Psychobabble BCBAs | The RBT Uprising: Part 2

On July 20, 2026, RBTs in Rockville, Maryland made history by becoming the first ABA workers in the United States to go on strike. But the strike didn't come out of nowhere. After 437 days of bargaining without a first contract, workers were demanding guaranteed wage increases, more predictable hours, safer staffing conditions, and basic workplace protections. In this episode, Erica and Lauryn take a closer look at what led to the strike and why this story is much bigger than one clinic. They trace the short history of the RBT credential, examine the explosive growth of the ABA workforce alongside the rise of private equity, and ask whether the industry's business model was built around an increasingly replaceable workforce. They also dig into RBT turnover, unpredictable pay, limited career advancement, inadequate training, burnout, and the complicated relationship between fee-for-service reimbursement and working conditions. Can the ABA industry continue operating the way it does now? From the legacy of the 40-hour treatment model to insurance reimbursement, private equity, unionization, and the role of BCBAs, Erica and Lauryn explore how seemingly separate problems may actually be symptoms of the same systems-level issues. RBT working conditions aren't separate from clinical care. Our techs' working conditions are our clients' learning conditions. Hosts: Erica Ranada & Dr. Lauryn Toby (The Psychobabble BCBAs) Presented by: Cooperant Learning (https://www.cooperantlearning.com) Creative Direction: Kevin DeKimpe (http://kevindekimpe.com) CEUs: Sparks Behavioral Services, LLC (ACE #OP-21-0004) is an ACE-approved provider of continuing education units for behavior analysts. You can earn continuing education units (CEUs) for listening to many of our episodes by visiting cooperantlearning.com! 🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7BTNqTaC0Qjfs62iKJqJXP?si=f8b4892d80904de6 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-psychobabble-bcbas/id6805913619 📺: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIUfs4kGgw-U 📸: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepsychobabblebcbas 🎬 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@psychobabblebcbas   Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: SRFTDNSKTAAMKSMD