Labor Solidarity in a “Right-to-Work” State
The rich labor history of Las Vegas will serve as the setting to understand the impact “right-to-work”
laws have on the workforce. Professor James P. Kraft, author of Vegas at Odds: Labor Conflict in a
Leisure Economy, 1960-1985, will discuss the changing fortunes of organized and unorganized labor
as Las Vegas evolved from a small, somewhat seedy desert oasis into the glitzy tourist destination that
it is today. Danny L. Thompson, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Nevada State AFL-CIO will
shed light on how right-to-work has affected union membership in Nevada.
This program will provide librarians
with information they can use to
help their patrons and community
members understand the impact of
“right-to-work” laws.
SPEAKERS:
James P. Kraft, Professor of
History at the University of
Hawai`i, is the author of Vegas at
Odds: Labor Conflict in a Leisure
Economy, 1960-1985 (Johns
Hopkins University Press, 2010)
and Stage to Studio: Musicians and
the Sound Revolution, 1890-1950
(Johns Hopkins University Press,
2003).
Danny L. Thompson,
Executive Secretary-Treasurer,
Nevada State AFL-CIO is a
nationally recognized labor leader
with 125 affiliates and more than
225,000 members state-wide in
Nevada. He directs one of the most
effective state labor movements in
the country.
DETAILS:
Program is on Monday, June 30, 10:30 – 11:30am at the Las Vegas Convention Center, N236
Organized by the AFL-CIO/ALA Joint Committee on Library Service to Labor Groups