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Playlist: Labor Day

Compiled By: PRX Editors

Curated Playlist

Labor Day is Mon. Sept. 4.

Below are picks chosen by PRX editorial staff. You can see all potential Labor Day pieces by using our search.

Hour (49:00-1:00:00)

What's Wrong With Work?

From Wisconsin Public Radio | Part of the What's Wrong With Work? series | 59:00

It's not easy in America today to find work that matters, that’s meaningful, and that pays enough to live on. Which is the one thing we don’t talk about. What’s wrong with work — and how do we fix it?

Ttbook_podcast_pic_small It's not easy in America today to find work that matters, that’s meaningful, and that pays enough to live on. Which is the one thing we don’t talk about. What’s wrong with work — and how do we fix it?

10,000 GOOD SONGS - #313 - "Working" (Part 1)

From Paul Ingles | Part of the 10,000 Good Songs series | 59:00

Award-winning music documentarian Paul Ingles hosts a mix of tunes from his eclectic personal collection. Today music celebrating the "working life" (Good for Labor Day or anytime). Performances by James Taylor, Jerry Lee Lewis, Emmylou Harris, Koko Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Sam Cooke, Bruce Springsteen, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more.

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PLAYLIST

Don't Bug Me When I'm Working 3:56 - Little Village - Little Village
Brother Trucker 4:02 James Taylor - Flag
Working Man Blues 2:56 Jerry Lee Lewis - Killer Country
Big Boss Man 5:00 Koko Taylor - Chicago Blues Tour
Millworker 4:09 Emmylou Harris - Evangeline
Just a Housewife 3:24 Susan Bigelow - Working (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
The Mother 3:17 Brandi Carlile - By The Way, I Forgive You
Cleanin' Women 3:35 Lynne Thigpen - Working (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Nice Work If You Can Get It 2:31 Benny Goodman - The King Of Swing
Ten Men Workin' 6:29 Neil Young - This Note's For You
I Just Can't Work No Longer 3:41 David Lindley - Very Greasy
Chain Gang 2:34 Sam Cooke - The Man And His Music
Let It Rock 3:26 Bob Seger - Smokin' O.P.'s
Working On The Highway 3:15 Bruce Springsteen Born In The U.S.A.
Workin' For MCA 4:45 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Skynyrd's Innyrds: Greatest Hits
Tip That Waitress 4:15 Loudon Wainwright III - Career Moves

10,000 GOOD SONGS - #314 - "Working" (Part 2)

From Paul Ingles | Part of the 10,000 Good Songs series | 59:00

Award-winning music documentarian Paul Ingles hosts a mix of tunes from his eclectic personal collection. Today a second hour of music celebrating the "working life" (Good for Labor Day or anytime). Performances by The Isley Brothers, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steve Earle, John Mellencamp, Todd Rundgren, and more.

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Award-winning music documentarian Paul Ingles hosts a mix of tunes from his eclectic personal collection. Today a second hour of music celebrating the "working life" (Good for Labor Day or anytime). Performances by The Isley Brothers, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steve Earle, John Mellencamp, Todd Rundgren, and more.

Work To Do 3:09 The Isley Brothers - The Ultimate Isley Brothers
9 to 5 - Love Raptor 3:12
Working At The Factory 3:01 The Kinks - Lost And Found (1986-89)
Factory 2:20 Martyn Joseph - Tires Rushing by in the Rain
Wichita Lineman 4:15 Jimmy Webb - Ten Easy Pieces
Workingman's Blues #2 6:07 Bob Dylan - Modern Times
Hard Hat and a Hammer 3:41 Josh Rister - Blood, Meth, And Tears
Workin' Man (Nowhere to Go) 3:52 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band  - More Great Dirt: The Best of ...Vol. 2
Work Song 7:56 The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - East-West
Working for You 2:51 Patrick Sweany - Close to the Floor
You're Workin' For The Man 3:55 Joe Ely - Twistin' In The Wind
The Mine 2:49 Steve Earle & The Dukes - Ghosts Of West Virginia
Working In the Coal Mine 2:50 Lee Dorsey - Radio Hits of the '60s
American Farmer 3:34 The Charlie Daniels Band - The Essential Charlie Daniels Band
Rain On The Scarecrow 3:46 John Mellencamp - Scarecrow
Worker's Song 3:32 Dropkick Murphys - Blackout
Bang The Drum All Day 3:37 Todd Rundgren - 80's Greatest Rock Hits, Vol. 4: Party On
Take This Job (feat. David Allan Coe) 3:18 Moonshine Bandits - Baptized in Bourbon

Labor Day Music Special - One Hour or Two Hours

From KUFM - Montana Public Radio | Part of the MTPR Music Specials series | 59:01

Two 1 hour music specials for Labor Day or Labor Day Weekend.
Each hour is newscast compatible. Each hour stands alone and either hour can be chosen and can be played in any order. Would work for playing back to back or on subsequent days etc.

