Re:Work by the UCLA Labor Center

In the second installment of the Autoqueen Trilogy, we revisit Mohana Sundari, a thirty-nine-year-old woman living in Tamil Nadu in southern India. Mohana is part of a small but growing group of women driving auto rickshaws in the capital city of Chennai. Part One traced Mohana’s vivid childhood memories, and in Part Two her story moves into adulthood — through marriage, motherhood, financial struggle, and personal loss. 
Through it all, Mohana challenges the limitations placed on women. She continually finds ways to reclaim her power as she works to build a future for herself and her daughter — on her own terms. Listen at reworkradio.org or your preferred podcast platform. 
Content Advisory: This episode includes references to domestic violence and sexual assault.
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This episode was produced in partnership with Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE). ECTE leads grassroots, worker-centered initiatives that use education, research, and storytelling to support economic justice and civic transformation in Chennai. At the heart of ECTE’s mission is a commitment to organizing women workers in the informal sector — an often-overlooked majority in India's labor force. 
While Tamil Nadu is celebrated for having the largest share of women in the formal manufacturing sector, this progress narrative eclipses the lived experiences of the vast majority of women workers laboring in informal and unorganized sectors. ECTE equips these workers with tools to build worker-owned cooperatives, shape impact media, and advocate for inclusive policy change. 
In partnership with the Alliance for Community Empowerment (ACE), ECTE played an instrumental role in the formation of the Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS) union and cooperative. Beginning in January 2023, ECTE and ACE worked closely with women auto drivers on the ground, helping bring members together, build relationships and trust, and support the organizing process through to the successful formation of the union and cooperative.
Related links
Autoqueen Trilogy, Part IECTE on InstagramVeera Pengal Munnetra Sangam on InstagramRe:Work on InstagramUCLA Labor Center websiteECTE websiteVeera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS) websiteThe Hindu - Women auto drivers from Chennai who took IIM by storm (video)The Hindu - Breaking barriers: Chennai auto driver wins Kamla Bhasin Award for gender equalityThe Hindu - Meet the ‘Auto Queens’: This Tamil documentary highlights Chennai’s women auto drivers

This episode of Re:Work by the UCLA Labor Center features Mohana Sundari, a thirty-nine-year-old woman living in Tamil Nadu in southern India. Mohana is part of a small but growing group of women driving auto rickshaws in the capital city of Chennai. Many, even in India, are unaware that women drivers like Mohana exist.From an early age, Mohana has questioned and pushed against the limits placed on girls and women, forging her own path. The first installment in a three-part series, this episode explores Mohana’s family background and childhood, and the roots of her fiercely independent spirit. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.
***
This episode was produced in partnership with Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE). ECTE leads grassroots, worker-centered initiatives that use education, research, and storytelling to support economic justice and civic transformation in Chennai. At the heart of ECTE’s mission is a commitment to organizing women workers in the informal sector—an often-overlooked majority in India's labor force. 
While Tamil Nadu is celebrated for having the largest share of women in the formal manufacturing sector, this progress narrative eclipses the lived experiences of the vast majority of women workers laboring in informal and unorganized sectors. ECTE equips these workers with tools to build worker-owned cooperatives, shape impact media, and advocate for inclusive policy change. 
ECTE has been a strong supporter of the formation of Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), an all-women trade organization established in Chennai. Through this initiative, ECTE is partnering with workers and the organization's leadership committee, including Mohana Sundari, president of VPMS, to provide vital information, tools, and resources that enable women to explore alternative opportunities, leading to improved wages, living conditions, benefits, and an enhanced quality of life.
 
Related links
ECTE on InstagramVeera Pengal Munnetra Sangam on InstagramRe:Work on InstagramUCLA Labor Center websiteVeera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS) websiteThe Hindu - Women auto drivers from Chennai who took IIM by storm (video)The Hindu - Breaking barriers: Chennai auto driver wins Kamla Bhasin Award for gender equalityThe Hindu - Meet the ‘Auto Queens’: This Tamil documentary highlights Chennai’s women auto drivers

Today’s story comes to us from Feet in 2 Worlds, an independent media outlet and journalism training program that empowers the voices of immigrant journalists.
Over the past few years, around 40,000 Venezuelans arrived in Denver fleeing political and economic instability. Initially, with help from the city and non-profit organizations, many were able to find stable housing and jobs. But with all the recent changes in immigration policy, they now face an uncertain future. 
This episode is a part of a Feet in 2 Worlds series called The Hustle, which focuses on the ways in which immigrants navigate a changing economy — today and throughout history. To learn more about Feet in 2 Worlds, please visit fi2w.org.

