What does the story of Sparrows Point have to teach us today? What lessons are worth remembering as we look ahead to an uncertain economic future? This episode, we look the shift from manufacturing to distribution jobs, the decline of unions, and the pitfalls of nostalgia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

By the mid-20 century, Bethlehem Steel was the biggest steel company in the US. It was an industrial giant that seemed too powerful to fail. But in 2001, it declared bankruptcy, decimating retirees’ pensions and health benefits. In this episode, we examine how the empire collapsed, and we bear witness to the aftermath. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Back in the third episode of this series (Hard Fought Negotiations), we introduced you to Eddie Bartee, Jr. and after he heard the episode, he got in back in touch to share some feedback. In this bonus episode, we hop on the phone with Mr. Bartee for a candid conversation about what’s been said – and what hasn’t been said – in our telling of the Sparrows Point story so far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

In the 1970s, Bethlehem Steel was forced by a federal consent decree to start hiring women in all operational departments, and at Sparrows Point, a brave generation of female steelworkers first walked through the doors. They stepped into a work environment that was crass, sexist, and often openly hostile to their presence. This episode, we meet three ‘Women of Steel’ from that pioneering generation and hear their stories of setbacks and perseverance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

What does the story of Sparrows Point have to teach us today? What lessons are worth remembering as we look ahead to an uncertain economic future? This episode, we look the shift from manufacturing to distribution jobs, the decline of unions, and the pitfalls of nostalgia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

What does the story of Sparrows Point have to teach us today? What lessons are worth remembering as we look ahead to an uncertain economic future? This episode, we look the shift from manufacturing to distribution jobs, the decline of unions, and the pitfalls of nostalgia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

A unionized workforce was never part of the original plan at Sparrows Point. Neither was racial equity. Workers were meant to be cogs in a machine, and black workers got channeled into the hottest, dirtiest, and lowest-paying jobs. It took until World War II before the plant was unionized, and it took until the 1970s before the company was forced to desegregate its job classifications. This episode, we learn about the uphill battle for worker rights and racial justice at Sparrows Point. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

By the mid-20 century, Bethlehem Steel was the biggest steel company in the US. It was an industrial giant that seemed too powerful to fail. But in 2001, it declared bankruptcy, decimating retirees’ pensions and health benefits. In this episode, we examine how the empire collapsed, and we bear witness to the aftermath. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

By the mid-20 century, Bethlehem Steel was the biggest steel company in the US. It was an industrial giant that seemed too powerful to fail. But in 2001, it declared bankruptcy, decimating retirees’ pensions and health benefits. In this episode, we examine how the empire collapsed, and we bear witness to the aftermath. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Back in the third episode of this series (Hard Fought Negotiations), we introduced you to Eddie Bartee, Jr. and after he heard the episode, he got in back in touch to share some feedback. In this bonus episode, we hop on the phone with Mr. Bartee for a candid conversation about what’s been said – and what hasn’t been said – in our telling of the Sparrows Point story so far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more