Smlr_net November 2009

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[IWS] ILR Press: COUNTER CULTURE: THE AMERICAN COFFEE SHOP WAITRESS [November 2009]]
by Eugene McElroy 10 Nov '09

10 Nov '09

this book is now available at the SMLR Library.... ILR Press (an imprint of Cornell University Press) COUNTER CULTURE: The American Coffee Shop Waitress Candacy A. Taylor http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=5398 $19.95t paper 2009, 160 pages, 9 x 9, 119 color photographs, 4 black-and-white photographs ISBN: 978-0-8014-7440-8 "Career waitresses do more than just serve food. They are part psychiatrist, part grandmother, part friend, and they serve every walk of American life: from the retired and the widowed, to the wounded and the lonely, and from the working class to the wealthy. The classic diner waitress is an icon of American culture. . . . This book takes a moment to honor and recognize waitresses' contribution to our communities. Doing this project has helped me to redefine my perspective on life, work, and happiness. It has made me reevaluate the myth of the American dream that says you need to have an 'important' job to be happy."from Counter Culture In large cities and small towns across the country, the best diners and coffee shops are more than just restaurants: they are neighborhood institutions that bring together communities. From the Gold 'N Silver Inn in Reno, Nevada to the U.S.A. Country Diner in Windsor, New Jersey, these special places are not defined by their menus or décor, but by the waitresses who have establish bonds with their customers and their communities over years-and sometimes decades-of service. Counter Culture is a window into the lives of career waitresses who have worked in diners and coffee shops for up to sixty years. Since 2001, Candacy A. Taylor (a former waitress herself) has traveled more than 26,000 miles throughout the United States collecting stories of these "lifers," as many waitresses aged fifty or over playfully call themselves. She interviewed fifty-seven waitresses in thirty-eight towns and cities. Their compelling stories are complemented and enhanced by Taylor's striking color photographs of the waitresses at work. Taylor expected that the waitresses she'd meet would feel overworked and underappreciated, but was surprised and delighted to find that the opposite was true. The proud, capable waitresses Taylor interviewed loved their jobs and, even if given the opportunity, "wouldn't do anything else." Nearly all the waitresses said that the physical labor of waitressing helped them to age more gracefully and that the daily contact with customers and coworkers kept them socially engaged. Lifers generally make more money from serving regular customers with whom they forge bonds over decades and their seniority earns them respect from their coworkers and managers. Taylor's sensitive and respectful portrayal of career waitresses who have turned their jobs into a rewarding lifetime pursuit turns Counter Culture into an invaluable portrait of the continued importance of community in our changing society. Reviews "Oral historian, photographer and former waitress Taylor turned her aching joints into the springboard for a mission: uncovering the experiences of diner waitresses in this sociological overview. Most are 'lifers,' now senior citizens who abhor the idea of retirement. Others may see these women as uneducated service workers, but waitresses see themselves as psychologists, nurses, and family to their beloved regulars, who expect a little sass with their ham and eggs. Along with their extraordinary work ethic and oversized personalities, there are reminders of the occupational reality of below-minimum wages (which must be supplemented by substantial tips) and lack of medical and retirement benefits (which might be one reason these lifers just can't stay away from their greasy spoons). With color photographs (mostly by Taylor) of waitresses in their diners on almost every page plus feisty first-person anecdotes about how the women handle nasty customers and customers who sneak out without paying the bill (one waitress threw a ketchup bottle at them), this unique perspective is much like the professional diner waitressdifficult to pigeonhole, impossible to ignore."Publishers Weekly, September 7, 2009 "A loving ode to women who are the heart and soul of America's diners, Counter Culture is a treasure for all who value food with character, served by real characters. Its stories about veteran waitresses are fun, poignant, and tremendously informative, including detailed information about the unique talents required for the job. The evocative photographs of these rare personalities and their workplaces are a siren call to hit the road and meet them while they're still around."Jane and Michael Stern, Roadfood.com "I wish my mother, a career waitress, were alive to page through this wonderful tribute to her work. These strong and shrewd women have seen a lot of life from behind the counter, and Candacy Taylor does a terrific job of portraying them and letting them speak for themselves."Mike Rose, author of The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker "Thoughtful, compelling, and beautifully illustrated, Counter Culture is a worthy tribute to its subjectthe uniquely talented women who have dedicated their lives to providing comfort and service along with that cup of joe."Debra Ginsberg, author of Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress "Older coffee shop waitresses are everywhere once you start looking but are often invisible and taken for granted. Counter Culture is an informed, entertaining, thought-provoking, and moving homage to a group of workers and to their occupation. Candacy A. Taylor's photographs and interviews reveal how funny and perceptive career waitresses really are."Dorothy Sue Cobble, Rutgers University, author of Dishing It Out: Waitresses and Their Unions in the Twentieth Century "The photographs, testimonials, and insider information in this beautifully designed book all exalt 'lifer' waitressesas they have every reason to be exalted. Counter Culture will make any reader yearn to reach a waitress's honor roll: to be a regular."Alison Owings, author of Hey, Waitress! The USA from the Other Side of the Tray About the Author Candacy A. Taylor is an award-winning photographer, writer, and visual artist. For eight years she has produced multimedia ethnography and oral history projects that challenge common stereotypes of women and class. She has conducted research for National Geographic and the Library of Congress and has received numerous grants for her work, including two Story Fund grants from the California Council for the Humanities. To learn more about Taylor's work or to participate in her community blog on coffee shop culture, visit: www.taylormadeculture.com. ______________________________ This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service. **************************************** Stuart Basefsky Director, IWS News Bureau Institute for Workplace Studies Cornell/ILR School 16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10016 Telephone: (607) 255-2703 Fax: (607) 255-9641 E-mail: smb6(a)cornell.edu **************************************** -- Eugene McElroy Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations Library 50 Labor Center Way New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 732-932-9513 tel: 732-932-9513 ********