Mtpr-logo-1400-square_medium_small One or two hour music specials for Labor Day or Labor Day Weekend. Two hours of hand-picked music. Program Director Michael Marsolek has been producing music shows and holiday specials for more than 25 years.

The Working Tapes of Studs Terkel

From Radio Diaries | Part of the The Working Tapes series | 54:59

In the early 1970’s, author Studs Terkel went around the country with a reel-to-reel tape recorder interviewing people about their jobs. The result was a book called "Working," which quickly became a bestseller. But until now, few of the taped interviews have ever been heard. In this hour, The Working Tapes of Studs Terkel. Featuring interviews with a telephone switchboard operator, a hotel piano player, a Chicago police officer, a private investigator, an auto factory worker and more.

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In the early 1970’s, author Studs Terkel went around the country with a reel-to-reel tape recorder interviewing people about their jobs. The result was a book called "Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do." The book became a bestseller and even inspired a Broadway musical – something rare for an oral history collection. "Working" struck a nerve, because it elevated the stories of ordinary people and their daily lives. Studs celebrated the un-celebrated.
But until now, few of the interviews have ever been heard. For decades, the tapes were packed away in Studs’ home office. Radio Diaries and our partner Project& were given exclusive access to those recordings and spent a year combing through them to produce a new series for NPR. We also tracked down some of the people Studs interviewed more than 40 years ago.
In this hour, our series The Working Tapes of Studs Terkel. Featuring interviews with a telephone switchboard operator, a hotel piano player, a Chicago police officer, an auto factory work, an advertising executive and more. 

Top of Mind - Labor Day 2021

From BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM | Part of the Top of Mind with Julie Rose series | 51:33

Topic 1: Worked Over; Topic 2: Digital Nomads; Topic 3: Immigrants and Labor

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 Worked Over

At the height of the industrial revolution in the late 1800s, Americans rose up to fight horrible working conditions and extremely long work hours. Labor Day is the celebration of their success. But ironically, today, we work just as much, if not more than they did. Working hours on average have increased by 13% since the 70s – that’s about five extra weeks of work per year. And we work more than our peer countries. 
Sociologist Jamie Calls this “labor’s forgotten fight.” He’s author of "Worked Over: How Round-the-Clock Work Is Killing the American Dream" and teaches at Middlebury College. 


Digital Nomads

Work life may never be the same for many people after the pandemic. More jobs are possible to do remotely than most employers thought. Now companies are under pressure from employees who’d like to keep working remotely – in some cases from another state or country. The ranks of “digital nomads” exploded in 2020, just as sociologist Rachael Woldoff and management expert Robert Litchfield were finishing the research for a new book that included spending months living among a community of digital nomads in Bali. Woldoff is a professor at West Virginia University and Litchfield is at Washington and Jefferson College.


Immigrants and Labor

Labor unions have been among the most active supporters of DACA – the program that allows undocumented immigrants work in the United States if they came to the country as children. Unions helped get DACA implemented nine years ago during the Obama administration – and now as DACA’s fate continues to be contested in the courts – unions are calling for Congress to create a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Cornell University labor law expert Shannon Gleeson says it boils down to two things: Inevitability and survival.

The Lisa Show - 2021 Labor Day Special

From BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM | Part of the The Lisa Show series | 55:01

Lisa and Richie discuss a new timeline of goal setting for moms with Christine Michel Carter, new ways to celebrate this Labor Day, and some exciting and strange grilling techniques with grilling connoisseur Steven Raichlan.

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Back to School: New Year for Moms with Christine Michel Carter
You know all of those New Year’s resolutions you make in January that always seem to fall through? Well, here we are at the beginning of a new school year, and this just may be a better time to make those resolutions because it may be a little more possible to keep them. Christine Michel Carter has been named “the voice of millennial moms.” With her experience working and raising her own children, she has some great ideas on how moms, and everyone else too, can use this new school year to make and keep some great resolutions.

Ways to Celebrate with Lisa and Richie
Lisa and Richie talk through some new ways to celebrate Labor Day this year to shake off the "holiday hum drum" mentality.

