November 2007 (24)

Editor: Terence K. Huwe
Contributors: Dan Bellm, Elizabeth del Rocio Camacho, Stefanie Kalmin, Janice Kimball, Jenifer MacGillvary, Vibhuti Mehra, Dick Walker


IRLE News & Events
Ulman Symposium Generates Spirited Debate
IRLE Fall Colloquium Series: November Events
"What’s Going on in Detroit?" Presentation by Harley Shaiken


IRLE Program News
The Labor Center
California Public Employee Relations
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Library
The Labor Project for Working Families


Campus News & Events
Center for Japanese Studies
Center for Public Health Practice
Economics Department
Institute for the Study of Social Change

IRLE NEWS & EVENTS

"New Labor Market Institutions and the Public Policy Response: A Symposium to Honor Lloyd Ulman"

On October 27, 2007, IRLE hosted a high-profile symposium in honor of Professor Lloyd Ulman Economics-Berkeley, Emeritus), which was held in the IRLE Library Commons. The event featured many of the leading academics in the fields of labor economics, industrial relations and related fields. It was especially noteworthy that many of these academics were former students of Lloyd’s as well as frequent collaborators.

Four panel presentations addressed key issues in the study of labor market institutions. The first analyzed political economy and labor market institutions, and was chaired by UC Berkeley Economics Professor Barry Eichengreen. The panel featured Sandy Jaocoby (UCLA, Anderson School of Business), Frank Levy (MIT), and David Soskice (Duke). Peter Rappaport of JP Morgan Chase was the discussant.

The second panel explored market behavior. It was chaired by James Peoples (Wisconsin-Milwaukee), and featured Clair Brown (Economics-Berkeley, and former IRLE Director), Paola Giuiano (Harvard), Yoshifumi Nakata (Doshisha University, Japan), and Paul Ryan (King’s College, University of London). Professor Ryan was unable to attend, but his paper was presented nonetheless. The discussant was David I. Levine (Haas School of Business).

Marlene Kim (Massachusetts-Boston), Robert Flanagan (Stanford), Theresa Ghirlarducci (Notre Dame), and Knut Gerlach (Leibniz University, Hannover) explored labor-management relations in the third panel. Harry Katz, Dean of the New York State School for Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University was the discussant.

The final presentation assessed the state of public policy with respect to labor market institutions. It was chaired by Barbara Bergamann (American University, Emerita), and included David Card (Economics-Berkeley), Steven Raphael (the Goldman School of Public Policy), and Michael Reich (Economics-Berkeley, and Director, IRLE). Bill Dickens (Maryland) was the discussant.

Discussion was spirited and incisive, providing the attendees with a well-rounded balance of recent scholarship. The papers will be published in due course, but are currently available on the IRLE Web site at http://www.irle.berkeley.edu/events/ulman_program.html).

After a lively day of scholarship and debate, a gala dinner was held at the Alumni House. Less formal and more jovial, this event featured celebratory "roasts" of Professor Ulman, which were both eloquent and humorous. The overall experience of the conference confirmed the depth and breadth of Professor Ulman’s academic achievements, his influence on his peers, and his vision in cleaving to the highest intellectual standards. In addition, a good time was had by all!

IRLE Fall Colloquium Series: November Events

Monday, November 5, 2007 –12pm
"Searching for Working Class Politics: Labor, Community and Urban Power in Silicon Valley"
Nari Rhee, Postdoctoral Researcher, CLRE,UC Berkeley

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 –12pm
"Forecasting the Global Shortages of Physicians: An Economic and Needs-based Approach"
Richard M. Scheffler, Distinguished Professor of Health Economics and Public Policy, School of Public Health and the Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley

TO ATTEND PLEASE R.S.V.P. Myra Armstrong, zulu2@berkeley.edu

"What's Going on in Detroit?"
A breakdown of the UAW deals with GM and Chrysler, featuring UC Berkeley Labor Expert Harley Shaiken

Friday, November 9, 12 Noon - 1 PM
UC Berkeley Labor Center
2521 Channing Way (near Telegraph Ave.), Berkeley

After striking General Motors and Chrysler, the United Auto Workers has worked out agreements with those two automakers and is now in negotiations with Ford. Under the GM accord, the UAW won an impressive moratorium on plant closings and outsourcing, but it also agreed to take over retiree health benefits through a voluntary employee beneficiary association, or VEBA. Meanwhile, the Chrysler deal was just approved, but faced some opposition from rank-and-file workers. What is a VEBA? What do these deals mean for auto workers? Join us for a lunch-time talk about what's going on in Detroit, featuring:

Harley Shaiken, UC Berkeley Professor of Education and Geography, and Director of the Center for Latin American Studies. Shaiken, a Detroit native, is an expert on labor and the global economy and a frequent commentator on auto worker labor issues.

Sponsored by the California Labor Federation, Center for Latin American Studies, and UC Berkeley Labor Center.

Information: 510-642-6371; andreabuffa@berkeley.edu; http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu