The conflict began in 2006 when workers at E-Z Supply (a food distribution company) unionized and negotiated a contract. The company then fired the unionized workers and refused to pay owed wages, totaling over $1 million. Over the next 5 years, the workers protested with community support, while the company changed names and owners to avoid responsibility. By 2011, legal and public pressure forced the company, now called Pur Pac, to settle for $470,000 in back wages. The conflict involved both competitive and cooperative approaches between the parties over its course.
B.A. Sociology thesis: The Commercialization and Commodification of Higher Ed...Stephen Cheng
Â
This is my thesis which I wrote during my fourth and last year, 2010, at Vassar College with Professor Leonard Nevarez ( http://faculty.vassar.edu/lenevare/ ) as my advisor. As the title indicates, I argue that higher education has become, essentially, a business. Within the framework of the history of the United States of America, I trace the evolution of higher education from the mid-nineteenth century into the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries in order to make my case. In the process, I also touch upon the political economy of the US during its own "industrial revolution" and its journey to a world power. In the end, I developed a work of social and economic history (or historical sociology) for Vassar's sociology department. Likewise, given its emphasis on the evolution of an institution, readers may also see it as an attempt at historically grounded institutional analysis.
Top of FormExpected OutcomesTo understand the political ec.docxedwardmarivel
Â
Top of Form
Expected Outcomes
To understand the political economy of the United States, and to critically evaluate various theories and approaches regarding the pressing and controversial economic issues of today.
Overview
Politics is partly the business of determining âwho gets what, when, and how,â so it is important to consider several macro-economic issues in any introductory course to American government and politics. This area of study can be considered âpolitical economy.â Labor laws, entitlement programs, corporate welfare, globalization and outsourcing are all considered in this lesson.
What can and should the federal government do about these issues?
Labor and Unions
The labor movement is the story of âriseâ and âfall.â A century ago, the labor union was in its infancy. While many people associate todayâs labor movement with strong unions (and sometimes with unreasonable demands for higher wages and more benefits), the labor movement actually has its origins in fighting for basic work safety. It also fought against child labor.
Eventually, despite local, state and federal obstacles (including several Supreme Court decisions), the labor movement accomplished many of its goals. In fact, some economists argue that the labor movement became too successful as it was able to secure unsustainably-generous contracts from automobile manufacturers, for instance.Â
Indeed, the âfallâ of the labor movement can be seen in the massive layoffs in the industrial sector. General Motors, for example, laid off more than 25,000 employees â largely because GM could no longer afford to pay them the wages and benefits that the United Auto Workers (UAW) had secured in the 1980s and 1990s.Â
Furthermore, union membership has been continually falling for several decades â measured as a percentage of the labor force. The right to strike is taken as a given. At the outset of the American Industrial Revolution, however, it was often illegal for workers to organize into unions and strike.Â
In the 1880s, George Pullman built the town of Pullman near Chicago to manufacture his famous railway cars. All buildings in the town were company owned and rented to workers, churches, and stores.   The company cut wages a number of times in the 1880s, but it failed to reduce the rent in the company-owned housing. Workers went on strike. Sympathetic railway workers across the country boycotted trains carrying Pullman cars. Federal troops were called in to keep the trains moving and to break the strike, prompting violence and looting in Chicago in 1894. With the arrest of the leaders in Chicago, the strike collapsed.Â
A demonstration over an 8-hour working day in Chicago drew about 1,500 people in 1886. When police attempted to disperse the meeting, a bomb exploded and rioting ensued. Seven policemen and four other persons were killed, and more than 100 persons were wounded. Eight âanarchistâ leaders were convicted of inciting violence. Four were hanged, one comm ...
Top of FormLesson 7 Public PolicyExpected Outcomes.docxedwardmarivel
Â
Top of Form
Lesson 7: Public Policy
Expected Outcomes
To understand the political economy of the United States, and to critically evaluate various theories and approaches regarding the pressing and controversial economic issues of today.
Overview
Politics is partly the business of determining âwho gets what, when, and how,â so it is important to consider several macro-economic issues in any introductory course to American government and politics. This area of study can be considered âpolitical economy.â Labor laws, entitlement programs, corporate welfare, globalization and outsourcing are all considered in this lesson.
What can and should the federal government do about these issues?
Labor and Unions
The labor movement is the story of âriseâ and âfall.â A century ago, the labor union was in its infancy. While many people associate todayâs labor movement with strong unions (and sometimes with unreasonable demands for higher wages and more benefits), the labor movement actually has its origins in fighting for basic work safety. It also fought against child labor.
Eventually, despite local, state and federal obstacles (including several Supreme Court decisions), the labor movement accomplished many of its goals. In fact, some economists argue that the labor movement became too successful as it was able to secure unsustainably-generous contracts from automobile manufacturers, for instance.Â
Indeed, the âfallâ of the labor movement can be seen in the massive layoffs in the industrial sector. General Motors, for example, laid off more than 25,000 employees â largely because GM could no longer afford to pay them the wages and benefits that the United Auto Workers (UAW) had secured in the 1980s and 1990s.Â
Furthermore, union membership has been continually falling for several decades â measured as a percentage of the labor force. The right to strike is taken as a given. At the outset of the American Industrial Revolution, however, it was often illegal for workers to organize into unions and strike.Â
In the 1880s, George Pullman built the town of Pullman near Chicago to manufacture his famous railway cars. All buildings in the town were company owned and rented to workers, churches, and stores.   The company cut wages a number of times in the 1880s, but it failed to reduce the rent in the company-owned housing. Workers went on strike. Sympathetic railway workers across the country boycotted trains carrying Pullman cars. Federal troops were called in to keep the trains moving and to break the strike, prompting violence and looting in Chicago in 1894. With the arrest of the leaders in Chicago, the strike collapsed.Â
A demonstration over an 8-hour working day in Chicago drew about 1,500 people in 1886. When police attempted to disperse the meeting, a bomb exploded and rioting ensued. Seven policemen and four other persons were killed, and more than 100 persons were wounded. Eight âanarchistâ leaders were convicted of inciting violence. ...
China One Child Policy Essay. PDF Ageing China Switches To Two-Child PolicyCarolyn Collum
Â
China's One Child Policy - Free Essay Example | PapersOwl.com. Evaluate the effectiveness of China's one child policy Free Essay Example. Impact of chinaâs one child policy sample essay. China's One Child Policy - GCSE Geography - Marked by Teachers.com. The Effects of the One Child Policy in China. - GCSE Geography - Marked .... China One Child Policy - International Baccalaureate Geography - Marked .... (PDF) China's one child policy | Malcolm Potts - Academia.edu. Chinas One Child Policy: The good, the bad, and the ugly - GCSE .... Essay About China's One Child Policy Facts - Essay for you. Analysis of Chinas One Child Policy - A-Level Geography - Marked by .... The Chinese one child policy - GCSE Geography - Marked by Teachers.com. Notes on China's One Child Policy - A-Level Geography - Marked by .... China one child policy dbq essay - One Child Policy DBQ Essay Examples. China's one child policy - GCSE Geography - Marked by Teachers.com. One Child Policy In China. Why China Ended its One-Child Policy - YouTube. China's one child policy. china one child policy - GCSE Geography - Marked by Teachers.com. China officially ends one child policy essay. (PDF) Challenging Myths About Chinaâs One-Child Policy. Geography: China one-child policy. #Pay For Essay Writing Service - the one child policy in china .... China decides to abolish 1-child policy, allow 2 children. 10 China's One-Child Policy Facts - WMNews Ep. 51 | WatchMojo.com. One Child Policy Essay | PDF | Family | China. (PDF) Ageing China Switches To Two-Child Policy. Chinaâs One Child Policy | W-T-W.org. Chinese One Child Policy timeline | Timetoast timelines. One Child Policy in China.
