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BOOKS  | Taking on the Big Boys, or Why Feminism Is Good for Families, Business and the Nation
“We have to do more than smash the glass ceiling—we have to redesign the building,” Ellen Bravo writes in Taking on the Big Boys. Bravo describes the problems today’s working women face: the average female worker loses a half-million dollars over her lifetime because of pay inequalities. Meanwhile, less industrialized nations such as Cameroon, Brazil and India offer better maternity leave than the United States. Bravo offers a shrewd analysis of the enemy (the Big Boys are “the relatively small number of men who have a real stake in maintaining gender discrimination...the ones who control wealth and power in this country”) and some practical tips on challenges like dealing with sexual harassment to convincing family members to share the chores. Available at .™ |
 | Women Writing Resistance: Essays on Latin America and the Caribbean
Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez assembled this collection of essays on social justice by female scholars and activists after hosting a conference, “Women, Writing and Resistance in Latin America and the Caribbean,” at Simon’s Rock College of Bard. With essays from such luminaries as prize-winning novelists Julia Alvarez and Jamaica Kincaid and Nobel laureate Rigoberta Menchú, the book covers a wide range of topics: the Holocaust, the Iraq war and blockbuster movies, to name a few. Particularly notable: Kincaid’s second-person narrative of visiting Antigua and anthropologist Ruth Behar’s description of her return to her native Cuba after growing up in the United States. This mosaic of voices from Latin America and the Caribbean will broaden readers’ minds and challenge their assumptions about women and developing countries. Available from . |
 | Talking Past Each Other: What Everyday Americans Really Think (and Elites Don't Get) About the Economy
“When they talk about economics, everyday Americans and influential elites seem to be describing two very different worlds and speaking two very different dialects,” David Kusnet, Lawrence Mishel and Ruy Teixeira conclude in Talking Past Each Other. This Economic Policy Institute (EPI) report, based on focus groups, survey research and news coverage, says the gap between working people and the wealthy elite really is huge. One striking example is globalization: nearly all of the elite thinks it's an "unalloyed blessing," while most other Americans are "much more doubtful." And for most Americans, the New Economy has created its own forms of insecurity—fears about offshoring, stagnant wages, cuts in health care and the decline in guaranteed pension benefits. By and large, the lucky people at the top of the heap don't quite get what that feels like. Available to download or order from the . |
MUSIC
 | Chumbawamba: A Singsong and a Scrap
British band Chumbawamba, best known for its ’90s hit “Tubthumping,” returns to its political roots with “A Singsong and a Scrap.” Featuring “Laughter in a Time of War,” the album combines haunting melodies with stories of resistance. Labor legends Joe Hill, Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman make appearances, and the lilting “Smith & Taylor” honors “the people who risk their lives to build the world around us.” “You Can [Mass Trespass, 1932]” commemorates the first mass trespass in Britain, when hundreds of peasants walked across private land to force the government to open up the land to everyone. A must for any folk or labor enthusiast. Available from the . |
RESOURCES  | Flex Pack: How Unions Can Push for Worker Controlled Flexibility
Flextime has become a priority for many unions: a growing number of workers need more control over their work schedules so they can care for a child or an ailing parent. Instead, they face pressure from their employers to put management’s schedule ahead of their family lives. How can unions make jobs more flexible? How easy is it to bargain for flextime programs? And what are the differences between true flextime and "fake flex" of the Wal-Mart variety that puts the real control in the boss' hands? "Flex Pack," from the Labor Project for Working Families offers answers to these questions and practical advice such as the best flextime options to seek at the bargaining table and when flextime can be a powerful organizing tool. Whether you’re a member of your union's bargaining committee, an organizer or a rank-and-file member who wants to learn more, this is for you. Available to download and in hard copy from the Labor Project for Working Families. |
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