Labor Day Story Tips

Team Training Beats Individual Instruction

Research done by University of Pittsburgh psychology professor Richard Moreland shows that workers trained in teams performed 40% better on a task than workers who received one-on-one training prior to joining a team. Moreland can discuss the team trend in the workplace, team dynamics, and how team members can best be trained. He is available after August 31. CONTACT: Sharon S. Blake, 412-624-4364

Pirates' Union?

Was there a subculture among pirates, a socialistic nature in some ways similar to a "workers' union"? This is just one of the questions raised by history professor Marcus Rediker's research focusing on the common working people who helped to build the economy of the Atlantic from 1600 to 1830. In his book, "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," Rediker portrays the life of the pirate, the merchant seaman and the Anglo-American maritime world.

CONTACT: Trish Lomando White, 412-624-9101

The Family That Works Together ...

The family in business has a unique set of needs and challenges. Ann Dugan, director of the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business Family Enterprise Center, helps large and small family-owned businesses develop a secure environment that keeps the business healthy while keeping family members in the business.

Ms. Dugan is available after September 2 to discuss this unique labor group. CONTACT: Sharon S. Blake, 412-624-4364

Unions at the Crossroads?

Militancy is back in the U.S. labor movement. Strikes at General Motors, Bell Atlantic, and U.S. West, on top of major walkouts at UPS and Goodyear last year, vividly illustrate organized labor's renewed combativeness. Unions are also much more confrontational on the organizing and political fronts. Record sums are being spent to recruit new members and elect sympathetic lawmakers. Marick F. Masters, a professor of business administration, has written extensively on labor unions. His recent book, Unions at the Crossroads," has influenced union revitalization strategies. He is currently working on books on unions among professionals, labor in U.S. politics, and workplace privacy. CONTACT: Sharon Flake, 412-648-1566

Local Labor Roots

A rich and fascinating glimpse into the unions that gave birth to the region's industrialization is found in the University Library System Labor Archives at Pitt. Documents, labor agreements, letters, photos, and campaign buttons are just some of the archive materials overseen by labor archivist David Rosenberg. He is available to discuss the collections, how he adds to them, and what they show about how the local labor movement has evolved. CONTACT: Sharon S.Blake, 412-624-4364

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