Healing Together features Domenique Harmon, a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and workers’ rights. Domenique shares how her experiences in the cannabis industry, mental health spaces, and UFCW have shaped her professional journey and personal path to healing.
*Please note, this episode contains references to child abuse, suicide, and war.*
To read the UCLA Labor Center’s report on cannabis workers, please visit bit.ly/uclacannabisreport.
To learn more about The Amazing Movement, please visit www.theamazingmovement.com or @theamazingmovement on Instagram.

Today we are sharing an episode from our friends at Feet in 2 Worlds, an independent media outlet and journalism training program that empowers the voices of immigrant journalists.
We hear from women who work at the intersection of labor and immigration, including our own Labor Center director Saba Waheed. These women discuss the most pressing threats to immigrant workers, as well as the ways immigrants can resist and also support one another.
This episode is a part of a Feet in 2 Worlds series called The Hustle, which focuses on the ways immigrants navigate a changing economy — today and throughout history.
To learn more about Feet in 2 Worlds, please visit fi2w.org.

Today we are bringing you a piece produced by Ritika Sarma and Jimmy Mancilla, students in UCLA’s Labor Summer Research Program (LSRP). The piece is part of a larger 3-part series, “The Reality of Workers and Learners,” which examines the challenges faced by student workers, many of whom work over 20 hours a week.
The episode opens with brief remarks by Lucero Herrera, a senior research analyst at the UCLA Labor Center and LSRP instructor.
To listen to the rest of the series, please visit youtube.com/uclalabor. To visit the website LSRP students created, visit bit.ly/4k9G9ui

In honor of May Day 2025, Victor Narro, project director at the UCLA Labor Center and career organizer, joined Tobias Higbie, UCLA IRLE Director and professor of labor and history, for a conversation on the significance of May Day in Los Angeles.
They discuss how May Day unites diverse coalitions to engage in a powerful act of collective resistance, share an inside look at the process of planning major direct action campaigns, and provide expert tips on how to maintain a sustainable career in social justice work.
You can also watch their conversation on the IRLE's YouTube channel @UCLA-IRLE

In this episode, we bring you two more stories from Código Doméstico that have been translated into English. Código Doméstico is a podcast produced by Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero. It aims to expose working conditions for women hired as cleaners through apps in Central and South America as well as the US. 
At the heart of this show is deep listening and fostering collaborations to fight for the dignity of workers in the digital platform economy. Today’s episode features stories from Paola and Giselle.
To listen to the original Código Doméstico podcast episodes, and to learn more about the broader project, please visit codigodomestico.com. You can also listen on Spotify: bit.ly/codigodomestico
To read the related research by Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero, please visit bit.ly/codigodomesticoreport
Episode Art:Jessi (top left) by Priscila Barbosa, instagram.com/priii_barbosaRoxy (top right) by Marisol Rivera, instagram.com/mar___riveraPaola (bottom left) by Saro Agustina, instagram.com/saroagustinaGiselle (bottom right) by Day Cuervo, instagram.com/daycuervo

We bring you two stories from Código Doméstico that have been translated into English. Código Doméstico is a podcast produced by Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero. It aims to expose working conditions for women hired as cleaners through apps in Central and South America, as well as the US.
At the heart of this show is deep listening and fostering collaborations to fight for the dignity of workers in the digital platform economy. This episode features stories from Roxy and Jessi.
To listen to the original Código Doméstico podcast episodes, and to learn more about the broader project, please visit codigodomestico.com. You can also listen on Spotify. 
To read the related research by Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero, please visit bit.ly/codigodomesticoreport
Episode Art:Jessi (left) by Priscila BarbosaRoxy (right) by Marisol Rivera 

These days, we hear more and more about burnout, as well as rising anxiety levels, particularly in light of the recent presidential transition. How do we want to think about burnout, anxiety, and the emotional and mental load we carry when working in the social justice sector — especially when you have a personal connection to what you’re fighting for?
In this episode, Ainee Athar shares her immigration challenges and journey into advocating for immigrant rights, as well as her experiences with burnout and her pivot to climate justice.