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Punching Out

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Labor politics after the shift ends.

The gist

Punching Out is a left-labor conversation show about the pressure points of working life. Its discussions move from unfair workplaces and dismal paychecks into larger fights over unions, war, health care, immigration enforcement, gender rights, and public institutions.

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About Punching Out

Punching Out is a workplace and labor politics show built around the idea that the problems people bring home from work are never only personal. It begins with bosses, paychecks, hostile workplaces, bad policies, and the complaints workers usually have to swallow. Then it pushes outward. The recent run moves from labor opposition to war, to wellness, to grief in health care work, to the NYSNA strike, to ICE hiring, women's sports labor disputes, international politics, and public figures who reveal something broken about power. The show is plainspoken and ideological. It does not pretend neutrality between workers and management. Ryan and recurring participants such as Lou, Hannah, Noah, Zoe, Jade, Red, Megan, and K.A. bring a roundtable rhythm: a little joking, a lot of political framing, and a habit of tying the day's topic back to solidarity. Some episodes are historical. Others are keyed to current fights. The common thread is work as a place where broader systems become intimate: grief becomes a scheduling problem, wellness becomes a market, anti-war politics becomes a labor question, and professional sports become a fight over revenue and bargaining power. Punching Out is also willing to sound angry. Its anger is usually organized around care for workers, patients, immigrants, trans people, and communities asked to bear the cost of other people's power. The show works best for listeners who want labor media with teeth rather than workplace advice. It is less about optimizing a career than naming the structures that make work punishing. Its conversations can be messy, repetitive, and emphatic in the way live political radio often is. That looseness is part of the texture. Punching Out feels like a standing meeting for people who see the workplace as one front in a much larger fight.

Made for: For listeners who want workplace talk grounded in unions, solidarity, and left politics rather than career coaching. It suits people interested in how labor fights connect to health care, war, sports, immigration, grief, and public power.

What sets it apart: Punching Out treats work as the entry point to nearly everything else, not as a narrow HR category. Its mix of shop-floor complaints, political history, guest experience, and blunt collective analysis gives it a sharper edge than standard workplace commentary.

In their own words

Punching Out is a show about work that airs each week on WAYO 104.3 in Rochester, NY

As heard by us

Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026

Punching Out connects workplace conflict to political power through informed group conversation, labor history, and a sharp eye for corporate absurdity.

Punching Out turns group conversation into a running examination of work, power, and the institutions surrounding both. Ryan and recurring voices including Lou and Noah move comfortably between collective bargaining in women's sports, organized labor's anti-war history,…

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Like a union meeting after dark, with Bezos and wellness culture on your grievance list.

Press play if you want

  • the labor question hiding inside women's sports revenue and anti-war politics
  • wellness culture challenged without treating health itself as the enemy
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
workplace complaintslabor movementsunion strikesanti-war politicswellness culturehealth care work and griefimmigration enforcementwomen's sports labor disputes

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Episodes

  1. 1

    Episode 220 - Boeing Crashes

    ·58m
  2. 2

    Episode 249 - The Case Against Wellness

    ·58m
  3. 3

    Episode 248 - Grief at Work

    ·58m
  4. 4

    Episode 247 - NYSNA Strike

    ·55m
  5. 5

    Episode 246 - ICE's Hiring Blitz

    ·52m
  6. 6

    Episode 245 - Women's Sports at a Crossroads

    ·58m
  7. 7

    Episode 244 - Around the World

    ·56m
  8. 8

    Episode 243 - Heroes

    ·1h
  9. 9

    Episode 242 - Jeffy

    ·58m
  10. 10

    Episode 241 - Entertainment!

