Yale Strom is an accomplished writer, violinist, composer, writer, and more. He is also the director of five award winning documentaries. His newest documentary, American Socialist: The Life and Times of Eugene Victor Debs, is now playing at select theaters across the country.

Strom’s documentary subject, Eugene V, Debs, was instrumental in organizing the first labor unions in the U.S., fought vigilantly for worker’s rights, and was a vocal critic of World War I – which landed him in jail. Debs was also a founding member of the Socialist Party of America. We had the chance to ask Strom about his reasons for making the documentary, what he appreciated about Debs, and much more in an interview we conducted via email. (This interview has been lightly edited for clarity)

The Underemployed Life: What motivated you to make a documentary on Eugene V. Debs? Why him?

Yale Strom: When I was about 13-14yrs, I saw my dad had a biography on Debs in his library in our home. The photo of Debs and the orange background caught my attention. At that time, I loved to read biographies. I began to read it and found some of it quite fascinating.

TUL: What surprised you most about Debs? What do you most admire about his life?

YS: I was surprised to see Debs always “walk the walk,” where so many labor organizers, politicians just “talk the talk.” He was willing to go to prison two times for his political beliefs and values – always standing up for the worker – those who built the nation’s industries for the 1% super wealthy and greedy. Going to prison the second time when he was in his late 60s, and when he was not in good health meant he was taking a chance on his life for a principle.

What I admire most about Debs is he was able, in his folksy manner, to describe simply and directly what and why socialism was a better economic system to live under than capitalism. He reached farmers, immigrants (many who spoke little to no English), tenant workers, factory workers, as well as well educated professionals and clergy – all in his sincere direct folksy manner – never talking down to his constituents.

TUL: In researching Debs’ life, did you discover anything about our country’s history you were unaware of?

YS: I was not aware to the extent the Palmer Raids really disrupted and even ruined people’s lives and how many immigrants were deported back to Europe. It was also interesting to find out that J. Edgar Hoover got his start in 1924 while working under Attorney General J. Mitchell Palmer.

TUL: How did most Americans react to a Socialist candidate in the 1900s?

YS: Well Debs never won the presidency but he did get 6% of the vote – a million votes, and when he supported LaFollete in his run for President in 1925, the Progressive and Socialist Parties together got 17% of the vote – so there was national interest in Debsian socialism. Also, from 1900-through the 1903s, there were many socialist candidates who held office, from city council, mayor, state assembly, to the House of Representatives, like Victor Berger from Wisconsin.

TUL: We currently have socialist policies in place like Medicare and Social Security, yet the word ‘Socialism’ is routinely derided and misunderstood. Why do you think the country has such a problem with the word, Socialism?

YS: The red baiters. Beginning with the Palmer Raids, right after WWI ended, through the McCarthy Era and the Cold War era of the 1960s to early 80s – these right-wing politicians acquainted socialism with the dictatorship in the USSR – and many, if not most Americans who did not read, did not understand the differences of what Debs and other socialists were preaching, so the right-wing activists just lumped socialism with Soviet communism.

TUL: Debs was aggressively pro union and worker’s rights. What do you think he would make of the way Unions have lost power?

YS: He would be surprised and dismayed to see how Unions have lost so much power in America. He would also see that many workers in America, because they do not read, are not well informed or are misled easily by right-wing talk radio, often vote against their own interests. Debs saw this clearly in his times. But he would see that certain unions are beginning to gain more and more strength particularly in the SEIU (Service Employees International Union).

TUL: Do you see Debs’ influence on the American labor force at work today? Do you think a renaissance of his philosophies and political views are possible in this country?

YS: Most definitely. I see much of what Debs spoke about resonating with the American public today. This is one of the reasons why I made this film. Sen.(Bernie) Sanders did not garner millions of votes and many delegates during his 2016 run for the presidency because of a fluke. The left is no longer willing to just let the middle of the road Democrats run things or let them say we have to compromise with the other side.

After the recession of 2007-09, people are angry at what Wall Street and the banks did to the American public. They are realizing that run away greed among corporate CEO’s is plainly despicable and just not right. The health care issue is one of these issues. More and more Americans realize that big “Pharma” is running this show, along with many greedy insurance companies. If we are the greatest nation on earthy (hardly), then why do we not have the best medical care and greatest longevity in the world?