B.A. Sociology thesis: The Commercialization and Commodification of Higher Ed...Stephen Cheng
Â
This is my thesis which I wrote during my fourth and last year, 2010, at Vassar College with Professor Leonard Nevarez ( http://faculty.vassar.edu/lenevare/ ) as my advisor. As the title indicates, I argue that higher education has become, essentially, a business. Within the framework of the history of the United States of America, I trace the evolution of higher education from the mid-nineteenth century into the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries in order to make my case. In the process, I also touch upon the political economy of the US during its own "industrial revolution" and its journey to a world power. In the end, I developed a work of social and economic history (or historical sociology) for Vassar's sociology department. Likewise, given its emphasis on the evolution of an institution, readers may also see it as an attempt at historically grounded institutional analysis.
Top of FormExpected OutcomesTo understand the political ec.docxedwardmarivel
Â
Top of Form
Expected Outcomes
To understand the political economy of the United States, and to critically evaluate various theories and approaches regarding the pressing and controversial economic issues of today.
Overview
Politics is partly the business of determining âwho gets what, when, and how,â so it is important to consider several macro-economic issues in any introductory course to American government and politics. This area of study can be considered âpolitical economy.â Labor laws, entitlement programs, corporate welfare, globalization and outsourcing are all considered in this lesson.
What can and should the federal government do about these issues?
Labor and Unions
The labor movement is the story of âriseâ and âfall.â A century ago, the labor union was in its infancy. While many people associate todayâs labor movement with strong unions (and sometimes with unreasonable demands for higher wages and more benefits), the labor movement actually has its origins in fighting for basic work safety. It also fought against child labor.
Eventually, despite local, state and federal obstacles (including several Supreme Court decisions), the labor movement accomplished many of its goals. In fact, some economists argue that the labor movement became too successful as it was able to secure unsustainably-generous contracts from automobile manufacturers, for instance.Â
Indeed, the âfallâ of the labor movement can be seen in the massive layoffs in the industrial sector. General Motors, for example, laid off more than 25,000 employees â largely because GM could no longer afford to pay them the wages and benefits that the United Auto Workers (UAW) had secured in the 1980s and 1990s.Â
Furthermore, union membership has been continually falling for several decades â measured as a percentage of the labor force. The right to strike is taken as a given. At the outset of the American Industrial Revolution, however, it was often illegal for workers to organize into unions and strike.Â
In the 1880s, George Pullman built the town of Pullman near Chicago to manufacture his famous railway cars. All buildings in the town were company owned and rented to workers, churches, and stores.   The company cut wages a number of times in the 1880s, but it failed to reduce the rent in the company-owned housing. Workers went on strike. Sympathetic railway workers across the country boycotted trains carrying Pullman cars. Federal troops were called in to keep the trains moving and to break the strike, prompting violence and looting in Chicago in 1894. With the arrest of the leaders in Chicago, the strike collapsed.Â
A demonstration over an 8-hour working day in Chicago drew about 1,500 people in 1886. When police attempted to disperse the meeting, a bomb exploded and rioting ensued. Seven policemen and four other persons were killed, and more than 100 persons were wounded. Eight âanarchistâ leaders were convicted of inciting violence. Four were hanged, one comm ...
Top of FormLesson 7 Public PolicyExpected Outcomes.docxedwardmarivel
Â
Top of Form
Lesson 7: Public Policy
Expected Outcomes
To understand the political economy of the United States, and to critically evaluate various theories and approaches regarding the pressing and controversial economic issues of today.
Overview
Politics is partly the business of determining âwho gets what, when, and how,â so it is important to consider several macro-economic issues in any introductory course to American government and politics. This area of study can be considered âpolitical economy.â Labor laws, entitlement programs, corporate welfare, globalization and outsourcing are all considered in this lesson.
What can and should the federal government do about these issues?
Labor and Unions
The labor movement is the story of âriseâ and âfall.â A century ago, the labor union was in its infancy. While many people associate todayâs labor movement with strong unions (and sometimes with unreasonable demands for higher wages and more benefits), the labor movement actually has its origins in fighting for basic work safety. It also fought against child labor.
Eventually, despite local, state and federal obstacles (including several Supreme Court decisions), the labor movement accomplished many of its goals. In fact, some economists argue that the labor movement became too successful as it was able to secure unsustainably-generous contracts from automobile manufacturers, for instance.Â
Indeed, the âfallâ of the labor movement can be seen in the massive layoffs in the industrial sector. General Motors, for example, laid off more than 25,000 employees â largely because GM could no longer afford to pay them the wages and benefits that the United Auto Workers (UAW) had secured in the 1980s and 1990s.Â
Furthermore, union membership has been continually falling for several decades â measured as a percentage of the labor force. The right to strike is taken as a given. At the outset of the American Industrial Revolution, however, it was often illegal for workers to organize into unions and strike.Â
In the 1880s, George Pullman built the town of Pullman near Chicago to manufacture his famous railway cars. All buildings in the town were company owned and rented to workers, churches, and stores.   The company cut wages a number of times in the 1880s, but it failed to reduce the rent in the company-owned housing. Workers went on strike. Sympathetic railway workers across the country boycotted trains carrying Pullman cars. Federal troops were called in to keep the trains moving and to break the strike, prompting violence and looting in Chicago in 1894. With the arrest of the leaders in Chicago, the strike collapsed.Â
A demonstration over an 8-hour working day in Chicago drew about 1,500 people in 1886. When police attempted to disperse the meeting, a bomb exploded and rioting ensued. Seven policemen and four other persons were killed, and more than 100 persons were wounded. Eight âanarchistâ leaders were convicted of inciting violence. ...
