These are public radio stories made over many years, by producer Jay Allison -- working together with Christina Egloff, and friends, colleagues, neighbors, strangers and whoever would take the loan of one of his tape recorders. They are are stories about life as we find it, and record it. HOST: Alex Chadwick In this hour: A Pastor's Journal (27:23) For two months, the pastor of Park Union Church in Chicago kept an audio journal chronicling her daily life and thoughts about the career and the calling of the ministry. Produced with Rev. Susan Johnson and WBEZ Chicago. After Labor Day (2:44) A short meditation on the end of the summer's work and the long winter ahead from writer Carol Wasserman. Produced with Viki Merrick. Retiring the Robe (27:05) On the occasion of her retirement, this Chicago judge borrowed a cassette recorder, and with her family, reflected on her 18 years on the bench. Produced with Judge Susan Snow, Brent Runyon and WBEZ Chicago.

Along with many features in the special, relive the creation of the Transcontinental Railroad on this 150th Anniversary of its completion in 1869.  In the whole program hear music about work and workers in a variety of genres: soft rock, bluegrass, country, bebop, folk, show tunes, and more.  Artists include Amy Adams, Tom Paxton, Jim Croce, Sawyer Brown, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, Jim Brickman, Hank Snow, The Silhouettes, John Denver, and many more. plus a classic comedy bit by George Carlin.

Work songs gave laborers a way of transforming their toil into something more meaningful, of enriching their everyday lives through music.  How did the influence of the work song emerge in the recordings of artists such as Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Nat Adderley, Dave Brubeck and other musicians?  Jazz historian Ted Gioia, author of Work Songs, joins Night Lights for a Labor Day look at the work song's relationship to jazz and popular music.  Other featured artists include Louis Armstrong (his ode to Pullman porters, "Red Cap"), Cassandra Wilson (her cover of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman") and Sting (with saxophonist Branford Marsalis joining him for the tribute to English coal-miners, "We Work the Black Seam").

On July 17, 1944, two Liberty ships anchored at the Port Chicago Munitions Case near San Francisco exploded, killing 320 men and injuring 390. It was the worst homefront disaster of World War II. A majority of the casualties were African-American sailors who loaded ammunition onto the ships at Port Chicago. Shortly after the explosion, the African-American munitions loaders who survived were transferred to a nearby base and ordered back to work. Shaken by the death of their workmates and afraid that another explosion might occur, 50 men refused. In the largest courtmartial in Navy history, they were all convicted of mutiny and sentenced to up to fifteen years of hard labor. In January 1946, only months after the war ended, all convicted men's sentences were suspended as part of a general amnesty. While these men were allowed to return to civilian life, they were left angry, ashamed, and afraid they would be fired from their jobs or worried that they would be seen as unpatriotic. As a result, some did not discuss the case, even with family members, for more than 50 years. Originally broadcast on This American Life in 1996.

For over a hundred years the Mohawks of Akwesasne, a reservation on the New York-Canada border, pursued the occupation of ironworkers, one of the most dangerous jobs in construction. Mohawks were on the high steel crews of every bridge and skyscraper in Manhattan, commuting between job and their 12-hour-distant home every weekend, and became famous for their skill, daring and major contribution to the skyline of New York. This is the story of men plying a difficult craft in the modern world while cleaving to tribal customs in an ancient world -- a balancing act that has taken its toll in lives and relationships. An honest, intimate and informative portrait of an unusual occupation and the Native Americans who made it their own.

Remembering Mother Warren - A look into the labor history of one of the world?s oldest paper mills Remembering Mother Warren unearths the culture of an industrial community, the drama of life working for a once-great employer, and probes the meaning of workers? memories in the face of disruptive industrial change. Produced by Big Talk on WMPG, it is a 30-minute documentary that traces the labor history of the S.D.Warren paper mill in Westbrook, Maine. You?ll hear stories from generations of mill workers and managers, including Shirley Lally, a 30-year veteran who sorted reams of paper by hand, Phil LaViolette, who recalls the struggles of Warren?s Franco workers, and Howard Reiche, a former mill manager who describes the mill?s paternalism and the favoritism encountered by workers prior to unionization. Other workers tell the history of the S.D. Warren ?family,? of their experiences in the mill dating back as far as the 1920s, of the extreme heat, dangerous equipment and deadly accidents, a forgotten1916 strike, unionizing in the 1960s, and of the mill?s recent decline. University of Maine historian Charles Scontras, and University of Southern Maine economist and labor historian Michael Hillard provide analysis of the mill?s unique labor history. ?Remembering Mother Warren? is produced by Big Talk members Jessica Lockhart, Michael Hillard, and Claire Holman. Narrator: Thomas Lestage, President PACE Local 1069. Project Historians: Eileen Eagan and Michael Hillard. Additional narration by Paul Drinan. ?Remembering Mother Warren? won First Place in Public Affairs from the Maine Association of Broadcasters 2003. Sponsored by the Southern Maine Labor Council, AFL-CIO, with funding from the Maine Humanities Council. e-mail us at bigtalk@maine.rr.com

Matthew Works has been living on the streets of Boston for over a decade. Here he remembers one of his last paying jobs, assembling braille typerwriters, which thrust him into a Dickensian nightmare. Producer Chelsea Merz has been chronicalling Matthew's life on the streets for the last few years. This story was taped at a pizza joint in downtown Boston.

Big low-wage employers are now issuing ATM style "payroll cards" instead of paychecks, costing low wage employees hundreds of dollars a year just to acess their money.

In his own words, Anthony Mulay explains the technology he uses to rid New York City's sidewalks of gum patches, and where his machine gets the most use.

The working rights we enjoy today did not come without a struggle. (Not to mention the working rights not yet attained.) Labor Day is a day set aside to honor the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the country. This, the 2nd part of a 2 part episode, highlights the songs from the labor movement.

It’s Labor Day, which means we’re celebrating the hard-working people who keep the engines of productivity humming. This rebroadcast production from The Pulse at WHYY in Philadelphia explores how science and technology are changing work and workplaces, and what we are learning about the pitfalls of different work environments. Our current healthcare conundrum certainly stems in part from the coupling of work and insurance benefits — so we’ll look at the past and future of this union. We’ll meet a woman who used science to prove that ladies should be part of the work force. Also: The psychology of snarky office emails, and the case for mandatory vacation days.