Sam and Emma host Jamie Edwards, organizer with the Trader Joe’s Union effort in Hadley, Massachusetts, to discuss the union organizing efforts from the ground. First, however, they touch on the GOP’s flipping of a century-long Democratic seat in Texas, discuss a Florida Synagogue’s suit against the Florida abortion ban, and discuss how odd it was that Rep Loudermilk was giving tours to people who just happened to show up on 1/6. Steve Bannon reveals that the 1/6 committee completely ignored Mike Lindell’s information, the couple that armed themselves as a BLM rally marched past their house gives tips on gun safety, and Sam and Emma walk through a recent California survey showing that living with a gun owner doubles your chances to die by homicide and does nothing to decrease your chances of a home invasion. Next, they dive into the most Hershel Walker of Hershel Walker news, as it’s revealed that the man who rants against fatherless households in Black communities, happens to have left a household fatherless. Finally, Emma and Sam are joined by Jamie Edwards as they dive into their experience organizing Trader Joe’s Unite’s first chapter in Hadley, MA, first looking at the beginnings of the campaign at the start of the pandemic, when, after years of falling benefits, they and their colleagues were directly faced with the corporation’s active refusal to take their safety seriously, from fully banning masks and gloves at the outset, to pressure from management to ignore capacity limits. Next, they get into the more typical forms of union-busting that the organizers have faced, from Jamie being sent home for wearing a union pin to threats against workers’ future wages and general disciplinary action, before they get into the success of TJU, and the roles the pandemic, a strong NLRB, and the unionizations of Starbucks and Amazon departments nationwide have all played in keeping the energy up. Jamie then wraps up the interview by covering the importance of Trader Joe’s United being an independent union, especially with corporations’ “third party” talking points, and discusses the future of the fight.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma take a call from Georgian native Q on comedy, Dave Chapelle, and why some people’s politics don’t develop, Jason from Texas dives into the special election in the Rio Grande Valley and discusses the grassroots development of the radical right in Texas, Jason from Columbus discusses Ohio’s housing crisis, Ben from Worcester talks… Worcester, and Charlie Kirk gives young women tips and tricks on finding a husband. Blake from Arkansas discusses why the solution to every social ill is him not paying child support, plus, your calls and IMs!

Follow Trader Joe’s United here: https://twitter.com/TraderJoesUnite