Labor Studies Division Fall 2016 Newsletter Note from the Chair First, I hope you enjoy this newsletter. Our new newsletter editor, Valerie Adrian, has done a marvelous job and we look forward to more issues from her. I want to thank all of you for your activity in and support of the Labor Studies Division. This division is as strong as it is because of each of you. I hope that those of you who are able to travel to the meeting in August 2017 will consider submitting a paper for presentation. The link for the call for papers is live -- http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/689/fuseaction/ssspsession2.publicView SSSP has always taken its commitment to junior scholars and students as paramount. To that end, there are 2 items of special note. First, I encourage each of you to work with your students in preparing a paper for him/her to submit to the divisionÕs annual student paper competition. If you are a student, please consider submitting a paper to this competition. The other item I would ask each of you to consider is highlighted in a request from Joel Best; that request is found below. In short, we are in need of meeting mentors. SSSP has always been a place for graduate students and young scholars to find support and mentoring. The meeting mentoring program is an important component of that. Please consider becoming a mentor. I know that the meetings are very busy for all of us and it is a time when we can catch up and see friends, so I also am aware that asking you to take on extra burden or duty is a lot to ask, but I thank you for considering it. In August 2017 the LS Division will have a new chair and we are currently holding that election. There are 3 very strong candidates; our division is quite lucky to have such active and talented members. DonÕt forget to vote for your new Chair -- election is underway. http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/pageid/1017/fuseaction/poll.pollListPublic Finally, it has been my pleasure to serve as LS Division Chair for 2 years. I encourage each of you to consider seeking election when the opportunity arises. I hope fall term is going well and as always if there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to contact me. Cheers, Noreen Noreen M. Sugrue Chair, Labor Studies Division, SSSP Women and Gender in Global Perspectives University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign nsugrue@illinois.edu Request from Joel Best: BE A MEETING MENTOR! This is really an important part of what SSSP does for its members -- PLEASE consider doing this, thank you!!! Each year, SSSP has lots of students and new members sign up for its meeting mentoring program. But the only way people can offer to be mentors is when they register for the meeting, and itÕs easy for folks to forget to do that, so there arenÕt enough volunteers. Because there arenÕt enough mentors, it is hard to match the interests of willing mentors with people who want mentoring. IÕm chairing the Lee Student Support Fund Committee (the group in charge of the mentoring program). I want to locate willing mentors from all of SSSP divisions. If you are planning to attend next yearÕs meeting in Montreal, and if youÕd be willing to serve as a mentor, please send me an email message (joelbest@udel.edu). In your message, list the divisions that interest you. IÕll save your information and, next summer, IÕll try and identify (hopefully no more than one or two) mentees who share your interests. IÕve been a mentor every year since the program started, and I continue to keep in touch with some of those people. It is a great program, but we need your help to make it stronger. Thanks, Joel Best (joelbest@udel.edu) MONTREAL 2017 The annual meeting will be held in Montreal (August 11-13, 2017). The theme of the meeting is Narratives In The World Of Social Problems: Power, Resistance, Transformation. If you are able to join us in Montreal that would be great. The Labor Studies Division is sponsoring or co-sponsoring a number of sessions, please see the list below. Each of you is strongly encouraged to submit a paper for presentation at the meeting. Also, please encourage your graduate students and colleagues to consider submitting a paper as well. Co-Sponsored with the Disability Division: Disability and Work: The Visible and the Invisible Co-Sponsored with the Global Division: Narratives of Labor in the Global Economy- THEMATIC Co-sponsored with the Institutional Ethnography Division: Work and the Changing Environment of the Academy Co-sponsored with Racial and Ethnic Minorities:ÊRace and the Working Poor Co-sponsoredÊwithÊSexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities:ÊLGBTQ+: Narratives in the Workplace-THEMATIC Co-sponsored with Sociology and Social Welfare:ÊPrecarity and Resistance in Care Work: Narratives in a Global Context-THEMATIC Labor Study Sessions: Motherhood and Work: Narratives in the Global Context; THEMATIC The Solidarity EconomyÊ Health Care Labor in a Global Context: Narratives and Challenges Editorial Search -- Call for Applications Social Problems Ê The Editorial and Publications Committee of the Society for the Study of Social Problems is soliciting applications for the position of Editor of the SocietyÕs journal, Social Problems. Ê Please see the SSSP homepage for further information; all eligbile are strongly encouraged to apply to this important position. CONGRATULATIONS!!! New Job Jessica Cook, PhD Candidate at UIC Sociology has been named the Director for the Labor Education Center at DePaul University (Chicago). New Book Jake Alimahomed-Wilson Solidarity Forever? Race, Gender, and Unionism in the Ports of Southern California (2016). Lexington Books. An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498514354/Solidarity-Forever?-Race-Gender-and-Unionism-in-the-Ports-of-Southern-California Labor News The Labor Center at UMass-Amherst has been undergoing severe budget cuts. Please visit the Radical Political Economy website for updates. https://urpe.wordpress.com/2016/09/03/umass-amherst-preparing-to-abolish-labor-center/ Information Of Note: Call for Papers: Papers on Precarious Work to be Published in Research in the Sociology of Work Precarious Work: Causes, Characteristics and Consequences Call for Papers to be Published in Research in the Sociology of Work ÊArne L. Kalleberg and Steven Vallas, editors The economic crisis of 2008-9 has exacerbated a long-standing trend in industrial nations toward the rise of precarious work, or work that is uncertain, insecure and in which risks are shifted from employers (and governments) to workers. Notable examples of precarious work include temporary and contract work as well as the jobs in the ÒgigÓ or sharing economy.Ê Surely, many workers derive an increased sense of autonomy from the rise of these forms of work. But for other workersÑvery likely a majority of those affectedÑthe expansion of precarious work represents a shift toward more insecure and unrewarding positions, signaling a dramatic shift in the very logic that governs work and employment under contemporary capitalism. Though these developments have been much studied, much remains to be known. This Special Issue of Research in the Sociology of Work welcomes papers that investigate or critically explore the causes, characteristics and consequences of precarious work.