Hi Labor Section folks,

Korean colleagues have asked for pressure on the South Korean government to end their brutal repression against the rail strike there.  More information below, or go straight to the online petition athttp://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-striking-korean-railroad-workers-and-the

If you are not based in the US, there is also a global version of the petition; link at the bottom of this email.

Best,

Chris Tilly

UCLA

 

PLEASE SUPPORT STRIKING KOREAN RAILROAD WORKERS AND THE BROADER KOREAN LABOR MOVEMENT AGAINST ANTI-DEMOCRATIC REPRESSION

 

On December 22, 2013 a force of 5,000 South Korean police, without a warrant, attacked the headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the larger and more progressive of Korea’s two union federations, and arrested 135 persons who attempted to block their entry.  The background is that the South Korean government of Park Gyeun-He recently announced a unilateral decision to privatize part of the Korean railway system, KORAIL.  Despite widespread opposition, KORAIL refused to engage in social dialogue about the decision.  In response, the Korean Railway Workers’ Union (KRWU) went on strike December 9.  The government immediately fired 8,565 workers, declared the strike illegal, and issued arrest warrants for 194 KRWU members, including the leaders.  They believed KRWU leaders to be hiding in the KCTU headquarters, and despite not being issued a warrant by a judge, sent police to enter the building by force.  (No KRWU leaders were found.)

 

More details on the events can be found in a PDF document sent by South Korea’s People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, a mass democratic coalition in the Republic of Korea, to the UN Human Rights Office.  The document can be accessed in a Dropbox at:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lsj7dg37r5kb5av/rWggJOukIV

 

Although there was a similar railway strike in 2009, this is the first raid on the KCTU office since its establishment in 1995, and it is an extremely serious attack on democracy and freedom of association in the Republic of Korea. 

 

We therefore call on United States-based supporters of labor rights to:

(1) Sign the petition found below and online athttp://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-striking-korean-railroad-workers-and-the , condemning the attack and calling for dialogue, to be sent to President Park Gyeun-He and KORAIL executives with a copy to People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.

(2) Through your organization, organize further statements or actions taking a similar stand.

 

Stop harsh attacks on the Korea Rail Union and other unions, open a social dialogue on rail privatization

To:

Republic of Korea President Park Gyeun-Hee

Executives of Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL)

 

Dear President Park and leaders of Korea Railroad Corporation:

We are labor scholars, trade union officials and members, community and labor activists, and other concerned individuals from the United States.  It has come to our attention that the government of the Republic of Korea has unilaterally announced a decision to privative part of the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), rejecting widespread calls for social dialogue.  When the Korea n Railway Workers’ Union (KRWU) responded by going on strike, KORAIL fired over 8500 workers and the government issued arrest warrants for 194 KRWU members.  On December 22, 2013, a large group of police violently attacked the headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and arrested 135 people, without a judge’s warrant to enter the property.  This is a deeply disturbing violation of labor rights and human rights, and a blow against democracy in Republic of Korea.

 

We call on the government of the Republic of Korea to recognize the railway workers’ right to strike, to free those arrested, to desist from further violent action against Korean trade unions, and to open an investigation of human rights and civil rights abuses during the attack on the KCTU headquarters.  We call on KORAIL to negotiate in good faith with the KRWU, and we call on KORAIL and the government of the Republic of Korea to initiate a broad social dialogue on the issue of privatization of rail service.

 

SIGN ONLINE AThttp://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-striking-korean-railroad-workers-and-the

 

Global version of the petition at:http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-striking-korean-railroad-workers-and-the-2

 

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGIST
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

POSITION DESCRIPTION:  The University of Texas at El Paso is seeking a social scientist as a strategic hire in the area of quantitative methodology at the rank of Associate Professor (higher rank considered). A scholar capable of catalyzing funded collaborative research on campus is desired. Potential substantive research areas could include health and well-being, environment, social networks, borders, migration, Latinas/os, work/poverty/economic development, human security, and human rights. Quantitative methods of particular interest are (a) demography, (b) network analysis, (c) multilevel or hierarchical linear modeling, (d) structural equation modeling, (e) event history or longitudinal analysis, and/or (f) systems dynamic modeling. The candidate must have demonstrated success in publication and external funding and will be appointed in the appropriate academic department. Responsibilities also include teaching and mentoring at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

ABOUT UTEP & EL PASO:  The University of Texas at El Paso is an emerging national research university at the heart of the U.S.-Mexico border region committed to the ideals of access and excellence. UTEP ’s nearly $80 million in research spending a year ranks the University among the top 200 universities in the nation, and its more than $40 million in federal research spending ranks fourth among all Texas public universities. In 2013, UTEP was ranked #7 in the nation by theWashington Monthly in its annual “College Guide and Rankings.”  UTEP enrolls more than 23,000 students – about 78 percent of them Hispanic – and is the only doctoral research university in the nation with a student body that is a majority Mexican-American.  UTEP offers 71 bachelor’s, 75 master’s, and 20 doctoral programs – with more in development. For more information about UTEP, please visit our website: www.utep.edu.   