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NYTimes.com: Economix: Trade Unions' Decline Around the World
by ciudadviejo＠yahoo.com 09 Nov '09

09 Nov '09

This page was sent to you by: ciudadviejo(a)yahoo.com. BUSINESS | November 05, 2009 Economix: Trade Unions' Decline Around the World By Catherine Rampell An interactive chart showing the share of workers belonging to unions in developed countries over time. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/trade-unions-around-the-world/… ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

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[IWS] Census: BABY BOOMERS 42 to 60 YEARS OLD in 2006 (Selected Characteristics) [9 November 2009]]
by Eugene McElroy 09 Nov '09

09 Nov '09

Census Selected Characteristics of Baby Boomers 42 to 60 Years Old in 2006 [9 November 2009] http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/miscellaneous/014… or http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/age/general-age.html#bb or http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/age/2006%20Baby%20Boomers.pdf [full-text, 46 pages -- PDF of PowerPoint] The Census Bureau provides its first profile of baby boomers in 13 years. This PowerPoint presentation provides a look at a variety of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the baby boom generation, such as geographic distribution, marital status, educational attainment and income, and compares them with adults in younger and older age groups. The analysis uses data from a variety of sources, including the 2006 American Community Survey, 2006 population estimates, population projections and Census 2000 **************************************** Stuart Basefsky Director, IWS News Bureau Institute for Workplace Studies Cornell/ILR School 16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10016 Telephone: (607) 255-2703 Fax: (607) 255-9641 E-mail: smb6(a)cornell.edu **************************************** -- Eugene McElroy Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations Library 50 Labor Center Way New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 732-932-9513 tel: 732-932-9513 ********

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[Smlr_net] Unite Here, Workers United in heated dispute over members
by ciudadviejo＠yahoo.com 09 Nov '09

09 Nov '09

This story was sent to you by: eugene -------------------- Unite Here, Workers United in heated dispute over members -------------------- Claims of member-raiding attempts between the unions include leafleting, home visits and, court documents say, 'coercive interrogation techniques.' By Patrick J. McDonnell November 9 2009 Carmen Padron, a commercial laundry worker in Pomona, said a rival union tried to persuade her to abandon her longtime local. "They should be organizing workers who don't have a union, not harassing us," Padron said. The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-union-fight9-2009nov09,0,1638470.story Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

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NYTimes.com: After 40 Years, Age Discrimination Still Gets Second-Class Treatment
by ciudadviejo＠yahoo.com 07 Nov '09

07 Nov '09

This page was sent to you by: ciudadviejo(a)yahoo.com. OPINION | November 07, 2009 Editorial Observer: After 40 Years, Age Discrimination Still Gets Second-Class Treatment By ADAM COHEN Losing a job because of your age is unjust and dehumanizing, and the law should take it more seriously than it does. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/07/opinion/07sat4.html?emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

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NYTimes.com: Economix: Trade Unions' Decline Around the World
by ciudadviejo＠yahoo.com 06 Nov '09

06 Nov '09

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America's High-Tech Sweatshops
by Eugene McElroy 06 Nov '09

