Contains  Salute to Jack Metzgar,   Conference Puts Forth New Vision,   MCLR Research Dept. News 

LeRoy, Greg

English

DigitalCommons@ILR

Labor Research Review 
Volume 1 | Number 18 
Let's Get Moving! Organizing for the '90's Article 1 
1991 
The MCLR Reporter 
Greg LeRoy 
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© 1991 by Labor Research Review 
The MCLR Reporter 
Abstract 
Contains "Salute to Jack Metzgar," "Conference Puts Forth New Vision," "MCLR Research Dept. News". 
Keywords 
Jack Metzgar, New Visions of Community Economic Development, MCLR 
This article is available in Labor Research Review: https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/lrr/vol1/iss18/1 
The MCLR Reporter 
SALUTE TO JACK METZGAR 
LRR's retiring editor Jack 
Metzgar was pronounced 
"well-done" by the end of 
his June 8th roast, an incre-
dibly hilarious evening 
which assembled LRR 
history from all nine years 
of Jack's tenure. Tart words 
were delivered by LRR 
friends Ron Carver, Ray 
Pasnick, Mike Stout, David 
Bensman, Randy Barber, 
Kim Fellner, John Russo, 
Christine Boardman, Dan 
Swinney, Susan Kellock, 
Robera Lynch, Mark Crouch, Mike Matuszak, Teresa Conrow, 
Mark Erlich, Don Mahoney, Joe Uehlein, Lynn Feekin, Andy 
Banks, Sandy Sutton, and Pat Broughton, with miscellaneous barbs 
from emcee Greg LeRoy. Amidst the heaping abuse, there was 
much praise for Jack's editorial and diplomatic skills and his vision 
of how this publication can play a role in strengthening the labor 
movement. Jack will still be involved as an active member of both 
the LRR and MCLR boards. Thanks to everyone who attended 
and/or supported the adbook; the event made a small but vital 
contribution to LRR's revenue. 
CONFERENCE PUTS FORTH NEW VISION 
Does one measure the success of a conference by the number of 
people who attend, the diverse regions and organizations they 
represent or by the amount of follow-up discussion and projects? 
By all counts the "New Visions of Community Economic Develop-
ment" conference held May 16-17 was a resounding success. 
A paper co-written by Dan Swinney of MCLR, Miquel Vasquez 
of the Center for Community Change (Washington, D.C.), and 
Howard Engelskirchen of Western State University (Fullerton, 
California) served as the theoretical centerpiece of the conference. 
The writers advocated a community-controlled, manufacturing-
centered strategy for eradicating poverty. Community-labor coali-
tions would form the basis for economic decision-making. 
Let's Get Moving! Organizing for the 90s 107 
Two hundred people from most every region in the United States 
participated in the conference. They represented grassroots organi-
zations, the business and finance sector, religious communities, 
academia, local government, policy circles, labor unions, and foun-
dations. Nearly 20 organizations co-sponsored the conference 
along with MCLR, and four foundations provided financial support. 
Several projects have been initiated as a result of the conference. 
Working groups are: exploring ways to apply New Vision models 
in several cities; creating a video that links Mondragon to the U.S., 
planning a second national conference, discussing how to make 
the international corrections and integrate a gender analysis. 
Proceedings from the New Visions Conference will be available 
in late 1991. The original paper is now translated into Spanish and 
may be obtained, along with the English version, from MCLR. 
MCLR RESEARCH DEPT. NEWS 
The Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers are challenging American 
Home Products shutdown of its Elkhart, Indiana Anacin-
producing plant in order to take advantages of tax loopholes in 
Puerto Rico. This summer, a federal district judge in San Juan ruled 
that the union's $100 million RICO lawsuit against AHP has merits 
and launched pre-trial proceedings. In addition, U.S. Represen-
tative Pete Starks (D-California) introduced legislation to amend 
I.R.S. Code 936 and ban the tax loophole for runaways to U.S. 
possessions. MCLR continues with research and publicity support. 
Proctor-Silex workers whom MCLR has been assisting appeared 
in a five-minute segment on the CBS Evening News in July. The 
story detailed the workers' protest against NACCO Industries 
relocation to Juarez, Mexico. In its wake the Cleveland-based 
owner of Proctor-Silex has left the workers with no severance pay, 
extended medical benefits, or job retraining programs. They did 
leave the town of Southern Pines, North Carolina with a toxic 
waste dump, however. On the "positive" side, workers have 
received a federal dislocated-worker grant, the shutdown has been 
delayed for at least four months, and Cleveland labor showed their 
support for the North Carolina workers by picketing NACCO's 
annual meeting in May. Articles have appeared in Business Week 
and The Nation. It appears that the plight of the Proctor-Silex 
workers is the classic Free Trade Agreement horror story. 
—Greg LeRoy 
Research Director, MCLR 


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