Episode Details

In a candid discussion with Laura, veteran union organizer Alex Han and U.S. Right Wing expert Tarso Ramos explore how workers are uniting against rising authoritarianism.

Description:  America is moving towards authoritarianism faster than ever before, signaling a “turning point” in our history. But what will it actually take to reverse course? What could improve the chances of a winning multiracial democracy? The answer is worker organizers, and joining Laura to discuss grassroots resistance are Tarso Ramos and Alex Han. Han is a legacy union organizer and the Executive Director of In These Times, the long-running Chicago-based magazine dedicated to social movements and economic justice. Ramos is a leading expert on the U.S. Right Wing and former Executive Director of Political Research Associates. He now serves as Senior Advisor to Future Currents, a strategic planning group of social and economic justice leaders. In this exclusive interview, recorded at a conference held at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) in New York City, the trio discuss the challenges before us, and the potential opportunities to mobilize working people. In the wake of Trump’s mass layoffs and the abduction of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a union member who was wrongfully exported to El Savador, can enough workers and their allies band together for bold, coordinated action? 

Watch our full report on the conference, convened by the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies with the Cornell Worker Institute.  Check this podcast feed for the special report to be released June 4th, 2025.

GUESTS:

•  Alex Han is the Executive Director of In These Times, the long-running Chicago-based magazine dedicated to social movements and economic justice. A legacy union organizer and former union officer, Alex has spent decades at the forefront of the labor movement, advocating for workers' rights and building power from the ground up.

•  Tarso Ramos is a leading expert on the U.S. Right Wing, with nearly 30 years of experience researching and confronting its impact on democracy. As the former Executive Director of Political Research Associates (PRA), he spearheaded major initiatives addressing antisemitism, misogyny, authoritarianism, white nationalism, and other anti-democratic forces. Tarso now serves as Senior Advisor to Future Currents, a strategic planning group of social and economic justice leaders.

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RELATED LINKS:

In These Times magazine

Political Research Associates

Future Currents

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• Masha Gessen and Jason Stanley:  Is It Doomsday for U.S. Democracy? - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation

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