China One Child Policy Essay. PDF Ageing China Switches To Two-Child PolicyCarolyn Collum
Â
China's One Child Policy - Free Essay Example | PapersOwl.com. Evaluate the effectiveness of China's one child policy Free Essay Example. Impact of chinaâs one child policy sample essay. China's One Child Policy - GCSE Geography - Marked by Teachers.com. The Effects of the One Child Policy in China. - GCSE Geography - Marked .... China One Child Policy - International Baccalaureate Geography - Marked .... (PDF) China's one child policy | Malcolm Potts - Academia.edu. Chinas One Child Policy: The good, the bad, and the ugly - GCSE .... Essay About China's One Child Policy Facts - Essay for you. Analysis of Chinas One Child Policy - A-Level Geography - Marked by .... The Chinese one child policy - GCSE Geography - Marked by Teachers.com. Notes on China's One Child Policy - A-Level Geography - Marked by .... China one child policy dbq essay - One Child Policy DBQ Essay Examples. China's one child policy - GCSE Geography - Marked by Teachers.com. One Child Policy In China. Why China Ended its One-Child Policy - YouTube. China's one child policy. china one child policy - GCSE Geography - Marked by Teachers.com. China officially ends one child policy essay. (PDF) Challenging Myths About Chinaâs One-Child Policy. Geography: China one-child policy. #Pay For Essay Writing Service - the one child policy in china .... China decides to abolish 1-child policy, allow 2 children. 10 China's One-Child Policy Facts - WMNews Ep. 51 | WatchMojo.com. One Child Policy Essay | PDF | Family | China. (PDF) Ageing China Switches To Two-Child Policy. Chinaâs One Child Policy | W-T-W.org. Chinese One Child Policy timeline | Timetoast timelines. One Child Policy in China.
Argument essay abortion policy - Joseph Johnson Writ 101 October 22 .... Essay Writer for All Kinds of Papers - good thesis statement for being .... Persuasive Speech On Abortions Sample - PHDessay.com.
Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
âą Describe the atmosphere surrounding union opposition and resulting court cases.
âą Discuss each of the early labor unions, major strikes, and key players in labor relations.
âą Relate the growth of industry to major strikes in the steel and textile industries at the
turn of the 20th century.
2An Overview of Labor History
Mary Evans/Everett Collection
Introduction
The U.S. economy was formed around farms and small towns. If you were to view the United States in
the early 1800s, you would see country roads, large farms, and towns erected at crossroads, serving the
needs of farmers. Although there were factories, these were rare and usually located only in the larger
cities. Early manufacturing took place in small shops run by craftsmen who were experts in one trade,
such as barrel making or stitchery. Thus, Americaâs early industry was centered on individual trades and
skilled workers.
These workers were called master craftsmen. Not only were they proficient at making specific
products, they were also multitalented businessmen. Consider, for example, Bostonian Paul Revere, who
trained in the art of silversmithing and then became a shop owner, a teacher to his apprentices, a
capitalist, an employer, and a highly skilled artisan.
Master craftsmen sat sideÂbyÂside at the bench with their workers, together making the products of the
shop, be it boots, silverware, horse bridles, or copper bowls. At first, slaves or indentured servants made
up the group of workers, but as slavery decreased in the Northeast and indentured servants completed
their terms, craftsmen searched for other types of help. Soon a strata of workers developed that became
known as apprentices or journeymen. These were the men who worked in the trades but would never
be shop owners unless they started their own business.
The work environment in these shops was intimate. The boss knew each workerâhis strengths and
weaknesses, and certainly his personal life. Problems could be addressed directly and quickly if the
master craftsman chose, which led the workplace to have a giveÂandÂtake quality. Workers felt
somewhat empowered by the fact that management was present, understood the conditions of work,
and could be responsive to issues that arose.
This work environment also featured two distinct tiers: owners and laborers. Lines were clearly drawn
regarding the rights of the owner to make fundamental decisions about the work environment while
labor remained powerless, except about whether to leave the job and seek other employment. Work for
laborers was a âtake it or leave itâ environment, and for those unwilling or unable to secure work
elsewhere, the shop, its rules, and culture were nonnegotiable.
As the 19th century progressed, a notable change occurred that essentially put an ...
Economic History Association The Law and Labor Strife in.docxSALU18
Â
Economic History Association
The Law and Labor Strife in the United States, 1881-1894
Author(s): Janet Currie and Joseph Ferrie
Source: The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Mar., 2000), pp. 42-66
Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Economic History Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2566796
Accessed: 02-11-2016 23:02 UTC
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted
digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about
JSTOR, please contact [email protected]
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
http://about.jstor.org/terms
Economic History Association, Cambridge University Press are collaborating with JSTOR to
digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of Economic History
This content downloaded from 139.182.97.89 on Wed, 02 Nov 2016 23:02:52 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
The Law and Labor Strife in the
United States, 1881-1894
JANET CURRIE AND JOSEPH FERRIE
This article examines the effects of state-level legal innovations governing labor
disputes in the late 1 800s. This was a period of legal ferment in which worker orga-
nizations and employers actively lobbied state governments for changes in the rules
governing labordisputes. Cross-state heterogeneity inthe legal environment provides
an unusual opportunity to investigate the effects of these laws. We use a unique data
set with information on 12,965 strikes to show that most of these law changes had
surprisingly little effect on strike incidence or outcomes. Important exceptions were
maximum hours laws and the use of injunctions.
Evaluating the role of the legal envlronment in shaping economic
outcomes is often difficult, because of either the lack of microlevel data
or the absence of sufficient heterogeneity in laws across jurisdictions. These
problems are most severe in recent data, because confidentiality rules limit
the availability of data and the imposition of federal law standardizes the
legal environment across states. Studies using historical data have overcome
these difficulties in examinations of the impact of maximum hours laws,
compulsory school attendance laws, banking regulations, mortgage fore-
closure moratoria, and regulation of natural resources.'
Surprisingly, the same historical approach has not been applied to one of
the most contentious areas of legislative intervention in the economy: the
regulation of disputes between workers and employers. In this article, we
7he Journal of Economic History, Vol. 60, no. 1 (March 2000). ? The Economic History
Association. All rights reserved. ISSN 0022-0507.
Janet Currie is Professor, Department of Economics, University of California, 405 Hil ...
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Here is another installment of PlanetCNC writings. Again, looking back and needless to say, I grew up under the influence of Cold War anticommunism. A good part of my life so far has been me reasoning my way out of a right-wing political culture. I mentioned before that Iâm based in Long Island, New York, the United States of America. Itâs a stronghold for right-wing politics in the U.S. Some of the essays here reflect that political influenceâan influence Iâve come to thoroughly, completely reject. In any case, feel free to take a look. Itâs another collection of curios, knick-knacks, etc. Youâll also get a glimpse of a then-adolescent writerâs mindset.
Stephen Cheng
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Well, as a follow-up to the previous series of PlanetCNC writings on the Command & Conquer franchise, Iâm posting another collection here. I found myself laughing as I compiled these writings and, along the way, re-read the very last composition. Looking back, and needless to say, I realize I grew up under the influence of Cold War anticommunism and a good part of my life so far has been me reasoning my way out of a right-wing political culture. For one, Iâm based in Long Island, New York, the United States of AmericaâLong Island is a stronghold for right-wing politics in the U.S. Some of the essays here reflect that political influenceâan influence Iâve come to thoroughly, completely reject. In any case, feel free to take a look. Youâll get a glimpse of one then-adolescent writerâs mindset.
Stephen Cheng
Thursday, January 5, 2021
Without regrets from the owner, Kane's Diner closes down Stephen Cheng
Â
Translatorâs note: I translated this World Journal article in August 2020. Thereâs already an official translation: http://voicesofny.org/2019/04/kanes-flushing-diner-sold-to-chinese-developer/. Interested readers may compare my version against the linked, published translation. All errors and misunderstandings are, of course, mine.
