During these times of crisis, you can express the holiday spirit with a present of solidarity.

The Labor Heritage Society recognizes this by posting on their Web site songs of holiday solidarity. For "I'm Dreaming of a Just Workplace," "Wal-Mart Stores are Coming to Town" and more, go to www.laborheritage.org.

You can also call (202) 974-8041 to reach the society, which has scores of labor CDs, books and videos that make great presents to introduce young people to the struggle and invigorate the rest of us for the tough times ahead.

Among their rock albums, my favorite is the CD reissue of the rock opera "Seattle 1919," about the general strike.

Traditional union and civil rights music are well represented, including Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, the NYC Labor Chorus, civil rights collections and gospel solidarity from the Whiteville Choir and Sweet Honey in the Rock. The society has made a real effort to break the "folk song" stereotype with recordings like the Boston punk Irish band Dropkick Murphy and rancid California punk rockers singing about social issues.

For contemporary musicians in the traditional vein there are John O'Connor's splendid 'We Ain't Gonna Give it Back," David Rovics and New York's own Kirk Kelly and Julius Margolin.

Latino labor music includes farm union organizer Baldemar Velasquez, Tish Hinojosa and Dr. Loco's Rockin' Jalapeno Band.

Labor Heritage also offers books like "Ralph Fasanella's America," filled with his paintings and sketches, and Debra Bernhardt and Rachel Bernstein's "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives," a pictorial history of the NYC labor movement.

Videos include a new reissue of "At the River I Stand," about the AFSCME Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968 in which Dr. King gave his life for labor, Paul Robeson's "Proud Valley," and "Live Nude Girls Unite," which follows the quest of dancers at the Lusty Lady Club to form the first ever Exotic Dancers Union.

The best place to go for posters and notecards is the Northland Poster Collective at www.northlandposter.com or call 800-627-3082 for their catalog.

To get a full range of wonderful Bread and Roses artwork or their new 2003 movement art calendar, go to their Web site at www.bread-and-roses.com.

For a 2003 calendar with great labor history photos, get the International Workers of the World calendar at www.iww.org (415) 863-9627. They also have IWW pennants, bike reflectors, baseball caps, songbooks and buttons.

If you want to borrow or look at any of the books, CDs or videos mentioned above, come to the DC 37 Education Fund Library in Room 211 of union headquarters, 125 Barclay St.

—Ken Nash
DC 37 Education Fund Library