Southern Labor Studies Association
Visit the website: www.southernlaborstudies.org

For many years, a Southern Labor Studies Conference has been organized biennially on an ad hoc basis, with no consistent organizational support or institutional memory. At the last such conference-which doubled as this year's LAWCHA conference- a group spearheaded by Heather Thompson and Cindy Hahamovitch came together to found the Southern Labor Studies Association. So far, we are a group of working-class and labor historians in or of the South, but we hope to expand to include scholars in other disciplines, activists, labor educators, and organizers.

We seek to encourage the study of work and the working class in the American South, and by scholars working in the South. To do this, we will work to build and strengthen the community of labor scholars in the South; to foster communication among them; provide forums for sharing their work; recognize contributions to the study of work and the working class; encourage the preservation of Southern working class sites and sources; and foster the teaching of working class history in and about the South.

SLSA is proudly affiliated with LAWCHA. Membership will be through a small add-on to LAWCHA dues, so all our members will also be national members.

SLSA will have three events at the Southern Historical Annual meeting on Friday, November 2nd, in Richmond. We will meet in order to continue planning from 8-9:30am (room TBA). A more fun event will be our inaugural reception that evening from 5:30-7:30 in the Commonwealth Room. Finally, at a time and fee to be announced, Greg Kimball will lead a labor history walking tour of Richmond's canal area, including the Tredegar Iron Works, Tobacco Row, and Docks (space will be limited).

We have lots of ideas for our nascent group, and we'd love to have yours, too! For more information, email SLSA President Heather Thompson at hathomps@uncc.edu. Those who want to be involved in bringing this new organization to life can join an email list by going to: https://lists.duke.edu/ sympa/subscribe/slsa-plan.

Midwest Program Subcommittee

As chair of the Midwest subcommittee, Lisa Phillips at Indiana State University will be gathering suggestions for future LAWCHA-sponsored panels in the Midwest and elsewhere. Please feel free to e-mail her at lphillips7@isugw.indstate.edu or phone at 812-237-3706 with ideas for panels, any questions you might have.