request
Dear Friends, I have written a book, titled "Why Union Matter," which will be published very shortly by Monthly review Press. It is an introduction to unions and the labor movement in the U.S., written in an easy to understand style and aimed at working people, labor educators, and other teachers and activists. We want to include an Appendix of useful resources for readers. I would greatly appreciate suggestions for things like books (rreferences, how-to books, etc.),magazines, web sites, directories, publishers, etc. Naturally I will credit anyone who sends me sources which I use in the Appendix. Thanks in advance. Michael Yates
Re: Full translation of Castro speech
Friends, Wow! Fidel's address to the Pope is amazing. It has great power and emotional weight. Thaks to Louis for posting it. Michael yates
Re: UAW finances (cont.)
Friends, the uaw/gm "paid education leave fund" financed by gm contributions through the collective barg. agreement has over 900 million dollars in it. This is supposed to be used to promote "jointness" but the money is more than can be spent. all uaw children may soon be getting scholarships to college! by the way, other unions may also have tons of cash. eg USWA, garment workers, etc. michael yates
Re: Fixing on LM
Friends, The mission statemnt of LM does, indeed, seem to be libertarian in content and not very radical. There is a big difference between learning about our limits as we struggle to create a better world and the state and the capitalists telling us to restrain ourselves. In addition, I am always skeptical about a "revolution in ideas." HOw is this likely to happen" As Mao said, "Do ideas drop from the sky?" michael yates
Re: Native American land rights
Friends, I want to thank Tom Kruse for his insightful comments on indingenous peoples. As I said in a previous post, thee is much to learn from indigenous peoples. I hope others sho have knowledge will contribure. michael yates
Re: Marxism and Native Americans
Friends, I want to applaud Louis's inquiries into the struggles of indigenous peoples. I wonder what sort of radical it is who does not stand up forthrightly for the rights of indigenous peoples just to exist as independent cultures. And it is not as if we do not have much to learn (about egalitarian distribution, efficient use of the land and resources, about medicines, etc.) from the few indigneous peoples left on earth. And what exactly do indigenous peoples have to gain from an integration into the modern world? If they do choose to integrate, then should we not make sure that we are fighting to make it a world worth integrating into? michael yates
european economies
Friends, I was talking with a friend from Austria last night. He told me that the Austrian economy was doing remarkably well with reasonably low unemployment, low inflation, high living standards, etc. plus remarkably high productivity. Does anyone out there have a take on Austria. Is this true, and if so, how is this being done when most of the rest of Europe is doing a lot less well. Ir sounded as if Austria is a highly "corporatist" society with very strong unions (my friend thinks unions may be too powerful in that they are not willing to accommodate certain groups outside of the prosperity) and a willingness of capital to stay at home. Also there is great fear of neoliberalism. comments would be appreciated. michael yates
Re: utopias
friends, but i want to know which of our current jobs are good ones, wqhich could be mde into good ones (for our future good society), whihc would have to be eliminatedaltogether or done by machines, etc? michael yates
good jobs
Friends, Suppose that we took all of the jobs in the U.S. or any similar economy and asked, what fraction of these jobs are "good" jobs. By good I mean not just decent wages and benefits and reasonable hours (no doubt this eliminates a lot of jobs already) but jobs which allow the holder to engage significantly in both the conceptualization of the work and its execution, jobs which require real skill (I know that "skill" is a difficult concept). I do not think that the fraction can be very high. What do others think? Can anyone cite some current references on this subject? (Note: we may have covered this subject in the past, but I've forgotten what waw said!) michael yates
info request
Friends, I am writing a book of essays about work. Recent citations on the following subjects would be very much appreciated: 1. Polls of the degree to which people are satisfied with their jobs. 2. The economics of discrimination. 3. The economics of schooling. Thanks in advance. You can respond to me personally or to the list if you think the cites are of general interest. Michael Yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: teamsters
friends, nobody is talking about boyscouts here, just some pretty sleazy operations. as to the initiative being carey's we'll have to wait and see what comes out. by the way, i don't consider the tdu to be a bunch of boyscouts. i was never one either! michael yates
Re: teamsters
friends, if the teamsters' troubles do not demonstrate the complete bankruptcy of the afl-cio's junior partnership with the democratic party, what does? can we imagine anything much worse than this debacle? what a catastrophe for the labor movement. why didn't carey stick with the people who got him elected in the first place and who won the ups strike, the rank-and-file and the radicals in the tdu? michael yates
Re: ripening contradictions?
