Labor Day & The Labor Movement Today in NM

This week on New Mexico in Focus, we explore the history of Labor Day and the state of labor in New Mexico in 2024. Senior Producer Lou DiVizio sits down with University of New Mexico professor Dr. Jason Scott Smith as he explains the roots of the holiday and considers how Americans should measure economic success in our country.  

Albuquerque-based labor lawyer Stephen Curtice talks to Lou about his work and provides a snapshot of the state of labor today in New Mexico. 

A study from the University of New Mexico reports dangerous working conditions in the oil and gas industry. Correspondent Elizabeth Miller speaks with Dr. Gabriel Sanchez, a study author and executive director at UNM’s Center for Social Policy, to ask how the sector’s workers might find new jobs in a clean-energy future. 

Host: Lou DiVizio 

Segments: 
The Roots and History of Labor Day
Correspondent: Lou DiVizio
Guest: Dr. Jason Scott Smith, Ph.D., Professor, University of New Mexico History Department

The State of Labor in NM
Correspondent: Lou DiVizio
Guest: Stephen Curtice, Labor Attorney, Youtz & Valdez Firm

UNM Study Finds Dangerous Working Conditions in Oil and Gas Industry
Correspondent: Elizabeth Miller
Guest: Dr. Gabriel Sanchez, Professor and Executive Director, UNM Center for Social Policy

How Americans Perceive the Middle Class in 2024
Correspondent: Lou DiVizio
Guest: Dr. Jason Scott Smith, Ph.D., Professor, University of New Mexico History Department