TUL: What do you think Debs would make of today’s political landscape in the U.S.?

YS: He would say – what is so special about the number 2? Why only two major political parties? There needs to be more, so all the people are represented. The founding fathers had more than two political parties up through the early part of the 19th century.

Really, the party running the country the last 50 years has been the Corporate Capitalist Party. The 1% is doing extremely well and the rest of us (middle class and working poor) squabble among ourselves for the crumbs. Debs would say cooperation, not competition, is a much more social way of living on this incredibly small planet. And in his folksy manner, speaking to the farmers, he said this: “Cain was the author of the competitive theory while Jesus stands as its eternal denial.”

TUL: Where can people see the documentary?

YS: People can see the next public screening at the Boston International Film Festival April 14 at 6pm and April 17 at 11:30am. Both times at the Broadway Picture Entertainment (theatre) in Boston, located at 9A Hamilton Place

For more information on Yale Strom or his documentary, American Socialist: The Life and Times of Eugene Victor Debs, visit these links http://www.yalestrom.com/  http://www.ratedsrfilms.org/
You can also read a current review of the film, here.

 

In part one of our interview, we asked about job expectations and the preparation the military gives its departing soldiers for entering the civilian job market. In part two, we talk to our three veterans about the jobs they’ve had since leaving the service, and their search for meaningful work. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

The Underemployed Life: What kinds of jobs have you worked since leaving the military?

Matt Garcia: I’ve worked at a factory for a year called CAPS Incorporated. It’s a plastic molding company here in St. Louis. They make tops for Mrs. Dash shakers, and other plastic bottles. Now I’m working at a grocery store by my house called Ruler Foods. I’m a floor manager and have been there for about two months now.

Haley Wheeler: I was hired as a Security Officer at a local hospital. Due to an ACL injury I sustained I had to transfer within the hospital to Admissions in the ER.

Tyrone Townsend: After the military I mainly focused on going back to college. However, the job I worked the most is freelance writing

[Read more…]

 

The military trains people on complex technology. They build skills that are sophisticated, useful and needed. Once out of the service though, too many veterans are landing in jobs that don’t utilize any of the skills or expertise they learned in the military.

The numbers aren’t good. Underemployment among veterans is 31%. Nationally, the average is 12.9%. On the positive side, there are organizations like Hire Heroes and Hire Veterans doing great work on behalf of veteran employment. There are also a large number of businesses committed to hiring veterans. However, the types of jobs they offer veterans often don’t match their sophisticated resumes or allow for a decent standard of living. The fact is, too many veterans are working jobs well below their skill set.

[Read more…]

 

I first met Noah Baron a year ago at the Anthony Gilardi Acting Studio. I wasn’t there for acting lessons, but to talent spot. I was working as a freelance journalist, writing about up-and-coming talent in Hollywood for the Huffington Post (who were not paying me). Noah stood out to me as a potential interviewee. He made YouTube videos with his best friend, made no money doing it, and dedicated a hell of a lot of his time to it. Back then, I had no idea why he would do this.

After a short meet and greet, Noah introduced me to his partner in crime, Ross Willett. Together, these two funny men run the Just Another Production Productions YouTube channel. With over 20,000 subscribers, I thought these guys had it made. That was a year ago, when the realities of working in one’s dream job seemed so much easier. Since then, I’ve moved from the United Kingdom to Los Angeles, and found myself drowning in adulthood. I chose a career in writing, and that leads to underemployment for most of us who do it.

[Read more…]

 

We’re currently in a job climate that’s become increasingly fractured. Well paid, full-time employment is declining. Alternatively, low skill, low paying temp work, part time jobs, and independent contracting work is increasing. That means workers are having a tougher time trying to survive economically. It also exacerbates the power imbalance between employers and employees.

When good jobs are hard to find, and wages are depressed, employers can more easily get away with poor treatment of their employees. Workers are also less likely to seek remedies, fearing for their jobs if they speak up. Jobs With Justice, a grassroots organization founded in 1987, fights to level the playing field for workers whose rights are often trampled on by those with more economic power.

Jobs With Justice campaigns for fair wages, a safe work environment, the right to organize, and other workplace rights. The organization recently lead battles for improved labor laws, racial and economic justice, and a higher minimum wage. Their work has had a positive impact on millions of workers through their tireless efforts.

