Metal Fatigue: American Bosch and the Demise of Metalworking in the Connecticut River Valley (Work, Health and Environment Series)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.90 (957 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0895033267 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 198 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-05-24 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Globalization and creative destruction have taken a fierce toll on the city and region's economic and social structure. Easily one of the lucid and accessible books ever written on the local cost of globalization. Robert Forrant, a former machinist-turned-academic, recounts in living but tragic detail the impact of the loss of skilled industrial jobs on individuals, families, and an entire region. He writes about the decline of Springfield through his experience as a worker and union official of American Bosch, the enormous metalworking plant that closed its doors in 1986. He weaves his knowledge of the forces buffeting Springfield with his knowledge of the people who lived, worked, and lost their jobs there. The compelling book should be read by historians, by urban and regional planners, and by anyone who mourns the disappearance of our industrial base. --Bruce Laurie, Prof. --Pro
Robert Forrant received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is a professor in the University of Massachusetts Lowell graduate program in regional economic and social development. He has consulted on industrial development issues with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the International Labour Organiza
Marie C. Duggan said Theoretical and Personal. I have used this book to teach a course on industrial change in the Connecticut River Valley. In addition to his first hand experience in Springfield, Mass, he has quite a bit of information from interviews about changes in Springfield, Vermont, which I appreciated. Furthermore, there is a good bit on the impact o. Interesting subject I wouldn't have otherwise picked up There's a big difference between an author who has first-hand experience and an author who is writing solely from references. Robert Forrant worked in this industry and was able to fill the book with information and make it interesting. Glad I read it.
The shutdown is placed in the context of the wider region's deindustrialization. The closure marked the watershed for large-firm metalworking and metalworking unions in the Connecticut River Valley. The book also describes how the United States, in a ten-year period from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, went from being the world's leading exporter of machine tools to its leading importer, and how that sharp decline affected the region's leading city, Springfield, Massachusetts, which by 2005 was in danger of bankruptcy.