Adam Keller, Co-Host of The Valley Labor Report (TVLR) and a trustee with the North Alabama Area Labor Council, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about TVLR’s growth and summer plans, as well as and some of the labor coverage they are providing for Southern workers. He also talked about the work by the NAALC to reengage with regional workers and improve the voice of the working class in north Alabama.
According to Keller, TVLR — a Southern-focused labor radio and podcast program — has had a busy summer, and it is only getting busier as the group prepares to launch its summer fundraising drive. He highlighted many of their recent guests, including Chandra Childers of the Economic Policy Institute who talked about her report on the Southern economic model, among several other leading voices in Southern labor. Keller also discussed recent National Labor Relations Board filings across the South and other union news with their Last Week in Southern Labor segment. He also discussed their work to monitor bad bosses in the South called Boss Talk, which is sent to subscribers as a weekly newsletter.
The North Alabama Area Labor Council was rechartered in 2020, and at the end of 2023, Keller’s co-host Jacob Morrison was elected the President, and Keller became a trustee for the council. As part of their ongoing efforts to reengage with workers in the area, Keller talked about their efforts to get people involved in regional politics. In Huntsville, Alabama's largest city, municipal elections will occur at the end of August. Keller further described their political engagement efforts and why they are important in helping build coalitions with the community and growing the working people’s voice.
The North Alabama Area Labor Council has made education and outreach a primary focus, and as a former history teacher, Keller is up for the challenge. He discussed their outreach events with hundreds of high school students this spring. Keller also talked about their virtual Unions 101 discussions and the various rallies they’ve attended over the past few months. He said there are three main growth plans for the rest of 2024 and discussed what is in store for the labor council to combat anti-union propaganda.
To hear more on what’s happening in northern Alabama from Keller, please listen to the show above.
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