Readers can find English-language media coverage as well: https://qns.com/story/2019/05/01/kanes-diner-in-flushing-shuts-its-doors-on-may-1-after-more-than-50-years-in-the-business/; https://flushingpost.com/flushing-diner-to-close-wednesday-after-over-50-years-of-business; https://patch.com/new-york/flushing-murray-hill/kanes-flushing-diner-permanently-closes-after-50-years-report.
Stephen Cheng
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
This op-ed article by Moritz Gathmann from Cicero (https://www.cicero.de/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero_(magazine)) entered my e-mail account a couple of days ago. Cicero is a German-language magazine with a âliberal conservativeâ political orientationâessentially âclassical liberalâ (in present-day U.S.-American political parlance: libertarian). I donât share Ciceroâs political outlook, but I try to follow sources I disagree with. I also thought Iâd translate this essay given its aptness in relation to how Russia, or rather stereotyped, propagandistic, and chauvinist perspectives on Russian politics and government, has appeared in U.S.-American political discourse since the 2016 presidential election.
Cicero published another op-ed today that is critical of Putin. Iâll see about translating it. For now, readers may peruse this translation. The original German-language article is linked here: https://www.cicero.de/aussenpolitik/verfassungsreferendum-russland-wladimir-putin/plus
All errors and misunderstandings are, of course, mine.
Stephen Cheng
Saturday, July 4, 2020
An article in 'The Guardian' about Flushing's gentrificationStephen Cheng
Â
This Guardian article (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/13/flushing-queens-gentrification-luxury-developments) by Sarah Ngu, published Thursday, August 13, 2020, is invaluable media coverage on Flushingâs ongoing gentrification. Itâs required reading for anybody who cares about affordable housingânot only within a community in Queens but any urban area.
Letter to the New York Times (October 2, 2020)Stephen Cheng
Â
On October 2, 2020, I wrote this letter in response to two 'New York Times' op-ed articles: Michael Tomaskyâs âWhy Recent Republican Presidents Have Been Economic Failuresâ (August 20, 2020) and Steven Rattnerâs âThe Economic Recovery That Isnâtâ (August 23, 2020). While I do not disagree that the U.S. economy has made gains under Democratic administrations such as Bill Clintonâs and Barack Obamaâs and that President Donald Trumpâs boasting of economic progress during his administration is based on little or no evidence, such facts do not indicate that the Republican and Democratic parties have diametrically opposed economic policies. Those facts do not indicate, either, that the Democrats have economic policy proposals that will help working-class and lower-middle-class people in the U.S.
The New York Times: Ninety-nine percent of people on Flushingâs streets insis...Stephen Cheng
Â
From the City Council, District 20, campaign Facebook page "Hailing Chen for the People": https://www.facebook.com/hailingchenforthepeople/.
This World Journal article about a New York Times study, performed late last month with biostatistician Dr. Melody S. Goodman's assistance and published yesterday, indicates ninety-nine percent of randomly sampled people on Main Street, Flushing's primary thoroughfare, insist on publicly wearing masks during the pandemic. By the way, that's actually the average--one hundred percent of women and ninety-eight percent of men wore masks. This shows that being considerate in public is possible... and that practically everybody can do it.
Even during a pandemic.
In one word, community. Or solidarity.
Our government must step up and continue giving supplies to communities in need. We need to refocus on all our communities and keep every single New Yorker secure.
Letâs do our part to bring peace and harmony to all New Yorkers. Safe practice is a good practice!
Please see attached for the translation. The original article is in Mandarin Chinese.
More Related Content
Similar to Summer 2012, Alternative Dispute Resoluton - Broken Union, Stolen Wealth
Argument essay abortion policy - Joseph Johnson Writ 101 October 22 .... Essay Writer for All Kinds of Papers - good thesis statement for being .... Persuasive Speech On Abortions Sample - PHDessay.com.
Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
âą Describe the atmosphere surrounding union opposition and resulting court cases.
âą Discuss each of the early labor unions, major strikes, and key players in labor relations.
âą Relate the growth of industry to major strikes in the steel and textile industries at the
turn of the 20th century.
2An Overview of Labor History
Mary Evans/Everett Collection
Introduction
The U.S. economy was formed around farms and small towns. If you were to view the United States in
the early 1800s, you would see country roads, large farms, and towns erected at crossroads, serving the
needs of farmers. Although there were factories, these were rare and usually located only in the larger
cities. Early manufacturing took place in small shops run by craftsmen who were experts in one trade,
such as barrel making or stitchery. Thus, Americaâs early industry was centered on individual trades and
skilled workers.
These workers were called master craftsmen. Not only were they proficient at making specific
products, they were also multitalented businessmen. Consider, for example, Bostonian Paul Revere, who
trained in the art of silversmithing and then became a shop owner, a teacher to his apprentices, a
capitalist, an employer, and a highly skilled artisan.
Master craftsmen sat sideÂbyÂside at the bench with their workers, together making the products of the
shop, be it boots, silverware, horse bridles, or copper bowls. At first, slaves or indentured servants made
up the group of workers, but as slavery decreased in the Northeast and indentured servants completed
their terms, craftsmen searched for other types of help. Soon a strata of workers developed that became
known as apprentices or journeymen. These were the men who worked in the trades but would never
be shop owners unless they started their own business.
The work environment in these shops was intimate. The boss knew each workerâhis strengths and
weaknesses, and certainly his personal life. Problems could be addressed directly and quickly if the
master craftsman chose, which led the workplace to have a giveÂandÂtake quality. Workers felt
somewhat empowered by the fact that management was present, understood the conditions of work,
and could be responsive to issues that arose.
This work environment also featured two distinct tiers: owners and laborers. Lines were clearly drawn
regarding the rights of the owner to make fundamental decisions about the work environment while
labor remained powerless, except about whether to leave the job and seek other employment. Work for
laborers was a âtake it or leave itâ environment, and for those unwilling or unable to secure work
elsewhere, the shop, its rules, and culture were nonnegotiable.
As the 19th century progressed, a notable change occurred that essentially put an ...
Economic History Association The Law and Labor Strife in.docxSALU18
Â
Economic History Association
The Law and Labor Strife in the United States, 1881-1894
Author(s): Janet Currie and Joseph Ferrie
Source: The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Mar., 2000), pp. 42-66
Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Economic History Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2566796
Accessed: 02-11-2016 23:02 UTC
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted
digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about
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The Law and Labor Strife in the
United States, 1881-1894
JANET CURRIE AND JOSEPH FERRIE
This article examines the effects of state-level legal innovations governing labor
disputes in the late 1 800s. This was a period of legal ferment in which worker orga-
nizations and employers actively lobbied state governments for changes in the rules
governing labordisputes. Cross-state heterogeneity inthe legal environment provides
an unusual opportunity to investigate the effects of these laws. We use a unique data
set with information on 12,965 strikes to show that most of these law changes had
surprisingly little effect on strike incidence or outcomes. Important exceptions were
maximum hours laws and the use of injunctions.
