Call for submissions - Workplace activism, the labour movement and the economic crisis

June 24, 2009 in Briarpatch Announcements | No comments

Striking Back: Workplace activism, the labour movement and the economic crisis

“Economic theory suggests that the convulsions of the capitalist system will eventually be resolved by the destruction of capital and a restoration of profit and production. Crisis theory predicts that unresolved contradictions only get worse. If an alternative force is not present,  there is no resolution, and there will be even greater convulsions waiting for us.
“Canadian labour is challenged by both theories: surviving the economic crisis without losing its power, while at the same time becoming a force capable of organizing and imposing change on a broken system.”
-Fred Wilson, “Whose crisis is it?,” Canadian Dimension, May/June 2009
The economic crisis is taking a grim toll on working people and on the labour movement. Is labour condemned to watch decades of hard-fought gains undone, or can it organize an effective response and go on the offensive?
In our November/December issue, “Striking Back: Workplace activism, the labour movement and the economic crisis,” Briarpatch will assess the impact of the global economic crisis on working people and on the labour movement, and investigate the opportunities for advancing a new vision of economic wellbeing grounded in workplace democracy, respect for human rights and an equitable distribution of resources.
If you’ve got something to contribute to this discussion, then we want to hear from you. We are looking for articles, essays, investigative reportage, news briefs, project profiles, interviews with luminary thinkers, reviews, poetry, humour, artwork & photography that shed light on the current situation.

Possible topics could include (but are no means limited to):

  • the impact of the economic crisis on migrant workers, in Canada or elsewhere;
  • the roll-back of women’s rights in the workplace;
  • labour activism in the Global South;
  • the growth of the “living wage” movement;
  • nationalization/expropriation of banks and manufacturers;
  • the future of the auto/manufacturing sector in Canada;
  • the fight for employment insurance reform; or
  • unemployed worker activism & support.

We also welcome pitches for short profiles (300-800 words) of initiatives and organizations who are responding to the crisis in radical and innovative ways. (Please note that we do not accept profiles of organizations written by staff of those organizations. Such organizations are welcome - indeed, encouraged - to take out an ad in this issue.)

Queries are due by July 6. If your query is accepted; first drafts are due by August 10. Your query should outline what ground your contribution will cover, give an estimated word count, and indicate your relevant experience or background in writing about the issue. If you haven’t written for Briarpatch before, please provide a brief writing sample.

Please review our submission guidelines before submitting. Send your queries/submissions to editor AT briarpatchmagazine D0T com.

We reserve the right to edit your work (with your active involvement), and cannot guarantee publication.
Other upcoming Briarpatch themes:

January/February: Resistance 2010: The politics of protest in Canada
Query deadline: Approx. September 1, 2009 (TBA)

March/April: Feminism International: The global fight for women’s autonomy
Query deadline: Approx November 1, 2009 (TBA)

May/June: Anti-imperialist activism & Canada’s foreign policy
Query deadline: Approx January 5, 2010 (TBA)

July/August: Fences, walls & borders: Migration & the right to freedom of movement
Query deadline: Approx. March 1, 2010 (TBA)

September/October: Health
Query deadline: Approx. May 1, 2010 (TBA)

November/December: Work
Query deadline: Approx. July 1, 2010 (TBA)

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