friends, it seems hard to believe that micxhael moore can be called a hypocrite. in what sense? he certainly puts his money where his mouth is, by, for example, giving time and money to the workers at borders to help their union drives, as well as allowing his new film to be used for similar purposes. he's given away a lot of his royalties too. i heard him speak to borders' workers in nyc a few months ago. great stuff and he really connected with the workers. of course, it is easy enough to argue with his nation articles, especially if we take him literally, just as it is esy to be put off by alex cockburn's style sometimes. for example, moore tells us to go to bowling alleys and bowl and meet some real people. well, i was once a good bowler and i spent hundreds of hours in bowling alleys (and pool halls and basketball courts and sleazy bars, etc.) and i've been teaching real people for years. trouble is, real people, like professors and the like on the left, are a mixed bag. a guy in a bowling alley was once going to knock me senseless for suggesting that michael jordan was a better player than larry bird, and i cannot tell you how many fights i've nearly gotten into over racial issues in bars and on b-ball courts. so if you elite snob leftists decide to take moore's advice, be careful or be a ggod fighter! i do draw the line at car racing, however. i'd rather suport mumia and the sandinistas. of course, there is no reason why we cannot be attuned to the lives and needs of working people (including all of the ones in academe) and at the same time support every good radical cause in the world. it is sad to think that two good leftists like moore and cockburn would waste time fighting. they should bowl a couple of lines, have some beers, and have a good time. michael yates
Re: protecting the weak
friends, thanks to robert saute for his comments on friedman speaking. friedman is one of the most odious economists around. even some on the nobel committee did not support him, one presumably becasue of his penchant for misusing data. michael yates
Re: [PEN-L] Re: value, again
Friends, I do not know why comrade Levy is so bitter. Who needs this stuff? I doubt Doug needs to go back to school though it would be nice to think of pen-l as a school in which we all can learn rahter than make smart aleck remarks. michael yates
Re: A trip upstate
Friends, Thanks to Louis for his description of a trip home. He mentions Edwin Dmytryk, the director and one of the Hollywood Ten. He was also the only one of the ten to recant and give testimony to the witch hunters in Congress. He has written an interesting book, "Odd Man Out." I reviewed this book recently for the "journal "Film and History." My review is in the last issue. michael yates
[PEN-L:12488] travels
Friends, My wife and I are going to be driving cross country starting this Monday. We should hit the west coast in Seattle in about a week. then we are going down the coast to LA and then winding our way back. I've got an 800 number connection to the internet, so I can be reached by email. The AFL-CIO is in Pittsburgh this next week, and there is a teach-in tomorrow. I'm the chair of a panel on "what's new in the new labor movement?" I've been asked to ask the "hard" questions. What would you ask or bring up for discussion if you were me? Anyone out there in the west wants to buy me a drink, let me know! michael yates
[PEN-L:12392] Re: Affluenza
Friends, I want to support Louis's comments on the AFFLUENZA program. It was, to my wife and I, pretty superficial. Plus, a lot of attention was given to rightwing religius nuts from Colorado Springs who are preaching less consumerism and more god and family. Also, thow yung women in the wshow, high school students, were praised for rallying around anti-consumerism, after a visit to Mexico. The poor Mexicans were poor but they were so gracious and seemed happy. Well, how they would know that the poor Mexicans were happy is a mystery the show did not bother to explore. Homeless people are often very nice to me, but I would not say that they were happy. This excerpt from the show reminded me of an argument we had with one of my wife's sisters. She said that the poor folks on the Bayou in Louisiana were happy because they got together every sunday and played music. She wished she could be like them. We suggested that she was welcome to live poor if she wanted, but we doubted she would. michael yates
[PEN-L:12393] Re: 1997-09-12 Abraham Nom inated Bureau/Labor Sta
Friends, let me second Max's note on commissioner Abraham. michael yates
[PEN-L:12082] Re: Borscht Belt Reds
Friends, Thanks, louis, for the interesting recounting of your visit to the catskills. If I am not mistaken, the Foner brothers had a band when they were young. By the way is there any more prolific historian than Philip Foner? michael yates
[PEN-L:11985] Re: Big mouth
Friends, We don't wnat to miss the truth that it became public policy some time ago to throw people with serious mental illnesses out into the streets. I'm not saying that the institutions were good because they most certainly were not. But our society does precious little for the afflicted. By the way, I usually give anyone who ask at least some money. michael yates
[PEN-L:11986] Re: THE FIGHT IN THE FIELDS (fwd)
Friends, I will be interested to see the Chavez film. Chavez was a great leader but one with significant flaws, flaws which helped to nearly destroy the movement he did so much to build. He was fanatically paranoid, never let anyone other than himself make any decisions in the union, continuously purged his best staff, practiced nepotism in a big way, lost complet control over the union's financing, and got involved with some truly horrible people, including the founder of Synanon. I can say a lot more about Chavez if anyone is interested, but it looks like his son-in-law who is now union president may be doing a lot better job in building the union than Chavez. One of the problems is that Chavez is such an icon among progressives that it is hard to criticize him much less get those criticisms published. michael yates
[PEN-L:11938] Re: The call for new Teamsters election and Michael
