In this episode of Democracy Does The Civic Power Playbook, host Robin N. Hamilton talks with labor researcher and author Les Leopold about why mass layoffs are often a policy choice, not an economic necessity. Les explains how worker representation at companies like Siemens in Germany helped prevent forced layoffs, and argues that U.S. corporations receiving taxpayer money should face similar limits on involuntary job cuts.
He shares polling that shows strong public support for tying government contracts to job protection. The conversation explores how job loss reshapes communities and politics, including the connection between layoffs, economic decline, and shifts away from the Democratic Party in hard-hit regions. Les also critiques federal job strategies that rely on corporations like Intel to create jobs instead of directly funding employment.
On AI and automation, Les challenges the idea that job loss is inevitable. He argues the gains from technology could be shared through policies like a shorter workweek with no pay cut, reframing AI as a political decision about who benefits. The episode closes with a call to action, from strengthening unions to exploring independent political organizing centered on jobs, wages, and economic security for working people.
