How union organizing can change your life and the world w/Jaz Brisack | Working People

After getting a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, Jaz Brisack became a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helped organize the first unionized Starbucks in the US in December of 2021. In their new book, Get on the Job and Organize , Brisack details the hardwon lessons they and their coworkers have learned from building one of the most significant and paradigm-shifting worker organizing campaigns in modern history. In this extended episode of Working People , TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with Brisack about their book, the facts and fictions characterizing today’s “new labor movement,” and why union organizing is essential for saving democracy and the world. Guests: Jaz Brisack is a union organizer and cofounder of the Inside Organizer School, which trains workers to unionize. After spending one year at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, Jaz got a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, becoming a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helping organize the first unionized Starbucks in the United States in December of 2021. As the organizing director for Workers United Upstate New York & Vermont, they also worked with organizing committees at companies ranging from Ben & Jerry’s to Tesla. Additional links/info: Jaz Brisack, One Signal Publishers, Get on the Job and Organize: Standing Up for a Better Workplace and a Better World Jaz Brisack, Teen Vogue , “ Starbucks Workers United grew out of Jaz Brisack’s undercover organizing. Here’s how ” Starbucks Workers United website , Facebook page , X page , and Instagram Inside Organizer School website Featured Music: Jules Taylor, “ Working People ” Theme Song Credits: Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Donate to support this podcast Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork Become a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!