Ê We especially welcome papers that address issues such as: What are the chief causes of this dramatic shift in the structure and operation of the labor market? How have neo-liberal economic and political trends contributed to the rise of precarious employment? What are the different manifestations of precarious work and which social groups Ñ including those defined by gender, race and ethnicity, and/or class boundariesÐ have been most grievously affected by labor market precarity? What are the most important consequences of precarious work? How have workers and job seekers responded to these shifts in their work situations? And what alternatives can be envisioned that might lead down more equitable and healthy paths? Papers in this special issue will address these and kindred questions, and in so doing address the nature and the effects of precarious work in the contemporary setting. Deadline for submission: January 1, 2017. Suggested guidelines: Papers should run roughly 10-12k words, including references and tables. Papers can develop new theoretical and conceptual frameworks and/or present empirical analyses. Submissions (or questions) should be sent electronically to the editors at rsw.editor@gmail.com. LERA 69th Annual Meeting, June1-4, 2017, Anaheim, CA Pre-Conference Day May 31, 2017 "Jobs, Opportunity and Equity in the New World of Work" The Chair and Program Committee welcome session proposals from the best and brightest. At least one participant in a session must be a LERA member, and one author on each paper. The LERA Program Committee invites proposals for stimulating and creative proposals related to engaging various, sometimes differing, stakeholders involved in employment relations with the end goal of enriching investors, managers, employees, policy makers, and unions. LERAÕs program format offers fresh opportunities for thought leaders from all aspects of employment and industrial relations. LERAÕs mission connects research, practice and policy, as well as stakeholders. Proposals connecting these three aspects are strongly encouraged. Presentations may take a variety of forms: Symposia, panels, workshops, posters, skill-building, debates, roundtable discussions, etc. The number of tracks and lengths of sessions depends on the quantity and quality of proposals. To encourage thought diversity, participants may only present on the program once per role. Deadline: November 15, 2016. Job Openings For those on the job market, please remember to check the Job Opportunities page at SSSP: http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/320/locationSectionId/0/Job_Opportunities Here are a few great jobs to check out: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Labor And Employment Relations Assistant Professor Illinois is a world leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. We serve the state, the nation, and the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and addressing critical societal needs through the transfer and application of knowledge. Illinois is the place where we embrace difference. We embrace it because we value it. Illinois is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of the Illinois community. SHORT DESCRIPTION SUMMARIZING POSITION FUNCTIONS The School of Labor and Employment Relations has a vacant faculty position in Labor Economics. We are interested in candidates who have teaching and research interests in labor economics. This is a full- time tenure-track or tenured position that combines research with teaching in the SchoolÕs masterÕs and PhD programs in human resources and industrial relations. The School is an academic unit that concentrates on research and teaching in employment relations. The School is especially interested in candidates with a research interest in personnel economics. A joint appointment with the economics department is possible based on the interests of the candidate. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Applicants must have a Ph.D. in economics. ABDs who demonstrate a strong potential for conducting exemplary research and teaching and anticipate Ph.D. completion no later than August 2017 will be considered. PROPOSED STARTING DATE: Proposed starting date is August 15, 2017. For further information regarding application procedures, you may contact Professor Eliza Forsythe, eforsyth@illinois.edu. You may also visit http://www.ler.illinois.edu for additional information. DEADLINE: November 20, 2016. Cornell University Workforce Policy and Labor Relations Associate Director Department and Position Background The Department of Workforce Policy and Labor Relations (WPLR) provides leadership and counsel in the areas of equal employment and educational opportunity; sexual assault investigations; labor/employee relations; non-academic human resource policy development and interpretation; unemployment insurance administration; and layoff policy administration.Ê Our team partners with Human Resource professionals across CornellÕs 14 colleges and units and oversees the labor relations contracts and negotiations for 1,400 staff members. In collaboration with the director, this positon ensures WPLR compliance with all legal and internal audit requirements, including preparation and filing of legally and internally required reports. Develop and present programmatic recommendations for WPLR services, including financial and climate implications, to university and college/unit leadership. Provide significant expertise, principal consultation and input to University HR strategy through collaboration with VP for HR, team-based and individual means.Ê Ensure effective consultation for WPLR services to leadership and employees as appropriate. For a full description and to apply online, external applicants click here. For questions or assistance applying online, please email Mr. Edgar Johnson, ejj33@cornell.edu or call 607-254-3337.Ê Information from our members A Singing Lecture by Corey Dolgon Folksinger and Sociologist Corey Dolgon, a Ph.D in American Culture and Sociology Professor has been performing Òsinging lecturesÓ for almost two decades. Focusing on the role that folksongs play in the U.S. labor movement, CoreyÕs words and music bring both history and theory to life. He is a long-time labor activist and community organizer and has used folk songs to build solidarity on the line and engage students in the classroom. This singing lecture covers labor history from a multicultural perspective and examines the function of folk songs in workersÕ lives, labor, and organizing. The lecture can be tailored for specific needs and time periods, but generally runs about an hour to an hour and a half depending on format. Corey is very adept at gaining audience participation and provides an object lesson in how the collective acts of singing can enhance the feelings of solidarity and create new possibilities for collective identities.