Barbecue Tips with Steven Raichlan
Have you ever thought about smoking ice cream? What about grilling eggs or watermelon? Steven Raichlen joins us on the show to talk about the really cool things you can grill and all the unique ways you can do it. Steven Raichlen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Barbecue! Bible cookbook series which includes his latest book Project Fire. He is the recipient of 5 James Beard Awards. His T.V shows include the PBS series Project Smoke and Project Fire among many others. He teaches sold out classes at Barbecue University in Colorado Springs. And, in 2016, he was inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame.

Constant Wonder - Labor Day Special 2020 - Barbecue

From BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM | Part of the Constant Wonder series | 54:46

Celebrate Labor Day with our discussion on the history and culture of barbecue.

Cw_badge_small The word "barbecue" is not just used to describe a type of food, it represents a cultural institution. What if barbecue is truly first and foremost, something as big as an event; a cultural phenomenon? What if barbecue has more of a social aspect to it than simply a culinary sort of meaning? Celebrate with us as we delve into history and commentary of "barbecue" and it's social implications.


Half-Hour (24:00-30:00)

The Port Chicago 50: An Oral History

From Long Haul Productions | Part of the American Worker Series series | 25:12

The story of the worst homefront disaster of World War II -- an ammunition explosion that killed more than 300 men -- and what happened to the 50 African-American men who refused to go back to work loading ammunition after the explosion.

Portchicago_small On July 17, 1944, two Liberty ships anchored at the Port Chicago Munitions Case near San Francisco exploded, killing 320 men and injuring 390. It was the worst homefront disaster of World War II. A majority of the casualties were African-American sailors who loaded ammunition onto the ships at Port Chicago. Shortly after the explosion, the African-American munitions loaders who survived were transferred to a nearby base and ordered back to work. Shaken by the death of their workmates and afraid that another explosion might occur, 50 men refused. In the largest courtmartial in Navy history, they were all convicted of mutiny and sentenced to up to fifteen years of hard labor. In January 1946, only months after the war ended, all convicted men's sentences were suspended as part of a general amnesty. While these men were allowed to return to civilian life, they were left angry, ashamed, and afraid they would be fired from their jobs or worried that they would be seen as unpatriotic. As a result, some did not discuss the case, even with family members, for more than 50 years. Originally broadcast on This American Life in 1996.

Hog Butchers to the World

From Long Haul Productions | Part of the American Worker Series series | 28:21

For labor day, check out the whole series! Studs Terkel reads excerpts from Upton Sinclair's novel "The Jungle" in this history of African Americans in the packinghouse industry of Chicago.

Workers_together_small The history of African Americans in Chicago's meatpacking industry and the formation of the Packinghouse Workers Union, featuring Studs Terkel reading excerpts from Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle." Production note: Host introduction can be transcribed and edited and read by station announcer.

Skywalkers of Akwesane

From Helen Borten | Part of the A Sense of Place: Third Season series | 29:20

For over a hundred years the Mohawks of Akwesane, a reservation on the New York-Canada border, pursued the occupation of ironworkers, one of the most dangerous jobs in construction.

Default-piece-image-2 For over a hundred years the Mohawks of Akwesasne, a reservation on the New York-Canada border, pursued the occupation of ironworkers, one of the most dangerous jobs in construction. Mohawks were on the high steel crews of every bridge and skyscraper in Manhattan, commuting between job and their 12-hour-distant home every weekend, and became famous for their skill, daring and major contribution to the skyline of New York. This is the story of men plying a difficult craft in the modern world while cleaving to tribal customs in an ancient world -- a balancing act that has taken its toll in lives and relationships. An honest, intimate and informative portrait of an unusual occupation and the Native Americans who made it their own.

Nightfall in Chester County

From Helen Borten | Part of the A Sense of Place series | 29:29

In Pennsylvania farmland that was the first stop on the Underground Railroad, a strike by Mexican mushroom pickers polarizes a Quaker community.

Default-piece-image-2 In Pennsylvania farmland that was the first stop on the Underground Railroad, a strike by Mexican mushroom pickers polarizes a Quaker community. From historical chronicles of escaped slaves to the present-day inequalities of immigrants who also followed the North Star,this program traces the journey and ordeals of two groups who arrived at the same place,separated in time but connected by their hopes for a better life. One :30 Promo (click "listen" page, promo labeled "Segment 2")

Remembering Mother Warren

From jessica lockhart | 28:41

A look into the labor history of one of the world's oldest paper mills.