Evaluating the role of the legal envlronment in shaping economic
outcomes is often difficult, because of either the lack of microlevel data
or the absence of sufficient heterogeneity in laws across jurisdictions. These
problems are most severe in recent data, because confidentiality rules limit
the availability of data and the imposition of federal law standardizes the
legal environment across states. Studies using historical data have overcome
these difficulties in examinations of the impact of maximum hours laws,
compulsory school attendance laws, banking regulations, mortgage fore-
closure moratoria, and regulation of natural resources.'
Surprisingly, the same historical approach has not been applied to one of
the most contentious areas of legislative intervention in the economy: the
regulation of disputes between workers and employers. In this article, we
7he Journal of Economic History, Vol. 60, no. 1 (March 2000). ? The Economic History
Association. All rights reserved. ISSN 0022-0507.
Janet Currie is Professor, Department of Economics, University of California, 405 Hil ...
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Here is another installment of PlanetCNC writings. Again, looking back and needless to say, I grew up under the influence of Cold War anticommunism. A good part of my life so far has been me reasoning my way out of a right-wing political culture. I mentioned before that Iâm based in Long Island, New York, the United States of America. Itâs a stronghold for right-wing politics in the U.S. Some of the essays here reflect that political influenceâan influence Iâve come to thoroughly, completely reject. In any case, feel free to take a look. Itâs another collection of curios, knick-knacks, etc. Youâll also get a glimpse of a then-adolescent writerâs mindset.
Stephen Cheng
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Well, as a follow-up to the previous series of PlanetCNC writings on the Command & Conquer franchise, Iâm posting another collection here. I found myself laughing as I compiled these writings and, along the way, re-read the very last composition. Looking back, and needless to say, I realize I grew up under the influence of Cold War anticommunism and a good part of my life so far has been me reasoning my way out of a right-wing political culture. For one, Iâm based in Long Island, New York, the United States of AmericaâLong Island is a stronghold for right-wing politics in the U.S. Some of the essays here reflect that political influenceâan influence Iâve come to thoroughly, completely reject. In any case, feel free to take a look. Youâll get a glimpse of one then-adolescent writerâs mindset.
Stephen Cheng
Thursday, January 5, 2021
Without regrets from the owner, Kane's Diner closes down Stephen Cheng
Â
Translatorâs note: I translated this World Journal article in August 2020. Thereâs already an official translation: http://voicesofny.org/2019/04/kanes-flushing-diner-sold-to-chinese-developer/. Interested readers may compare my version against the linked, published translation. All errors and misunderstandings are, of course, mine.
Readers can find English-language media coverage as well: https://qns.com/story/2019/05/01/kanes-diner-in-flushing-shuts-its-doors-on-may-1-after-more-than-50-years-in-the-business/; https://flushingpost.com/flushing-diner-to-close-wednesday-after-over-50-years-of-business; https://patch.com/new-york/flushing-murray-hill/kanes-flushing-diner-permanently-closes-after-50-years-report.
Stephen Cheng
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
This op-ed article by Moritz Gathmann from Cicero (https://www.cicero.de/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero_(magazine)) entered my e-mail account a couple of days ago. Cicero is a German-language magazine with a âliberal conservativeâ political orientationâessentially âclassical liberalâ (in present-day U.S.-American political parlance: libertarian). I donât share Ciceroâs political outlook, but I try to follow sources I disagree with. I also thought Iâd translate this essay given its aptness in relation to how Russia, or rather stereotyped, propagandistic, and chauvinist perspectives on Russian politics and government, has appeared in U.S.-American political discourse since the 2016 presidential election.
Cicero published another op-ed today that is critical of Putin. Iâll see about translating it. For now, readers may peruse this translation. The original German-language article is linked here: https://www.cicero.de/aussenpolitik/verfassungsreferendum-russland-wladimir-putin/plus
All errors and misunderstandings are, of course, mine.
Stephen Cheng
Saturday, July 4, 2020
An article in 'The Guardian' about Flushing's gentrificationStephen Cheng
Â
This Guardian article (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/13/flushing-queens-gentrification-luxury-developments) by Sarah Ngu, published Thursday, August 13, 2020, is invaluable media coverage on Flushingâs ongoing gentrification. Itâs required reading for anybody who cares about affordable housingânot only within a community in Queens but any urban area.
Letter to the New York Times (October 2, 2020)Stephen Cheng
Â
On October 2, 2020, I wrote this letter in response to two 'New York Times' op-ed articles: Michael Tomaskyâs âWhy Recent Republican Presidents Have Been Economic Failuresâ (August 20, 2020) and Steven Rattnerâs âThe Economic Recovery That Isnâtâ (August 23, 2020). While I do not disagree that the U.S. economy has made gains under Democratic administrations such as Bill Clintonâs and Barack Obamaâs and that President Donald Trumpâs boasting of economic progress during his administration is based on little or no evidence, such facts do not indicate that the Republican and Democratic parties have diametrically opposed economic policies. Those facts do not indicate, either, that the Democrats have economic policy proposals that will help working-class and lower-middle-class people in the U.S.
The New York Times: Ninety-nine percent of people on Flushingâs streets insis...Stephen Cheng
Â
From the City Council, District 20, campaign Facebook page "Hailing Chen for the People": https://www.facebook.com/hailingchenforthepeople/.
This World Journal article about a New York Times study, performed late last month with biostatistician Dr. Melody S. Goodman's assistance and published yesterday, indicates ninety-nine percent of randomly sampled people on Main Street, Flushing's primary thoroughfare, insist on publicly wearing masks during the pandemic. By the way, that's actually the average--one hundred percent of women and ninety-eight percent of men wore masks. This shows that being considerate in public is possible... and that practically everybody can do it.
Even during a pandemic.
In one word, community. Or solidarity.
Our government must step up and continue giving supplies to communities in need. We need to refocus on all our communities and keep every single New Yorker secure.
Letâs do our part to bring peace and harmony to all New Yorkers. Safe practice is a good practice!
Please see attached for the translation. The original article is in Mandarin Chinese.
This is a revised and expanded version of a message I wrote to a friend who politically identifies as a libertarian (or "classical liberal" if you're a stickler to traditional political theory terminology) and an anarcho-capitalist.
Taiwan and Israel sign reciprocity agreement on driver's licenses (Spanish to...Stephen Cheng
Â
This press release from the government of Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, is shameful and disappointing. The Taiwanese government, by signing two agreements with Israel this year, has decided to continue supporting apartheid in the âNear Eastâ. Given Operations Cast Lead and Protective Edge, the ongoing annexation of the West Bank, Donald Trumpâs declaration of Jerusalem as Israelâs capital, the recent signing of the Abraham Accord between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, and the current Israeli bombing of Gaza, Taiwanâs, or rather the Taiwanese governmentâs, decision to keep on cooperating with the Israeli apartheid regime is unconscionable.
This topic is a personal matter to me, too, because my family is from Taiwan and they lived under a right-wing military government led by Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang/Guomindang (ćæ°é»š; literally âNational Peopleâs Partyâ but the standard English-language translation is âNationalist Partyâ). The government of the United States supported that dictatorship for the same reasons it supported so many other right-wing military dictators and paramilitariesâŠ. to say nothing of the Israeli government. Taiwan democratized in the early-to-mid 1990s and its current head of state is Tsai Ing-wen (èĄè±æ) of the Democratic Progressive Party (æ°äž»éČæ„黚/æ°éČ黚).