Friends, In additin to the La Botz book reviewed by Louis P., people might want to look at the books by Farrell Dobbs on the Minneapolis Teamsters revolution in the 1930s. michael yates
[PEN-L:11813] comments
Friends, I applaud the efforts of Michael E. in posting all of the info on the UPS strike. These are very useful to anyone interested in the strike and/or wanting to make public comments on it. Keep up the good work. I also applaud Louis P's recent posting on his visit to the jazz club. Louis may think of himself as a misanthrope, but his feelings surely are not. He longs for a true society and don't we all. Should not thelabor movement be asking the question: what kind of society do we want. The alienating money-driven one we live in or something better. I vote fro Louis as the best writer on pen-l! Some of you may be interested to read William S. Burrough's final journal entries in the last issue of the New Yorker. My oldest son mailed them to me. Burroughs says "How I hate those who are dedicated to conformity." "Allen gnawed a hole in the Lie." (I can only wish that someone would say that about me). His last entry: "Love? What is it? Most natural painkiller. What there is. LOVE." I think that Burroughs like all of the beats wanted community, love, some anodyne for the loneliness. Maybe they were not good Marxists or feminists or whatever, but they moved me powerfully and my young son too. I remember one time listening to a record by Ornette Coleman. I was, as usual in those days, high on drugs. The piece hit me hard. All of the artist's suffering, all of humanity's suffering, in a few notes on the saxophone. I don't know a thing about Coleman's personal life. But I know what I heard. michael yates
[PEN-L:11622] Re: The Beats
Friends, I think that Jim Craven's attack on the "Beats" is a little overboard. It's hard to see how a radical person could not be moved by allen ginsburg's "America" or "kaddish" and many others. I'm not excusing the way they lived or some of their more outrageous acts of sexism, etc. But still a person can gain something from the writing without endorsing anything else. also, jim's view of anarchists is a little too strong in my view. During the spanish civil war, the anarchists converted churches into latrines. they can't be all bad! in solidarity, michael yates
[PEN-L:11614] Re: William S. Burroughs
friends, I think that burrough's books, "Junkie" and "Queer" are well worth reading. i might also say that burroughs was a pretty poor father. the biography, "literary outlaw" is very good. michael yates
[PEN-L:11333] Re: Special Edition of Monthly Review on Labor
friends, we are planning to do a book based on the special issue of monthly review on labor. we are looking for more articles for the book. some topics would be labor movemnets in china and vietnam, in germany and western europe, in the former soviet union and eastern europe, latin america,etc. as well as an articel on laobr politics (eg the diferences between the britsh labor party and the french situation, labor and women, and others. let me know if you are interested. michael yates
[PEN-L:11334] references on immigration
friends, i need some references on immigration (economics, politics, unions and, etc.) i need them fast! thanks. michael yates
[PEN-L:11253] Re: bingo
Well doug, now you know you are in the know, with a pathetic review like this one. All the typical shit of the pro-capitalists: bash you by comparing the worst of socialism with the best of capitalism, conveniently forgetting slavery, the slaughter of Native Americans, etc., etc., etc. I'd be honored to be compared so favorably to Marx. Of course, another trick of the dogs who write such reviews is to say that you are totally derivative, it's all been said before, more reasonably, more theoretically sound, blah, blah, blah. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:11241] Re: Latest Monthly Review
friends, Iwant to thank louis p. for favorably commenting on the summer special issue of "monthly review" on labor movements. i hope pen-lers will check it out and recommend it to others. MR is looking for other articles on this topic, i.e. on woemn in th eworld's labor movemtns and on movements in other parts of the world, such as the rest of latin america, africa, etc. of course, i am biased but mr is definitely continuing its tradition of good left-wing analysis of a wide range of subjects. ellen wood, a new editor, along with paul and harry, are really doing a great job. i hope pen-lers will keep mr in mind for articles(and subs!). michael yates
[PEN-L:11214] query
Friends, Is Dave Richardson of the BLS Daily Reports off the list. I'm trying to get in touch with him. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:11021] Re: [NYT,MH,AP] Leaders Honor a Union Giant, (fwd)
Friends, The death of Mexican labor leader, Fidel Velasquez, marks hopefully the end of a thoroughly corrupt union movemnt, or at least the beginning of the. Pen-L readers may be interested in the special summer issue of "Monthly Review" which is dedicated to the revival of world labor movements. There will be an interesting article on the Mexican labor movement, including a report on the various radical trends within the movement. There will be a number of articles on the US labor movement, as well as pieces on S. Korea, Canada, and Western Europe. One of the articles will be by our own Doug Henwood, author of the very fine book "Wall Street." michael yates
[PEN-L:10891] religion
