This site will work and look better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.
Labor Law: Org/Coll Bargain (Spring 2008)
| Catalog #: | 766 | Section: | 01 | Credits (Min/Max): | 3/3 | Satisfy UCWR? | No |
| Class #: | 9744 | Location: | Chase 210 | Day/Time: | Monday Wednesday 2:00-3:30 | ||
| Instructor: | Richard M. Fischl | Course Type: | Lecture | Enrollment Status: | Open | Limit: | 65 |
| Final Exam: | Proctored | Tentative Final Exam: | 12-May-08 2:30PM 5:30PM | Grading Basis: | P/F Option | ||
| Subject(s): | |||||||
| Labor and Employment Law | |||||||
| Description: | |||||||
| What do American labor unions do? In a nutshell, they negotiate and enforce contracts ('collective-bargaining agreements') that govern wages, hours, and working conditions for employees who work in unionized firms. From an employee's perspective, the contracts unions secure are typically superior to those governing non-union workers in at least three respects. First, they provide a wage-and-benefit package that is on average 10-to-15 greater (in terms of total dollar value) than those provided by similarly situated non-union firms. Second, most union contracts provide guarantees of job security-- no discharge or other discipline without just cause-- whereas most non-union workers are employed 'at will' and can be dismissed at any time for any reason not proscribed by positive law. Finally, union contracts come with their own enforcement mechanism: i.e., the labor union itself. Thus, a union employee who wishes to challenge a discharge or other adverse action need not hire a lawyer and mount a private lawsuit to enforce her contractual rights; rather, enforcement is secured by the union through a grievance-resolution process that is typically far faster, cheaper, and more effective than the judicial alternative. If unions provide American workers with such a terrific deal, it is fair to ask why so few contemporary workers seek and secure union representation? (Currently, just under 10 of the private-sector workforce belongs to unions, down from a post-World War II high of over 40 .) This course will explore that question and suggest a variety of possible legal, social, and economic explanations as we examine in some detail (a) the body of law governing union organizing (how workers go about getting a union in the first place, and the protections workers enjoy against employer and union coercion in that process) and (b) the law of collective bargaining (how unions secure and enforce collective-bargaining agreements, and the ways in which American law structures union power vis-a-vis employers). | |||||||
| Notes: | |||||||
| The actual enrollment limit of this course is 70. 5 Seats have been set aside for incoming LL.M. students. | |||||||
The information in this system is a snapshot of data from the official Student Administration System. Please consult the Student Administration System for up-to-date information. This data was last updated on Tue Nov 18 09:44:07 EST 2008