Tom Juravich
Encyclopedia
Tom Juravich is a professor
of Labor Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
. He is also the director of the UMass Amherst Labor Relations and Research Center (LRRC), and director of the LRRC's Union Leadership and Administration program.
Juravich is also a musician and labor movement activist.
in sociology
in 1984 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
From 1984 to 1993 he was an assistant professor in the Department of Labor Studies at Penn State University. While at Penn State, he also directed a workers' education program for wage-earners in the Philadelphia area.
In 1994, Juravich obtained an appointment as a professor of labor studies at UMass Amherst.
Juravich is a highly regarded expert on labor union organizing and collective bargaining strategies. Along with co-author Kate Bronfenbrenner
, Juravich introduced rigorous statistical methodology
and survey techniques
to a field which had been dominated by case studies
. His most notable contribution in this regard were two papers. The first was the 1994 work 'The Promise of Union Organizing in the Public and Private Sectors,' co-authored with Bronfenbrenner. In 1995, Bronfenbrenner and Juravich co-wrote a second work, 'Union Tactics Matter: The Impact of Union Tactics on Certification Elections, First Contracts, and Membership Rates.' Based in part on Bronfenbrenner's doctoral dissertation, the two papers were widely distributed throughout the labor movement and had a significant impact in promoting union organizing as a key issue in the 1995 AFL-CIO
presidential race. Both papers have been combined, updated and published, in various journals and books, a number of times since then.
Juravich is also well-known for a study of anti-union tactics utilized by employers in NLRB
-sponsored union organizing elections. In 1995, Bronfenbrenner and Juravich co-wrote 'The Impact of Employer Opposition on Union Certification Win Rates: A Private/Public Sector Comparison.' Previously, individual labor unions—and, to a lesser extent, the AFL-CIO—had collected anecdotal evidence on employer anti-union tactics and strategies. Much of this work was kept secret, for fear that anti-union employers would realize that unions were learning how to respond and modify and improve their anti-union tactics accordingly. This 1995 paper, however, brought this research agenda into the open and made it a topic for academic discussion. The paper grouped and categorized anti-union tactics and strategies, and used surveys and statistical analysis to judge their effectiveness. This paper also had a galvanizing effect on the American labor movement, creating a behind-the-scenes cottage industry in analyzing anti-union consultants and anti-union organizing campaign tactics. The work of the AFL-CIO-affiliated organization, American Rights at Work
, and its opposite number, the employer-financed Center for Union Facts
, both stem from the emphasis on opposition research
engendered by Bronfenbrenner's paper.
Outside the academic setting, Juravich has shown a significant interest in labor culture, such as folk songs, music, poems, photography, folk art and stories. For several years, he has been collecting the folk songs and picket line music from the American labor movement.
Dovetailing his interest in labor culture and his academic interest in the nature of work, Juravich has been working with photographer Paul Shoul on a collection of oral history and workers' stories to be accompanied by photographs of workers and their workplaces. The project is called "Bread WithOUT Roses." The project is a play on the phrase "bread and roses
," a call for dignity and workplace respect commonly associated with a 1912 textile strike
in Lawrence
, Massachusetts
. The text and photography project is designed to showcase worsening conditions on in the American workplace.
Juravich's best-known work, however, is most likely Ravenswood: The Steelworkers' Victory and the Revival of American Labor, a book he co-authored with Kate Bronfenbrenner.
.
Juravich subsequently released two more albums. He composed a number of songs for the film Out of Darkness, a semi-documentary history of the United Mine Workers. The songs were released as a compilation soundtrack album in 1983. His third album, "A World to Win," was a collection of original labor-themed songs. Both of the these albums were released on the Flying Fish Records label.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Labor Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
. He is also the director of the UMass Amherst Labor Relations and Research Center (LRRC), and director of the LRRC's Union Leadership and Administration program.
Juravich is also a musician and labor movement activist.
Education and career
Juravich, a former mechanic, received a Ph.D.Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
in 1984 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
From 1984 to 1993 he was an assistant professor in the Department of Labor Studies at Penn State University. While at Penn State, he also directed a workers' education program for wage-earners in the Philadelphia area.
In 1994, Juravich obtained an appointment as a professor of labor studies at UMass Amherst.
Research focus
Juravich's research interests focus on union organizing, comprehensive campaigns (also known as corporate campaigns or comprehensive campaigns), the nature of work, and labor history and culture.Juravich is a highly regarded expert on labor union organizing and collective bargaining strategies. Along with co-author Kate Bronfenbrenner
Kate Bronfenbrenner
Kate Bronfenbrenner is the Director of Labor Education Research at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She is a leading authority on successful strategies in labor union organizing, and on the effects of outsourcing and offshoring on workers and worker rights.-Life...
, Juravich introduced rigorous statistical methodology
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
and survey techniques
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
to a field which had been dominated by case studies
Case study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
. His most notable contribution in this regard were two papers. The first was the 1994 work 'The Promise of Union Organizing in the Public and Private Sectors,' co-authored with Bronfenbrenner. In 1995, Bronfenbrenner and Juravich co-wrote a second work, 'Union Tactics Matter: The Impact of Union Tactics on Certification Elections, First Contracts, and Membership Rates.' Based in part on Bronfenbrenner's doctoral dissertation, the two papers were widely distributed throughout the labor movement and had a significant impact in promoting union organizing as a key issue in the 1995 AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
presidential race. Both papers have been combined, updated and published, in various journals and books, a number of times since then.
