The International Labor and Working-Class History journal (ILWCH) invites submissions for a special thematic issue on “Hot Work,” edited by Eduardo Contreras (Hunter College, CUNY) and Selda Altan (Randolph College).

This issue will explore the meanings and experiences of labor in environments marked by heat, whether physical, industrial, or site-specific. It aims to bring together scholarship that examines labor and work life through the lenses of geography and climate; health and safety; and environmental change. Heat has long been a defining force in labor and working-class experiences. From the tropics to industrial foundries, and from colonial plantations to modern kitchens, “hot work”—as a concept and phenomenon—intersects with urgent questions about climate, inequality, and labor rights. This issue seeks to foreground these linkages to analyze how heat has defined work, shaped identities, and fueled struggles for justice. 

We will approach "hot work" in at least three ways.  Geographically, we seek essays focused on the lives and labors of people in tropical and arid parts of the world. These areas remain underrepresented in labor history. Guiding questions may include: How have labor struggles overlapped with concerns over land, natural resources, and Indigenous rights? How have colonialism, imperial agendas, and decolonization defined and circumscribed what proved possible for working people in these regions? How have climate conditions shaped the trajectories of labor demands and initiatives for socioeconomic stability?  

We will also use "hot work" to foreground labor in environments and industries traditionally characterized by high levels of indoor or outdoor heat, including agriculture, construction, fire service, food production, metalworking, and utilities. Key questions may include: How has heat exposure predisposed workers to chronic illness and affected life expectancy? How have societal perceptions of labor in hot environments been marked by race, class, and gender? What roles have labor unions and state policies played in addressing—or failing to address— the health and safety hazards in these sectors? 

Lastly, we invite essays grappling with how the nature, experiences, and perceptions of “hot work” have evolved across sociohistorical contexts. What did it mean to engage in hot work in and beyond tropical and arid regions? How has the meaning of “hot work” evolved in response to environmental disasters, industrialization, and rising global temperatures? How has climate change, over the longue durée, become a catalyst for new work lives, migration, and struggles for dignity and well-being? Who has been most affected by “hot work,” and why?  

Submission Guidelines We welcome traditional scholarly articles (8,000–10,000 words, including footnotes) as well as shorter formats such as photo essays, transcribed interviews, and field notes. Contributions representing a wide range of historical periods and places are encouraged, with a particular interest in perspectives from the Global South.

Please submit an abstract of up to 250 words by May 1, 2025. If invited to submit a full piece for peer review, the deadline for a completed first draft will be October 15, 2025. The projected date of publication is Fall 2026. To submit an abstract: Authors first need to log onto our editorial software, ScholarOne, create an account, and submit a “Special Feature Abstract.” The portal can be accessed at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ilwch.