"There's right and there's wrong-- and this is wrong," says Zena Burns, who was fired for trying to organize her coworkers at an Aramark uniform cleaning facility in Missouri. This happens to over 20,000 people each year. They are fired for minor infractions, or even trumped up charges, because they openly support unions in their companies.
Through phone interviews with three people who were recently laid off for unionizing--at Aramark in Sikeston, MO, Comcast in Oakland, CA, and the Hilton at LAX--this piece explores what it's like to be harassed and then fired for standing up for their right to organize.
This piece was produced for Air America's
Workin' It, and aired June 3, 2006. It also aired September 3, 2006 on
KLCC and September 3, 2007 on
WAMC. It was included on Public Interactive's
National Arts page on August 30, 2007.
Producer: Sarah Elzas
Editor: Alexandra Lescaze