Words To Win By

In 2012, the Fight for $15 and a Union launched, catalyzing a mass movement of low wage working people that helped raise wages across the country and plant the seed for today's resurgence of the power of working people in union. In this episode, hear how the Fight for $15 and a Union got folks across the country to walk out despite the precarity of their jobs and clapped back at the standard divide and distract tactics of the opposition. And learn how doing an end-run around corporate controlled media by spotlighting working people’s real lives paves the way for wins and offers a vital lesson for Democrats looking to woo working class voters.

Voters consistently rank the economy as their top issue. And despite the fact that Democratic administrations routinely deliver far better economic outcomes, voters credit Republicans with better handling of the economy over Democrats. In this episode, we delve into what it means to manage the economy well, what’s behind voters’ distrust of Democrats on economic matters, and research-backed solutions to reframe this debate on our terms and win over voters.

In 2022, Brazilians faced a match-up between far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, aka ‘Trump of the Tropics’, and progressive Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In the end, Lula triumphed by a fraction of a percent. That hard fought victory was thanks in no small part to youth voters and the campaign that increased their participation by 47%. Listen in on how organizers unleashed the power of BTS fandom, democracy trainings, celebrity endorsements, and carefully calibrated messaging to create a polyvocal campaign to get this absolutely critical - yet understandably cynical - voting block to the polls.

Costa Rica is an international icon in all things environmental, and mitigating climate change is no exception. But when Rodrigo Chaves Robles assumed the presidency in 2022, he put this policy into peril. Savvy strategists and campaigners have flexed the power of Costa Rican identity and dedication to conservation to get businesses, activists and policymakers to work together to keep Costa Rica “libre de perforación” or free of perforation. Hear how Costa Rican advocates are mobilizing young people, calling BS on the opposition’s tired economy versus environment arguments, and securing a future free of fossil fuels.

In 2022, Ireland granted legal status to undocumented immigrants who had been in the country for at least four years. This landmark achievement was ten years of fearless undocumented leadership and constant campaigning in the making. Thanks to the courageous coming out of undocumented leaders, supported and sustained by Migrant Right Centre Ireland, the Justice for Undocumented Campaign rewrote the rules and led the government to grant legal status to 11,000 people. Learn how undocumented leaders and native Irish organizers illuminated the invisible, activated national history, and ramped up political pressure under COVID quarantine to secure big wins.