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History of American Labor and Management

History of American Labor and Management. IRL 201. Cliff Donn. Office – RH 416 Extension – 445-4484 E-mail: donn@lemoyne.edu Office Hours Monday 9:00-10:20 Wednesday 2:30-3:30. Course Web Page. http://web.lemoyne.edu/~donn/class/irl201/irl201.htm. Educational Background.

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History of American Labor and Management

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  1. History of American Labor and Management IRL 201

  2. Cliff Donn • Office – RH 416 • Extension – 445-4484 • E-mail: donn@lemoyne.edu • Office Hours • Monday 9:00-10:20 • Wednesday 2:30-3:30

  3. Course Web Page • http://web.lemoyne.edu/~donn/class/irl201/irl201.htm

  4. Educational Background • Bachelors Industrial and Labor Relations – Cornell • Ph.D. Economics – MIT • Permanent Faculty positions at Macquarie University and University of Tennessee • At Le Moyne since 1982

  5. Sources: Text • Boris and Lichtenstein, Major Problems in the History of American Workers • Others on reserve (most on electronic reserve)

  6. Preparing for class • How much time on each topic? See course outline! • When to do the reading? • Optional readings • Definitions will be supplied

  7. Conduct of class • Class discussion and discussion of reading material • Attendance – expect to be called upon every day • Tardiness will not be tolerated • Cell phones – TURNED OFF

  8. Requirements - Essays • Everyone must do one of first three topics (unless we agree on another) • Can do second essay on any topic • Note due dates • Handout and web page specify format • Research for essays • Don’t hand in a poor essay! • See essay rubric on home page • NO LATE ESSAYS ACCEPTED

  9. Requirements - Quizzes • Cover only reading material • 15 minutes at beginning of class • No make ups except on final • Must take two and freshmen must take the first • Wise to prepare for them do well the first time

  10. Requirement - Exams • Final Exam: Thursday, May 8, 3:00 p.m. • Comprehensive and enables you to make up quizzes and/or mid-term • No excuses and no make ups • Value of final depends on your choices • Mid-term: March 19 (just prior to Easter break) • Covers class and text material • Will take entire class • Can be retaken on final • Copies of questions on Home Page

  11. Why study history? • For the sake of understanding the past • For the sake of understanding the present

  12. Current issues we can't understand without a background in labor history • Why are strikes by construction workers strikes normally so peaceful while those by coal miners are so often violent? • Why does the AFL‑CIO, which almost always supports exclusively Democrats, maintain an official stance of non‑partisanship? • Why, when almost every trade union movement in the world at least nominally supports socialism, is the U.S. labor movement such a strong supporter of the private enterprise system?

  13. What is Labor History? • Old View ‑ History of worker organizations‑ i.e. unions and their activities • Newer View‑ History of workers and their lives, at work, at home and in the community

  14. How we shall study history? • Disinterest in names, facts, dates • Emphasis on themes

  15. Examples of Themes • Movement from agricultural to industrial to white collar labor force • Impacts of immigration on work and the workforce • Relationships between work life and community life • Treatment of women and minorities by other workers and by management

  16. Evolution of management and managerial authority • Utopianism as an influence on the working class • Origins and development of trade unions • Development of craft & industrial union models • Role of strikes in the evolution of unions and bargaining • Evolution of public policy on employment issues

  17. Modern Work: Ehrenreich, “Working Poor Blues” • What to look for in this article? • How does Ehrenreich find the work the poor people do? • Would you like to do those jobs? Why or why not? How could they be made more satisfying? • Do the poor people Ehrenreich meets have “tricks” to reduce their expenses?

  18. Next Time • Labor Market and Working Conditions in the early colonial period

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