Labor (journal)

Labor: Studies in Working-Class History is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering the history of the labor movement in the United States, including unions, non-union agricultural work, slavery, unpaid and domestic labor, informal employment, and other topics. While the primary focus is on the United States, the journal also covers labor movements in North and South America as well as transnational comparisons that shed light on the American labor movement. It is the official journal of the Labor and Working-Class History Association and is published by Duke University Press. The editor-in-chief is Julie Greene (University of Maryland, College Park) who took over the role when the founding editor, Leon Fink (University of Illinois at Chicago), stepped down in July 2023.

While primarily focused on articles and book reviews, Labor also contains sections designed to broaden labor history. The “Contemporary Affairs” section offers labor historians concerned with the search for “a usable past” a platform to address contemporary problems of workers and their unions. “Up for Debate” allows for a focused argument by several scholars on an important theme. “The Common Verse” displays a diversity of poems that give voice to American workers. “Arts and Media" explores themes and representations of labor and working-class culture, both historical and contemporary.