Vanderbilt Undergraduate Research Journal

Vanderbilt Undergraduate Research Journal > Vol. 1 (2005)

The State of the Union: A History of the Labor Movement at Vanderbilt University

Jennifer M Carlisle, College of Arts & Science

Abstract
This article will document the historical context of the labor movement at Vanderbilt University in order to explain the nature and interaction of the labor union with central administration over the past forty years. Recognizing the lack of scholarly attention to the labor movement in Paul Conkin�s Gone with the Ivy (1985) and Peabody College (2002) and Dale Johnson�s Vanderbilt Divinity School (2001), the author contributes to the academic literature by providing a broad overview of the historical background and current state of the labor movement. As the largest employer in Davidson County and a major contributor to the state of Tennessee�s economic development, the relationship of University administrators and labor representatives has a large impact on the condition of surrounding labor movements, particularly in the city of Nashville�s low-wage service workers sector. In providing a brief chronological synopsis of the labor movement and the role of female involvement in the union, the author concludes by providing a context for contemporary labor negotiations.

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