TY - JOUR T1 - Union Organizing and Labor Outreach in the Contemporary United States JF - Sociology Compass Y1 - Submitted A1 - Marc Dixon KW - labor outreach KW - organizing strategies KW - union organizing AB -

Despite their long decline, labor unions increasingly find themselves in the news. From the spirited debate over income inequality, to fights over minimum wage and the unlikely mobilization of fast food workers at the very bottom of the American labor market, labor issues are of great public interest. In this article, I review scholarship on contemporary union organizing and outreach activity. This work suggests that while innovative organizing and outreach strategies, sometimes lumped together under the rubric of “social movement unionism” and “alt-labor,” are demonstrated to be effective in advancing union causes, only a handful of unions appear to have the will and resources to utilize them. Moreover, while the implementation of new organizing and outreach strategies has been uneven and has not boosted union membership nationally, organized resistance to unions, from court rooms to state legislatures, has increased substantially.

VL - 8 L2 - eng CP - 10 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Improvisational Unionism JF - California Law Review Y1 - 2016 A1 - Oswalt, Michael M. KW - Fight for $15 KW - improvisation KW - labor KW - OUR Walmart KW - strikes KW - unions AB -

Recent fights for a $15 minimum wage at Walmart and in the fast food industry have interested academics, captivated the press, and energized the public. For good reason. The campaigns have upended conventional wisdom about what unions do (get specific sets of workers excited about unions) and why they do it (to get more members). But scattered, flash strikes for seemingly impossible or idiosyncratic goals on no obvious timeline have shattered that mold. Though much has already been said about these developments, scholarship has yet to provide a rigorous theoretical frame to categorize and explain the new form of activism. This article argues that improvisation — long the engine of comedy and jazz but more recently a topic of serious academic inquiry — does both. It contends that “improvisational unionism” is not only a planned, practiced, and intentional social practice that galvanizes courageous conduct, inspires new relationships, and, most importantly, spreads, it also functions as a highly intentional legal strategy selected for its unique potential to unlock worker militancy amid law and institutional restrictions that have corroded labor’s power for decades.

VL - 104 L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2577420 J1 - California Law Review ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Teachers' Unions and Education Reform in Comparative Contexts Y1 - 2016 A1 - Whorton, Lindsay KW - education KW - education reform KW - Finland KW - performance-related pay KW - teachers KW - teachers’ unions KW - union-management relationship AB -

Teachers’ unions have long been controversial and divisive organizations, but criticism and distrust of them may be at an all-time high. This volume considers the prevailing assumption that unions successfully block change in education because they are primarily motivated to protect members’ interests. It challenges the conceptualization of teacher union motivation and provides a more nuanced account of unions’ interests, power and impact. Through a series of international cases from the United States, Finland and the Canton of Zürich, this volume examines the hot-button issue of performance-related pay reform and compensation. It argues that a better understanding of the union-management relationship may be the key to securing more meaningful change and reform. It will be of use to scholars, policy-makers, union leaders, teachers and citizens who are interested in the possibilities for the union-management relationship, rather than the limitations.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Teachers’ Unions and Education Reform in Comparative Contexts Y1 - 2016 A1 - Whorton, Lindsay KW - Canton of Zürich KW - education reform KW - Finland KW - performance-related pay reform KW - teachers’ unions KW - union-management relationship AB -

Teachers’ unions have long been controversial and divisive organizations, but criticism and distrust of them may be at an all-time high. This volume considers the prevailing assumption that unions successfully block change in education because they are primarily motivated to protect members’ interests. It challenges the conceptualization of teacher union motivation and provides a more nuanced account of unions’ interests, power and impact.Through a series of international cases from the United States, Finland and the Canton of Zürich, this volume examines the hot-button issue of performance-related pay reform and compensation. It argues that a better understanding of the union-management relationship may be the key to securing more meaningful change and reform. It will be of use to scholars, policy-makers, union leaders, teachers and citizens who are interested in the possibilities for the union-management relationship, rather than the limitations.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Transnational, European, and National Labour Relations Y1 - 2016 A1 - Sander, Gerald G. A1 - Tomljenovic, Vesna A1 - Bodiroga-Vukobrat, Nada KW - European Labor Relations KW - European Union KW - globalization KW - internationization KW - labor relations KW - neo-liberalization KW - social standards KW - Transnational Labor Relations AB -

The future of labor relations and labor law, affected by globalization and internationalization processes is a matter which receives much attention, not only in the scientific legal community, but also wider public. For this reason, there is an increasing number of studies and research in this field, especially in the context of erosion of national prerogatives and decentralization of cross-border economic activities. Neo-liberal globalization, transnational corporations and the issue of labor and social standards have opened a variety of problems on global, European and national levels. The European Union endeavors in the recent years to deal with market challenges, posed particularly in the labor market, by positive, as well as negative harmonization.

PB - Springer International Publishing CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Women Migrant Workers: Ethical, Political and Legal Problems Y1 - 2016 A1 - Meghani, Zahra KW - class discrimination KW - female migrant workers KW - gender KW - gender discrimination KW - low-wage workers KW - migrant workers KW - women migrant workers AB -

This volume makes the case for the fair treatment of female migrant workers from the global South who are employed in wealthy liberal democracies as care workers, domestic workers, home health workers, and farm workers. An international panel of contributors provide analyses of the ethical, political, and legal harms suffered by female migrant workers, based on empirical data and case studies, along with original and sophisticated analyses of the complex of systemic, structural factors responsible for the harms experienced by women migrant workers. The book also proposes realistic and original solutions to the problem of the unjust treatment of women migrant workers, such as social security systems that are transnational and tailored to meet the particular needs of different groups of international migrant workers.

PB - Taylor & Francis CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - The ‘Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh’ in Response to the Rana Plaza Disaster T2 - Global Governance of Labor Rights Y1 - 2015 A1 - Reinecke, Juliane A1 - Donaghey, Jimmy ED - Axel Marx ED - Glenn Rayp ED - Laura Beke ED - Jan Wouters KW - apparel industry KW - Bangladesh KW - consumption power KW - garment workers KW - global union federatoins KW - ILO KW - Rana Plaza KW - supply chains AB -

On 24 April 2013, in the Savar suburb of Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Rana Plaza building complex which housed several garment factories employing over 3,000 workers collapsed, leaving 1129 dead and over 2,000 injured. After the collapse, it quickly emerged that firms based in the hub comprised a checklist of Western household names in the textile industry, including Primark, Walmart, and Marks & Spencer's. Very quickly and reminiscent of the controversy surrounding Nike’s issues with child labour in its supply chains, public opinion in the developed world was sensitized to pay attention to what was happening in the supply chains of these brands. While strictly speaking these brands had no legal obligation to take care of their garment workers, pressure grew on these companies to take responsibility for the incident. Within weeks of the disaster, a host of leading textiles brands had signed up to the ‘Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh’ (The Accord), which was unprecedented both due to its legally binding nature in committing brands to pay into a central inspection regime and maintain purchasing volumes from Bangladesh for five years, as well as being an agreement between over 180 western brands, two Global Union Federations (GUFs) and four social movement organisations. This chapter uses the Accord as an exploratory case study drawn on empirical research carried out by the authors to examine the governance of labour rights in supply chains, particularly with respect to how production-based power and consumption-based power was used to establish this novel collective agreement.

JA - Global Governance of Labor Rights PB - Edward Elgar CY - Camberley Surrey, UK L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2562144 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Alternative Labor Protection Movements In The United States: Reshaping Industrial Relations? JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Janice Fine KW - future KW - labor market intermediation KW - labor relations KW - labor violations KW - low-wage economy KW - low-wage occupations KW - low-wage workers KW - organizing KW - precarious employment KW - trade union KW - worker centers KW - workers representation AB -

The United States is one of the developed countries that have experienced the steepest declines of unionization and collective bargaining in recent decades. Its traditional industrial relations institutions, premised on the prevalence of “standard” employment relationships, have long been eroded by restrictive legislation and employer opposition. Meanwhile, precarious employment, sub-standard conditions and marginalization have become widespread features of the labor market, leading to the spontaneous emergence of alternative, often community-based initiatives to protect vulnerable workers using highly innovative strategies. “Worker centers”, in particular, have been very active to that end, often teaming up with formal trade unions to pursue their objectives.

VL - 154 L2 - eng UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1564-913X.2015.00222.x/pdf CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - American Labor and American Law: Exceptionalism and its Politics in the Decline of the American Labor Movement JF - Law, Culture and the Humanities Y1 - 2015 A1 - Gerald Friedman KW - American Exceptionalism KW - collective action KW - individual rights KW - labor unions KW - Wagner Act AB -

Since Werner Sombart visited the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, scholars and activists have debated whether the American labor movement is “exceptionally” weak and conservative, and why. While some have accepted Exceptionalism and attributed it to the conservative values of American workers, others have attributed it instead to the power of business and the repressive posture of the American government. This article argues that the American legal tradition contributed to “exceptionalism” by privileging individual rights over collective action, and by limiting the power of organizations, including governments as well as unions, over individual choice. While this individualist bias was modified in the 1930s, the Supreme Court quickly restored the individual bias in American labor law, leading to the collapse of unions in the later 20th century.

VL - 11 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Are Unions a Constitutional Anomaly? (Paper 503) Y1 - 2015 A1 - Estlund, Cynthia KW - agency fees KW - collective bargaining KW - constitutional law KW - First Amendment KW - labor law KW - unions KW - worker centers AB -

The Supreme Court’s decision last term in Harris v. Quinn is its latest, and surely not its last, of dozens of encounters since the 1940s with the issue of mandatory union fees -- fees that individuals may be required to pay as a condition of employment to the union that represents them in collective bargaining. Along the way to striking down the “agency fee” in Harris on First Amendment grounds, the Court proclaimed the current agency fee regime, blessed many times by the Court itself, to be an “anomaly.” This Article asks whether and how labor unions are themselves “anomalies” in our legal system, particularly in their constitutional entitlements. Its answer is a qualified and complicated “yes.”A solution to the agency fee problem, and to other constitutional puzzles in labor law, lies in a deeper understanding of how and why unions are distinctive in our legal system -- distinctive even among private entities with public regulatory functions, which have frequently provoked constitutional controversy. To begin with, unions are voluntary associations of workers with constitutional entitlements to freedom of expression and associational autonomy. On the other hand, unions are also regulatory actors subject to a constellation of sui generis rights, powers, restrictions, and duties under U.S. labor law – a quid pro quo by which the labor laws both constrain and empower unions. Whatever the wisdom of the particular quid pro quo embodied in the labor laws – and it has been criticized from both ends of the political spectrum – it provides an essential context for the adjudication of constitutional claims by and against unions. This Article calls for reframing those constitutional claims to include both the quid and the quo of labor law – not only the alleged burdens that the labor laws impose on unions or individuals, but also any logically linked benefits or powers it confers on the claimant. The proposed analysis recasts not only the agency fee controversy and the related puzzle posed by state right-to-work laws, but also recurring challenges to the constitutionality of restrictions on union speech and recent efforts to bring “worker centers” under the umbrella of labor law. At the same time it offers clues to the future of unions and labor law if the Court continues down the path foreshadowed in Harris.

