Construction work is one of the few careers left in the United States where a person can make a good living without a college degree. However, it’s also one of the few fields available to high school graduates with a work force that’s still predominantly white and male. So what will it take for women and people of color to get a bigger piece of the pie, and to land the construction jobs that provide the best wages, benefits, and safety standards – union jobs—and benefit from Massachusetts’ building boom? In this episode you’ll meet Tara Williams, who brought herself and her children out of poverty through determination, and a brand-new career in the building trades. You’ll learn about the training program where Tara got her start, and the first-in-the-nation green energy project that’s bringing new union construction jobs to the South Coast. Also covered is the shadow side of the construction economy – the exploitation of undocumented workers – and efforts to bring their employers to justice. South Coast Working is a project of the UMass Dartmouth Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center. Learn more at umass.edu/labored. For more information about starting a career in the building trades in Massachusetts, visit buildalifema.org. To learn more about the story behind Vineyard Wind, check out the series Windfall from the podcast Outside/In, at windfallpodcast.org. Voices heard in this episode: Tara Williams, Apprentice, Laborers’ International Union of North America ([email protected]) Jim Pimental, Vice President/Organizer, Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen Yvonne Tobey, Program Manager, Building Pathways South Kim Wilson, Director, UMass Dartmouth Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center Dave Araujo, President, Southeastern MA Building Trades Council Ernesto Belo, Organizer, North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Derek Adamiec, Business Representative, North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Recording of Jose Soler courtesy of New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. Contributors to this episode: Host/Producer: Andrea Muraskin, independent podcast producer Executive Producer: Kim Wilson, Director, UMass Dartmouth Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center Production Assistant: Rachel Dufresne, Artist in Residence with the UMass Dartmouth Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education, and a UMass Dartmouth undergraduate Special thanks: Liz Skidmore, Laura Orleans, Avory Brookins, Camilo Viveiros, and Jim Snow. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/south-coast-working/message

In the early months of the pandemic, health care workers were lauded as heroes, especially those who worked with the most vulnerable – the elderly and people who couldn’t take care of themselves. From March to September 2020, nursing home residents made up 40% of COVID-19 deaths. Nursing home residents are at high risk because of their age, higher rates of pre-existing illness, and the close quarters they live in. However, a study published in the journal Health Affairs found that nursing homes in New York State where the workers belonged to a union experienced a 30% lower mortality rate, compared to facilities in the state where the workers were not unionized. So why the difference? In this episode, journalist Kortni Smyers-Jones speaks with study co-author Adam Dean of George Washington University, healthcare workers, and union leadership to get answers. South Coast Working is a project of the UMass Dartmouth Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center. Learn more at umass.edu/labored. Voices heard in this episode: Adam Dean, Assistant Professor of Political Science, George Washington University Terri Jarry, UMass Dartmouth intern and surgical technician at Rhode Island Hospital Herbert Jean Baptiste, Vice President, SEIU 1199 Contributors to this episode: Host/Producer: Kortni Smyers-Jones, independent journalist Executive Producer: Kim Wilson, Director, UMass Dartmouth Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/south-coast-working/message

This episode chronicles the long-awaited arrival of commuter rail line infrastructure that will connect New Bedford and Fall River with Boston - and all of the economic advantages it offers. Now-graduated student journalist, Liz Anusauskas speaks with prominent commuter leaders Siggy Meilus, founder of UMass Dartmouth's transportation advocacy organization, Bus Riders United, and Eric Camallo, president of Fall River's Amalgamated Transit Union Local 174. These conversations take listeners on a deep dive into the complexities of public transportation and the profound impact its presence, or lack therof, can have on a population. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/south-coast-working/message

While individuals with white collar employment worked from home during the pandemic’s most dangerous days, ride and delivery share workers continued to risk their wellbeing while making tech companies millions. In this episode, journalist Kortni Smyers-Jones explores efforts  to end the injustices gig workers across the nation are facing, through conversations with people in the industry. She speaks with Chicago Rideshare Advocates organizer the Lori Simmons, Boston Independent Drivers Guild members Felipe Martinez and Henry De Groot, Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative post-doctoral research fellow Dr. Katy J. Wells, and Lyft driver Chris Swanson. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/south-coast-working/message