Yesterday I posted a rquest for sources on the origins of religion (Marxist preferably) and got no response. Yet we now are having a discussion of religion. So let me repeat my request. Am I mistaken or has it been suggestd in recent posts that religion has an anti-consumerist bent? (somehow the discussion of shorter hours veered off in this direction). I don't see much of this. Go into any suburb. People are consuming like mad but they are surely, for the most part, religious. Teh people who buy addictively on the Home Shoppers Network no doubt go to church on sunday. And so forth. In fact, religion is often used as a vehicle to sell things. A rich business man from Pittsburgh has the concession for selling facsimiles of the Vatican art treasures. Very devout fellow too. and an avid consumer. One of the tenets of protestantism is that faith (not consumption) is what really counts, so go ahead and spend. The solace which religion allegedly gives people in a heartless world does very little to keep religious persons from acting heartlessly. The solace is often a very exclusive kind of thing. I became an atheist in college, circa 1964 ( a catholic college at that). I know that there are exceptions but I doubt religion has caused very many people to take heroic stances in defense of the workers and the poor. quite frankly I'd rather make alliances with the godless communists than with the Berrigan brothers, who while they are cetrtianly bravea and in many ways admirable, still think abortion is a sin and march against it. The hypocrisy of religion and its own numerous and execarable sins against humanity helped me to become an atheist and nothing I have seen since has made me even begin to doubt that I made the right decision. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:10865] request
Friends, Can anyone direct me to sources on the following: 1. History of the German labor movement. 2. Materialist analysis on the origins of religion. Thanks in advance. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:10857] Re: Juliet Schor on Consumerism
Friends, In classes which I have been teaching to auto workers near Pittsburgh, I have discussed overwork. Some workers at this plant are working 7 days a week, sometimes 10 hours a day and a few make over $100,000 per year. I suggested that this could not be sustained and took a heavy toll on home life, health, etc. Many agreed, especially those who had had heart attacks, etc. But most of them will continue to work to get nice cars, boats, second homes, money for the market, etc. Who knows how long the plant will prosper. Quite of few of the workers had already suffered from 1 t 3 plant closings and had experienced long spells of unemployment. I wonder where the leadership of this presumably progressive union has been and why it does not have any program to offer in place of rampant consumerism and killing work. With this group i did not feel elitist to suggest that if all that there wsa to life was what they were doing, this represented an awfully sad state of affairs.. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:10193] Re: The EU: against wishful thinking
Friends, I want to second Tom's remarks on this entire globalization debate. We live in specific countries and we have little choice to to act within them. Millions of workers are unorganized and need to be organized. Should we not even try to organize them because capital is now global and will inevitably defeat them by moving, etc.? This seems a recipe for further disaster. Naturally we shuld do whatever we can to attack capital globally, but the argument that acting nationally is somehow bad politics is not tenable in my view. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:9344] Re: more requiem
Friends, I am glad that Jim Devine takes the time to write serious responses on pen-l. I certainly second his response to Max S. on social democracy. By the way, if I am not mistaken, Michael Goldfield wrote a piece which did try to demonstrate empitically that the New Deal (specifically the NLRA) was a response to the rising workers' movement. I'm going to try to find it. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:9302] Re: Britain's New Labour
Friends, The transformation of the British Labor Party is truly pathetic. But perhaps it illustrates a point made by a speaker at the reent Scoialist Scholars Conference. Perhaps capitalism needs a respectable "left". If so, all the more reason why leftists shoud attack social democrats. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:9155] unemployment rates
Friends, Ellen Frank asked about comparative unemployment rates. Look at C. Sorrentino, "International Comparison of Unemployment Indicators," Monthly Labor Review, o.3, 1993, pp. 3-24. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:9154] experimental economics, etc.
Friends, I just read na article in "Lingua Franca" by Rick Perlstein (I think he is also going to do an articel on Bowles and Gintis) on experimental economics. The results of the experimentalists seem to me to be pretty thin. They appear to show that how people behave depnds in large part on the institutinal setting in which they find themselves. Can anyone on the list provide some insights into this field of economics. My alma mater (U. of Pittsburgh) is home to two of the stalwarts in this field, both of whom are paid well into the six figures for this stuff. On another matter, I have read "Moo" and found the economist to be pretty amusing. Many of my students do think of schooling as something to be purchased pure and simple. They also think that I come with the purchase and have a very limited right to get in the way of their obtaining the degree they have purchased. Generally speaking colleges are pretty debased places today, but is this new? Veblen was pointing this out a long time ago. Finally, I like to read novels set in academe (like Moo). I've read a lot of them, but I am always on the lookout for new ones. If you have any favorites, let me know. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:9013] Monthly Review article
Friends, There is an interesting article in the March 1997 issue of Monthly Review by Meera Nanda. The article is about science and more specifically about the deconstruction of it by some of the postmodernists. She is strongly opposed to this deconstruction and tries to show how its adherents have basically the same view as do a host of reactionaries in the Third World. I would be interested to know what those of you who have more knowledge about this subject than I think about the article. Monthly Review has had a lot of good issues over the past couple of years. Check it out. Most recently, the fine scholar and activist, Ellen Meiksens Wood has come on board as an editor, joining Paul Sweezy and Harry Magdoff. This bodes very well for the future of the magazine. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:8883] Re:
friends, i must say from a recent stay in miami and key west that the cuban food seemed pretty bad. i do make a cuban shrimp and rice dish that is good though! michael yates
[PEN-L:8755] pen-l?
