Jay, Maine, Fights for Jobs and the Environment

[Excerpt] Since 1937, a social contract existed between International Paper and the paper-mill unions. This social contract is referred to locally as The Smell of Money : IP pays high wages, and workers and their families don\u27t complain about the foul smell created by the paper mills\u27 pollution that permeates the local communities. When IP broke the social contract by permanently replacing the local workforce with out-of-town scabs, the local community was left with the stink and no highpaying jobs. In June of 1987, 1,250 workers at International Paper Company\u27s Androscoggin paper mill in Jay, Maine, went on strike. What happened next was a familiar site in the post-PATCO and pre-Wagner Act eras: within two months, all the union workers were permanently replaced, and 16 months later, the strike was called off. But the story of the Jay workers doesn\u27t end there. While the battle over bargaining rights was lost, the workplace fight was transformed into a broad campaign to exercise local political power. Indeed, out of this struggle emerged a new tool to extend workers\u27 rights

Portraying the Role of Ezra Chater in Tom Stoppard\u27s Arcadia

In January of 2011 I began working on the role of Ezra Chater in Tom Stoppard\u27s 1993 masterpiece Arcadia . The production was under the direction of Mavourneen Dwyer. After a month and a half of rehearsal we opened on February 25th, 2011, and began a run of performances that lasted until March 6th. Ezra Chater appears twice over the course of the play, first in Act 1 scene 1, then in Act 1 Scene III, and his character is integral to the mystery that connects the past and present scenes together. In this paper I will be detailing the process I took in rehearsing and performing the role

Adam Smith Meets an Index of Specialization in International Trade

Development economists agree that increasing export diversification is a concomitant to economic development. An accepted explanation for Africa’s export stagnation is its dependence on monoculture, and on small number of commodities. Recently a large body of literature focuses on the relationship between economic growth and export specialization. However, there does not exist one generally acceptable measure or index for the concept of “Specialization in International Trade”. This paper suggest one such measure for specialization and its theoretical and conceptual framework are developed and applied to Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Tunisia and Morocco, during the years of their take offs.Trade Specialization Indices; Development Theory; Developing Country Export Compositions; International Trade Theory; Trade in Manufactures; Trade and Transformation.

The Ability to Adapt and Overcome Obstacles: Machinery Exports of Poland

From 1980-2009 the Polish economy experienced structural dislocation. The growth and success of the Solidarity movement represented the shift in manufacturing from Soviet bloc trade to membership in the European Union. This paper examines four independent metrics that measure the changing “sophistication” of trade patterns during this modal shift. The common theme underlying the analysis of these indices is that the Polish economy is resilient and adaptable. Poland is expected to compete effectively in its new economic environment after a period of adjustment and progress.Trade Patterns in a Transition Economy, Machinery and Transport Equipment, Exports, Poland, Solidarity, Structural Change, Sophistication Indices, Trade Specialization Index, Intra-Industry Trade, Shock Therapy, Revealed Comparative Advantage, Herfendahl-Hirschman Index, Standard International Trade Classification, Compositional Shifts, Data Aggregation, Dispersion; Market Power

South Africa’s International Competitiveness: A Product Level Analysis

As South Africa emerges from its Apartheid period, the evolution of its international trade is vital to the growth of the economy. This paper evaluates South Africa’s trade performance in three essential markets, namely United States, Europe and Japan. It examines the nation’s flexibility in the face of fluctuations in relative exchange rates in its markets. Using the Constant Market Share (CMS) model of international trade and the “Rising Stars” model, the particular areas of industrial structure in which South Africa is positioned to succeed are identified on the market as well as the product levels.Apartheid; South Africa; Southern African Development Community (SADC); United States, Japan, European Union; International Competitiveness; Entrepreneurship; Exchange Rate Responsiveness; Constant Market Share (CMS) model