Adam Keller, Co-host of The Valley Labor Report and Political Coordinator/Trustee for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 900, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss TVLR’s surge in listenership. Keller also discussed a resolution he authored for extending Medicaid coverage in Alabama, as well as redistricting in Alabama and the decision on Space Command.
The Valley Labor Report has begun making waves in the mainstream media following a local profile by a Huntsville, Ala. news station. The profile, along with covering the high-profile Teamsters and UPS negotiations, has created a summer filled with increased listenership for Keller and the TVLR team. Keller’s goal of becoming the premiere labor voice in the South has not been an easy journey, but the recent coverage and accolades from many International Unions, including the AFL-CIO, are helping the dream get closer to reality. The growth experienced this summer has generated newfound interactions with their guests and a home for rank-and-file union members to call and voice their opinions on various topics.
Alabama is one of 10 states that have yet to expand Medicaid. Currently, there are over 200,000 residents who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford an alternative for medical coverage. To try and do his part, Keller wrote a resolution on extending Medicaid coverage that would allow several hundred thousand Alabamians to qualify for Medicaid coverage. To get the word out on the resolution Keller and IATSE Local 900 have teamed up with the Cover Alabama Coalition to help promote extending Medicaid coverage in the state.
In June, the Federal Supreme Court agreed with lower courts decisions that determined Alabama’s voting districts were violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This decision has led to Alabama legislators needing to redraw the maps before a mid-August hearing to determine their legality. Keller then discussed the decision to keep Space Command in Colorado and not move operations to the Huntsville area. It is widely believed that U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is the reason for the decision, as his actions in the Senate have stalled the economy in the state, creating concerns about the ability of the state to house Space Command, Keller said.
To learn more about The Valley Labor Report, please visit TVLR.fm/donate.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, American Alliance for Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North America, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Survey and Ballot Systems, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