friends, Is pen-l down or what? michael yates
[PEN-L:8554] request
Friends, I hate to use the list for a personal request, but I promised to fax an article to A.S.Fatemi at the American Univ. in Paris. I can't get through by either fax or phone. So, A.S., if you see this, please let me know if the numbers are correct: phone 33 01 40 62 06 40 fax 33 01 47 53 88 03 thanks and sorry, Michael Yates
[PEN-L:8517] Re: capital mobility restrictions
Friends, There is an interesting article by Jim Crotty and Gerald Epstein in the 1996 issue of the "Socialist Register." It is titled, "In defence of capital controls." This book can be obtained from Monthly Review Press. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:8523] Re: capital mobility restrictions
Dear comrade Fatemi, The email address of monthly review is [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you like I can send you a copy of the article or even fax it if you are in a hurry. let me know michael yates
[PEN-L:8429] Re: Comm. Abraham testimony on the CPI
Friends, I want to thank Dave Richardson for his BLS Daily Reports and especially for BLS Commissioner Abraham's intereting testimony on proposed CPI changes. Michael Yates
[PEN-L:8380] Re: current events: increased job insecurity?
friends, i want to thank jim devine for his interesting post on employment trends. in a recent article of "the nation" there is a good article about mexican workers at meatplanting plants in iowa. these jobs are not contingent in the way the bls defines this, but the job security of the workers is low to put it mildly. and turnover is extremely high. the union jobs that used to be there were certainly more secure, paid better, etc. michael yates
[PEN-L:8342] Re: Defining economic freedom (fwd)
friends, in reply to a. d'costa's last post, why would a society need to punish (deter) people for homosexuality or chewing gum? i'll wager brother d'costa that unless an opposition movement forces the issue, singapore will be repressive long into the future. michael yates
[PEN-L:8335] Re: Defining economic freedom (fwd)
friends, i don't see what tradeoffs are involved in singapores "freedom" and harsh punishments for noncrimes (re a. dicosta's comments). same goes for cuba's health care and its treatments of homosexuals. why can't a society have both elementary freedoms and low crime, good health care, etc. if this is holier than thou, so be it. michael yates
[PEN-L:8201] speaking engagements
Dear friends, I will be on a leave from the first of May until the end of December. I am interested in moving around the country, meeting activists and perhaps speaking. I will be on the West Coast in September for sure. I have given many talks to college groups and union groups. I know the most about labor-related issues, so these are what I am most interested in talking about. I also have done many seminars with union groups on subjects ranging from collective bargaining to labor law to labor economics. For worker and community groups, I am happy to speak for free (I just require a place to stay and something toward transportation). Should anyone be interested, I can provide a vita and video and audio tapes. in solidarity, Michael Yates Economics Dept. Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Johnstown, PA 15904 814-269-2986 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:8201] speaking engagements
Dear friends, I will be on a leave from the first of May until the end of December. I am interested in moving around the country, meeting activists and perhaps speaking. I will be on the West Coast in September for sure. I have given many talks to college groups and union groups. I know the most about labor-related issues, so these are what I am most interested in talking about. I also have done many seminars with union groups on subjects ranging from collective bargaining to labor law to labor economics. For worker and community groups, I am happy to speak for free (I just require a place to stay and something toward transportation). Should anyone be interested, I can provide a vita and video and audio tapes. in solidarity, Michael Yates Economics Dept. Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Johnstown, PA 15904 814-269-2986 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:8076] Re: Juggling Big Brother's Books
friends, while as max says, good data does not a revolution make, working people need to know the truth about the world around them. many a worker has told me that the data i presented had really opened his or her eyes. of course, i wondered why their unions had not bothered to do likewise. in any event, knowing the data gives workers a chance to make arguments against their employers and perhaps view the political system more critically. michael yates
[PEN-L:8034] Re: contingent work
dear friends, doug has pointed that the bls.s first attempt to quantify the number of contingent workers has yielded results at odds with what many others have assumed to be the case, namely that the number of contingent workers is very large and growing rapidly. this has elicited a number of responses, some of which, especially those of jim craven, seem a little fantastic. the bls uses a variety of definitions and assumptions when it makes its estimates. wouldn't the best thing for us to do be to examine the bls definitions and assumptions carefully, point out possible weaknesses, and suggest adjustments. i think that more than 5% of employment is contingent, but i have a somewhat broader definition of contingency than does the bls. it seems not very useful to rail against the bls, which, given its definitions, does a good job of collecting data and calculating statistics. (bls head abraham (?) has sshown a lot of courage in the recent cpi debate, to her great credit). it seems especially not useful to rail against doug for sharing the bls findings with us and suggesting that capitalist governments often do a good job of gathering and analyzing information. it is up to us as radicals to use them and subject them to careful scrutiny and criticism. why in heaven's name would we expect those who work with rather than against a capitalist society to use radical(e.g. Marxist) definitions and categories? michael yates
[PEN-L:7677] Re: Ctr for Democ Values