PB - New York University Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://lsr.nellco.org/nyu_plltwp/503/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Art of Preventive Health and Safety in Europe Y1 - 2015 A1 - Alfredo Menéndez-Navarro KW - Europe KW - graphic design KW - health and safety KW - posters KW - prevention AB -

This book stemming from the exhibition ‘The art of preventive health and safety in Europe’ presents historical and vintage posters from various European countries showing how graphic design has been used to promote health and safety prevention in more than 20 different cultural environments. The publication shows how workplace health and safety messages and slogans have evolved, from initially blaming individual workers for accidents and mistakes towards the fostering of a more proactive approach to prevention. The work demonstrates also the historical importance of occupational health and safety for the European trade union movement. It thus presents the risks gradually identified by workers as stepping stones on the road to conceiving prevention, charting how the mobilisation of a collective intelligence served to challenge the traditional division of labour. Viewed from an artistic angle, meanwhile, the publication offers a journey through the art of the 20th century and across key national artistic and graphic movements, with the incorporation of photography, photomontage, geometric abstraction and rigorous typographic treatment.

PB - ETUI CY - Brussels L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Blacklisted: The Secret War between Big Business and Union Activists Y1 - 2015 A1 - Smith, Dave A1 - Phil Chamberlain KW - blacklisting KW - construction activists KW - transnational companies KW - transnational construction companies KW - union activists AB -

Blacklisted tells the controversial story of the illegal strategies that transnational construction companies resorted to in their attempt to keep union activists away from their places of work. This is a story of a bitter struggle, in which collusion with the police and security services resulted in victimization, violence and unemployment, with terrible effects on families and communities.Drawing on first-hand accounts of the workers, Blacklisted reveals how, when major construction projects were unionized, those involved were unlawfully victimized. From the building sites to the High Court, this is a story of ordinary working people taking on some of the most powerful transnational companies in the world. With a full inquiry promised by the Labour party, the practice of blacklisting is set to become a hot topic in the May general election. The book also reveals how blacklisting extended beyond construction activists to environmental campaigners, journalists, politicians and academics. And it adds an international perspective with related stories from America and Europe.

PB - New Internationalist CY - Ottawa, Ontario L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Bringing Workers’ Rights Back In? Propositions Towards a Labour–Trade Linkage for the Global South JF - Development and Change Y1 - 2015 A1 - Simon Pahle KW - Brazil KW - global political economy KW - global trade KW - globalization KW - international labor standards KW - South Africa KW - workers’ rights AB -

The idea of forging a linkage between global trade and labour standards has a long history and has been the subject of fierce debate. In a global political economy that incites ‘competition for jobs’, the idea cannot escape controversy. Crucially, it has failed to win significant support from trade unionists in the global South. Drawing on viewpoints voiced by workers’ rights activists in South Africa and Brazil, this article presents four propositions on the features and functions that a labour–trade linkage would have to possess if it is to serve workers’ interests, and explores whether and how these may be accommodated by the ILO and WTO regimes. It is argued that a linkage requiring a new single WTO undertaking is out of the question; a linkage would only make sense if it superimposes ILO rule onto the WTO, not the opposite; a linkage should be premised on positive trade measures; and, finally, it should serve the interests of presently unprotected and unorganized workers. Overall, the main challenge of such a linkage would be to achieve the necessary reform within the ILO.

VL - 46 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Brokered Pathways to Justice and Cracks in the Law: A Closer Look at the Claims-Making Experiences of Low-Wage Workers JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2015 A1 - Shannon Gleeson KW - employer retaliation KW - low-wage employment KW - low-wage workers KW - workers' compensation AB -

This article examines the factors that shape low-wage workers' decision to mobilize their legal rights following a workplace violation. I discuss the diverse mechanisms of employer retaliation, including the role of employer sanctions, the role of community social networks, and the myriad challenges that claimants face in navigating the labor standards enforcement bureaucracy. I demonstrate how, although unauthorized status is formally not a barrier for accessing many key benefits in California, the structural position of unauthorized workers place them at a particular disadvantage, significantly so for subcontracted and seasonal workers. These data are based on a of survey of 453 claimants who have sought assistance from a nonprofit legal aid clinic for low-wage workers in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in-depth follow-up interviews with a representative subsample of 90 respondents, 12–30 months later. Five years of participant observation at a legal aid clinic focused on workers' compensation claims, and interviews with 24 injured workers, also inform these findings.

VL - 18 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Building China: Informal Work And The New Precariat Y1 - 2015 A1 - Swider, Sarah KW - China KW - construction workers KW - ethnography KW - labor law KW - migrant workers KW - rural-urban divide AB -

Roughly 260 million workers in China have participated in a mass migration of peasants moving into the cities, and construction workers account for almost half of them. In Building China, Sarah Swider draws on her research in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai between 2004 and 2012, including living in an enclave, working on construction jobsites, and interviews with eighty-three migrants, managers, and labor contractors. This ethnography focuses on the lives, work, family, and social relations of construction workers. It adds to our understanding of China's new working class, the deepening rural-urban divide, and the growing number of undocumented migrants working outside the protection of labor laws and regulation. Swider shows how these migrants—members of the global "precariat," an emergent social force based on vulnerability, insecurity, and uncertainty—are changing China's class structure and what this means for the prospects for an independent labor movement. The workers who build and serve Chinese cities, along with those who produce goods for the world to consume, are mostly migrant workers. They, or their parents, grew up in the countryside; they are farmers who left the fields and migrated to the cities to find work. Informal workers—who represent a large segment of the emerging workforce—do not fit the traditional model of industrial wage workers. Although they have not been incorporated into the new legal framework that helps define and legitimize China's decentralized legal authoritarian regime, they have emerged as a central component of China’s economic success and an important source of labor resistance.

PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building China: Precarious Employment Among Migrant Construction Workers JF - Work Employment & Society Y1 - 2015 A1 - Swider, Sarah KW - China KW - China precarious work KW - construction work KW - employment configuration KW - informal labor market KW - informal work KW - migrant workers KW - migration KW - precarious employment KW - urban employment AB -

In China, informal precarious work has exploded and now represents a majority of urban employment. This article explores precarious informal work by presenting a case study of migrant workers in the construction industry. Despite the fact that these workers are all unregistered migrants performing informal construction work, there exists a diversity of labor market situations, working conditions and work relations. This article introduces the concept of ‘employment configuration’ to analyze this diversity and to bring informal workers, who are operating outside of state regulations, back into our industrial labor relations framework. The concept of employment configuration also refocuses our attention from the dyadic worker–employer relationship to the more complex triad of the worker, the employer and the state, shedding light on varying sources of control and exploitation of these migrant workers.

VL - 29 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building Coalitions for Transnational Trade Union Solidarity: Comparative Analysis of Three Campaigns from Turkey JF - Global Labour Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Korkmaz, Emre Eren KW - global union federations KW - transnational labor campaigns KW - transnational union solidarity KW - Turkey AB -

As in many other countries Turkish trade unions have become increasingly active in applying transnational mechanisms to target transnational corporations (TNCs) and suppliers that do not respect labor rights. This article focuses on the contributions of Global Union Federations (GUFs) in coordinating transnational solidarity campaigns and the European trade union movement’s use of its 'social dialogue' policy to support Turkish struggles. The method of organizing transnational solidarity campaigns through a coalition building process among unions and pro-labor NGOs is explained and three solidarity campaigns from Turkey, (UPS campaign in the transport sector, Novamed campaign in the chemical sector and the DESA campaign in the textile-leather sector) are compared. This coalition building process offers suitable conditions to unite the power coming from production with the power coming from consumption and is able to put effective pressure on TNCs to respect labor rights. The ability of transnational campaigns to follow up issues and coalitions' willingness to work together for a long period determine the fate of unions' activities.

VL - 6 L2 - eng UR - https://escarpmentpress.org/globallabour/article/view/2347/0 CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Bullies in the Workplace: Seeing and Stopping Adults Who Abuse Their Co-Workers and Employees Y1 - 2015 A1 - Paludi, Michele A. KW - bullying KW - human relations KW - worker abuse KW - workplace bullying KW - workplace violence AB -

Workplace bullying is a serious issue that can lead to anxiety, depression, substance abuse, absenteeism, sleep disturbances, and post-traumatic stress syndrome. This book has a simple goal: to help employers see bullying—and stop it. It does that by providing organizations with best practices, management strategies for bullying prevention, and protocols for investigating bullying complaints. Part I of the book overviews workplace bullying, discussing incidence, psychological dimensions, and explanatory models. It looks at reasons bullies do what they do, at the difference between a tough boss and a bully, and at the cost of bullying for organizations. Equally important are the book's insights into the impact of bullying on employees. Everyday problems of employees targeted by bullies at work are illustrated, including the resulting psychological distress that can lead to suicide. Part II of the work focuses on prevention and coping and on legislation that protects employees, including Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Finally, to help both employers and employees, the book offers sample anti-bully policies and bully awareness training programs, and also lists organizations concerned with workplace bullying.