Itâs dismaying, but perhaps unsurprising, to see that even with changes of regime and governing party, some things remain the same. Here, Taipei opted for a deal with the devil, if only to remain in the good graces of Western imperialism and colonialism a la Donald Trump, the Republican Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Likud Party. Itâs not unlike Seoul, Tokyo, Islamabad, New Delhi, and others doing the same in the vain hope of enjoying decent diplomatic relations with âthe Westâ.
As for the press release, it is from the Taiwanese governmentâs Spanish-language service. I translated it into English this morning. I employed a more âliberalâ approach with this translation while staying faithful to the source textâs meaning. All errors, as always, are mine.
Stephen Cheng
August 28, 2020
Jewish Resistance to Nazi Germany (a Coursera essay)Stephen Cheng
Â
This essay on the Holocaust, or Shoah, goes back several years agoâpossibly the early-to-mid 2010s. I wrote it for a Coursera course called âThe Holocaust: The Destruction of European Jewryâ, which Professors Murray Baumgarten (https://literature.ucsc.edu/faculty/emeriti-faculty.php?uid=dickens) and Peter Kenez (https://humanities.ucsc.edu/academics/faculty/emeriti.php?uid=kenez; https://news.ucsc.edu/2016/04/kenez-emeriti-award.html) co-teach.
Professors Baumgarten and Kenez, respectively specializing in literature and history, are affiliated with the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Iâm putting it up to demonstrate writing ability as well as an interest in historical topics.
Stephen Cheng
June 20, 2020
Fariborz Kamkari: Kurdish art is always political Stephen Cheng
Â
This is an interview that Yeni ĂzgĂŒr Politikaâs Luqman GuldivĂȘ did with Fariborz Kamkari, a Kurdish film director from Iran who is currently an expatriate in Italy. The original interview, posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, is linked here: https://yeniozgurpolitika.net/kurt-sanatcisi-apolitik-olamaz/
English- and German- language versions of this interview appeared on ANFNews: https://anfenglishmobile.com/culture/filmmaker-kamkari-kurdish-artists-cannot-be-apolitical-43191 & https://anfdeutsch.com/kultur/fariborz-kamkari-kurdische-kunst-ist-immer-politisch-18710
A few weeks ago, I happened to find the German- language version as I was looking for updates on Kamkariâs work. Before I found the aforementioned, above-linked English- language translation, I already decided to do my own translation and began accordingly.
As for Fariborz Kamkari, I first heard of him a couple of years ago when I discovered his The Flowers of Kirkuk (Golakani Kirkuk), a film with a story I found moving. I may write about this movie in the future.
But for now, readers may check out my translated version of this interview. All errors, of course, are mine.
Stephen Cheng
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Writings on the Command & Conquer game series (originally from PlanetCNC)Stephen Cheng
Â
Now this is a blast from the past. Back when I was an aspiring writer as a teenager, I decided to write essays about the âCommand & Conquerâ franchiseâit was, and still is, a noted real-time strategy computer game series. These articles appeared on the PlanetCNC fan site, which used to be active in the 1990s and 2000s. An archived, or mirrored, version is available at this link: http://planetcnc.gamespy.com/index.html
Iâve moved on from gaming a long time ago, but I thought Iâd put these writings up in one document. Itâs a chance for readers to check out my early work⊠and to see something thatâs âout of the wayâ, practically a curio (or a series of curios).
Stephen Cheng
May 22, 2020
Ready to Lose Again: Joe Biden & the Democratic Party Stephen Cheng
Â
This is a brief op-ed I wrote. It's also posted to the 'Insurgent Notes' Web site: http://insurgentnotes.com/2020/04/ready-to-lose-again-joe-biden-the-democrats-and-the-november-2020-election/
It's about the Democratic party's decision to tack right by having Joe Biden as the 2020 presidential candidate. I decided to post a revised-draft version of this essay here.
Stephen Cheng
May 21, 2020
The Iraqi War--A Ten-Year Anniversary (written in 2013) Stephen Cheng
Â
I originally wrote this Web blog entry back in 2013 to mark the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Itâs something of a âhandwringingâ remembrance op-ed given that the Iraq war of 2003 was, essentially, a crime against humanity by the George W. Bush administration. Some of my future writing may deal with this war and its aftermath. For now, Iâve decided to place a copy of this entry on my SlideShare account.
Stephen Cheng
May 14, 2020
The (British) "national question" remainsStephen Cheng
Â
This is an compiled rough-draft version of two e-mailed commentaries that I wrote in late December 2019 regarding Boris Johnson's general election victory in the United Kingdom and Brexit. I may expand upon these commentaries later.
This is a brief message I wrote in February 2020 to a âNewâ Democrat, that is, a pro-Clinton and pro-Obama Democrat, who I know personally. In light of Joe Bidenâs Super Tuesday victory, due in no small part to Barack Obamaâs intervention, I thought I should post it to my SlideShare account to spark a discussion as to what the Democratic Party truly stands for.
No need for free market utopias and thoughts on political organizingStephen Cheng
Â
These thoughts on paper come from two Web log entries I wrote a couple of years ago. Here, I discuss the virtues of social democracy in relation to neoliberalism as how as how Hillary Clinton and the "New" Democrats lost the way they did to Donald Trump and the Republicans in 2016. We may see a 2016 redux, or replay, come the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
In Augusto Pinochet's Shadow: Chilean Democracy, Protests, and Dictatorial Le...Stephen Cheng
Â
This article by Heidi Tinsman originally appeared in English on The Abusable Past Web page for Radical History Review (https://www.radicalhistoryreview.org/abusablepast/?p=3520). Angela Vergara translated it into Spanish for North American Congress on Latin America (https://nacla.org/news/2019/11/19/la-democracia-chilena-las-protestas-y-las-herencias-de-la-dictadura). I decided to translate the article back into English for practice.
All errors are mine. I came up with the title--it's a modified and expanded version of the original title.
In Augusto Pinochet's Shadow: Chilean Democracy, Protests, and Dictatorial Le...
Â
Summer 2012, Alternative Dispute Resoluton - Broken Union, Stolen Wealth
1. Professor Joshua Bienstock
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Stephen Cheng
Due: July 24, 2012
Broken Union, Stolen Wealth
Introduction: Starting by way of a conflictâs end
On August 18, 2011, a conflict between a restaurant supplier, originally called E-
Z Supply and currently named Pur Pac, and its former warehouse workers ended with a
settlement that both sides arrived at through legal means. However, litigation was merely
one tactic in this struggle which came to dominate the two disputing partiesâ relationship.
This troubled relationship between the company and its former employees led to a
conflict that lasted for over five years, from early 2006 to mid-to-late 2011, and which
involved different tactics, strategies, and methods by both parties in dispute.
Aside from litigation, the method for resolving the conflict, actions associated
with a competitive approach to dispute resolution became evident, such as a mass firing
by the employer and strike actions, leafleting, and picketing by workers. Likewise,
methods associated with avoidance became evident as the company underwent name
changes and ownership transfers in order to evade its responsibility for wage theft.
