My guests this week have not made books, they have helped make history. They are academic workers. Yes, this is ostensibly a literary arts show but Bibliocracy often features discussion with activists, teachers, researchers, cultural critics, and historians. Lately I’ve featured experts on so-called AI in education, and on labor justice in higher education. Indeed, the motto of my own higher ed labor union is, instructively, (pun intended),“Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions.” Today’s show speaks, loudly, to what that means by way of a recent and historic victory by the United Auto Workers union, which represents higher ed workers at the University of California, one of the state’s biggest employers. At the same time, I am pleased to recommend a new title out from PM Press, Out of the Lab, Into the Streets. It is an oral history of the historic —- and winning! —- 2022 high ed union contract campaign for Academic Student Employees at the University of California and offers an occasion to speak with two union comrades, academic professionals with impressive bios as scholars and teachers and, yes, as activists, Kerri McCanna and Kien Le.Music: Hot Nights by DreamAudioThe views expressed in this program are those of its presenter and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the values of the Community of Writers or its Board of Directors.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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