Laurie's descriptive passages about work at GE in Appliance Park is excellent--it certainly captures the essence of gossip where I work as well. Not to add to (that would be difficult, and my adding would only be more of the same), but comment on only three points: 1. Gossip is important because the job does not take enough intellectual energy and people have to be themselves. 2. Gossip is a way of getting to know people. 3. The right wing is central to people's lives in the working class in a way the left is not. Points one and two are important because I think the importance of gossip is underestimated as an organizing tool. All assembly and wage jobs do their best to de-individuate the wage worker -- gossip is a way of hanging onto your own personal culture and beliefs in the face of a well funded, strong arm campaign to demean the individual. For instance, in their 'Codes we work by' NYNEX starts off their warnings of discipline by talking about the corporation having the same values as the worker, and how everyone is one big happy family. Everyone knows this is horse shit and that the intro is a way of soft pedalling the threats being made to employees should they break the rules. Getting to know someone through gossip has probably done more to reduce workfloor antagonisms on gender and race lines than any other single thing. You can fight a million court cases and write a million laws, but sitting together in the locker room and have coffee in the morning while everyone reads the Daily News does more to resolve antagonistic issues around gender, race, unionism, etc. than anything in the court. Re: point three, I think the left was more a part of people's lives during the sixties than it is today, and that is a shame. Personally, I have no answers on how to change the trend. maggie coleman [EMAIL PROTECTED]
