 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 3: We're then going to start moving on a mobile picket line, 558 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 3: a flying picket all over downtown Portland because we need 559 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 3: to bring joy to a lot of workers and ruin 560 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 3: a lot of bosses' days. This is leverage and we'll 561 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 3: use it. We'll just cost them as many, you know, 562 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 3: as much money as we possibly can. We'll be hitting 563 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 3: a number of different stores. It looks like we'll be 564 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 3: hitting well, you'll see it the march, but we'll be 565 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 3: going all over the city. We have everything covered in 566 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 3: terms of needs and amenities. There's going to be chants 567 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 3: and leaflets, they'll be medics a plenty, they'll be all 568 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 3: sorts of safety concerns will be addressed by or organizers 569 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 3: on the ground. So please come one, come all. We 570 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 3: actually should have a marching band that'll be pretty fun 571 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 3: that I didn't expect to land up. But it'll be 572 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 3: a Union marching band. 573 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:57,719 Speaker 1: No less nice, nice. I love to see it. 574 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 3: It's gonna be pretty great. So, UH, if you like 575 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 3: trans people and making bosses cry, you should come to this. 576 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 1: What time if we do? 577 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 3: This is starting again four pm the UH at Pioneer 578 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 3: Square in downtown Portland. 579 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 2: UH. 580 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 3: And then we'll be doing the march throughout the city 581 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:22,200 Speaker 3: from around. 582 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 4: Five o'clock and I do recommend that folks wanting to 583 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 4: come out to the event be ready to chant. Bring 584 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:35,120 Speaker 4: your blocking shoes because we have a bit of a 585 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:40,719 Speaker 4: trek ahead of us, making bosses miserable across town. And uh, 586 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:45,080 Speaker 4: make some signage, bring, bring picket signs, bring you know 587 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 4: in in picket signs and support of both trans people, uh, 588 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 4: working class folks, union workers, or just reminding bosses to 589 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 4: stop being ship heads. 590 00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 2: Whatever you want to put on your sign, it's lovely. 591 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:04,760 Speaker 4: I will give you a hint as to one of 592 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 4: the locations that we will be picketing, and I think 593 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,640 Speaker 4: it's okay for me to mention this, but you know 594 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 4: we'll make sure to picket the world's worst tourist trap 595 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 4: also one of the absolute difficult, one of the absolute 596 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:30,359 Speaker 4: most difficult. You can even struggle that I've ever been 597 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:34,000 Speaker 4: a part of, only being one so far particularly, but 598 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,359 Speaker 4: you know it really irks me. So anyways, if you're 599 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 4: interested in that, come on down and you can see 600 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:43,439 Speaker 4: the world's worst turnus trap on your way. 601 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 1: And for people who are not in Portland, I do 602 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:49,919 Speaker 1: want to remind people it's it's probably not enough time 603 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:53,919 Speaker 1: to do it this year, but you too, you too 604 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 1: can have a transient solidarity. You could also have it 605 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 1: on a different day. We can have one. If we 606 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 1: planned this correctly, we could in fact have three hundred 607 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: and sixty five days of transit of transoliarity. We could 608 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:11,440 Speaker 1: take all of the days. I don't know. This is 609 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:13,600 Speaker 1: people can have like the leap Yeer Day or something 610 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: like that. We'll get, We'll get the February. 611 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:21,120 Speaker 3: We already have May Day. It's called you know, there's 612 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 3: no need for a second Labor Day. I really feel 613 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,480 Speaker 3: like if we keep doing this every year, we can 614 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:26,319 Speaker 3: just take it. 615 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, we can. We can get rid of Fay Day 616 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 1: and make it based Labor Day again exactly. 