PB - Praeger CY - Santa Barbara, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - China’s 2008 Labor Contract Law: Implementation and Implications for China’s Workers JF - Human Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Gallagher, Mary A1 - John Giles A1 - Albert Park A1 - Meiyan Wang KW - China KW - comparative and cross-cultural HRM KW - employment KW - employment law KW - human resource management KW - industrial relations KW - international HRM KW - labor contract law KW - labor markets AB -

This article presents empirical evidence from household and firm survey data collected during 2009−2010 on the implementation of the 2008 Labor Contract Law and effects on China’s workers. The Government and local labor bureaus have made substantial efforts to enforce the provisions of the new Law, which has likely contributed to reversing a trend toward increasing informalization of the urban labor market. Enforcement of the Law, however, varies substantially across cities. The article analyzes the determinants of worker satisfaction with the Law’s enforcement, workers’ propensity to have a labor contract, their awareness of the Law’s content and their likelihood of initiating disputes, and finds that all are highly correlated with education level, especially for migrants. Although higher labor costs may have had a negative impact on manufacturing employment growth, this has not led to an overall increase in aggregate unemployment or prevented the rapid growth of real wages. Less progress has been made in increasing social insurance coverage, although signing a labor contract is more likely to be associated with participation in social insurance programs than in the past, particularly for migrant workers.

VL - 68 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - China's Automobile Factories: The Politics Of Labor And Worker Resistance Y1 - 2015 A1 - Zhang, Lu KW - automobile industry KW - autoworkers KW - China KW - collective action KW - labor unrest KW - worker resistance AB -

In Inside China's Automobile Factories, Lu Zhang explores the current conditions, subjectivity, and collective actions of autoworkers in the world's largest and fastest-growing automobile manufacturing nation. Based on years of fieldwork and extensive interviews conducted at seven large auto factories in various regions of China, Zhang provides an inside look at the daily factory life of autoworkers and a deeper understanding of the roots of rising labor unrest in the auto industry. Combining original empirical data and sophisticated analysis that moves from the shop floor to national political economy and global industry dynamics, the book develops a multilayered framework for understanding how labor relations in the auto industry and broader social economy can be expected to develop in China in the coming decades.

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - China's Leftover Women: Late Marriage Among Professional Women and its Consequences Y1 - 2015 A1 - To, Sandy KW - China KW - gender KW - leftover women KW - marriage KW - professional women KW - sheng nu KW - unmarried AB -

The term "sheng nu" ("leftover women") has been recently coined in China to describe the increasing number of women, especially highly educated professional women in their late twenties and over who have not married. This book explores this phenomenon, reporting on extensive research among "leftover women", research which reveals that the majority of women are keen to get married, contrary to the notion that traditional marriage has lost its appeal among the new generations of economically independent women. The book explains the reasons behind these women’s failures to get married, discusses the consequences for the future make-up of China’s population at the dawn of its modification of the one child policy, and compares the situation in China with that in other countries. The book provides practical solutions for educated women’s courtship dilemmas, and long term solutions for China’s partnering issues, gender relations, and marriage formation. The book also relates the ‘leftover women’ problem to theories of family, mate selection, feminism, and individualization.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Chinese Overseas Labour and Globalisation in the Early Twentieth Century: Migrant Workers, Globalisation and the Sino-French Connection Y1 - 2015 A1 - Bailey, Paul KW - China KW - Chinese laborers KW - Chinese workers KW - globalization AB - Chinese labourers were contracted in large numbers – over 140,000 of them – by the French and British governments for war-related work on the Western front. This book examines how this came about; and it explores the experiences of the Chinese workers involved. It discusses the wider extent of the use of Chinese labour worldwide, and considers the attitude of the French and British governments. It outlines the kind of work the Chinese labourers were involved in, and portrays their lives and conditions in detail. It shows how Chinese labourers continued to be used in the aftermath of the war, and places this use of Chinese labourers in the wider context of globalisation in the period. PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Chinese Workers in Comparative Perspective Y1 - 2015 A1 - Anita Chan KW - China KW - Chinese labor KW - Chinese workers KW - globalization KW - industrial relations AB -

As the “world’s factory” China exerts an enormous pressure on workers around the world. Many nations have had to adjust to a new global political and economic reality, and so has China. Its workers and its official trade union federation have had to contend with rapid changes in industrial relations. Anita Chan argues that Chinese labor is too often viewed from a prism of exceptionalism and too rarely examined comparatively, even though valuable insights can be derived by analyzing China’s workforce and labor relations side by side with the systems of other nations. The contributors to Chinese Workers in Comparative Perspective compare labor issues in China with those in the United States, Australia, Japan, India, Pakistan, Germany, Russia, Vietnam, and Taiwan. They also draw contrasts among different types of workplaces within China. The chapters address labor regimes and standards, describe efforts to reshape industrial relations to improve the circumstances of workers, and compare historical and structural developments in China and other industrial relations systems.

PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Chinese Workers in Comparative Perspective Y1 - 2015 A1 - Chan, Anita KW - China KW - Chinese workers KW - comparative perspective KW - comparative studies KW - globalization AB -

As the “world’s factory” China exerts an enormous pressure on workers around the world. Many nations have had to adjust to a new global political and economic reality, and so has China. Its workers and its official trade union federation have had to contend with rapid changes in industrial relations. Anita Chan argues that Chinese labor is too often viewed from a prism of exceptionalism and too rarely examined comparatively, even though valuable insights can be derived by analyzing China’s workforce and labor relations side by side with the systems of other nations. The contributors to Chinese Workers in Comparative Perspective compare labor issues in China with those in the United States, Australia, Japan, India, Pakistan, Germany, Russia, Vietnam, and Taiwan. They also draw contrasts among different types of workplaces within China. The chapters address labor regimes and standards, describe efforts to reshape industrial relations to improve the circumstances of workers, and compare historical and structural developments in China and other industrial relations systems.

PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - A Class by Herself: Protective Laws for Women Workers, 1890s-1990s Y1 - 2015 A1 - Woloch, Nancy KW - gender KW - labor law KW - women workers KW - workers’ rights AB -

A Class by Herself explores the historical role and influence of protective legislation for American women workers, both as a step toward modern labor standards and as a barrier to equal rights. Spanning the twentieth century, the book tracks the rise and fall of women-only state protective laws—such as maximum hour laws, minimum wage laws, and night work laws—from their roots in progressive reform through the passage of New Deal labor law to the feminist attack on single-sex protective laws in the 1960s and 1970s. Nancy Woloch considers the network of institutions that promoted women-only protective laws, such as the National Consumers’ League and the federal Women’s Bureau; the global context in which the laws arose; the challenges that proponents faced; the rationales they espoused; the opposition that evolved; the impact of protective laws in ever-changing circumstances; and their dismantling in the wake of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Above all, Woloch examines the constitutional conversation that the laws provoked—the debates that arose in the courts and in the women’s movement. Protective laws set precedents that led to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and to current labor law; they also sustained a tradition of gendered law that abridged citizenship and impeded equality for much of the century. Drawing on decades of scholarship, institutional and legal records, and personal accounts, A Class by Herself sets forth a new narrative about the tensions inherent in women-only protective labor laws and their consequences.

PB - Princeton University Press CY - Princeton, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Climate Change and Increasing Heat Impacts on Labor Productivity Y1 - 2015 A1 - Tord Kjellstrom A1 - Bruno Lemke A1 - Matthias Otto A1 - Olivia Hyatt A1 - David Briggs A1 - Chris Freyberg KW - climate change KW - Effects of Climate Change KW - environmental degradation AB -

Extreme heat induced by climate change will cause profound adverse consequences for work, human performance, daily life, and the economy in large parts of the world. The increasing temperatures are the most predictable effects of climate change, and all models of future trends show significant increase this century. The heat problems will become even worse in the next one or two centuries, depending on the global climate policies established this year. The global areas worst affected by extreme heat will be tropical countries, including most of the Member States of the Climate Vulnerable Forum. Policymakers need to be made aware of the detrimental effects of labor productivity loss on local economic output and the negative impacts on GDP -- an important factor in considering the cost of climate change and the need for mitigation. The extreme heat effects on labor productivity are substantially worse for models representing a global temperature increase of 2°C than an increase of 1.5°C. The difference may be similar to the losses calculated for the Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2012.

PB - Climate Vulnerable Forum CY - Manila, Philippines L2 - eng UR - http://www.thecvf.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/labour.pdf ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Climate, Conflict and Labor Markets: Evidence from Colombia’s Illegal Drug Production Y1 - 2015 A1 - Maria Cecilia Acevedo KW - climate KW - cocaine KW - conflict KW - economic development KW - institutions KW - instrumental variables AB -

This research aims at linking two strands of the literature: the recent works on climate and conflict (Burke, Hsiang and Miguel, 2015) and the economics of labor coercion (Ace- moglu & Wolitzky, 2011, Dippel, Greif and Trefler, 2015). In the first area of knowledge, my research addresses an important knowledge gap on the role that institutional quality plays to help explain the directions and magnitudes of the impact of weather fluctuations on conflict through their effect on economic outcomes. Regarding the second knowledge area, my research contributes to the creation of new knowledge by bringing rich individual data and the use of satellite-generated information to the analysis of coerced labor. Also, by analyzing the current phenomenon of coca planting and exploitation by non-State armed actors, my research can inform illegal drug policy as well as rural development policies.

PB - Harvard Scholar CY - Cambridge, MA L2 - eng UR - http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/maria_acevedo/files/mariacacevedopaper21april2015.pdf ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Closing Governance Gaps in Bangladesh's Garment Industry – The Power and Limitations of Private Governance Schemes Y1 - 2015 A1 - Dorotheé Baumann-Pauly A1 - Labowitz, Sarah A1 - Banerjee, Nayantara KW - Bangladesh KW - garment industry KW - garment workers KW - global governance KW - human rights KW - private governance schemes AB -

Private governance schemes have become a default response for regulating governance gaps, situations in which government actors are neither able nor willing to provide basic human rights for their citizens. Particularly in moments of crisis, the collaboration of private actors often presents the only viable option for addressing immanent human rights risks. Whether private governance schemes are successful at addressing governance gaps hinges on their legitimacy, their perceived credibility and effectiveness. In this paper, we analyze the legitimacy of two private governance schemes that formed after the tragic Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2014. Both initiatives share a common objective, namely to make the Bangladesh garment industry safe and sustainable for workers in the garment sector. We apply a theoretical legitimacy framework by Mena & Palazzo (2012) and conclude that both private initiatives suffer from major legitimacy deficits. Based on our findings, we derive suggestions for a comprehensive industry transformation in Bangladesh.