After considerable pressure from the street, in which workers, student and volunteer
activists, and organizers picketed, distributed leaflets, and convinced various restaurant
establishments to stop purchasing supplies from the company, the company was forced to
return to negotiation.
These protest tactics limited the companyâs customer base and revenue, thus
1
2. forcing it to negotiate rather than to continue evading or fighting. The parties in dispute
finally met at the bargaining table so as to reach an agreement via a legal settlement. As a
result the conflict reached its conclusion in the summer of last year, thus demonstrating
the power and ability of grassroots labor organizing in achieving a legal victory.
Additional economic, geographic, and historical background and organizing efforts by
the Industrial Workers of the World
The conflict between this company and its workers took place in a specific
geographic-economic context. That context consists of an industrial corridor on the
boundary between Brooklyn and Queens. This corridor is where food processing and
distribution facilities are located. These facilities, which are part of an important sector in
the economy of New York City, are under the ownership of firms that tend to employ
workers with immigrant backgrounds. These workers, like immigrant workers in the
nineteenth century United States, labor under sweatshop conditions. Consequently,
immigrant workers are subject to low or unpaid wages; abusive and disrespectful
behavior from employers; dangerous and unhealthy workplace environments, et cetera.
The tragic case of Juan Baten, an immigrant from Guatemala was and still is a stark
example. Baten was a young worker for Tortilleria Chinantla, a tortilla manufacturer,
who in January 2011 was crushed to death in a dough-mixing machine. He was twenty-
two years old and survived by his wife and daughter.1
Given these conditions, the New York City- based branch of the Industrial
Workers of the World (IWW) organizes workers in this area. It has done so since the
mid-2000s. It had success in unionization efforts vis-Ă -vis these companies that
specialize in food processing and distribution.2
Some, if not most or all of these
1
Daniel Gross, âDeath in a New York Food Sweatshop,â CounterPunch, 3 February 2011.
2
Caitlin Esch, âWobblies Organize Brooklyn Warehouses,â The Brooklyn Rail, April 2007.
2
3. companies, have notorious histories of wage theft, poor working conditions, and anti-
immigrant prejudice and discrimination. E-Z Supply was one such company.
The conflictâs prelude and beginning: The case of E-Z Supply (later known as Sunrise
Plus and then Pur Pac)
The success of the IWW in unionizing food processing and distribution
warehouses under the ownership of various private firms included the initially successful
effort to unionize thirteen of the original workers at the warehouse of E-Z Supply.3
E-Z
Supply, a company that operates in the restaurant industry of New York City, sells
supplies to Chinese restaurants throughout New York City, i.e. Chinatown, Flushing,
Sunset Park, and elsewhere. The supplies include eating utensils such as wooden
chopsticks, plastic spoons, knives and forks; containers made from styrofoam, plastic,
and tinfoil containers; condiments like soy sauce; and basic food staples like rice.
This company, originally named E-Z Supply, renamed Sunrise Plus, and currently
known as Pur Pac, was responsible for repressive actions against unionizing workers.
Since February 2006, when efforts to establish a union at E-Z Supply began and the
workers who decided to unionize won a NLRB election, the then- and original employer
and owner Lester Wen resisted and only relented after workers successfully encouraged a
boycott by E-Z Supplyâs client restaurants.4
The conflict began in earnest in late
December 2006 after the company, by then called Sunrise Plus, reneged on its contractual
and legal commitments after the conclusion of a collective bargaining period which
3
âEZ Supply workers go IWW,â Industrial Workers of the World Web site, 3 February 2006 and âEZ
Supply workers in Queens NY vote to unionize with the IWW,â Industrial Workers of the World Web site,
9 February 2006.
4
âWarehouse bossesâ Christmas gift: illegal retaliation against immigrant union members,â Industrial
Workers of the World Web site, December 28, 2006 and âEZ-Supply and Amersino warehouse workers
fight back â IWW workers ring in the New Year with pickets,â Industrial Workers of the World Web site,
3 January 2007.
3
4. resulted in a negotiated agreement.5
The workers protested by striking. Not long
afterward, the company fired all of the workers6
. The company was also guilty of wage
theft. According to one report, âOn the morning of December 28, the IWW served
Sunrise Plus with a federal complaint regarding back wages and overtime and within
hours [âŠ]â7
Calculations of the total sum of stolen wages amount to at least one million
US dollars.8
These hostile actions by the company meant that no amicable relationship was
possible and therefore compromising and collaborative approaches were no longer viable.
The only possible approach left was the competitive one since no side intended to be
accommodating, either. However, the option of avoidance was also available for the
company since it could and did try to evade its legal responsibilities vis-Ă -vis the
recognition of union- related rights and the unionâs authority to collectively bargain and
the payment of stolen wages. In the case of the former workers, refusing to give up, they
continued to fight.
Progression and conclusion of the conflict, 2006-2011
The workers decided to seek legal assistance and protest the company in order to
seek the payment of stolen wages and the recognition of union- related rights and the
unionâs existence. They sought and received the assistance of a nonprofit organization
called Brandworkers International, a worker center founded in 2007 that has the aim of
5
âIWW in NYC retaliates against warehouse workers mass firings,â Industrial Workers of the World Web
site, 10 January 2007.
6
âEZ Supply update â boss fires the union â immediate action necessary!,â Industrial Workers of the
World Web site, 28 December 2006.
7
Diane Krauthamer and David Graeber, âNYCâs immigrant food warehouse workers unionize with IWW â
Not Without a Fight: NYCâs food warehouse workers unionize,â Industrial Workers of the World Web site,
28 January 2007.
8
This monetary amount appeared in my discussions with members of Brandworkers International and the
IWW.
4
5. defending and promoting the rights of workers in the food and retail sectors via legal
representation, member-led organizing within workplaces, and picketing. The IWW also
continued to be involved in cooperating with and reinforcing the workers in their
struggle.
Brandworkers International, working with the IWW on a food sector worker
organizing campaign called âFocus on the Food Chain,â provided legal representation
and assistance with applying street pressure so as to persuade and compel the company to
pay the stolen wages to its former, fired workers and acknowledge the legal rights of its
workers to a union and collective bargaining. Street pressure consisted of tactics such as
leafleting and boycotts (i.e. restaurants that usually purchase supplies from the company
were urged to stop buying). The conflict ended through litigation when the company
agreed in mid-to-late August 2011 to pay a fraction of the total stolen wages, $470,000,
as part of a negotiated settlement. The conclusion of this conflict was due to compromise
and collaboration after the application of street and legal pressure â tactics associated
with competition.
Conflict analysis â Relevant approaches and models
To summarize the above, for most of the 2006-2011 time period, the competitive
approach was dominant in the companyâs relationship with its former workers. The
competitive status of the relationship and conflict turned into a compromising or
collaborative one when the company and former employees agreed to a settlement, thus
ending the conflict. Avoidance was also present as a specific tactic and a general
approach to the unfolding conflict at hand. The primary dispute resolution method was
litigation.
