Blogs

This article was originally written by Kris Kniffen, a student in the Wayne State University School of Library and Information Science, in early 2015.

Jimmy Hoffa was a prominent labor leader in the 1950s and 60s, serving as the General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters between 1958 and 1971. In spite of significant contributions to the union’s cause, however - such as the development of the first national agreement for teamsters’ rates in 1964 - it is not Hoffa’s history in the unions that earned him the widespread name recognition that he still possesses today. Instead, the Hoffa name is infamous for its connections to organized crime, and for Hoffa’s mysterious disappearance on July 30, 1975.  read more »

This post was authored by Justine Tobiasz, a student in the Wayne State University Archives Certificate Program, during the 2014-2015 academic year.

In 1981, a portion of the Detroit neighborhood known as Poletown was destroyed as a result of a deal between Mayor Coleman Young and General Motors to make room for a new Cadillac assembly plant.  read more »

Join the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs to celebrate the achievements of Professor Emeritus Dr. Philip P. Mason and commemorate the Reuther Library's 40th anniversary.

Dr. Philip P. Mason and his former students and colleagues Kathleen Roe, Warner Pflug and Dr. Frank Boles will offer remarks. The Reuther Library will also unveil a portrait of Dr. Mason to be hung on permanent display.  read more »

Dr. Donna Kesselman, Professor, Université Paris-Est Créteil, will provide an update on her current research into the changing interrelationships between labor, management, and government in the automobile industry. This brown-bag presentation will take place at noon on Wednesday, August 5, 2015, in the Reuther Conference Room of the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs. Transformations in employment norms are an integral component of today's globalizing world labor market. Exploring “employment grey zones” provides a critical thought approach to defining these constantly evolving labor-management structures.  read more »