PB - SSRN Working Paper, March 2015 CY - Rochester, NY L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2577535 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Codes in context: How states, markets, and civil society shape adherence to global labor standards JF - Regulation & Governance Y1 - 2015 A1 - Michael W. Toffel A1 - Jodi L. Short A1 - Melissa Ouellet KW - codes of conduct KW - global labor standards KW - ILO KW - labor standards KW - transnational regulation AB -

Transnational business regulation is increasingly implemented through private voluntary programs—like certification regimes and codes of conduct—that diffuse global standards. But little is known about the conditions under which companies adhere to these standards. We conduct one of the first large-scale comparative studies to determine which international, domestic, civil society, and market institutions promote supply chain factories’ adherence to the global labor standards embodied in codes of conduct imposed by multinational buyers. We find that suppliers are more likely to adhere when they are embedded in states that participate actively in the ILO treaty regime and that have stringent domestic labor law and high levels of press freedom. We further demonstrate that suppliers perform better when they serve buyers located in countries where consumers are wealthy and socially conscious. Taken together, these findings suggest the importance of overlapping state, civil society, and market governance regimes to meaningful transnational regulation.

VL - 9 L2 - eng UR - http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/13-045_8471dbdc-19b8-4aaa-8b5b-63850db64516.pdf CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Collective Bargaining In China: Guangdong Regulation A Harbinger Of National Model? JF - China-EU Law Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Brown, Ronald C. KW - collective bargaining KW - consultation KW - mediation KW - strikes KW - Wage negotiations AB -

Negotiating collective contracts in China can be viewed as a source of “law-making,” regulating the employment relationship; and, issues are raised regarding enforcement of the process and the resultant contract. China’s collective negotiations have evolved from the iron rice bowl to collective contracts negotiated by processes recently resembling “collective bargaining.” Labor disputes frequently occur during the negotiation process and over collective contracts. The All China Federation of Trade Unions increasingly embraces collective negotiations as it strives to stay relevant. While labor rights are dealt with by legal measures providing mediation and arbitration; processes for resolving disputes involving labor interests are still evolving. While use of the Labor Arbitration Committees is widespread for disputes of labor rights, there is a very underdeveloped regulation for resolving labor interest disputes, notwithstanding since 2004 there are national legal provisions in place that could deal with the negotiation process, impasses, or labor interest disputes. Discussed in this paper are the legal developments of collective bargaining and a summary and critique of the September 25, 2014 Guangdong Province Regulation on Collective Contracts for Enterprises. Observations are made whether it can serve as a model for national legislation.

VL - April 2015 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector: The Experience of Eight States Y1 - 2015 A1 - Najita, Joyce M. A1 - James L. Stern KW - collective bargaining KW - legislation KW - public sector KW - public sector collective bargaining AB -

Unlike Europe, where most public sector workers have long been included in collective bargaining agreements, the United States excluded public employees from such legislation until the 1960s and 70s. Since then, union membership in the U. S. has grown more rapidly among public workers than among workers in the private sector. This book provides up-to-date information on public sector collective bargaining in the United States today. The editors' seek to understand the real nature of PSB by examining eight states where the action is taking place -- California, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The chapters offer unique case studies of legal origins, developments, and challenges to collective bargaining; negotiations experience and outcomes; discussion of legislation; and emphasis of historical development as well as current practice.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Collective Labor Rights and Income Inequality JF - American Sociological Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Kerrisseya, Jasmine KW - collective action KW - income inequality KW - labor KW - labor law KW - workers’ rights AB -

This article examines the relationship between income inequality and collective labor rights, conceptualized as workers’ legal and practical ability to engage in collective activity. Although worker organization is central to explaining income inequality in industrialized democracies, worldwide comparative studies have neglected the role of class-based actors. I argue that the repression of labor rights reduces the capacity of worker organizations to effectively challenge income inequality through market and political processes in capitalist societies. Labor rights, however, are unlikely to have uniform effects across regions. This study uses unbalanced panel data for 100 developed and less developed countries from 1985 through 2002. Random- and fixed-effects models find that strong labor rights are tightly linked to lower inequality across a large range of countries, including in the Global South. Interactions between regions and labor rights suggest that the broader context in which class-based actors are embedded shapes worker organizations’ ability to reduce inequality. During the period of this study, labor rights were particularly important for mitigating inequality in the West but less so in Eastern Europe.

VL - April 2015 L2 - eng J1 - American Sociological Review ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Collective Labor Rights and Income Inequality JF - American Sociological Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Kerrissey, Jasmine KW - collective action KW - collective labor rights KW - income inequality KW - labor rights AB -

This article examines the relationship between income inequality and collective labor rights, conceptualized as workers’ legal and practical ability to engage in collective activity. Although worker organization is central to explaining income inequality in industrialized democracies, worldwide comparative studies have neglected the role of class-based actors. I argue that the repression of labor rights reduces the capacity of worker organizations to effectively challenge income inequality through market and political processes in capitalist societies. Labor rights, however, are unlikely to have uniform effects across regions. This study uses unbalanced panel data for 100 developed and less developed countries from 1985 through 2002. Random- and fixed-effects models find that strong labor rights are tightly linked to lower inequality across a large range of countries, including in the Global South. Interactions between regions and labor rights suggest that the broader context in which class-based actors are embedded shapes worker organizations’ ability to reduce inequality. During the period of this study, labor rights were particularly important for mitigating inequality in the West but less so in Eastern Europe.

VL - 80 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Comparative Employment Relations: France, Germany And Britain Y1 - 2015 A1 - Milner, Susan KW - Britain KW - employment regulation KW - employment relations KW - France KW - Germany KW - human resources management KW - pay KW - working conditions AB -

Comparative Employment Relations explores the interconnectedness of contemporary European economies by examining employment relations in three key European countries: France, Germany and Britain. It offers an in-depth comparative analysis of the issues that stand at the heart of employment relations: pay and working conditions and how these are determined, power relations between capital and labor, how employment should be regulated, and what role the state plays.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Continental Crucible: Big Business, Workers and Unions in the Transformation of North America Y1 - 2015 A1 - Arregui, Edur Velasco A1 - Richard Roman KW - Canada KW - capitalism KW - Free Trade Agreements KW - labor unions KW - Mexico KW - organizing AB -

The crucible of North American neo-liberal transformation is heating up, but its outcome is far from clear. Continental Crucible examines the clash between the corporate offensive and the forces of resistance from both a pan-continental and a class struggle perspective. This book also illustrates the ways in which the capitalist classes in Canada, Mexico and the United States used free trade agreements to consolidate their agendas and organize themselves continentally. The failure of traditional labor responses to stop the continental offensive being waged by big business has led workers and unions to explore new strategies of struggle and organization, pointing to the beginnings of a continental labor movement across North America. The battle for the future of North America has begun.

PB - Fernwood Publishing Company CY - Winnipeg, Canada L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Corporate Social Responsibility And Trade Unions: Perspectives From Europe Y1 - 2015 A1 - Preuss, Lutz A1 - Michael Gold A1 - Chris Rees KW - corporate social responsibility KW - CSR KW - employment relations KW - Europe KW - industrial relations KW - labor unions AB -

Growing interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has focused attention on the relationship between businesses and key stakeholders, such as NGOs and local communities. Curiously, however, commentators on CSR rarely discuss the role of trade unions, while commentators on employment relations seldom engage with CSR. This situation is all the more remarkable since unions are a critically important social actor and have traditionally played a prominent role in defending the interests of one key stakeholder in the company, the employee.Written by dedicated experts in their field, this book addresses a key gap in the literature on both CSR and employment relations, namely trade union policies towards CSR, as well as union engagement with particular CSR initiatives and the challenges they face in doing so. The research covers eleven European countries which, when taken together, constitute a representative sample of industrial relations structures across the continent.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Death and Dying in the Working Class, 1865-1920 Y1 - 2015 A1 - Rosenow, Michael K. KW - attitudes toward death KW - death KW - industrial age KW - worker death KW - working-class AB -

The post–Civil War Industrial Age brought fundamental changes to the economy and its workers, forcing Americans to reassess the meaning of life and death. This illuminating study of working-class rituals of dying and the politics of death explores how Americans struggled to understand the broader forces transforming their worlds. Michael K. Rosenow investigates working people's beliefs and practices in this important era by homing in on three overarching questions: How did workers, their families, and their communities experience death? Did various identities of class, race, gender, and religion coalesce to form distinct cultures of death for working people? And how did people's attitudes toward death reflect notions of who mattered in U.S. society? Drawing from an eclectic array of sources ranging from Andrew Carnegie to grave markers in Chicago's potter's field, Rosenow portrays the complex political, social, and cultural relationships that fueled the industrial ascent of the United States.

PB - University of Illinois Press CY - Champaign, IL L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Demographic Change And Its Consequences For The Labor Market T2 - Managing the Middle-Income Transition: Challenges Facing the People’s Republic of China Y1 - 2015 A1 - Cai, Fang ED - Juhzon Zhuang ED - Paul Vandenberg ED - Yiping Huang KW - asian politics KW - China KW - development economics KW - economics KW - People’s Republic of China KW - politics KW - social policy AB -

The Lewisian classical theory of economic development holds that developing countries characterized by unlimited supply of labor are bound for a dual economy, whereby modern sectors can source labor from the agriculture sector at constant wages and accumulate physical capital. The pressure on employment caused by labor supply exceeding demand therefore characterizes the entire process of this form of development. A dual economy reaches the so-called Lewis turning point when demand for labor in modern sectors exceeds supply from surplus labor in agriculture at current wage rates. While the theory remains current among many development economists, there has been less study and, indeed, agreement, on the role demography plays in shaping dual-economy development, and on the changes and challenges a country faces as it approaches such a turning point. This chapter aims to fill that knowledge gap by looking at the demographic transition in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the country’s experiences in approaching its Lewis turning point. As in many other newly industrialized economies in East Asia, sweeping demographic changes accompanied rapid economic growth in the PRC during its reform period. This has enabled the country to accomplish the transition from a demographic pattern characterized by high birth, mortality, and population growth rates to one of low rates in each of these areas.