    ·56m
  11. 11

    Episode 240 - Shutdown

    ·59m
  12. 12

    Episode 239 - Hospital Closures

    ·56m
  13. 13

    Episode 238 - Academic Freedom

    ·59m
  14. 14

    Episode 200 - Human Resentments V

    ·1h
  15. 15

    Episode 199 - The UAW On Strike

    ·55m
  16. 16

    Episode 198 - Neofeudalism

    ·58m
  17. 17

    Episode 197 - Economic Sadists

    ·55m
  18. 18

    Episode 230 - AI In Education

    ·59m
  19. 19

    Episode 233 - Militarization

    ·59m
  20. 20

    Episode 231 - The Middle Class

    ·56m
  21. 21

    Episode 237 - Homelessness

    ·59m
  22. 22

    Episode 196 - Immigration

    ·1h
  23. 23

    Episode 236 - Work Requirements

    ·57m
  24. 24

    Episode 235 - Anti Intellectualism

    ·55m
  25. 25

    Episode 175 - Quiet Quitting

    ·58m
  26. 26

    Episode 234 - The Girlboss Era

    ·59m
  27. 27

    Episode 232 - The Case Against Productivity

    ·55m
  28. 28

    Episode 229 - Manufactured Nostalgia

    ·58m
  29. 29

    Episode 228 - Social Security

    ·59m
  30. 30

    Episode 227 - ICE At Work

    ·56m
  31. 31

    Episode 226 - Federal Layoffs

    ·1h 1m
  32. 32

    Episode 225 - The Scam Presidency

    ·56m
  33. 33

    Episode 224 - Tech's Right Turn

    ·58m
  34. 34

    Episode 223 - Genius Awards Pt. 2

    ·1h
  35. 35

    Episode 221 - Undocumented Farm Labor

    ·1h
  36. 36

    Episode 222 - Genius Awards Pt. 1

    ·1h
  37. 37

    Episode 250 - Labor Against War

    ·1h
  38. 38

    Episode 219 - Growth In Women's Sports

    ·57m
  39. 39

    Episode 218 - The Heat Is Back On

    ·58m
  40. 40

    Episode 217 - JD

    ·57m
  41. 41

    Episode 216 - Capital Strikes Back

    ·54m
  42. 42

    Episode 215 - Olympics

    ·55m
  43. 43

    Episode 214 - Back To College

    ·59m
  44. 44

    Episode 213 - Non Profit Industrial Complex

    ·57m
  45. 45

    Episode 212 - Child's Play

    ·58m
  46. 46

    Episode 211 - Good News

    ·1h 1m
  47. 47

    Episode 210 - RCSD

    ·59m
  48. 48

    Episode 209 - Education News

    ·57m
  49. 49

    Episode 208 - The Long Red Scare

    ·56m
  50. 50

    Episode 207 - ZIRP

    ·59m
  51. 51

    Episode 206 - Brands On The Run

    ·55m
  52. 52

    Episode 205 - All The Work We Cannot See

    ·53m
  53. 53

    Episode 204 - Genius Awards Pt. 2

    ·53m
  54. 54

    Episode 203 - Genius Awards Pt. 1

    ·1h
  55. 55

    Episode 202 - Women's Sports

    ·1h
  56. 56

    Episode 201 - An Educational Experience

    ·57m
  57. 57

    Episode 195 - Heat

    ·59m
  58. 58

    Episode 194 - Lights, Camera, Labor Action

    ·1h
  59. 59

    Episode 193 - More Media Malfeasance

    ·59m
  60. 60

    Episode 192 - Rainbow Washing

    ·1h
  61. 61

    Episode 191 - The Case Against Fandom

    ·59m
  62. 62

    Episode 190 - Les Incompetents

    ·1h
  63. 63

    Episode 189 - Writers Strike

    ·59m
  64. 64

    Episode 188 - Everything Is Made Up

    ·1h
  65. 65

    Episode 187 - Book Bans

    ·1h 1m
  66. 66

    Episode 186 - The Kids Are At Work

    ·57m
  67. 67

    Episode 185 - No Competing Allowed

    ·59m
  68. 68

    Episode 184 - The Other NRA

    ·1h
  69. 69

    Episode 183 - Court Jesters

    ·56m
  70. 70

    Episode 182 - Arte Ex Machina

    ·1h 1m
  71. 71

    Episode 181 - Turbulence

    ·57m
  72. 72

    Episode 180 - Genius Awards, Pt. 2

    ·1h
  73. 73

    Episode 179 - 2022 Genius Awards, Pt. 1

    ·58m
  74. 74

    Episode 178 - Workers Get Railroaded

    ·59m
  75. 75

    Episode 177 - Sportswashing

    ·57m
  76. 76

    Episode 176 - Layoff City