Juravich is also well-known for a study of anti-union tactics utilized by employers in NLRB
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
-sponsored union organizing elections. In 1995, Bronfenbrenner and Juravich co-wrote 'The Impact of Employer Opposition on Union Certification Win Rates: A Private/Public Sector Comparison.' Previously, individual labor unions—and, to a lesser extent, the AFL-CIO—had collected anecdotal evidence on employer anti-union tactics and strategies. Much of this work was kept secret, for fear that anti-union employers would realize that unions were learning how to respond and modify and improve their anti-union tactics accordingly. This 1995 paper, however, brought this research agenda into the open and made it a topic for academic discussion. The paper grouped and categorized anti-union tactics and strategies, and used surveys and statistical analysis to judge their effectiveness. This paper also had a galvanizing effect on the American labor movement, creating a behind-the-scenes cottage industry in analyzing anti-union consultants and anti-union organizing campaign tactics. The work of the AFL-CIO-affiliated organization, American Rights at Work
American Rights at Work
American Rights at Work is a U.S. self-described nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for workers and their right to form unions without interference....
, and its opposite number, the employer-financed Center for Union Facts
Center for Union Facts
The Center for Union Facts is an interest group critical of union officials’ activities. It is one of several advocacy and public relations groups created by Richard Berman...
, both stem from the emphasis on opposition research
Opposition research
Opposition research is:# The term used to classify and describe efforts of supporters or paid consultants of a political candidate to legally investigate the biographical, legal or criminal, medical, educational, financial, public and private administrative and or voting records of the opposing...
engendered by Bronfenbrenner's paper.
Outside the academic setting, Juravich has shown a significant interest in labor culture, such as folk songs, music, poems, photography, folk art and stories. For several years, he has been collecting the folk songs and picket line music from the American labor movement.
Dovetailing his interest in labor culture and his academic interest in the nature of work, Juravich has been working with photographer Paul Shoul on a collection of oral history and workers' stories to be accompanied by photographs of workers and their workplaces. The project is called "Bread WithOUT Roses." The project is a play on the phrase "bread and roses
Bread and Roses
The slogan "Bread and Roses" originated in a poem of that name by James Oppenheim, published in The American Magazine in December 1911, which attributed it to "the women in the West." It is commonly associated with a textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts during January-March 1912, now often...
," a call for dignity and workplace respect commonly associated with a 1912 textile strike
Lawrence textile strike
The Lawrence Textile Strike was a strike of immigrant workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1912 led by the Industrial Workers of the World. Prompted by one mill owner's decision to lower wages when a new law shortening the workweek went into effect in January, the strike spread rapidly through the...
in Lawrence
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The text and photography project is designed to showcase worsening conditions on in the American workplace.
Juravich's best-known work, however, is most likely Ravenswood: The Steelworkers' Victory and the Revival of American Labor, a book he co-authored with Kate Bronfenbrenner.
Musical works
Juravich has produced three albums of labor music, spoken word and song. His first album, Rising Again, was produced by the United Auto WorkersUnited Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
.
Juravich subsequently released two more albums. He composed a number of songs for the film Out of Darkness, a semi-documentary history of the United Mine Workers. The songs were released as a compilation soundtrack album in 1983. His third album, "A World to Win," was a collection of original labor-themed songs. Both of the these albums were released on the Flying Fish Records label.
Solely authored works
- Chaos on the Shop Floor: A Worker's View of Quality, Productivity, and Management. Reprint ed. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-87722-561-3
Co-authored works
- Bronfenbrenner, Kate and Juravich, Tom. 'The Impact of Employer Opposition on Union Certification Win Rates: A Private/Public Sector Comparison.' Working paper no. 113, Economic Policy Institute, Washington, D.C. 1995.
- Bronfenbrenner, Kate and Juravich, Tom. 'Introduction: Bringing the Study of Work Back to Labor Studies.' Labor Studies Journal. 30:1 (Spring 2005).
- Bronfenbrenner, Kate and Juravich, Tom. 'Out of the Ashes: The Steelworkers' Global Campaign at Bridgestone/Firestone.' In Multinational Companies and Global Human Resource Strategies. William N. Cooke, ed. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers, 2003. ISBN 1-56720-583-6
- Bronfenbrenner, Kate and Juravich, Tom. The Promise of Union Organizing in the Public and Private Sectors. Working paper, Institute for the Study of Labor Organizations, George Meany Center for Labor Studies, Silver Spring, Md. 1994.
- Bronfenbrenner, Kate and Juravich, Tom. Ravenswood: The Steelworkers’ Victory and the Revival of American Labor. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press/ILR Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8014-8666-1
- Bronfenbrenner, Kate and Juravich, Tom. 'Significant Victories.' In Justice on the Job. Richard N. Block, Sheldon Friedman, Michelle Kaminski and Andy Levin, eds. Kalamazoo, Mich.: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2006. ISBN 0-88099-278-6
- Bronfenbrenner, Kate and Juravich, Tom. Staying Union: The Dynamics of Union Success in Public Sector Decertification Campaigns. Washington, D.C.: AFL-CIO, 1995.
- Bronfenbrenner, Kate and Juravich, Tom. Union Organizing in the Public Sector: An Analysis of State and Local Elections. Ithaca, N.Y.: ILR Press, 1995. ISBN 0-87546-347-9
- Bronfenbrenner, Kate and Juravich, Tom. 'Union Tactics Matter: The Impact of Union Tactics on Certification Elections, First Contracts, and Membership Rates.' Working paper, Institute for the Study of Labor Organizations, George Meany Center for Labor Studies, Silver Spring, Md. 1995.
- Juravich, Tom; Hartford, William; and Green, James. Commonwealth of Toil: Chapters in the History of Massachusetts Workers and Their Unions. Amherst, Mass.: University of Massachusetts Press, 1996. ISBN 1-55849-046-9
Musical works
- Out Of Darkness: The Mine Worker's Story. Soundtrack to the motion picture. Audio CD. Flying Fish Records, 1983.
- A World to Win. Audio CD. Flying Fish Records, 1989.