5
6. The conflict started when Lester Wen, the companyâs original owner, refused to
follow through with the responsibilities that he agreed to in a negotiated agreement with
his workers â an agreement that was a product of collective bargaining. Two days later he
fired the workers, thus repressing the existence of the union. Already, these two actions
by the employer indicate the intention of competing. There was no other choice left for
the other side.
For the workers, then, competition was the remaining option. The employers
forced them into this situation. Initially, after the employer refused to comply with the
negotiated agreement, the workers struck. Furthermore, after the employer successfully
engaged in union-busting, the former workers, with the continuing assistance of the
IWW and the new involvement of Brandworkers International, began protesting on the
streets and calling upon restaurant clients to stop purchasing supplies from the company.
A breakdown of the competitive tactics by both sides is as follows,
Company/Employer: - Renege on obligations that it has already agreed to in a negotiated
agreement that originated from collective bargaining sessions with the workers.
- Fire the workers.
Workers: - Go on a wildcat strike after the company/employerâs refusal to honor
contractual responsibilities.
- After dismissal, continue protesting against the company via leafleting and
picketing in public and promoting a boycott of the company.
A hostile action by the company led to a competitive cycle within the relationship. Later,
in addition to the competition, the company engaged in avoidance so as to continue
evading its responsibilities vis-Ă -vis union recognition and wage theft.
6
7. The company utilized two tactics as means of avoidance. One tactic was through
name changes. As mentioned before, the company, originally named E-Z Supply,
changed its name to Sunrise Plus (in 2006) and finally altered its name to Pur Pac.
Another tactic was to formally transfer ownership to different members of Lester Wenâs
family so that Lester Wen himself would not be held accountable for his wrongdoings on
behalf of the company. The final name change from Sunrise Plus to Pur Pac and the final
transfer of ownership to an associate of the Wen family, Jamie Yu, represented yet
another effort by the company to paper over its hostile relationship with its former
workers and continue evading its responsibilities.
Ultimately, as the competitive phase ran its course and avoidance outlived its
usefulness, more cooperative approaches to conflict resolution became viable again.
These approaches were compromise and collaboration, both of which spoke to the
common interests of the company and the former workers. The compromising approach
became an attractive choice in efforts to resolve the conflict given that the street-level
protests were effective in forcing the employer to negotiate. The employer thus had to at
least compromise so as to stop the economic pressure tactics that the workers and their
supporters with the IWW and Brandworkers International applied. Furthermore, the
passage of time meant that people on both sides may want to move on with their lives â a
possible common interest for the disputing parties. The compromise came in the form of
the $470,000 settlement, in which the legal system of New York City awarded a fraction
of the total amount of wages stolen. Other results from the negotiation included the
employerâs adoption of a binding code of conduct which âprotects workers who engage
in collective activity and compels compliance with workplace laws governing
7
8. discrimination and health and safety.â9
Conclusions
From early to late 2006, after the workers decided to establish a union and
collectively bargain, they succeeded in developing a negotiated agreement with the
employer. However, just a few days before the end of 2006, the company reneged and
fired the workers who opted to unionize and negotiate.
As a result, and since the company also committed wage theft, the workers
continued to struggle with the support of the IWW and Brandworkers International. Also,
the company had already performed a second name change and a transfer of ownership.
But in December 2010, the company, already identified as Pur Pac, acknowledged its
own past incarnations as E-Z Supply and Sunrise Plus.10
In August 2011, the company
finally relented and reached a settlement with the workers. The company agreed to pay
$470,000 in the wages that it owed to its former workers, workers that it fired for trying
to unionize in the first place. A half decade of conflict ended with a brief moment of
cooperation.
This period of conflict and cooperation between the company and the workers
encompassed approaches such as competition, avoidance, compromise, and collaboration.
Initially, when the workers organized themselves into a union, they were able to
cooperate (presumably through compromise and collaboration) with the company in
order to develop a negotiated agreement. However, after the company refused to honor
the agreement (thus demonstrating that it acted in bad faith and engaged in deception)
9
Daniel Massey, âQueens biz settles wage-theft suit for $470K,â Crainâs New York Business.com, 18
August 2011.
10
âFocus campaign wings biggest victory yet at Pur Pac!â Brandworkers International Web site, 18 August
2011.
8
9. and fired the workers who unionized (an act of ant-union repression), the relationship
between the parties became competitive. A return to cooperation was possible as the
conflict came to its end when both sides agreed to the settlement. The settlement itself
was probably a product of collaboration, although the $470,000 award was perhaps a
product of compromise. Overall, the conflictâs conclusion meant that the workers and
their advocates finally achieved justice and that the company was able to continue with
its business activities.
More generally, the causes, beginning, occurrence, and conclusion of this conflict
express the sometimes hostile and sometimes cooperative relationship between capital
and labor. The hostile aspect is exemplified by tactics such as mass firing, lockouts, and
strikes. The cooperative part of the relationship is evident in the efforts to negotiate so as
to develop and ratify collectively bargained contracts. Additionally, this relationship is
fundamental and universal in a society that is dependent on the use of money and
commodities. The conflict between the company and its former workers, then, as outlined
above, can just as well be the story of any other conflict that has occurred in labor
history.
References
9
10. Esch, Caitlin. âWobblies Organize Brooklyn Warehouses.â The Brooklyn Rail, April
2007. < http://brooklynrail.org/2007/04/local/wobblies-organize-brooklyn-
warehouses>
âEZ-Supply and Amersino warehouse workers fight back â IWW workers ring in the
New Year with pickets.â Industrial Workers of the World Web site, 3 January
2007. <http://www.iww.org/en/node/3131>
âEZ Supply update â boss fires the union â immediate action necessary!â Industrial
Workers of the World Web site, 28 December 2006. <
http://www.iww.org/en/node/3121>
âEZ Supply workers go IWW.â Industrial Workers of the World Web site, 3 February
2006. <http://www.iww.org/en/node/2005 >
âEZ Supply workers in Queens NY vote to unionize with the IWW.â Industrial Workers
of the World Web site, 9 February 2006. <http://www.iww.org/en/node/2105 >
âFocus campaign wings biggest victory yet at Pur Pac!â Brandworkers International Web
site, 18 August 2011. < http://www.brandworkers.org/node/121653>
Gross, Daniel. âDeath in a New York Food Sweatshop.â CounterPunch, 3 February
2011. < http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/02/03/death-in-a-new-york-food-
sweatshop/>
âIWW in NYC retaliates against warehouse workers mass firings.â Industrial Workers of
the World Web site, 10 January 2007. < http://www.iww.org/en/node/3147>
Krauthamer, Diane and David Graeber. âNYCâs immigrant food warehouse workers
unionize with IWW â Not Without a Fight: NYCâs food warehouse workers
unionize.â Industrial Workers of the World Web site, 28 January 2007. <
http://www.iww.org/en/node/3195>
Massey, Daniel. âQueens biz settles wage-theft suit for $470K.â Crainâs New York
Business.com, 18 August 2011. <
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20110818/smallbiz/110819887>
âWarehouse bossesâ Christmas gift: illegal retaliation against immigrant union
members.â Industrial Workers of the World Web site, 28 December 2006. <
http://www.iww.org/en/node/3120>
Note: Although I included a list of sources, I also based the paper on my personal
recollection of this case.
10