    ·1h
  77. 77

    Episode 174 - Work From Home

    ·58m
  78. 78

    Episode 173 - Minor League Unionization

    ·1h
  79. 79

    Episode 172 - Working On The Railroad

    ·53m
  80. 80

    Episode 171 - Crazy John

    ·59m
  81. 81

    Episode 170 - Energy

    ·1h
  82. 82

    Episode 169 - Organizing Towards Abolition

    ·58m
  83. 83

    Episode 168 - Video Games

    ·58m
  84. 84

    Episode 167 - After Roe

    ·1h 3m
  85. 85

    Episode 166 - Tech As Grift

    ·57m
  86. 86

    Episode 165 - The Dearth

    ·57m
  87. 87

    Episode 164 - The NLRB

    ·1h
  88. 88

    Episode 163 - Nursing

    ·57m
  89. 89

    Episode 162 - The Rochester General Strike

    ·59m
  90. 90

    Episode 161 - Unionizing Amazon

    ·1h 3m
  91. 91

    Episode 160 - The End Of The Pandemic, Again

    ·1h
  92. 92

    Episode 159 - Baseball Unlocked

    ·1h
  93. 93

    Episode 158 - Anyone's Cafe

    ·57m
  94. 94

    Episode 157 - The Workforce Of The Future

    ·56m
  95. 95

    Episode 156 - The Lockout Zone

    ·1h
  96. 96

    Episode 155 - Omicron

    ·1h
  97. 97

    Episode 154 - Genius Awards 2021, Pt. 2

    ·1h 1m
  98. 98

    Episode 153 - Genius Awards 2021, Pt. 1

    ·59m
  99. 99

    Episode 152 - Abortion At Stake

    ·1h
  100. 100

    Episode 151 You Have Nothing To Lose But Your Supply Chains

    ·59m
  101. 101

    Episode 250 - Labor Against War

    Hidden gem

    Punching Out's "Labor Against War" connects the current U.S.-Israel strike on Iran to labor history across World War I, World War II, and Vietnam.

    Mar 18, 2026·1h·4 clips
  102. 102

    Episode 249 - The Case Against Wellness

    Punching Out hosts Ryan, Lou, and Jade argue that commercial wellness turns structural problems into individual failures and sells remedies priced as low as $9.99.

    Feb 25, 2026·58m·5 clips
  103. 103

    Episode 248 - Grief at Work

    Hosts and guests discuss how grief impacts working lives, drawing from experiences in nonprofit healthcare and oncology.

    Feb 11, 2026·58m
  104. 104

    Episode 247 - NYSNA Strike

    A discussion about the NYSNA nurses' strike in New York City, featuring a union member's involvement and background.

    Jan 30, 2026·55m
  105. 105

    Episode 246 - ICE's Hiring Blitz

    Punching Out on Wayo Radio turns Episode 246, "ICE's Hiring Blitz," into a direct critique of ICE after the January 7 killing of Renee Good in Minnesota.

    Jan 23, 2026·52m·3 clips
  106. 106

    Episode 245 - Women's Sports at a Crossroads

    Hidden gem

    Punching Out Episode 245 examines simultaneous labor disputes in the WNBA and NWSL—two women's leagues generating record revenue for the first time while their players fight for proportional pay.

    Jan 14, 2026·58m·4 clips
  107. 107

    Episode 244 - Around the World

    Hidden gem

    Punching Out Episode 244, recorded December 31, 2025, is a year-end review of political events outside the U.S., covering the UK Labour Party, Brazil, and South Korea.

    Dec 31, 2025·56m·4 clips
  108. 108

    Episode 243 - Heroes

    Hidden gem

    Punching Out episode 243, “Heroes,” features Ryan, Noah, and Lou replacing their annual Genius Awards with stories of ordinary people resisting government actions in 2025.

    Dec 27, 2025·1h·5 clips
  109. 109

    Episode 242 - Jeffy

    Hidden gem

    Jeff Bezos is framed as a case study in how a 2010s billionaire could look “inscrutable,” support gay marriage, and buy The Washington Post without immediately becoming a punchline.

    Dec 3, 2025·58m·2 clips
  110. 110

    Episode 241 - Entertainment!

