CALL FOR PAPERS

The State of Labor in Boston: Work, Inequality, and the Future of the Labor Movement

Conference

April 1st, 2017

University of Massachusetts Boston

Boston is a city of contrasts. On the one hand, it is home to one of the highest median incomes in the country, boasts an exceptionally well-educated population, and possesses dynamic industries that generate incredible wealth. On the other hand, not only are the benefits of relatively good wages mitigated by the high cost of living, but overall wage growth has done little to reduce inequality. In recent years, higher wage workers have seen their earnings grow at twice the pace of middle-wage earners, while low-wage workers have actually seen their earnings decline. To make matters worse, as bad as inequality was before 2008, it only got worse during the recession and the subsequent "recovery." The majority of new jobs created since the recession have been in low-paying sectors of the economy, contributing to Boston's dubious distinction as the number one ranked city in the country in terms of income inequality.

The Labor Resource Center at UMass Boston invites proposals for papers from a wide range of people doing scholarly work both within and outside of academia for a one-day conference on the state of labor in Boston. We define both "labor" and "Boston" in the broadest of terms, and are looking for contributions on four general themes that speak to the larger issue of inequality within the Boston region:

The State of Workers: Who are the region's workers, how have they changed over time, where are they working, and what types of challenges do they face both inside and outside of work? We welcome contributions that focus on particular groups of workers such as immigrants, women, people of color, and youth; on unionized/nonunionized, public/private, and low-wage workers; on sectors of the economy such as healthcare, food service, education, janitorial services, and skilled trades; on related topics such as wage theft, healthcare, poverty, discrimination, and education; as well as studies of the regional economy more generally, especially as they help us to understand the changing nature and experience of inequality.

The State of Organizing: How are working-people organizing, in what ways have their organizations changed over time, and under what circumstances have they been able to effectively shape public debates and policies while advancing working-class power more broadly? We welcome efforts to understand concrete attempts by labor unions, workers' centers, and other groups to organize, collaborate, and effect change, whether it be through particular campaigns, strikes, elections, lobbying, organizing drives, or other methods.

The State of the Opposition: What sorts of actors and social forces challenge the interests of working people and their efforts to organize, either through direct attacks on the institutions of labor or through more general efforts to cut the public sector and redistribute wealth upwards? We welcome explorations into the corporations, business organizations, think tanks, government agencies, and media entities that shape the political and economic landscape in which working people live, work, and engage in political action.

The State of Labor Research: How can and does scholarly research advance the interests of working people in a region that is literally full of institutions of higher education? We encourage papers that critically discuss the types of research needed for understanding the state of working people in the Boston region, including (but not limited to) studies about working people and their organizations, opponents, obstacles, and opportunities.

This conference will bring together a wide range of people who share a commitment to understanding the state of labor and working people in the Boston region. Preliminary discussions for an edited volume have begun, and to that end we seek chapter length papers for a workshop style conference. Contributors to the edited volume may receive small grants to support the transformation of a conference paper into a publishable book chapter.

Please send a 1 page abstract and brief CV to and by January 15th, 2017.

Steve Striffler
Director, Labor Resource Center and Labor Studies Program
Professor, Anthropology
University of Massachusetts, Boston