Pacific Northwest Labor History Association Annual Conference

May 3-5, 2019

Portland, Oregon

Call for Papers, Presentations and Performances

General Strike 1919-2019 – Radicalism, Repression, and Solidarity

2019 marks the 100 the anniversary of a watershed year in American and Canadian labor history, especially in the West. The year was defined by the Seattle and Winnipeg General Strikes, the Centralia Massacre,and the wave of state sponsored repression of immigrant workers during the Palmer Raids. Reflecting on these events a century later encourages us to consider the significance of radicalism as well as ways that organized labor has both enforced and overcome racial and gendered barriers to solidarity.

The Pacific Northwest Labor History Association seeks presentations, performances, and papers thatexamine labor history of the past 100 years, especially related to:

Labor Radicalism

Patriarchy and Feminism

Employer and State Repression

Racism, including White Supremacy

Immigrant Workers and Xenophobia

We encourage proposals that illustrate how the events of 1919 demonstrate strategies and tactics of workers, employers, and the State, and how they are relevant to today’s labor struggles. Specific examples might include: 

Labor and Race

Women in the Labor Movement

Labor and trade policy in historical perspective

The open shop movement in history:  The American Plan to the Janus decision

Right Wing populism and the working class

The PNLHA values intersectional approaches to working class history. We especially encourage exhibits and performances of art and music that reflect working class culture and history, and non-traditional, popular education approaches. Presentations should be addressed to a broad range of conference participants including academics, students, workers and community members.

Submit one-page proposals electronically, by January 7, to the Conference Program Committee Coordinator, Nikki Mandell: PNLHA2019@gmail.com