El Paso County is a highly livable, bi-cultural community of 800,000 people that offers affordable homes and attractive neighborhoods; El Paso is the safest large city in the United States. Shielded by mountains on three sides it enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine annually and a dry climate, making it possible to engage in outdoor activities year-round. It adjoins both the state of New Mexico and the country of Mexico, making it one of the largest international communities in the world.

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants should have an earned doctorate in Social Sciences with demonstrated success in research (publication and funding), and experience teaching and mentoring students.  The successful candidate must be able to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 

APPOINTMENT DATE AND SALARY:  Anticipated appointment date is fall 2014.  Salary will be competitive for rank and commensurate with experience.  The position comes with an attractive start-up package and excellent fringe benefits. 

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Review of applications will beginimmediately and continue until the position is filled. Only electronic submissions will be accepted, sent to segrineski@utep.edu. Please submit as separate documents (1) a letter of application, (2) curriculum vita with full and accurate citation of publications and funded research projects, (3) complete contact information for three references, and (4) one sample of scholarly work.

FOR QUESTIONS OR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Sara Grineski, Associate Professor of Sociology and Search Committee Chair, at segrineski@utep.edu .



The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation in employment or the provision of services.

Hi all,

I was asked by several members who received this email to send it to the entire section list.  The Labor Research and Action Network is a great organization and I encourage you all to get involved.  Here's a link to learn more: http://lranetwork.org/

In solidarity,

Steve McKay
Associate Professor of Sociology
Director, UCSC Center for Labor Studies
University of California, Santa Cruz
--------
You are one of 240 academics in the Labor Research Action Network, a significant number for an organization less than four years old.  But we need greater participation of academics to achieve LRAN’s goals. 

The LRAN outreach committee has been discussing increasing the participation of academics in LRAN by contacting potential members through academic associations.  Are you involved in an academic association with members who might be interested in LRAN?  Would you be willing to encourage participation in LRAN by sending an email to association members, posting information on the website, or scheduling a panel discussion at the association’s next meeting?

We hope you will also consider informing students with relevant interests about how they can join the LRAN network.  

We welcome your input.  Please don’t hesitate to contact any us with your thoughts about how to increase the participation of academics in LRAN. 

Thanks and hope to hear from you.

Fred Feinstein, University of Maryland (Co-Chair)

Matthew Mayers, AFSCME (Co-chair)

Adam Kader, Arise Chicago

Catherine Fisk, UC Irvine

Mikhail Romanov, UFCW

Naomi R Williams, University of Wisconsin

Goetz Wolff, UCLA










Below are possible talking points: 







Talking Points

What LRAN offers academics interested in the labor movement

- LRAN creates opportunities for academics to be more a part of what’s going on in the labor movement.



-Promotes better understanding of the issues and concerns facing organizedlabor and others who organize and advocate on behalf of workers. 

- Helps in gaining access to timely information about what is happening on the ground to better inform research.

- Promotes opportunities for input about what needs to be done and how to accomplish strategic goals.

- Facilitates possibilities for collaboration with researchers from different academic disciplines with an interest in labor issues.

- Could be helpful in developing research projects and internships for students with an interest in labor. 

Hello all,

An interesting mini-conf. on work and labor markets.  Please contact Sean O Riain (Sean.ORiain@nuim.ie) if you have questions.

Best,

Steve McKay

Dear colleagues

We would welcome abstracts for the mini-conference on "The Political
Economy of Work and Labor Markets: Workplace Regimes in Comparative
Perspective" at the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics
(SASE) in Chicago.

This mini-conference is designed to bridge the gap between micro
analyses of the workplace and macro political economy by fostering
dialogue across disciplinary and sub-disciplinary boundaries. We invite
papers that address different aspects of workplace organization (e.g.
working time, security, pay, career ladders, the labor process,
collective action, etc), their connections with macro-political
institutions and actors, and adopt a comparative perspective.
Submissions may use a range of methodological approaches (including case
studies, quantitative methods, and qualitative comparative analysis),
operate at different levels (national, regional, sectoral, corporate,
etc.), and explore a wide variety of relevant topics.

Further details are available at:
https://sase.org/mini-conferences/themes_fr_182.html#MC6

Paper abstracts must be submitted by January 20, 2014. Candidates will
be notified by February 17, 2014. Please note that Mini-Conferences
require an extended (~1,000 word) abstract, and ask that you submit a
full paper by March 31, 2014.

Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.

Best wishes,

Rossella Ciccia, National University of Ireland Maynooth
(rossella.ciccia@nuim.ie)
Seán Ó Riain, National University of Ireland Maynooth (sean.oriain@nuim.ie)
Andrew Schrank, University of New Mexico (schrank@unm.edu)

https://sase.org/mini-conferences/themes_fr_182.html#MC6