JA - Managing the Middle-Income Transition: Challenges Facing the People’s Republic of China PB - Edward Elgar CY - Cheltenham, U.K. L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - On the Determinants of Changes in Wage Inequality in Bolivia Y1 - 2015 A1 - Gustavo J. Canavire Bacarreza A1 - Fernando Rios-Avila KW - Bolivia KW - decomposition KW - wage inequality AB -

In recent years, Bolivia has experienced a series of economic and political transformations that have directly affected the labor markets, particularly the salaried urban sector. Real wages have shown strong increases across the distribution, while also presenting a decrease in inequality. Using an intertemporal decomposition approach, we find evidence that changes in demographic and labor market characteristics can explain only a small portion of the observed inequality decline. Instead, the results indicate that the decline in wage inequality was driven by the faster wage growth of usually low-paid jobs, and wage stagnation of jobs that require higher education or are in traditionally highly paid fields. While the evidence shows that the reduction in inequality is significant, we suggest that such an improvement might not be sustainable in the long run, since structural factors associated with productivity, such as workers’ level of education, explain only a small portion of these wage changes.

PB - Center for Research in Economics and Finance (CIEF), Working Paper No. 15-08 CY - Medellín, Colombia L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2585318 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Determinants Of High-Performance Work Systems In Small And Medium-Sized Private Enterprises In China JF - Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources Y1 - 2015 A1 - Kun Qiao A1 - Xiaoyun Wang A1 - Li-Qun Wei KW - China KW - high-performance work systems KW - HPWS KW - human resource management KW - transitional economy AB -

This study investigates the determinants of high-performance work systems (HPWS) in small and medium-sized private enterprises (SMPEs) in China. Fifteen SMPE owners in a medium-sized city of China were interviewed, the data were analysed and a grid model was developed. The results show that stakeholder relationships and the commitment of owners to human resource management (HRM) are the two main aspects determining the adoption of HPWS in China's SMPEs. Most of the HRM practices used by these SMPEs were developed by the owners according to the specific needs of the firm and the need for flexibility. This research contributes to the HPWS literature by providing evidence on its development in SMPEs in a transitional economy.

VL - 53 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Double Confrontation of Grassroots Unionism in Argentina: Union Democratization and Defense of Working Conditions JF - Latin American Perspectives Y1 - 2015 A1 - Cora Cecilia Arias A1 - Nicolás Diana Menéndez A1 - Paula Dinorah Salgado KW - Argentina KW - grassroots organizations KW - subway workers KW - union democratization KW - unionism KW - working conditions KW - workplace AB -

Social conflicts in Argentina over the past decade have retrieved the essence of the capitalist dispute: the struggle between capital and labor as situated in the workplace and no longer across urban space as it was in the 1990s. In this context, both institutionalized and alternative union expressions regained their centrality for analyzing social reality. The revitalization of collective bargaining and the consequent repositioning of unions on the labor and political scene activated grassroots dynamics that sometimes challenged existing union structures. Few experiences of resistance were able to alter the balance of power as much as the workers’ organization of the Buenos Aires subway. This organization was able to achieve such gains because of a combination of the strategic importance of the subway to the city’s production and reproduction, the fact that the privatization of the firm was a time-limited concession rather than a direct sale, the union tradition and workers’ awareness of lost rights, and the incorporation of new workers with a history of political militancy.

VL - 42 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Economic Inequality and Policy Control in the United States Y1 - 2015 A1 - Stelzner, Mark KW - economics KW - income KW - income inequality KW - New Deal KW - top one percent AB -

The income share of the top one percent of the population in the United States has increased from a little over nine percent of national income in the 1970s to 22.46 percent in 2012 – a 144 percent increase. What is driving this astronomic growth in incomes for some? Is it possibly the result of non-meritorious forces? If so, how has this incredibly unequal development coexisted, and indeed worsened, in a political system based on equality? In Economic Inequality and Policy Control in the United States, Stelzner tackles each of these questions, and, in order to further develop understanding, Stelzner looks to the past and analyzes our experience with income inequality and the orientation of laws and institutions from the Gilded Age through the New and Fair Deal. He concludes that we have the tools to tackle inequality at present—the same policies we used during the New and Fair Deal. However, in order to make change durable, we have to eliminate the undemocratic elements of our political system.

PB - Palgrave Pivot CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Education and Wage Gaps: A Comparative Study of Immigrant and Native Employees in the United States and Canada Y1 - 2015 A1 - William C. Smith A1 - Frank Fernandez KW - Canada KW - education KW - immigrants KW - wage gap AB -

The United States and Canada are destination countries for immigrants, attracting more than half of all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) immigrants and two-thirds of the OECD immigrants who have received tertiary education. Initial comparisons of immigrant wages to their native peers using data the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) reveal within country immigrant wage gaps in these two countries with immigrants making, on average, over $200 less per month than their native peers. This study uses PIAAC to examine potential explanations for these immigrant wage gaps using an additive path analysis approach that allows us to match populations by occupational field and segment out the direct effect of immigrant status on wage from the indirect effect of immigrant status on wage through education and literacy and numeracy skills. Results suggest that factors attributing to the immigrant wage gap differ by country. In the U.S. immigrants are disproportionately concentrated in low wage jobs. Wage gaps disappear, however, once immigrants and natives in the U.S. are matched by occupational field. The strong link between education and wage in the U.S., combined with the immigrant educational attainment gap present in the country, suggests that to reduce the within country wage gap policies should be adopted that (a) aid persistence in education by supporting the transition of immigrants into the American education system, and (b) train educators to properly support learners that are culturally and linguistically diverse. The initial wage gap in Canada remains present in nearly all occupational fields suggesting that immigrants in Canada that work in the same field and have equivalent education and literacy and numeracy skills as their native peers earn significantly less money, controlling for key demographic variables. We conclude that in Canada, the wage gap results from underemployment, marginal returns on education and discriminatory wage practices.. These findings suggest that the point-based immigrant policy in Canada is successful in attracting highly educated immigrants but may fail to properly support them once they arrive in-country.

PB - American Institute for Research (AIR) CY - Washington, D.C. L2 - eng UR - http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51bb74b8e4b0139570ddf020/t/54da784be4b026d7c8ca7e4e/1423603787112/Smith_Fernandez_PIAAC.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Effect of Minimum Wage on Poverty JF - Economics of Transition Y1 - 2015 A1 - Kapelyuk, Sergey KW - low-wage workers KW - minimum wage KW - poverty KW - Russia AB -

To the best of my knowledge, the minimum wage's influence on poverty in Russia has never been investigated. Russian data provide a unique opportunity for studying the effects of the minimum wage on poverty, given significant increases in the minimum wage in recent years, almost complete coverage, and a high representation of full-time workers in poor households. This article examines the effect of the minimum wage on the incidence of poverty and the transitions into and out of poverty in Russia using data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey of Higher School of Economics (RLMS‐HSE) from 2006 to 2011. The results indicate that the minimum wage in Russia had moderate poverty‐reducing effects.

VL - 23 L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2592223 CP - 2 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Employee Representatives in European Organizations T2 - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Martin Euwema A1 - Ana Belén García A1 - Lourdes Munduate A1 - Patricia Elgoibar A1 - Erica Pender ED - Martin Euwema ED - Lourdes Munduate ED - Patricia Elgoibar ED - Erica Pender ED - Ana Belén García KW - conflict management KW - dialogue in organizations KW - employee representatives KW - industrial relations KW - mediation KW - problem-solving KW - social dialogue KW - workplace innovation AB -

Worldwide, and also within the European Union, there is a strong debate on the conditions for a creative social dialogue in organizations. The problem-solving potential of this formal dialogue between employer and employee representatives is crucial and has already been shown in different organizations, however, is not always easy to achieve. In this chapter, we first discuss the role of social dialogue in Europe and the changes that currently take place. Then we present the framework of the studies forming the base of this book: the New European Industrial Relations (NEIRE) model. This model focuses on outcomes and key factors contributing to creative social dialogue in European organizations. At the end of the chapter we briefly describe the results of surveys and interviews gathered from more than 700 human resources managers in eleven European countries, participating in this project.

JA - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations PB - Springer International Publishing CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08605-7_1 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Employee Representatives in France: Employers’ Perceptions and Expectations Towards Improved Industrial Relations T2 - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Colson, Aurélien A1 - Patricia Elgoibar A1 - Francesco Marchi ED - Martin Euwema ED - Lourdes Munduate ED - Patricia Elgoibar ED - Erica Pender ED - Ana Belén García KW - conflict KW - dialogue KW - France KW - industrial relations KW - negotiation KW - trade unions KW - trust AB -

The first part of the chapter provides an overview of historical, legal, political, and cultural factors which have shaped the system of industrial relations in France to this day. Drawing on the quantitative results of an on-line survey and on the qualitative analysis of a series of interviews with a sample of HR managers in France, part 2 and 3 analyze how employers perceive employee representatives when it comes to social dialogue: eight factors impacting the quality of industrial relations are summarized. Building on this, part 4 introduces eight suggestions to improve the quality of social dialogue in France.

JA - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations PB - Springer International Publishing CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08605-7_5 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Employee Representatives in Poland. How are They Perceived and What are the Expectations by Employers? T2 - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Kożusznik, Barbara A1 - Jarosław Polak ED - Martin Euwema ED - Lourdes Munduate ED - Patricia Elgoibar ED - Erica Pender ED - Ana Belén García KW - conflict KW - dialogue KW - industrial relations KW - negotiation KW - Poland KW - trade unions KW - trust AB -

In this chapter, the social and historical context of the labor movement in Poland as well as the current situation of Polish trade unions including NSZZ “Solidarity” are discussed. Results of employer’s perceptions on ERs are presented based on the survey among 58 Polish HR managers of different sectors. Suggestions are given by employers on how to improve social dialogue in Poland. The results are not very optimistic since social dialogue is not naturally present in Polish companies. Therefore it’s of key importance to provide workers and employers in Poland with the empirical evidence and good practices in Europe showing the benefits of an innovative social dialogue.