friends, not to beat a dead horse, but if aronson is an academic, he speaks in public every day. he's also a writer whose book received a lot of press. i'll bet he's spoken in public about it and other issues many times. and who is not tired, overworked and so forth. he just had so little to say and he said it badly. no ones blaming the steering committee or anyone else. michael yates
[PEN-L:7644] Re: The Long Term
friends, i have not read rifkin's book, mostly because i think he is something of a charlatan. i have read aronowitz's and difazio's book, and i have written a review of it for science and society. it is not especially well-written and it is full of jargon. it certainly never demonstrates that we are headed toward a jobless future. what is interesting is the generally positive responses which these books have elicited, especially from the left-liberal press (i.e. the ..nation and the progressive and like journals). i wrote a book, longer hours, fewer jobs (the fewer jobs is meant in juxtopsition to the longer hours-people are working more hours at the same time that relatively more people are un and under employed) around the same time that these two books were published. it struck me that i could not get this book reviewed in most left-liberal magazines. my book is certainly better written than aronowitz's and difazio's. it is accessible to a mass audience, and i know that it has been read by many working people, from the workers i teach to the cook at the day care center at which my wife and daughter work. ordinary people find the book very readable and quite interesting, despite the fact that it is a book about the economy. at the same time, the book is uncompromisingly radical ( i accuse our government of murdering people every time it enacts policies which raise the unemployment rate) and it has considerable theoretical content. what i wonder is - why do some authors get reviewed in the "right places while other do not, despite the fact that many of the books written in the rifkin mode are pretty worthless and will never be read by average people. i wonder sometimes if leftist intellectuals have any real desire to communicate radically with "the masses". for example, the united electrical workers journal gave my book a rave review, but chris tilly, writing in dollars and sense, complains that my book is too direct, that is, lacks sufficient cynicism and irony. take a look at his book about part-time workers and ask yourself whether you would rather give it or my book to your favorite factory worker or secretary or janitor or sales clerk to read. michael yates
[PEN-L:7514] Re: Ctr for Democ Values
friends, in response to jim westrich's comments on ron aronson's presentation at the midwest radical actviists confernece, i wasn't criticizing his lack of vitality, just his lack of much of anything to say. i know he was pinch hitting for another person, but he's a practiced speaker, so i don't see why he had to give such a trite and boring presentation. by the way, who are these "potluck community activists"? michael yates
[PEN-L:7175] Re: Henwood - Swimming or drawning?
hey jerry, please skip the sanctimonious preaching re: please learn to read more carefully. in solidarity, michael yates
[PEN-L:7176] Re: pol econ PhD programs
friends, i do sign my remarks, "in solidarity" but i don't believe that i've ever made a scurrilous attack on anyone. in solidarity, michael yates
[PEN-L:7144] Re: Henwood - Swimming or drawning?
friends, it is hard to see how this discussion of postmodernism could remind anyone of the moscow show trials. try as they might the psotmodernists just do not seem to be able to demonstrate much practical relevance for their ideas. how, for example, will postmodern ideas help rebuild the labor movement? if they can, fine. but it seems silly to respond to doug and others who criticize the pomos by accusing them of stalinism. i read a. callari's discussion of his work with battered women with interest, but i must say i don't see how any person, blessed with some common sense and sympathy plus a radical view of the world, might not have achieved the same results. i've been teaching working people for many years, and of cours, they have many ideas different than mine, and, of course, i try to draw from their everyday experiences to formulate an understanding of the world around us and ways to change it. yet i remain pretty much an orthodox marxist. it's class analysis which i think is most important, and it's surprising how many workers, including people of color, women, and others who are not heterosexual white men, find it useful. in solidarity, michael yates
[PEN-L:6470] Re: Columbia labor teach-in
Dear friends, Thanks to doug henwood for his comments on the teach-in at Columbia. I am glad to hear that it attracted large and enthusiastic crowds. I do have one point to raise. There were many "stars" of the left there. Let us hope that they are all ready for the long haul. Singularly missing from the list of speakers and workshop participants were the band of radical labor educators who have been helping to prepare the rank-and-file for what hopefully will be the heady days to come. For us, labor has always been "in". in solidarity, michael yates
[PEN-L:5471] Re: Gintis and all that
Dear Pen-l'ers, It might be useful for someone to dig up the open letter which Bowles and Gintis sent to Clinton in 1992. I found it to be pretty pathetic. I wonder what they think of it now that Clinton has been in office and acted as if he were a reactionary Republican? Bowles and Gintis seem to want to be recognized by powers that be, but their radical past probably dooms them. No doubt they resent this. I also think that a good many sixties radicals from very privileged backgrounds were probably bound to move to the right when the political climate changed. Sometimes I have to laugh at the idea of a bunch of radicals in Amherst. Amherst? Not exactly a center of working class ferment. I recently taught economics to a group of union organizers and administrators at UMass. I was amazed that no one from the Econ. Dept. offered ( let alone rushed, as I would have) to teach this class. I'm glad though because it was a wonderful experience for this unremarkable but permanent radical. michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:5485] Re: Gintis and all that