We had a chance to talk to Mackenzie Baris, a Senior Organizer from Jobs With Justice. We asked him about the organization’s hopes, toughest battles, and the most most appalling case of worker mistreatment the organization has taken on recently. He answered those, and other questions in a wide- ranging interview.

The Underemployed Life: What would you say are the core principles of Jobs With Justice?

Mackenzie Baris: At Jobs With Justice, we believe that change comes when working people organize and negotiate together to have greater power in our economy. We also believe in solidarity, and the value of people being there for each others’ struggles.

TUL: Are you contacted often by workers looking for assistance in their battles against management? How does the organization decide which specific issues to fight?

MB: At a local level, our affiliates are sometimes contacted by individuals, and we try to refer them to the right places for support. We focus our efforts on supporting groups who are coming together on the job or trying to make deeper changes in their sector or community. Our affiliates are all coalitions of unions and community, faith and student groups. The members of each coalition decide together what struggles to prioritize, and what strategies to use at the local level. Sometimes, that means supporting a group of employees in organizing or bargaining a contract, or in reclaiming stolen wages from their boss. Sometimes, it means engaging in a policy fight to change standards across an industry or a whole city or state. Wherever working people need us, we’ll be there.

[Read more…]

 

Maureen Judge is an award winning documentary filmmaker. She’s directed and produced numerous documentaries, televisions series, and short documentaries. Her most recent film, My Millennial Life follows the daily lives of several twenty-somethings as they struggle to find meaningful work, deal with debts, money, and relationships. It’s a fascinating portrait of a generation trying to find their place in the world amid an erratic economy, and a dearth of good jobs. We recently had the opportunity to interview Maureen about the documentary. She opened up about making the film, and what she sees as “a huge gap between the dream our generation promised millennials and the reality they experience.”

 

The Underemployed Life: Why did you want to film a documentary focusing on millennials? Did you have any preconceptions of millennials as a group before you started the film?

Maureen Judge: I decided to make My Millennial Life when I became aware of the high percentage of unemployed and underemployed among college and university graduates. I wanted to explore how the shortage of jobs and the lack of a foreseeable future affects becoming an adult in 21st century North American society.

TUL: How did you choose the people who are in the documentary? Were you looking for millennials with specific backgrounds or degrees?

MJ: I wanted to focus on college and university grads. As boomers, we raised our children with the expectation that education would provide the ticket to a middle class future. We succeeded in educating — since 1981 there has been an almost 60% increase of 25-29 year olds with post-secondary degrees — but we haven’t provided the jobs. There’s a huge gap between the dream our generation promised millennials and the reality they experience.

Emily, one of the subjects in the film sums it up: “In my mind growing up, it was like, after public school you go to high school, after high school you go to university, you get your degree and then you’re somebody. And I thought that that entitled me to some type of career but really that’s just simply not the case.”

Emily was the first subject I approached to be in the film. She was renting an apartment in my basement, and I watched her go from a triumphant grad to a depressed, lonely, and jobless individual. Because I had seen her highs and lows, and believed she stood a good chance of getting back on her feet, I felt her story would have a dramatic arch, and be very relatable to millennial audiences.

 

Once Emily agreed to be in the documentary, the other subjects fell into place. Hope, at 26, is desperate to move out of her childhood home; Meron has incredible optimism in spite of her job cleaning hotel rooms; James, a young entrepreneur with a successful start-up, is still financially dependent on his parents; and Tim has dreams of being a musician, and wiles away his days in a low wage, dead-end job.

In the interactive documentary, we meet Kristy who has two degrees, Aboriginal Studies and Education, and yet she has to move home because she can’t find a full- time teaching job. And there’s Mark, who, seeing few job prospects, is content to live a bohemian existence and works as a waiter.

TUL: I was surprised at how open the subjects were. Did they slowly warm up in front of the cameras or were they unguarded from the start?

MJ: I believe mutual respect and trust are the most important ingredients for breaking down existing barriers between director and subject. When I’m filming, I try to reserve judgment about my subjects and let them express themselves freely. When we are shooting, we are a small intimate crew, and the camera becomes an extension of the relationship.

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