Labor Over Our Coast: Working West Michigan Takes to the Air

by: philgoblue

Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 11:20:00 AM EST

Produced and hosted locally, Working West Michigan -- "a show for workers and by workers" -- will tackle issues regarding organized and unorganized labor in West Michigan and the nation, include open call-in segments, and feature live call-in guests.  Already those guests have included Senator Debbie Stabenow, UWA President Ron Gettelfinger, UAW legislative director Alan Ruther, Michigan AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffney, Chris Antinou of Working America, State Representatives Doug Bennet and Robert Dean, Kent County Commissioner Brandon Dillon, Grand Rapids City Commissioners David LaGrand and Jim Jendraziak, and others (and Governor Jennifer Granholm is scheduled for the future).

The goals of the show include "building awareness regarding topics affecting local union members and all citizens of Michigan."

Most shows will include legislative update, Working America (the association that unites organized labor with unaffiliated workers who support pro-union positions; you can join me and becom a member), current events, and mailbag segements, as well as segments where local labor leaders explain what their unions do for their members and West Michigan.

The Friends of Labor is a coalition of 22 labor unions and pro-labor businesses and individuals.  They've been endorsing pro-labor candidates since the mid-1990s, but, with the radio show, have made a decision to get their own voice out to the public in a more direct way that reaches a very large audience.

As Sue Levy, CAP Coordinator for the UAW Region 1-D, puts it:

"We're looking for all kinds of ways to get our message out unfiltered."

Friends of Labor Chair Buck Geno, who was a prime force behind starting the show, believes that given the economy in Michigan, the upcoming elections, and the attempts to pass anti-union legislation or proposals, that Working West Michigan is a timely project:

"Launching this radio program now is probably the best of times with all the issues facing our members.  This is our best way to help and inform all working people, not just the organized."

The Friends of Labor hopes that the show will improve labor's support in West Michigan by increasing its visability and by reminding

"the community of all the good things that unions do and the positive effect they have on non-union members because the person who teaches your children, built you car, or works with the fire department is probably part of a union."

Levy adds:

"This show is a great opportunity for working families in the Grand Rapids area to keep up to date on news and issues related to their everyday lives.  We'll be talking about local and national current events and how they affect working families' lives, whether it's at home or at the workplace."

So, if you want to get caught up on West Michigan (mostly Kent County since that's the extent of the power of the radio signal) and Michigan politics with a pro-labor and progressive take, or just listen to a bunch of folks "sitting around talking shop" ...

Tune In to

Working West Michigan
brought to you by the Friends of Labor
Live -- Tuesday mornings from 8:00-9:00 on WTKG: AM 1230
call: (616)456-1230, or toll-free: (866)928-WTKG
e-mail:  friendsoflabor@wtkg.com

or, if you miss a show,  you can either subscribe to the podcast or listen to arched streaming audio here.  Though I use ITunes, I haven't managed to get it to work yet, but downloading the podcast and then opening in it using Windows Media Player has worked like a charm.

The full list of The Friends of Labor

UAW Region 1-D - Sue Levy and Doug Nyman
West Michigan Plumbers, Fitters & Services Trades Local Union No.174 - Buck Geno
C.W.A., Local 4034 - Jack Lemonnier
Grand Rapids Police Officers Association - Dave Leonard and Karl Holzhueter
Teamsters, Local 406 - Tom Freyling
G.R.E.A. - Paul Helder
M.E.A. - Buz Graeber
Kent-Ionia Labor Council - Michael David
West Michigan Building Trades Council and Iron Workers Local 340 - Bruce Hawley
Midwestern Council of Industrial Workers - Scott Barton
I.B.E.W. Local 275 - Sean Egan
Carpenters Local 100 - John Nagelhout
G.R.E.I.U. - Philip Pakiela
Sheet Metal Workers Local 7 - Doug Adams
U.F.C.W. Local 951 - Todd Regis
K.C.E.A. - Jim Ward
Amalgamated Transit Union 836 - Andrew Morgan
RWDSU - Rick Marshall, Randy Belliel, and Ken Brown
West Michigan Stagehands - Stasia Savage

For too long AM radio in West Michigan has been the domain of reactionary right-wing pundits like Rush Limbaugh, Shawn Annity, Laura Ingram, Michael Savage and a host of other imitators who daily brainwash their audiences with distorted facts, skewed logic, and plain old hate, especially hate of labor.  Now, our airwaves have a local counterweight in Working West Michigan to go along with other pro-people hosts such as Thom Hartmann, Bill Press and Ed Schultz.

There are commercials for Working West Michigan on WTKG (Friends of Labor is now a sponsor of the Thom Hartman show) and WOOD 1300 AM

This isn't the first foray into radio for area labor.  In 2006, popular area talk show host Tyrone Bynum at AM 640 featured guests from the Kent-Ionia Labor Council and the UAW Region 1D every other Friday on his daily show.  The partnership lasted about ten months when scheduling conflicts became insurmountable.  Back, in the late 1950s, the UAW sponsored two daily radio shows -- "Eye Opener" and "Shift Break" that was on 40 radio stations nation wide (including 11 in Michigan and 3 in West Michigan).

The Friends of Labor have signed up for an initial trial run of six months worth of shows.  So, in June, there will be a decision made on whether and how to continue (though it should be known that they haven't even tried to get advertising on the show).  Best of luck with this important project.

Special Thanks to Michael Johnston and the Grand Valley Labor News for permission to wholesale lift his words.