SPARC partners with new labor studies journal; Entire editorial board moves to new journal | September 10, 2003 | Press Release

"SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) today announced a partnership with Labor: Studies in Working Class History in the Americas, a new journal founded by the entire editorial board of Labor History, a commercial title owned by Taylor and Francis. As SPARC’s first partnership in the humanities, the alliance with Labor broadens SPARC's reach into another field plagued by disproportionate prices for commercial journals and a lack of competitive alternatives. The new journal, to be launched by the Duke University Press in February 2004, was created in response to “irreconcilable differences” between the editorial board and Taylor and Francis. According to Leon Fink, the former editor-in-chief of Labor History and editor of the new Labor, the principal issue was maintaining the journal’s editorial independence. States Fink, “We couldn’t continue to maintain the journal’s editorial quality while meeting the demands of Taylor and Francis to increase the number of pages published per year.” More than 40 people associated with the Taylor and Francis journal have joined Fink at the new Labor journal, including four associate editors, the book review editor, the six-person editorial committee, and the 30 contributing editors. Labor, the new journal, is available for $200 for print, which is 20 percent less than the commercial title. Labor is $180 for electronic-only subscriptions. SPARC and Duke University Press are encouraging SPARC members to subscribe to Labor...."