JA - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations PB - Springer International Publishing CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08605-7_9 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Employee Representatives in Portugal. How are They Perceived and What are the Expectations by Employers? T2 - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Passos, Ana M. A1 - Vanessa Russo ED - Martin Euwema ED - Lourdes Munduate ED - Patricia Elgoibar ED - Erica Pender ED - Ana Belén García KW - conflict KW - dialogue KW - industrial relations KW - negotiation KW - Portugal KW - trade unions KW - trust AB - In recent years, economic austerity policies in Portugal have had significant implications for the labor market and industrial relations in general. This new reality questions the traditional role of trade unions and poses important challenges not only to Unions and Employee Representatives but also to HR managers. Results from interviews and surveys among Portuguese HR managers suggest that there is still a long way to go towards a constructive social dialogue. Employee representatives and employers are still opponents at the negotiation table and the impact of employee representatives in decision-making processes—both for traditional and for innovative issues—is still very low. According to HR managers, this situation can only be improved with a significant change of ERs’ attitudes and competencies. They need to accept change, be willing to innovate, improve their knowledge and competencies, and adopt proactive behaviors that promote organizational sustainability. This is a time to strengthen relations between employee representatives and employers to find innovative and flexible solutions that meet the needs of employees and employers. JA - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations PB - Springer International Publishing CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08605-7_10 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Employee Representatives in Spain. Which are the Perceptions and Expectations by Employers? T2 - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations Y1 - 2015 ED - Martin Euwema ED - Lourdes Munduate ED - Patricia Elgoibar ED - Erica Pender ED - Ana Belén García KW - conflict KW - dialogue KW - industrial relations KW - negotiation KW - Spain KW - trade unions KW - trust AB -

Spain has a tradition of a particularly competitive industrial relations climate. The country’s current financial crisis and economic recession have triggered a period of unprecedented reforms in the labor market, employment policies and the structure of the collective bargaining. The change towards a decentralized system of industrial relations have placed employee representatives as key parts at the organizational level, with an important role in social innovation and to promote the competitiveness of the organization. Drawing on the results from interviews and a survey among Spanish HR managers we observe that the economic recession has underpinned the large opposition in social relationships. Employee representatives and managers perceive and behave as two opposed groups, subject to high levels of conflict. However, building a constructive social dialogue ties up with the expressed will by Spanish managers to work with competent counterparts at the negotiation table, partners who have a strategic vision of the dynamics of the organization and with whom they can work vis-à-vis through transparency. They point out that empowering employee representatives so that they can achieve these competencies, together with the professionalization of their role, are further challenges for social agents.

JA - Promoting Social Dialogue in European Organizations PB - Springer International Publishing CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08605-7_11 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Employment and Labor Regulation in Industrial Countries JF - International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd Edition Y1 - 2015 A1 - Katherine V.W. Stone KW - compensation and benefits KW - employment regulation KW - global production and trade regulations KW - globalization KW - international labor standards KW - labor standards AB -

This encyclopedia entry addresses employment regulation – i.e., the legal rules and institutions that constitute, govern, and structure the employment relationship. Until recently, most industrial countries had employment regulation that provided most employees with job security and an adequate package of social protection. However, these regulations have been relaxed in recent years as employers have moved away from hiring employees into long-term employment relationships and have created many types of short-term employment relationships instead. The decline of the standard form of employment and the regulatory regime that supported it have given rise to a number of controversies involving employment regulation. In addition, the spread of global trade and the diffusion of production around the world have put pressure on industrial countries to dilute their employment regulation and lower their labor standards. However, as global production and trade continue to proliferate, social pressures are building for more labor law protections both in the developed and in the developing world. Hence employment regulation is not likely to disappear, but it will be transposed as part of the emerging international regime.

VL - Law-Econ Research Paper No. 14-07 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2440832 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The End of American Labor Unions: The Right-to-Work Movement and the Erosion of Collective Bargaining Y1 - 2015 A1 - Raymond L. Hogler KW - income inequality KW - labor law KW - right-to-work KW - union membership AB -

Arguing that the decline in union membership and bargaining power is linked to rising income inequality, this important book traces the evolution of labor law in America from the first labor-law case in 1806 through the passage of right-to-work legislation in Michigan and Indiana in 2012. In doing so, it shares important insights into economic development, exploring both the nature of work in America and the part the legal system played—and continues to play—in shaping the lives of American workers. The book illustrates the intertwined history of labor law and politics, showing how these forces quashed unions in the 19th century, allowed them to flourish in the mid-20th century, and squelched them again in recent years. Readers will learn about the negative impact of union decline on American workers and how that decline has been influenced by political forces. They will see how the right-to-work and Tea Party movements have combined to prevent union organizing, to the detriment of the middle class. And they will better understand the current failure to reform labor law, despite a consensus that unions can protect workers without damaging market efficiencies.

PB - Praeger CY - Santa Barbara, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Essence Of Trade Unions: Understanding Identity, Ideology And Purpose JF - Work, Employment & Society Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hodder, Andy A1 - Paul Edwards KW - industrial and labor relations KW - trade unionism KW - union organizing KW - unionism KW - work and labor AB -

Academics have long investigated trade union behavior through the complex interaction of identity, ideology and purpose. At the same time, there have been increasing calls to gain a deeper understanding of the purpose of strategies but the two bodies of literature seldom overlap. The article proposes a framework to help understand the essence of trade unions and to situate strategies (such as organizing) in this broader context and bridge the gap between the literature on union purpose and identity and on strategies for renewal. It is argued that the essence of unions framework can assist with the analysis of both historical and contemporary trade unionism and allows both clarification and consideration of the range of concepts and terms already in use in the industrial relations literature.

VL - April 2015 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Estimating the Effect of “Change to Win” on Union Organizing JF - ILR Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Aleks, Rachel KW - AFL-CIO KW - Change to Win KW - NLRB KW - organizing KW - union organizing KW - unionization AB -

In a 2005 effort to reinvigorate new-member organizing efforts, seven unions split from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) to form a new union federation, Change to Win. Using ten years of data from the National Labor Relations Board and the National Mediation Board and a difference-in-difference estimator, the author estimates the effect of Change to Win policies on whether a union won its certification election and the number and percentage of workers successfully organized. The results indicate no statistically significant difference in organizing success following Change to Win’s implementation of new organizing strategies and practices, relative to the AFL-CIO.

VL - 68 L2 - eng UR - http://ilr.sagepub.com/content/68/3/584.full CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Evolution of the Interindustry Wage Structure in China Since the 1980s JF - Pacific Economic Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Ohyun Kwon A1 - Simon Chang A1 - Belton M. Fleisher KW - China KW - pay scale KW - wage dispersion KW - wage structure AB -

Industry mean wages in China have exhibited sharply increased dispersion since the early1990s. Researchers have attributed this rising inequality within the industrial wage structure to: (i) increasingly competitive labour markets leading to better matches between worker pay, worker skills and employer demands; or (ii) residual government control in some industrial sectors that has generated high wages through monopoly rent sharing. We argue that the rise in China's industrial wage dispersion is primarily attributable to increasingly competitive labour markets, which have led to greater returns to schooling and to efficient redistribution of workers across major industry groups. We cannot reject the null hypothesis that the level or changes in government monopoly power has had negligible impact on China's rising industrial wage dispersion.

VL - 20 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Experimentation And Decentralization In China’s Labor Relations JF - Human Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Friedman, Eli A1 - Sarosh Kuruvilla KW - China KW - collective bargaining KW - labor relations KW - strikes KW - unions AB -

In this introduction to the special issue ‘Changing work, labour and employment relations in China’, we argue that China is taking an experimental and decentralized approach to the development of new labor relations frameworks. Particular political constraints in China prevent interest aggregation among workers, as the central state sees this as posing a risk to social stability. Firms and local governments have been given a degree of space to experiment with different arrangements, as long as the categorical ban on independent unions is not violated. The consequence has been an increasingly differentiated labor relations landscape, with significant variation by region and sector. We note some countervailing tendencies towards re-centralization, but emphasize that this phenomenon remains largely confined to the municipal level. The five articles in this special issue address different aspects of both experimentation and decentralization in labor relations.

VL - 68 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/934/ CP - 2 J1 - Human Relations ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Experimentation and Decentralization in China’s Labor Relations JF - Human Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Friedman, Eli A1 - Sarosh Kuruvilla KW - China KW - collective bargaining KW - labor relations KW - strikes KW - unions AB -

In this introduction to the special issue ‘Changing work, labour and employment relations in China’, we argue that China is taking an experimental and decentralized approach to the development of new labor relations frameworks. Particular political constraints in China prevent interest aggregation among workers, as the central state sees this as posing a risk to social stability. Firms and local governments have been given a degree of space to experiment with different arrangements, as long as the categorical ban on independent unions is not violated. The consequence has been an increasingly differentiated labor relations landscape, with significant variation by region and sector. We note some countervailing tendencies towards re-centralization, but emphasize that this phenomenon remains largely confined to the municipal level. The five articles in this special issue address different aspects of both experimentation and decentralization in labor relations.

VL - 68 L2 - eng UR - http://hum.sagepub.com/content/68/2/181.full.pdf+html CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Explaining Compliance: A Multi-Actor Framework for Understanding Labour Law Compliance in China JF - Human Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Chung, Sunwook KW - China KW - compliance KW - enforcement KW - labor law KW - mult-actor framework AB -

I argue that there is increasing evidence that multiple stakeholders, such as labour intermediaries and independent workers, are involved in the regulation of labour standards in China, resulting in increasing compliance with labour laws. In addition, I argue that the differential interests of multiple stakeholders lead to a variation in compliance across different labour law provisions. I find support for these arguments using original factory-level compliance data collected in southern China between 2009 and 2011. There is ‘thick’ compliance when stakeholders’ interests converge, as observed in the case of written contract requirements. There is ‘thin’ compliance when there is less convergence in stakeholder interests, as observed in the case of compliance with social insurance provisions. Finally, there is no compliance when there is convergence toward non-compliance in stakeholder interests, as observed in the case of overtime hour limits.