in response to gil skillman: again, i'm sorry for suggesting that colleges in small towns are no places for radicals to be. however, i do not sem lot af working class activism coming froo a lot of professors claiming to be radical. but no doubt many of these teach in factory towns and big cities. in solidarity, michael yates
[PEN-L:3983] info request
Dear friends, i need the following information asap: 1. what proportion of the members of the u.s. armed forces is african american? 2. are african americans disproportionately employed by small (however defined) employers? thanks for any help? michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:3847] request
Dear friends, i have to calculate a fair market value for a small seafood wholesaler. this is not my cup of tea. can anyone give me a good textbook with clear and easy to follow analysis? i figure it can't be too difficult if my business colleagues can do it. thanks. in solidarity, michael yates
[PEN-L:3600] Re: Support Striking Workers at Yale
Dear friends, Please add my name to the Yale letter. Michael Yates Professor of Economics University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Johnstown, PA 15904 in solidarity, michael yates
[PEN-L:3233] Re: Buchanan
Dear friends, I agree with Mike Meeropol about Buchanan. In a class I was teaching to local unionists in Johnstown, PA in labor economics, some students expressed some support for Buchanan because he was the only candidate talking about thei issues that they were worried about. When I pointed out that Buchanan had made many racist, homophobic, etc statements, these students suggested that this is what his enemies and the press were saying about him, but this did not mean that they were true. they thought that there was a conspiracy against Buchanan! Of course, most of the unionists did not like Buchanan, but I can see how he will appeal to some workers. in solidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:3132] book about labor films
Dear friends, Recently someone posted a note about a forthcoming book or pamphlet about labor films to be published shortly. Could the person who posted this or anyone who remembers it send me the details? Thanks. in solidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:2870] unemployment in puerto rico
Dear friends, i badly need some information on unemployment in puerto rico, now and in the past. can anyone help? thanks. in solidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:1946] address of covert action
Dear friends, A week or so ago, someone posted a recommendation that we read the fall issue of the magazine "Covert Action." Does anyone have an address and phone number? I'll be gateful to anyone who can send these to me. Thanks. in solidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:1947] the state of the labor movement
Dear friends, I have been asked to write an article for Monthly Review on the state of the U.S. labor movement. I'd be interested to know what others think. What things will determine the extent to which the labor movement will be renewed? Is there anything special I should read? Are there people with special insights to whom I should speak? I'm inclined to strike a somewhat optimistic tone. Am I a fool? Is this my anti-depression medicine talking? in solidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:1516] aronowitz
Dear pen-lers, A comrade on pen-l by the name of Shawgi Tell sent a message commenting on Aronowitz's book "False Promises." I would like to know what Shawgi has to say about this book. However, I was not able to connect directly by email. So if you see this message Shawgi, please email me with whatever you have on this book. I am writing a review of Aronowitz's and Difazio's new book, "The Jobless Future," which I have found interesting. Thanks. insolidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:999] paper i wrote
Dear pen-lers, I have written a paper titled "The Responsibilities of Working Class Academics." I read it at a conference at Youngstown State U. at a conference on Working Class Studies/Working Class Lives. People seemed to like the paper and I got a lot of requests for copies. I'd be happy to send it to anyone on the list. Send me an email and I'll email it to you. in solidarity, michael yates u. of pittsburgh at johnstown johnstown, pa. 15904 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:751] Re: Mike Albert's response to Louis Proyect
Dear pen-lers: So, brother Proyect is going to mercilessly attack the politics of Z Magazine and South End Press. Well, good luck. It seems to me that both are radical organizations with radical politics. They publish articles and books with various leftist perspectives, while at the same time maintaining truly collective and democratic workplaces. I look forward to your proof that they are anti-marxist. They don't worship Marx but they surely don't ignore marxism either. In my view, they are everything a radical organization should be. Plus, Michael Albert is awfully smart! I'll put my money on him and the others at Z and South End. in solidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:696] Re: Greenspan and the other boyz in the hood
Dear pen-lers, I want to support Michael Perelman's view that government economic policies, to the extent that they cause unemployment to increase, are acts of murder. In fact, I have said just this in my book, "Longer Hours, Fewer Jobs." I often teach working people through Penn State's Union Leadership Academy. They are fascinated by the federal reserve system, especially the fact that Greenspan and company can affect their lives profoundly without a bit of public discussion or scrutiny. You do have to wonder why their own leaders have not been saying what I say every time I teach a class. After one class, some auto workers told me that I was opening a lot of eyes. I wondered why their eyes had been closed. After all, they were all long-time members of one of our most "progressive" unions. in solidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:495] trying to locate someone