    Nov 15, 2025·56m
  111. 111

    Episode 240 - Shutdown

    Oct 22, 2025·59m
  112. 112

    Episode 239 - Hospital Closures

    Oct 8, 2025·56m
  113. 113

    Episode 238 - Academic Freedom

    Sep 24, 2025·59m
  114. 114

    Episode 237 - Homelessness

    Sep 10, 2025·59m
  115. 115

    Episode 236 - Work Requirements

    Aug 13, 2025·57m
  116. 116

    Episode 235 - Anti Intellectualism

    Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss anti-intellectualism in American politics and its impact on jobs, using Texas floods and NOAA cuts as a case study.

    Jul 23, 2025·55m
  117. 117

    Episode 234 - The Girlboss Era

    Jul 2, 2025·59m
  118. 118

    Episode 232 - The Case Against Productivity

    Jun 29, 2025·55m
  119. 119

    Episode 233 - Militarization

    Jun 19, 2025·59m
  120. 120

    Episode 231 - The Middle Class

    May 14, 2025·56m
  121. 121

    Episode 230 - AI In Education

    May 1, 2025·59m
  122. 122

    Episode 229 - Manufactured Nostalgia

    Apr 17, 2025·58m
  123. 123

    Episode 228 - Social Security

    Apr 3, 2025·59m
  124. 124

    Episode 227 - ICE At Work

    Mar 13, 2025·56m
  125. 125

    Episode 226 - Federal Layoffs

    Feb 19, 2025·1h 1m
  126. 126

    Episode 225 - The Scam Presidency

    Feb 2, 2025·56m
  127. 127

    Episode 224 - Tech's Right Turn

    Jan 26, 2025·58m
  128. 128

    Episode 223 - Genius Awards Pt. 2

    Ryan, Noah, and Lou continue their Genius Awards series, discussing the biggest geniuses in sports from the past year.

    Jan 6, 2025·1h
  129. 129

    Episode 221 - Undocumented Farm Labor

    Dec 27, 2024·1h
  130. 130

    Episode 222 - Genius Awards Pt. 1

    The hosts introduce their annual Genius Awards, celebrating executives who create workplace problems and face comeuppance, starting with employee relations.

    Dec 22, 2024·1h
  131. 131

    Episode 220 - Boeing Crashes

    Nov 9, 2024·58m
  132. 132

    Episode 219 - Growth In Women's Sports

    The hosts discuss the recent growth in women's sports, focusing on the WNBA's increased attendance and TV viewership driven by players like Caitlin Clark.

    Oct 7, 2024·57m
  133. 133

    Episode 218 - The Heat Is Back On

    Sep 11, 2024·58m
  134. 134

    Episode 217 - JD

    Sep 10, 2024·57m
  135. 135

    Episode 216 - Capital Strikes Back

    Aug 14, 2024·54m
  136. 136

    Episode 215 - Olympics

    Jul 17, 2024·55m
  137. 137

    Episode 214 - Back To College

    Jun 26, 2024·59m
  138. 138

    Episode 212 - Child's Play

    Jun 18, 2024·58m
  139. 139

    Episode 213 - Non Profit Industrial Complex

    Jun 18, 2024·57m
  140. 140

    Episode 211 - Good News

    May 8, 2024·1h 1m
  141. 141

    Episode 210 - RCSD

    Apr 17, 2024·59m
  142. 142

    Episode 209 - Education News

    Apr 1, 2024·57m
  143. 143

    Episode 208 - The Long Red Scare

    Mar 14, 2024·56m
  144. 144

    Episode 207 - ZIRP

    Feb 22, 2024·59m
  145. 145

    Episode 206 - Brands On The Run

    Jan 31, 2024·55m
  146. 146

    Episode 205 - All The Work We Cannot See

    Jan 17, 2024·53m
  147. 147

    Episode 204 - Genius Awards Pt. 2

    Ryan, Noah, and Lou kick off the second part of their 2023 Genius Awards, honoring standout executives and updating past winners like Elon Musk.

    Jan 3, 2024·53m
  148. 148

    Episode 203 - Genius Awards Pt. 1

    Dec 20, 2023·1h
  149. 149

    Episode 202 - Women's Sports

    Nov 24, 2023·1h
  150. 150

    Episode 201 - An Educational Experience

    Nov 15, 2023·57m