VL - 68 L2 - eng UR - http://hum.sagepub.com/content/68/2/237.full.pdf+html CP - 2 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Faces of Chinese Labor Regimes: Case Studies in Beijing and Shenzhen T2 - Global China: Internal and External Reaches Y1 - 2015 A1 - Wang, Ting A1 - Chris King-Chi Chan ED - Pak Nung Wong ED - Yu-shek Joseph Cheng KW - China KW - labor relations KW - production politics KW - workplace management AB -

China has been under the spotlight in the different disciplines of the social sciences. Having maintained high economic growth and relative social stability for more than 30 years, China has become another miracle of the East Asian development model (Fukasaku et al. 2005). The success of China in recovering from the recent global economic recession has further attracted research interest on its state-led development strategy (Cheng 2012; Hsu, Wu and Zhao 2011; Lardy 2012). Together with India, China has been regarded as one of the two rising powers in Asia that provide an alternative challenge to the Western dominated global political economy and exert significant impacts on the developing world (Ikenberry 2008, 23–37; Kaplinsky and Messner 2008, 197–209). Nevertheless, 30 years after its reform, the Chinese state remains authoritarian in nature, although it has suffered from escalating challenges from below. Although political mobilization has been constrained after the repression of the 1989 student movement, the privatization reform in the public sector and the expansion of an export-oriented economy since the early 1990s have dramatically widened the income discrepancy in the country and given rise to a series of socio-economic changes. This chapter focuses on the question of labor relations. It will investigate the impact of the reform on different components of the Chinese working class and the prospect of a labor movement in China. In the past decade, China labor studies have either focused on migrant workers in Foreign-Invested Enterprises (FIEs) in South China or downsized workers from State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in North China, with little attention paid to contemporary labor practices inside domestic enterprises, including the SOEs after privatization as well as the new emerging domestic Privately-Owned Enterprises (POEs). As China is generally regarded as a rising power that will reshape the global political economy, it is important to revisit the labor politics of Chinese factories with different forms of ownership so that a comprehensive picture of the Chinese labor movement and its implications can be drawn. With original data collected from interviews in two factories, an SOE in Beijing and an FIE in Shenzhen, this chapter compares Chinese global and domestic factories in terms of production politics and working class experiences. Through an analysis of the changing labor relations and workplace management with respect to various forms of ownership, the implication for the prospect of a labor movement in the country will be discussed. We will reflect whether the Chinese working class is convergent or differentiated, and its implications for the labor movement and Chinese development model. The factory case studies were conducted from fieldwork in Beijing from 2011 to 2012 and in Shenzhen from 2012 to 2013. This chapter has also benefited from our intensive studies of Chinese labor relations in the past 10 years.

JA - Global China: Internal and External Reaches PB - World Scientific Publishing Company CY - Singapore L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Fair Labor: Constructing an Idealized Pacific City JF - Boom: A Journal of California Y1 - 2015 A1 - Markwyn, Abigail KW - labor history KW - San Francisco KW - union history AB -

[Excerpt] In 1915, boosters dreamed of establishing San Francisco as the undisputed economic center of the Pacific world. To make it so, the leading businessmen who composed the exposition board realized that they needed an agreement with labor leaders to ensure smooth construction of the fair and to keep labor upheavals from scaring away exhibitors, visitors, or future investors. National manufacturers dedicated to antiunion, open-shop conditions feared doing business in a city with potential for labor unrest, high wages, and union shops, while union leaders were afraid low-paid workers would flood the grounds, undercutting their power in San Francisco. The city already had a burgeoning antiunion, open-shop movement, brought to greater prominence by the founding in 1914 of the Merchants’ and Manufacturers’ Association of San Francisco. To alleviate concerns and to demonstrate their support for a venture that would bring business and jobs to the city, the city’s two leading labor organizations, the Building Trades Council and the San Francisco Labor Council, entered into an informal accord with the fair.

VL - 5 L2 - eng UR - http://www.boomcalifornia.com/2015/02/fair-labor/ CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Female Labor Force Participation Rate, Islam, and Arab Culture in Cross-Cultural Perspective JF - Cross-Cultural Research Y1 - 2015 A1 - Korotayev, Andrey V. A1 - Leonid M. Issaev A1 - Alisa R. Shishkina KW - Arab culture KW - Arab world KW - female employment KW - gender KW - gender bias KW - Islam KW - labor force AB -

Burton and Reitz suggested that Islam should tend to decrease the levels of female labor force participation rate, because “societies that seclude their women by means of purdah or similar customs will have lower rates of female participation in activities outside of the immediate household.” Our cross-cultural tests have supported this hypothesis. However, a closer analysis shows that a high correlation is predicted mostly by the “Arab factor,” rather than by the precisely Islamic one, as a country’s belonging to the Arab world turns out to be a much stronger predictor of very low female labor participation rates than the percentage of Muslims in its population. These relationships hold even after controlling for other factors known to be related to female labor participation. This suggests that the anomalously low level of female labor participation observed in the Near and Middle East might be connected with certain elements of Arab culture that are not directly connected with Islam.

VL - 49 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Finding a Voice at Work?: New Perspectives on Employment Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Johnstone, Stewart A1 - Peter Ackers KW - collective bargaining KW - employee involvement KW - employee participation KW - employee voice KW - employment relations KW - employment relationship KW - human resource management KW - industrial democracy KW - trade union AB -

How much ‘say’ should employees have in the running of business organizations and what form should ‘voice’ take? Answers to these questions reflect our fundamental assumptions about the nature of employment relations and inform our views on almost every aspect of human resource management. Voice can mean many things. It can be a synonym for trade union representation, aiming to defend and promote the collective interests of workers, or a means of enhancing employee commitment and organizational performance. Others advocate voice as an alternative to conventional capitalist organizations run for shareholders. There is both a moral and political argument for a measure of democracy at work as well as a business argument which views voice as a potential link in the quest for increased organizational performance. The key debate for employment relations is which of the approaches ‘works best’ in delivering outcomes that balance competitiveness and productivity, on the one hand, and fair treatment of workers and social justice on the other. Policy makers need pragmatic answers to enduring questions: what works best in different contexts, what are the conditions of success, and what are the drawbacks? Some of the most significant developments in employee voice have taken place in Europe with various public policy and employer experiments attracting extensive academic research. This book offers a critical assessment of the main contemporary concepts and models of voice in the UK and Europe and provides an in-depth theoretical and empirical exploration of employee voice in one accessible and cohesive collection.

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Free Trade in Labour: A New Global Space for Workers' Rights? Y1 - 2015 A1 - DiLieto, Giovanni KW - global migration management KW - international labor standards KW - international trade law KW - migrant workers AB -

This paper focuses on the nexus between international labor standards and international trade governance, as labor rights provisions (applicable to both local and migrant workers) are increasingly being included in free trade agreements. Nevertheless, for the past few decades, the preservation of working rights and social provisions is increasingly becoming economically unsustainable across the globe. At present, the likely directions in the global governance of labor markets stand at a historic crossroad and face urgent questions posed by the disengagement of the measure of value from the concept of labor. Barriers to human mobility facilitate capital in superseding labor as the only price discriminant in the compensation of both local workers confined to over-supplied domestic labor markets, and cross-border workers confined to a temporary or undocumented status. Over the long term, the failure in the global management of labor markets may also result in labor rights being socio-economically unsustainable, although still necessary for maintaining or improving the current levels of human development across the globe. In the absence of any value-driven dimension of labor, echoed in the decline of large-scale state-subsidized social security systems, international trade law might well be capable of becoming the strongest tidal current changing the patterns of labor governance globally and streaming through the international apparatus of working rights. The overall issue considered here revolves around the question as to whether international trade law provisions on labor rights are a solution or are inconsistent with workers’ problems globally. This is ultimately a matter related to seeking a new space for the transforming notion of labor at the intersections of law and society in a globalized environment.

PB - MFCO Working Papers Series, Special Issue: Environments, Spaces and Transformations CY - University of Otago (New Zealand) L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2592785 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - From Job Characteristics to Job Satisfaction of Foreign Workers in Taiwan's Construction Industry: The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment JF - Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries Y1 - 2015 A1 - Li-Chun Hsu A1 - Pei-Wen Liao KW - building trades KW - construction industry KW - foreign workers KW - job satisfaction KW - organizational commitment KW - Taiwan AB -

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among job characteristics, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction of foreign workers in Taiwan. Overall, 440 Thailand foreign workers were recruited and structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses. The results of this study supported all proposed hypotheses. Job characteristics had a positive effect on job satisfaction of foreign workers. However, the results showed an indirect effect of job characteristics on job satisfaction via organizational commitment. Moreover, the findings suggested that job autonomy is better compared to other job characteristics. This study contributes to the existing literature by stressing the importance of such relationships in the cross-cultural management enterprises, particularly those concerning foreign workers.

VL - Article first published online: 16 APR 2015 L2 - eng UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hfm.20624/abstract ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Gender and the European Labour Market Y1 - 2015 A1 - Bettio, Francesca A1 - Janneke Plantenga A1 - Mark Smith KW - Europe KW - European Employment Strategy KW - European labor markets KW - gender KW - occupational segregation AB -

The book presents state of the art research on women’s current position in European labour markets. It combines analysis of the latest trends in employment, occupational segregation, working time, unpaid work, social provisions (especially care provisions) and the impact of the financial crisis, with overall assessment of the actual impact of the European Employment Strategy and the specific impact of key policies, such as taxation and flexicurity.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Gender Wage Inequality In Inclusive And Exclusive Industrial Relations Systems: A Comparison Of Argentina And Chile JF - Cambridge Journal of Economics Y1 - 2015 A1 - Ugarte, Sebastian M. A1 - Damian Grimshaw A1 - Jill Rubery KW - Argentina KW - Chile KW - gender KW - gender pay equity KW - gender wage inequality KW - industrial relations KW - Latin America KW - wage bias AB -

Drawing on an empirical and comparative mixed methods analysis of Argentina and Chile, this article investigates arguments about the role of ‘inclusive’ versus ‘exclusive’ industrial relations systems in promoting gender wage equity and enabling attractive wage returns to women investing in higher education. Our findings confirm the importance of Argentina’s inclusive industrial relations system in narrowing gender pay differences to a greater extent than Chile. Nevertheless, Chile’s industrial relations institutions are not wholly exclusive; its high-level statutory minimum wage has played a strongly distributive role in the 2000s and compressed wages in the lower half of the wage distribution. Also notable is the finding from quantile regression that highly educated women in high-paid jobs enjoy a larger wage premium in the class-equal Argentina than in Chile despite a far wider wage gap between low/high-educated workers in Chile overall.

