Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History
The Editorial Advisory Board of the Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History invites proposals for contributions to the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History, a two-volume compilation of original historical essays about strikes in the United States and its territories from colonial times to the present, to be published by M. E. Sharpe. The Board seeks to assemble a wide range of research on work stoppages from authors in multiple disciplines, with the aim of giving scholars, students, researchers, unionists, and others interested in strikes a well organized and informative starting point for their investigations into this most explicit form of class conflict.
Strikes have been an important part of the American economic landscape for centuries. Workers' labor stoppages have taken many forms, including walkouts, pickets, sit-downs, pitched battles, community struggles, plant destructions, boycotts, and general strikes. Workers' motivations for striking have been just as varied. They have walked off the job for higher wages, better benefits, bargaining rights, legislation, job control, and dignity. They have also struck in protest against their fellow workers of another race, religion, ethnicity, or sex. Strikes have had mixed results. At times, they have motivated groundbreaking legislation that defined new rights not only for workers but also for all citizens. At other times, strikes have led to the destruction of workers' organizations and the loss of workers' lives and livelihoods. Whatever their outcome, strikes have shaped not only the labor and lives of workers, but also the fate of corporations, the development of the economy, the character of America's political culture, and the extent and nature of local and national government.
The Encyclopedia will illuminate this complex history by exposing it to analysis from many viewpoints. The Encyclopedia's articles will take two forms, each ranging from 500 to 10,000 words depending on the topic.
Industry articles will provide an analytical framework for understanding the chronological progression of strikes within an economic sector (e.g. agriculture) or industry (e.g. auto assembly), or among a type of workers (e.g. miners). These articles will include a description of the sequence of strikes in an industry; an analysis of the participants, with attention to, among other categories, work, community, race, gender, and ethnicity; the economic, political, and social context of the strikes; an evaluation of the impact of the strikes on the industry, its workers, and their communities; a discussion of the most persuasive historical interpretations of the strikes; and a range of references for further exploration. The Board hopes to compile articles covering as many different sectors/industries/workers as possible and encourages authors to submit proposals about under-explored strikes, such as those in air transport, artificial flowers, cartooning, computing, engineering, finance, insurance, kosher butchery, law, and retail.
Thematic articles will seek to answer questions that can only be answered by looking at a variety of strikes across sectors, industries, and groups of workers, such as why has the number of strikes declined since the 1970s, how has the government dealt with strikes during wartime, or have particular types of strikes been more successful than others? These articles should offer different analytical viewpoints, including those from various academic disciplines, the arts, or labor activism. With the expectation that the list will change as the project develops, the Board envisions several thematic categories: Strikers and Their Communities, Strike Culture, Unions and Strikes, Corporations and Strikes, Strikes and the State, Strikes and the Law, Politics and Strikes, General Strikes, Strike Waves, Types of Strikes, and Theories of Strikes. Individual essays within these categories might investigate such topics as hate strikes, union strike policy, scabs, strike violence, strike auxiliaries, strike strategies, or the role of socialists in strikes. Again, the Board wishes to compile a wide variety of articles reflecting a diversity of approaches and encourages authors from such disciplines as law, political science, cultural studies, labor economics, and the labor movement to submit proposals covering overlooked topics.
The Encyclopedia will also include primary documents, photographs, and illustrations, and the Board invites suggestions for the inclusion of such materials.
Authors whose contributions are published in the Encyclopedia will be compensated with a copy of the Encyclopedia. Additional honoraria may be available for longer, distinguished contributions.
Proposals for industry essays should be short, approximately 250-350 words, plus a brief bibliography. Proposals for thematic essays may be longer, though not more than 500 words, plus bibliography. Please include name, address, telephone, fax, e-mail address, institutional affiliation (if any), and C.V. or biographical statement. Proposals are due December 12, 2003. Contributions will be due September 30, 2004. Those considering contributions may request more detailed writer's guides from the editor before submitting proposals. Please submit proposals and questions via email or mail to:
Aaron Brenner, Editor
Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History
175 West 93rd Street, Suite 3K
New York, NY 10025
aaron@nyc.rr.com
The Editorial Advisory Board of the Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History is: Susan Porter Benson, University of Connecticut; Ileen DeVault, Cornell ILR; Joshua Freeman, CUNY Graduate Center/Queens College; Gilbert Gonzalez, UC Irvine; Robin D.G. Kelley, Columbia University; Alice Kessler-Harris, Columbia University; and Nelson Lichtenstein, UC Santa Barbara.