Welcome to the IRL 201 (History of American Labor and Management) course home page.  On this page you will find a variety of materials including the course syllabus and reading list, and the essay handout. These are all materials you have been given in hard copy. You will also find internet assignments, announcements such as changes in the class schedule, exam announcements, and links to many interesting and useful world-wide web pages.

Schedule and Office Hours
You can find Cliff Donn’s teaching schedule and office hours for the current semester here.

Syllabus and Reading List
You will find a copy of the course syllabus and reading list here in a slightly different format from the one you were given in class. You will find the description of the course, the "expectations" for the instructor and for you, the planned dates for topics and activities and the reading list. If you lose your copy, you can print out a copy of this one.

Library Reserve List
This is the reserve list of materials which has been sent to the library. If you are having trouble locating something on reserve, please check this list to make sure it was placed on reserve.

Course Essay Handout
The course essay handout is available here.  It indicates the format of the essays, the suggested questions and the due dates.  Please read the handout carefully to make certain your essay(s) comply with all of the requirements.

There is a detailed and very specific set of guidelines with respect to format and style for all papers submitted in the Department of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management.  You should look at those guidelines very carefully.  They will enable you to organize a more cogent paper and it will also enable you to avoid plagiarism.

There is a rubric which you should examine carefully before writing and before submitting your essay. It discusses in detail how the essays are evaluated.

Exams
The dates of all course exams as well as any changes in dates or times are listed here.  You will also find sample exam questions, specifically the exam questions from the last time this course was given.

Announcements
Here you will find any changes in the class schedule or reading list.  You'll find announcements of meetings you may want to attend.  You'll also find required internet assignments listed here.

Class Power Point Slides
In this section you will find the slides shown in class each day
I. Introduction to the Study of Labor History
IIA. Colonial Period and Revolution
IIB. Development of the Factory System
IIC. Free and Unfree Labor
IID. Civil War and Reconstruction
IIE.The Gilded Age
IIF. The Progressive Era
IIG. 1920s and the Great Depression
IIH. World War II and the Post-War Period
III. The 1960s
IIJ. The 1970s and 1980s
IIK. Contemporary Period
IIIA. Unions, Employers and the Law
IIIB. Size and Structure of the Labor Movement
IIIC. Unions and the Underprivileged
IIID. Labor and Politics
IV. Conclusions

Definitions
Definitions for all units up through The Progressive Era
Definitions for all units from the 1920s to the Contemporary Period
Definitions for the Modern American Labor Movement

Internet Links
American Labor History is a general source which includes many links to a variety of other resources covering most time periods and most aspects of labor history.
One of the most deadly labor disputes in US history involved the attempt to organize coal miners that led to the Battle of Matewan in 1920.
Daniel DeLeon was won of the most colorful leaders of the US Labor movement as well as one of the most radical.  This website is a set of archives relating to him.
The Industrial Workers of the World were an extremely influential labor group in the early part of the twentieth century.  This page is maintained by one of several groups which continue to try to keep the IWW and its ideology alive.
The site Labor and Business History contains a list of resources useful in doing research and it also contains a search engine.
The Labor and Labor History Center, University of California at Berkeley, has links to documentary films and other films with labor themes.
The Labor Heritage Foundation attempts to strengthen the labor movement through music and art.  It has links to labor landmarks throughtout the USA and a set of "chants for a lively picket line."
The most deadly industrial mishap in US history was the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, which took place in 1911 in New York City.  This excellent web page includes descriptions, photos, newspaper accounts, political cartoons, and analyses of both the conditions that led to the fire and the aftermath of the fire.
Unionstats is a page maintained by Barry Hirsch and David Macpherson based on government data. It is the easiest way to access comprehensive statistics on union membership and collective bargaining coverage in the United States. The data are organized by industry, by occupation, by state and by metropolitan area.
The U.S. Labor History Index has links to archives as well as to organizations working on labor history.
The Harvard University Libraries now maintain a site devoted to Women Working: 1800-1930. You will find books, pamplets, photographs and lots of other materials.

Arbitration and Mediation Cases
Cliff always has a few arbitration and mediation cases scheduled.  If you have the time available you are welcome to accompany him and observe one of those.  The sign-up sheet is on his door but the schedule is posted here.