Millworkers_small Remembering Mother Warren - A look into the labor history of one of the world?s oldest paper mills Remembering Mother Warren unearths the culture of an industrial community, the drama of life working for a once-great employer, and probes the meaning of workers? memories in the face of disruptive industrial change. Produced by Big Talk on WMPG, it is a 30-minute documentary that traces the labor history of the S.D.Warren paper mill in Westbrook, Maine. You?ll hear stories from generations of mill workers and managers, including Shirley Lally, a 30-year veteran who sorted reams of paper by hand, Phil LaViolette, who recalls the struggles of Warren?s Franco workers, and Howard Reiche, a former mill manager who describes the mill?s paternalism and the favoritism encountered by workers prior to unionization. Other workers tell the history of the S.D. Warren ?family,? of their experiences in the mill dating back as far as the 1920s, of the extreme heat, dangerous equipment and deadly accidents, a forgotten1916 strike, unionizing in the 1960s, and of the mill?s recent decline. University of Maine historian Charles Scontras, and University of Southern Maine economist and labor historian Michael Hillard provide analysis of the mill?s unique labor history. ?Remembering Mother Warren? is produced by Big Talk members Jessica Lockhart, Michael Hillard, and Claire Holman. Narrator: Thomas Lestage, President PACE Local 1069. Project Historians: Eileen Eagan and Michael Hillard. Additional narration by Paul Drinan. ?Remembering Mother Warren? won First Place in Public Affairs from the Maine Association of Broadcasters 2003. Sponsored by the Southern Maine Labor Council, AFL-CIO, with funding from the Maine Humanities Council. e-mail us at bigtalk@maine.rr.com


Cutaways (5:00-8:59)

People Who Work (Series)

Produced by Richard Paul

A series of self-narrated stories of blue-collar workers. We spend time with a garbage man, a bus driver, a parking ticket writer, the owner of a barber shop, an aerobics instructor and the drivers of a van that checks on the health of pregnant women in the inner city. Various pieces between 3 and 9 minutes.

Most recent piece in this series:

Barber Shop-Long Version

From Richard Paul | Part of the People Who Work series | 04:40

Anacostia_small (NOTE: The name of the shop is pronounced like the second syllable in "Detroit") It seems like you can't pick up the paper today without reading a story decrying the loss of a sense of community in America. Well in Southeast Washington, DC, there's a man who's KEEPING community alive along an aging business strip that -- depending on your attitude -- is either all the way down or well-on-its-way-up. The man is Danny Washington -- the latest proprietor of a neighborhood institution known as Troyit's Barber Shop. This week, in our continuing series on people who work, we spend a Saturday with Danny -- an experienced barber, who, when he took over the shop -- was NOT an experienced businessman. But he's a survivor and he'll keep going because he holds to one, undeniable truth. (THE PIECE BEGINS WITH HIM SAYING: "If you can cut hair, you know that somebody always gonna get a haircut. So all you gotta do is be here. Simple as that.") CLOSE: Danny Washington runs Troyit's Barber Shop at 2018 Martin Luther King Ave, Southeast, Washington, DC. Our series on people who work is produced by Richard Paul.

WORKING (Series)

Produced by Homelands Productions

WORKING is a series of intimate, sound-rich profiles of workers in the global economy. It was broadcast as a special monthly feature on Marketplace Radio between 2007 and 2009. WORKING won the 2008 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Radio Feature Reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Most recent piece in this series:

Shipbreaking Worker

From Homelands Productions | Part of the WORKING series | 07:41

Babu_small

Ismael "Babu" Hussein works as an assistant in one of Bangladesh's shipbreaking yards, where armies of laborers dismantle old vessels the way ants devour a carcass. The work is perilous, the bosses abusive, the hours exhausting. Babu's reward? Just over two dollars a day, and nightmares about being crushed by giant sheets of steel. Pretty heavy stuff for a 13-year-old kid.

Not My Job: Tales From the "Degreasing Room."

From Chelsea Merz | 08:42

Matthew Works has been living on the streets for ten years. Here he remembers one of his last paying jobs, assembling Braille typewriters, which thrust him into a Dickensian nightmare.

Default-piece-image-2 Matthew Works has been living on the streets of Boston for over a decade. Here he remembers one of his last paying jobs, assembling braille typerwriters, which thrust him into a Dickensian nightmare. Producer Chelsea Merz has been chronicalling Matthew's life on the streets for the last few years. This story was taped at a pizza joint in downtown Boston.

Entrepreneur

From Jesse Dukes | 06:13

Adam Johns never wanted to be a worm digger, but he does what's necessary to make ends meet.

Playing
Entrepreneur
From
Jesse Dukes

Default-piece-image-2 Adam Johns is a self-styled entrepreneur. These days, that means digging for bloodworms at thirty cents a worm, or anything else to make a quick buck. Adam is frustrated by his circumstances and worried that he might not be able to dig worms anymore. Even so, he still manages to laugh at life.