Could "Neutron Jack" Welch be labor's partner? John Sweeney sees the CEO of General Electric, famed for cutting jobs and amassing profits, that way. Labor Notes has learned that Sweeney is quietly discussing with Welch the founding of a national "Economic Leadership Dialogue on Citizenship" between corporate executives and union officials, with himself and Welch as co-chairs.

"If you're going to speak Vietnamese, just go back to Vietnam. This is America."

These words of welcome shocked food processing worker Ho Lai as he deboned chicken at a Campbell's Soup plant in Nebraska. It was October 1975, and Lai was a recent arrival in the U.S. He had been forced to leave his family and three children behind in war-torn Vietnam. Like many immigrants new to the American workforce, Lai spoke no English.