Episode Details

Technology is reshaping the American workplace, but who decides the rules of engagement? In today's episode, we sit down with two major labor leaders to discuss how unions are ensuring workers aren't left behind by infrastructure shifts or digital automation.

Segment 1: Broadband Justice & Inclusive Leadership Frank Mathews, Administrative Director for CWA District 4, joins the show to discuss the union’s multi-front battle for broadband expansion. He highlights why high-speed internet is a 21st-century civil right and explains how CWA is cultivating a new generation of diverse leaders to meet these challenges. Mathews also shares a personal call to action for a fellow union brother’s family in need of a kidney donor.

Segment 2: Putting Workers First in the AI Revolution Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga breaks down the "Workers First" initiative on Artificial Intelligence. As the Ohio Statehouse begins debating AI legislation, Burga outlines the essential guardrails needed to prevent job displacement and algorithmic bias. From the rise of data centers in Ohio to the protection of collective bargaining in an automated age, learn why labor must have a seat at the table before the software is coded.

Listen in to hear about:

• The connection between inclusive leadership and union power.

• How CWA is mobilizing for Elias Manolis’s life-saving transplant.

• The "Workers First" framework for AI regulation in Ohio.

• Why data centers are a double-edged sword for local communities.