Call for Papers, Workshops, and Presentations
Pacific Northwest Labor History Association Annual Conference
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
May 21-23, 2004

“Reform, Revolution, and Reaction: Workers and the Quest for Social Change in the Pacific Northwest”

A Conference for Labor Activists, Organizers, Educators, and Scholars

The 2004 PNLHA conference seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the Pacific Northwest’s reform/radical tradition and encourage critical analysis of how workers, unions, and their allies have dealt with those forces seeking to impede social change. In the wake of 9/11, the crucial US presidential election in 2004, and the mounting challenges facing the labor movement in both the US and Canada, gaining historical perspective on labor’s role as an agent of social change seems especially relevant and timely.

We invite proposals for papers, panels, workshops and presentations related to these themes. Presentations dealing with Canadian themes and issues are strongly encouraged. We especially welcome proposals that address the following subjects:

• The development and current status of public employee unionism in the US and Canada.
• Labor’s political role, independent political movements, and labor-community coalitions.
• Reform efforts around such issues as child labor, women’s rights, health care, safety and health, and employment conditions.
• Union organizing in both historical and contemporary contexts.
• US-Canadian labor history in comparative perspective.
• Anti-labor efforts seeking to restrict immigration, civil rights, and civil liberties.
• The IWW’s role in the Pacific Northwest.
• Teaching about labor and working-class history, including the use of oral history, art, music, theater, and literature as instructional tools
• Proposals for workshops and panels should include a 1-2 page summary, a list of all presenters and papers to be delivered, and a short biography or vita for each participant. Individual paper proposals are also welcome.