After winning their first fight in 1900, Pennsylvania anthracite miners went on strike for the 8 hour day, higher wages, and union recognition. This would lead to one of the first federal mediation committees in US history.

By the end of the American War for Independence, soldiers of the Pennsylvania Line had gone for months with little to no pay. Their only recourse left: mutiny against congress. Originally aired: October 4, 2022.

Wartime Philly: thousands of white transit workers walk off the job to protest the promotion of eight black employees. Originally aired: January 17, 2022.

When prohibition became law in January 1919, it left many questions unanswered. During this uncertainty, bartenders in Philadelphia went out on strike in a political protest. Originally aired: September 19, 2022.

In this special interview, Sam and Gabe sit down with Katherine Coker, a former restaurant worker who has been educating and agitating around Philly, teaching people about wage theft and the conditions in the restaurant industry. Or...

The 1970s were a turbulent time in American and Philadelphia history. Amidst stagnant wages, inflation, and a new law allowing public sector strikes, Philly school teachers took matters into their own hands fighting the district, mayor, and sta...

In 1937, battery workers in Philly fought for higher wages using a brand new strike tactic, triggering a rift among the labor movement in the city. Originally aired: August 7, 2023.

In this special interview episode, Gabe and Sam talk with Wade Rathke, founder and chief organizer for ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). Originally aired: April 27, 2023. chieforganizer.org

After a deadly building collapse in a predominantly black South Philly neighborhood, a coalition of housing advocates, labor leaders, and radicals pressured the city to create the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Originally aired: Ma...

In the 1700s, every ship coming into Philadelphia needed a pilot to guide it. But as the wealthy merchant class started to solidify power, they started to clash with the fiercely independent sailors who guided their ships. Originall...

In this special interview episode, Sam and Gabe sit down with Dr. Blair LM Kelley, director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina, about her new book Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Cla...

Fast food workers across the US strike for better pay and the raising of the minimum wage. We also take time to rant about past jobs and the utter insanity of good ol' American capitalism. Originally aired: February 7, 2022.

Gabe and Sam celebrate 50 episodes with this special tell-all journey into the past, present, and future of Labor Jawn. Originally aired: June 12, 2023.

In this special redux version of our Something Radical Happened Here presentation, Gabe Christy discusses Philadelphia's radical Jewish labor history. Recorded on March 9, 2025 at the Spruce Hill Community Association in Philadelphi...

In 1959, 500,000 Steel Workers across the country went on strike against the three major steel producers in the country. This months long battle involved everything from Cold War tensions to planned communities without mass transit. 

800 nurses in Bucks County, PA strike during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally aired: February 28, 2022.

In a special live recording at La Salle University, Gabe explores the philosophical underpinnings of four of Philadelphia's early radical movements. Special thanks to Professor Joel Garver and his American Philosophy Class for their...

In 1790s Philadelphia, things began to change rapidly. One man, John Nicholson, sought to take advantage of these changes and build a modern industrialized factory on the banks of the Schuylkill River. But he kept running into one persistent is...

In a special live recording at The Children's Folkshul and Adult Community, Gabe discusses Philadelphia's radical Jewish labor history and Sam performs his rendition of "Arbeter Froyen," a Yiddish poem sung in English. Originally ai...

In 1779, as inflation drove prices of bread and meat sky high, the citizens of Philadelphia took matters into their own hands and rebelled against the wealthy merchant class. Originally aired: September 6, 2023.

As the postwar inflation threatened the wages of trolley operators, they struck, triggering not just a fight over wages, but a fight over mass transit all together.

Pennsylvania Militia open fire on civilians and striking railroad workers. Originally aired: January 27, 2022.

Reading, Pennsylvania's first and only socialist mayor. Originally aired: February 14, 2022.

The 1805 Cordwainers Strike in Philadelphia was one of the earliest labor actions in American history. Originally aired: December 13, 2021.

A brief history of the cooperative movement in 19th century Philadelphia. Originally aired: February 22, 2022.