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This edition of the free bulletin, World Wide Work, is published by the
American Labor Education Center, an independent nonprofit founded in
1979. August 2006 BOOKS *The Greening of Ben Brown by Michael Strelow ((Hawthorne). A unique novel to savor not so much for its quirky plot as its masterfully poetic writing style and rich, often humorous detail about characters in a small Oregon town. The main character is a utility worker who suffers a major electrical shock on the job, leading to dramatic change for him and the town where he settles. *Please Don’t Come Back from the Moon by Dean Bakopoulos (Harcourt). A novel that teeters between hope and inevitable disaster as it portrays the human reality of coming of age in ethnic working class Detroit as the transition begins from industrial jobs to a low-wage service economy, complete with an attempted 1930s style sitdown strike by local mall workers. *Made in China by Pun Ngai (Duke University). Who are the workers in China’s exploding industrial sector? A professor spent eight months working in an electronics factory, living in a dormitory, and learning about the young women who have come from farm communities to power the global economy. *Mission Rejected by Peter Laufer (Chelsea Green). Poignant personal stories of U.S. soldiers who have refused to continue to participate in the war in Iraq. *Ready, Set, Talk! By Ellen Ratner and Kathie Scarrah (Chelsea Green). Practical tips for using talk radio, TV, and the internet in campaigns. *Teaching Defiance by Michael Newman (Jossey-Bass). Thoughts and practical stories about adult education that helps people work for positive change. *Work Songs by Ted Gioia (Duke University). Throughout history people around the world have sung while they worked – but in the 21st century workplace they are more likely to listen to others’ music if they have music at all. *Challenging the Chip edited by Ted Smith, David A. Sonnenfeld, and David Naguib Pellow (Temple University). A comprehensive look at the effect of the electronics industry on labor rights and environmental health throughout the world. *Traveler’s Literary Companion series (Whereabouts Press). Each book in this series is a compilation of short stories that takes place in a particular country. An effort is made to represent different regions within each country to reflect cultural variations. *Jobs Aren’t Enough by Roberta Rehner Iversen and Annie Laurie Armstrong (Temple University). Reports on a five-year study in five cities documenting that jobs alone will not open doors to economic stability for families facing poor housing, schools, health care, and other obstacles. *Dreaming at the Gates of Fury by Alexander Taylor (Azul Editions). Collected poems about love and politics by the cofounder of Curbstone Press. *Rethinking Global Security edited by Andrew Martin and Patrice Petro (Rutgers University). Ten essays on how the media and popular culture are used to maintain an atmosphere of fear. *American Methods by Kristian Williams (South End). From time to time, scandals such as Abu Ghraib hit the news media. Williams argues that these examples of U.S. use of torture are not exceptions but the product of ongoing policies. *Railroading Economics by Michael Perelman (Monthly Review). Capitalists have long promoted the myth of “free markets” while supporting government intervention that benefits them. *No One Makes You Shop at Wal-Mart by Tom Slee (Between the Lines). What provides the best path for consumers in an age of corporate power – individual choice or collective action? *The Small-Mart Revolution by Michael H. Shuman (Berrett-Koehler). Argues that the “bigger is better” model of corporate globalization is obsolete and that locally owned small businesses are gaining ground. Tells what consumers can do to help. *Tools of the Trade by Labor Occupational Health Program at University of California, Berkeley. A 74-page handbook for action on job safety and health. FILMS *California and the American Dream ( www.californiadreamseries.org) is a four-part series of one-hour documentaries that includes “The New Los Angeles” by former Academy Award nominee Lyn Goldfarb about the transformation of L.A. in the past 30 years into a breeding ground for progressive organizing; “Ripe for Change” about issues related to the food industry and farm worker organizing since the 1930s; “The Price of Renewal” about urban redevelopment; and “California’s Lost Tribes” about the impact of the new gaming industry on Native Americans and surrounding communities. *Rustbelt Phoenix ( www.Merrimack-Films.com) is a 33-minute documentary about collaboration between the Steelworkers union and a Wall Street investor to turn around aging steel companies. WEBSITES *Workplace Issues Today – daily abstracts and links to three articles on work-related topics. To sign up to get this emailed to you daily, see http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/wit/ Free tools for effective grassroots organizing and communication, as well as back issues of World Wide Work, are available at www.TheWorkSite.org Tax-deductible contributions to the American Labor Education Center are welcome and may be sent to 1835 Kilbourne Place NW, Washington, DC 20010. Thank you. |
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