06 Nov '09

Vimal Patel was studying for a master's in business administration in London when he saw an advertisement for work in the U.S. The ad offered a job in the tech industry, as well as sponsorship for the kind of work visa that allows foreign nationals to take professional-level jobs in the country. So Patel applied and paid his prospective employer, Cygate Software & Consulting, in Edison, N.J., thousands of dollars in up-front fees. But when Patel arrived, Cygate had no tech job for him. He ended up working at a gas station, and Cygate nevertheless took a chunk of his wages for years, according to documents in a criminal case against Cygate. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_41/b4150034732629.htm -- Eugene McElroy Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations Library 50 Labor Center Way New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 732-932-9513 tel: 732-932-9513 ********

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Minorities, less-educated workers see staggering rates of underemployment
by Eugene McElroy 06 Nov '09

06 Nov '09

One sign of the severity of the economic downturn that is not captured in official unemployment data is the underemployment rate, an indicator that measures the broad group of people who have been unable to find full-time work and are either working part-time or not at all. While the current nationwide unemployment rate is 9.8%, the underemployment rate is 17%, meaning that more than 26.5 million people about one in six workers cannot find the amount of work they want. The underemployment figure encompasses three groups of workers: the unemployed; involuntarily part-time workers who want full-time work but have had to settle for part-time hours; and workers described as marginally attached, who want and are available for a job, but have given up actively looking. The ranks of the marginally attached typically increase during economic downturns as slim job prospects lead more of the unemployed to give up looking. http://www.epi.org/economic_snapshots/entry/minorities_less-educated_worker… -- Eugene McElroy Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations Library 50 Labor Center Way New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 732-932-9513 tel: 732-932-9513 ********

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eugene has forwarded a page to you from truthout
by sagauro＠rci.rutgers.edu 06 Nov '09

06 Nov '09

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CRS: POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES 2008 [6 October 2009]]
by Eugene McElroy 06 Nov '09

06 Nov '09

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Poverty in the United States: 2008 Thomas Gabe, Specialist in Social Policy October 6, 2009 http://opencrs.com/document/RL33069/2009-10-06/download/1013/ [full-text, 21 pages] Summary In 2008, 39.8 million people were counted as poor in the United Statesan increase of 2.6 million persons from 2007, and nearly the largest number of persons counted as poor since 1960. The poverty rate, or percent of the population considered poor under the official definition, was reported at 13.2%; up from 12.5% in 2007, and the highest rate since 1997. The recent increase in poverty reflects the worsened economic conditions since the onset of the economic recession in December 2007. Many expect poverty to rise further next year, and it will likely remain comparatively high even after the economy begins to recover. The incidence of poverty varies widely across the population according to age, education, labor force attachment, family living arrangements, and area of residence, among other factors. Under the official poverty definition, an average family of four was considered poor in 2008 if its pre-tax cash income for the year was below $22,025. This report will be updated on an annual basis, following release of U.S. Census Bureau annual income and poverty estimates. Supporting data are based on the following: U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008; Current Population Report No. P60-235, September 2009; and unpublished Census Bureau tables, available on the internet at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html. Contents Trends in Poverty........................................................................................................................1 Definition of Poverty ..................................................................................................................2 Poverty Among Selected Groups .................................................................................................7 Racial and Ethnic Minorities .................................................................................................7 Nativity and Citizenship Status..............................................................................................7 Children...............................................................................................................................7 Adults with Low Education, Unemployment, or Disability ....................................................8 The Aged ..............................................................................................................................8 Receipt of Welfare Among the Poor ............................................................................................9 The Geography of Poverty ..........................................................................................................9 American Community Survey (ACS) State Poverty Estimates .............................................10 Figures Figure 1. Trend in Poverty Rate and Number of Poor Persons: 1959-2008, and Unemployment Rate from January1959 through September 2009........5 Figure 2. U.S. Poverty Rates by Age Group, 1959-2008 ..............................................................6 Figure 3. Poverty Rates for the 50 States and the District of Columbia: 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) Data ................. 11 Tables Table 1. Poverty Rates for the 50 States and the District of Columbia, 2002 to 2008 Estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS).............13 Table A-1. Poverty Rates (Percent Poor) for Selected Groups, 1959-2008..................................16 Appendixes Appendix. U.S. Poverty Statistics: 1959-2008 ...........................................................................16 Contacts Author Contact Information ......................................................................................................18 **************************************** Stuart Basefsky Director, IWS News Bureau Institute for Workplace Studies Cornell/ILR School 16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10016 Telephone: (607) 255-2703 Fax: (607) 255-9641 E-mail: smb6(a)cornell.edu **************************************** -- Eugene McElroy Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations Library 50 Labor Center Way New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 732-932-9513 tel: 732-932-9513 ********

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