617 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 3: I mean it's trans labor Day. 618 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:36,319 Speaker 2: I mean, I don't know. That's a lot. 619 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 4: I mean I'm only visible one day of the year, 620 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 4: and I only remember things one day of the year. 621 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 1: I don't know, I know, Okay, okay, okay, there's there's 622 00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:48,160 Speaker 1: one day. We got one day of pride. There's like, 623 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:51,640 Speaker 1: isn't there like a bisexual visibility day or something? 624 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:55,240 Speaker 3: There is one. There is, Yes, bisexuals only appear one 625 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:57,360 Speaker 3: day it's at least three days, and we know a 626 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:58,319 Speaker 3: four might be four. 627 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: There's like two others ones. We we could possibly have 628 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 1: a full five days that we were VISITSLID. 629 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:09,360 Speaker 3: I'm just gonna put forward that, like, listen if you 630 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,319 Speaker 3: also want to, you know, and if you can get 631 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:15,279 Speaker 3: something together for Sunday, September third, we could just make 632 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 3: trans Data solidarity followed by Transdai wrath, you know, because 633 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:22,240 Speaker 3: if the picket line has to go too long, well, 634 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:24,720 Speaker 3: you know, we get mighty ownery. 635 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: Well and also, okay, like I have been watching you 636 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:30,280 Speaker 1: all make up it's Wrath month. Oh it's enough pride 637 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:32,759 Speaker 1: wrath time jokes for too long and there has been 638 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:36,800 Speaker 1: not enough wrath. So I'm calling for more wrath days. 639 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:38,719 Speaker 1: We need to actually do the day. 640 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 3: Absolutely. 641 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:48,000 Speaker 5: Oh, soze your workplace, Oh absolutely organize your workplace fine, 642 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,560 Speaker 5: you know, and if you find out that like the 643 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:52,840 Speaker 5: people that own your company are fascists or helping to 644 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 5: fuel the genocide, organize even harder. 645 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:57,680 Speaker 3: Help get friends involved, have them try and get on 646 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:01,080 Speaker 3: jobs to help take those motherfuckers down. Remember, there's so 647 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 3: much you can do to cost the people that are 648 00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:06,280 Speaker 3: trying to kill us. A lot of money well also 649 00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 3: making your lives so much better. So do your part. 650 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 4: Hope to see you all again, well, not again, I 651 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,520 Speaker 4: hope to see you all there and again. It's going 652 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:26,920 Speaker 4: to be September two, four pm Pioneer Square, downtown Portland, Oregon, 653 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 4: and be there for the rally. Listen to people's voices. 654 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 4: We are doing this for a reason. It's important that 655 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:38,600 Speaker 4: we give trans folks a platform and support us on 656 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:42,879 Speaker 4: the picket line. We would really appreciate this there. Oh, 657 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 4: you can also find a link to all this on 658 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 4: the Coalition of Independent Union's Facebook page. We also have 659 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 4: an Instagram you can find us on. Just type in 660 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:57,240 Speaker 4: Coalition of Independent Unions or CiU. 661 00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:02,440 Speaker 2: And you can find that in the decripsion Perfect Perfect. 662 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:06,879 Speaker 4: And if you need any more information, please feel free 663 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:08,320 Speaker 4: to hit up either of those accounts. 664 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 2: I'm'd be happy to inform you on whatever you need. 665 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:14,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm with that. Wishing everyone a happy trans Day solidarity. 666 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:21,760 Speaker 1: If you're a boss, wishing you a bad trans data solidarity. Yeah, 667 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:26,160 Speaker 1: and everyone, go out into the world, make more trans 668 00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 1: Day of STASA solidarity, Make more bosses sad, make workers happy. 669 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:34,600 Speaker 1: This is within your power to do. And yeah, go 670 00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:39,160 Speaker 1: go into the world and make mischief. 671 00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:43,880 Speaker 2: It could Happen Here as a production of cool Zone Media. 672 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:46,800 Speaker 5: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 673 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 5: cool zonemedia dot com or check us out on the 674 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 5: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 675 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 5: You can find sources for It could Happen Here, updated 676 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,360 Speaker 5: monthly at cool zonemedia dot com slash sources. 677 00:38:58,480 --> 00:38:59,320 Speaker 4: Thanks for listening.