Dear friends, On behalf of a friend, I am trying to locate an economist by the name of Doug Koritz. He taught at the University of Pittsburgh during the 1970s and then moved to Massachusetts. Please reply to me directly. Thanks. in solidarity michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:339] book request
Dear friends, I have just finished reading "Black Lamb, Grey Falcon", Rebecca West's powerful and moving account of a trip through Yugoslavia in the late 1930s. Now I would like to read a book about the World War Two period and the rise of Tito in Yugoslavia. Can anyone recommend a good book, interesting and written for a general audience? Thanks. in solidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:267] advice on article
Dear friends, I have been a labor educator for many years. Recently I wrote a paper titled "Progressive Labor Education and the New World Order." In it I argue that the demise of the "red menace" weakens the strength of the official ideology of anticommunism. This in turn opens up room for more openly radical labor education. It has been my experience that marxism is received positively by workers, but it has been difficult to use Marx's name because of anticommunism. Now this may change. The paper develops these ideas and includes a brief history of labor education in the U.S. as well as the many difficulties which stand in the way of radical labor education even in the absence of anticommunism. Would anyone out there like to read the article? Does anyone know a journal which might like to see it? The Labor Studies Journal rejected it without sending it out to reviewers; the editor said it wasn't broadly useful to its readers. Science and Society liked it and made some good criticisms but felt it was not suitable given thejournal's emphasis on theory. Monthly Review thought that the article made good points but that MR's readers already knew this stuff. Any ideas are welcome as well as criticisms if you are interested in reading it. in solidarity, michael yates [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:55] query
Dear pen-lers, In your opinion, what are the best book and/or article(s) written in defense of the labor theory of value? By "best" I mean in terms of both rigor and readability. Thanks. in solidarity, michael yates economics u. of pittsburgh-johnstown johnstown, pa. 15904 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:5849] query
Dear pen-lers: I need to find data on the distribution of African-American workers by industry and by occupation. Can anybody help? Thanks. in solidarity, michael yates dept. of economics u. of pittsburgh at johnstown johnstown, pa. 15904 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:4655] tqm in higher ed
Dear pen'lers, There is a decent article on tqm in higher ed in mike parker's and jane slaughter's new book, "working smart" published by labor notes. The article also contains references. in solidarity michael yates univ. of pittsburgh at johnstown johnstown, pa. 15904 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:4529] query
Dear Pen-l'ers, Does anyone out there know of an attorney in the Seattle/Tacoma area who is knowledgeable in the area of civil rights law. Or does anyone know an organization or a person who might know of such an attorney? A group out there needs such an attorney for an unusual and interesting case. Reply to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks. michael yates univ. of pittsburgh
[PEN-L:4331] advocacy in the classroom
Dear friends: Some time ago Jim Devine made a comment about Noam Chomsky in which he said that Chomsky's style is often too strident (not Jim's exact words) and that this often puts people off and prevents them from appreciating the brilliance of Chomsky's message. I've been thinking about this as I prepare a paper for a conference on "Advocacy in the Classroom." I've always admired Chomsky's style and I find it one worth imitating. I often use a similar style in the classroom and think that it works well enough. Why should I engage in polite discourse and pretend to some sort of objectivity when discussing such disgusting subjects as the contract with america or us imperialism or the bias of the labor law or the inanity of much of neoclassical economics, etc., etc. I would like to know what other people think about this. in solidarity, michael yates univ. of pittsburgh at johnstown [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:3883] wealth data inquiry
Dear pen-lers, Can anyone provide me with good data sources for the distribution of wealth in the U.S.? Thanks in advance. in solidarity, michael yates univ. of pittsburgh at johnstown johnstown, pa. 15904 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[PEN-L:3884] davis-bacon act
heather grob: I'd like to sign the davis-bacon statement. my fax is 814-269-7255. michael yates dept. of economics univ. of pittsburgh at johnstown johnstown, pa. 15904 814-269-2986 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
right to work states
The right to work states are alabama, arizona, arkansas, florida, georgia, iowa, kansas, louisiana, mississippi, nebraska, nevada, n. carolina, n. dakota, s. carolina, s. dakota, tennessee, texas, utah, virginia, and wyoming. oklahoma is not a right to work state. a right to work state makes collective bargaining agreements which require members of the bargaining unit to either join the union or pay a dues equivalent illegal. As a result of supreme court rulings, it is not legal anywhere (rtw state or not) to have an agreement which compels membership, although an agreement which requires a dues equivalent of nonmembers is legal. However, in the latter case a nonmember cannot be compelled to pay that part of the dues which is not used for collective bargaining purposes. The court has said that money a union uses for organizing is not part of the union's collective bargaining function! The above applies to workers covered by the national labor relations act. For most public employees, dues equivalent clauses are also illegal, as they are in rtw states. michael yates econ.-univ. of pittsburgh at johnstown johnstown, pa. 15904 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
pen-l mail
I have not received any email from the list for a couple of days. Is something wrong or is everyone on vacation? michael yates u. of pittsburgh [EMAIL PROTECTED]
