El Desvío

March is Women’s History Month, a special space that we dedicate to the accomplishments, contributions, and the role that women play within the labor movement. In this episode, our guests discuss their leadership, what inspires them to continue en La Lucha, and how we are all part of the efforts towards a more prosperous and inclusive future.

Guests:

Clayola Brown, President of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI)

Denise Berkley, Statewide Executive Vice President, Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA).

Elise Bryant, President of the Coalition of Labor Women.

Yanira Merino, LCLAA’s National President.

Music: Liliana Herrera, Las Chicas

In this episode, we explore the multifaceted aspects of the COVID-19 Vaccine, how much do our communities know about it? We also analyze the role that relevant and bilingual information plays in the process of allowing Black and Brown communities to make informed decisions as well as the historical reasons for fear and mistrust that communities of color have regarding this vaccine. Furthermore, we talk about the role that unions play in ensuring that members get inoculated if they chose to. 

Guests:

 Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers

Eva Galvez, MD from the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center

Jelisa Timmons, MD who practices Family Medicine at  St. Francis Family Medicine

Veronica Segovia Bedon, AARP Multicultural Leadership, Senior Advisor, Hispanic/Latino Audience

Today’s show is focused on the upcoming Georgia election runoff election which will take place on Tuesday, January 5th, and for which the stakes couldn’t be higher. This election could potentially provide Democrats with a shift in the balance of power, allowing for a majority of Democrats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This power to the Democrats serves to hand President-Elect Biden broad power to carry out the political agenda he and VP Kamala Harris have set forward for our country.

Guests:

Hector Flores for Las Cafeteras, A Chicano band from East Los Angeles

Susana Duran, Georgia State Director for Poder Latinx and LCLAA’s Trabajadoras Fellow

Maria Rosario Palacios, Director for Georgia Familias Unidas

For the past few years, the current administration has gone above and beyond in its attempt to terminate the Obama-era program Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which shields undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children from deportation.

On November 14, 2020, New York Attorney General, Letitia James ruled that Chad Wolf was not lawfully serving as acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security when he signed rules that limited the number of applications and renewals for DACA, therefore invalidating his suspension to the program.

Across the nation, Dreamers, immigration and social justice advocates celebrated this ruling. But what does this ruling really mean particularly taking into account the results of the recent elections?

List of guests:

Natalie Vargas, Dreamer, and former LCLAA Intern

Karen Reyes, Dreamer and AFT member

Shannon Lederer, AFL-CIO Director of Immigration Policy

Letitia James, New York State Attorney General

This timely and enticing episode, Sí se pudo!… And now what? Is focused on shedding light on the importance of civic engagement, the tireless efforts led by some of our nation’s most prominent unions in increasing voter turnout, and the crucial role that Latino voters played this election cycle. This episode also reflects on the importance of keeping our communities civically engaged in order to achieve a more equal and just nation.

COVID-19 has had on black and brown communities, how the pandemic has shed light on racial and economic inequalities, and the role that these inequities, along with the death of George Floyd, have played in the recent protests that have taken place across the country.

We will discuss the role that the Latino community should play in the BLM movement, and in this context discuss the precautions Latinos participating in this movement can take in order to ensure their safety.

GUESTS:   Janella Hinds - UFT Vice President Academic High School

NYC Central Labor Council

Esmeralda Flores - Immigrant Rights and Binational Affairs

Advocate ASLU San Diego

Hosts: Jose Vargas, LCLAA Executive Director and Andrea Arenas, LCLAA Director of Communications and Policy