VL - 39 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - The German Labor Market for Older Workers in Comparative Perspective Y1 - 2015 A1 - Heywood, John S. A1 - Uwe Jirjahn KW - ageism KW - deferred compensation KW - discrimination KW - Germany KW - older workers KW - productivity AB -

This paper focuses on the German labor market for older workers. It does so in comparison with other countries and with a unique focus on the role of employer incentives for retaining and hiring older workers. It argues that while employment of older German workers has improved due to changes in government policy, the labor market for older workers remains characterized by far less mobility and opportunity. While we recognize the potential explanations of reduced productivity and age discrimination, we review evidence pointing to the importance of life-cycle contracts. These contracts can be efficient but typically imply that older workers will have difficulty being re-hired into career jobs after separation. We suggest that attempts to reduce or eliminate such life-cycle contracts are likely to be counter-productive but suggest how other countries, particularly Japan, have dealt with this issue.

PB - University of Trier, Department of Economics, Research Papers in Economics No. 2/15 CY - Trier, Germany University of Trier, Department of Economics L2 - eng UR - https://www.uni-trier.de/fileadmin/fb4/prof/VWL/EWF/Research_Papers/2015-02.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Glass Ceiling in Chinese and Indian Boardrooms: Women Directors in Listed Firms in China and India Y1 - 2015 A1 - deJonge, Alice KW - China KW - gender discrimination KW - gender equity KW - India AB -

This book is about the presence, role and status of women on the boards of listed firms in India and China and is written amongst increasing awareness of the need to ensure at least a minimum level of gender equity in corporate positions of power and the costs of failing to do so. In America, the Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of Fortune 500 companies, created in 1993, encouraged the leadership of those companies to increase the number of women serving on their boards. In the UK, the FTSE 100 Cross-Company Mentoring Programe facilitates mentoring relationships between senior women from different FTSE 100 firms. In Norway, 2006 saw the coming into effect of a legal requirement for at least 40% of list company board positions to be filled by women. The introduction of this new requirement has proven effective. In 2003, the boards of publicly listed firms had 7% of their positions filled by women. By July 2008, the proportion of women directors had risen to 39%. A draft Companies Amendment Bill 2003 in India would have allowed the Minister to prescribe a gender quota for company boards, but the provision was dropped from the Companies Bill 2008 which eventually replaced the 2003 draft. This leaves the world’s two most populous nations without any formal institution or regulation aimed at supporting women in the boardroom. Nor is there any existing literature focusing specifically on the presence, role and status of women directors in these two countries. This book aims to fill that gap, with a particular emphasis on the possibilities and likelihood for future reform in this area.

PB - Chandos Publishing CY - Witney, UK L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Globalization: A Woman's Best Friend? Exporters and the Gender Wage Gap Y1 - 2015 A1 - Bøler, Esther Ann A1 - Javorcik, Beata Smarzynska A1 - Karen Helene Ulltveit-Moe KW - exporters KW - gender KW - gender wage gap KW - globalization AB -

While the impact of globalization on income inequality has received a lot of attention, little is known about its effect on the gender wage gap (GWG). This study argues that there is a systematic difference in the GWG between exporting firms and non-exporters. By the virtue of being exposed to higher competition, exporters require greater commitment and flexibility from their employees. If commitment is not easily observable and women are perceived as less committed workers than men, exporters will statistically discriminate against female employees and will exhibit a higher GWG than non-exporters. We test this hypothesis using matched employer-employee data from the Norwegian manufacturing sector from 1996 to 2010. Our identification strategy relies on an exogenous shock, namely, the legislative changes that increased the length of the parental leave that is available only to fathers. We argue that these changes have narrowed the perceived commitment gap between the genders and show that the initially higher GWG observed in exporting firms relative to non-exporters has gone down after the changes took place.

PB - CESifo Working Paper Series No. 5296 CY - Munich, Germany L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2597988 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Globalization, Jobs, and Welfare: The Roles of Social Protection and Redistribution JF - CESifo Working Paper Series No. 5191 Y1 - 2015 A1 - Ranjan, Priya KW - endogenous job destruction KW - offshoring KW - severance payments KW - unemployment KW - unemployment benefits AB -

This paper studies the welfare and policy implications of globalization when risk averse workers face the risk of unemployment. If the jobs performed by domestic workers can be easily substituted by imports, then globalization reduces wages and increases unemployment. In this situation, in the absence of any government intervention globalization not only reduces the welfare of workers but could reduce social welfare as well. Both unemployment benefits and severance payments can protect workers against labor income risk, but the latter enhances welfare more if job destruction is the source of unemployment. When optimal redistribution and social protection policies are in place, globalization necessarily improves social welfare.

VL - January 2015 L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2560751 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Grassroots Labor Organizations in Metropolitan Buenos Aires, 2003–2007 JF - Latin American Perspectives Y1 - 2015 A1 - Scolnik, Fernando KW - Buenos Aires KW - collective bargaining KW - democracy KW - economic crisis KW - grassroots KW - grassroots labor organizations AB -

During the 1990s, the Argentine working class was hard-hit by the neoliberal offensive, which reversed many of the gains previously won. The decade saw a serious degradation of living conditions and an increase in inequality as a consequence of unemployment and precarious work. After the economic crisis of 2001, labor unions were strengthened by a decline in unemployment and the reactivation of collective bargaining. At the same time, the crisis generated a questioning of the traditional union leadership and the emergence of grassroots organizations (internal committees and bodies of delegates) that introduced democratic decision making to the workplace in accordance with developments at the time in the community assemblies, movements of unemployed workers, and recovered factories. During Néstor Kirchner’s presidency, these organizations led union struggles that had a strong political and social impact and even achieved coordination among themselves outside of the organic labor union groups.

VL - 42 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Greening The Economy Or Economizing The Green Project? When Environmental Concerns Are Turned Into A Means To Save The Market JF - Review of Radical Political Economics Y1 - 2015 A1 - Anneleen Kenis A1 - Matthias Lievens KW - climate change KW - climate justice KW - green economy KW - green growth KW - hegemony KW - post-politics AB -

The ‘Green Economy’ is fast becoming the new alpha and omega to solve both the environmental and economic crisis at the same time. Policy makers, corporations, political actors, and NGO’s are increasingly uniting behind the slogan of the Green Economy. Or would it be better to speak about ‘green capitalism’? Going green is not only important in the fight against environmental destruction, it also makes a country “stronger, healthier, safer, more innovative, competitive and respected”, argues Thomas Friedman, the well-known New York Times columnist. “Is there anything that is more patriotic, capitalist and geostrategic than this?” Indeed, the rationale underlying the project of the Green Economy is that if the market could become the instrument for tackling the environmental crisis, the fight against this crisis could be the royal road to solving the problems of the market. While the discourse on the Green Economy claims to reconcile in one single project the struggle againstthe environmental crisis and the attempt to solve the economic crisis, these two elements are not standing on the same footing: greening the economy is for a big part considered as a means for the specific end of saving the market. Focusing in particular on the Green Economy’s impact on climate change, this paper analyses the Green Economy as a hegemonic project that tries to retranslate environmental concerns into a new jargon, and to turn environmental antagonism into a new motor for capital accumulation.

VL - Forthcoming in 2015 L2 - eng UR - https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/433021/2/Kenis+%26+Lievens+-+2014+-+Greening+the+economy+or+economizing+the+green+project+-+pre-print.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Hold That Line: The New Orleans Police Strikes JF - Criminal Justice Policy Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Wigginton, Michael Peter A1 - Carl Julius Jensen A1 - Jessica Michele Vinson KW - collective bargaining KW - New Orleans KW - police strike KW - police union KW - union AB -

In February 1979, the New Orleans Police Department was engaged in two work stoppages that were orchestrated by the Police Association of New Orleans (PANO). During this period, PANO was affiliated with the International Teamsters Union, which allegedly had ties to organized crime. This study addresses the causes of the police strikes, the right of public safety personnel to strike, and how the “gangster” image of the Teamsters adversely affected the labor negotiations. The authors conducted personal, semistructured interviews of individuals who participated in the labor talks, as well as an extensive review of the literature. According to respondents, the primary causes of the strike were low wages and the refusal of city officials to recognize the police union and enter into meaningful collective bargaining negotiations.

VL - 26 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - A Hospitable World? Organising Work And Workers In Hotels And Tourist Resorts Y1 - 2015 A1 - Jordhus-Lier, David A1 - Anders Underthun KW - globalization KW - hospitality workers KW - hotel workers KW - organization or work KW - tourism AB -

The hospitality and tourism sector is a large and rapidly expanding industry worldwide, and can rightfully be described as a vehicle of globalization. Hotels are among the cornerstones of the industry often drawing workers from the most vulnerable segments of multicultural labour markets, accommodating and entertaining tourists and business travelers from around the world.This book explores the organisation of work, worker identities and worker strategies in hotel workplaces, as they are located in heterogeneous labour markets being changed by processes of globalization. It uses an explicitly geographical approach to understand how different groups of workers experience and respond to challenges in the hospitality industry, and is based on recent theoretical debates and empirical research on hotel workplaces in cities as different as Oslo, Goa, London, Las Vegas and Toronto. A multi-scalar analysis is taken where concrete worker bodies and their physical, emotional and embodied labour are seen in relation to, among other aspects: the regulation of national and regional labour markets, city governments with global city ambitions, and global corporate actors and labour migration patterns. The book sheds light on the hotel workplace as a hierarchical and fragmented social space as well as addressing questions on worker mobility, the fragmentation of work, scales of organisation and how workers can help shape the regulation of their industry.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Household Workers Unite: The Untold Story of African American Women Who Built a Movement Y1 - 2015 A1 - Nadasen, Premilla KW - domestic workers KW - domestic-worker organizing KW - feminism KW - gender KW - organizing KW - race AB -

In this groundbreaking history of African American domestic-worker organizing, scholar and activist Premilla Nadasen shatters countless myths and misconceptions about an historically misunderstood workforce. Resurrecting a little-known history of domestic-worker activism from the 1950s to the 1970s, Nadasen shows how these women were a far cry from the stereotyped passive and powerless victims; they were innovative labor organizers who tirelessly organized on buses and streets across the United States to bring dignity and legal recognition to their occupation. Dismissed by mainstream labor as “unorganizable,” African American household workers developed unique strategies for social change and formed unprecedented alliances with activists in both the women’s rights and the black freedom movements. Using storytelling as a form of activism and as means of establishing a collective identity as workers, these women proudly declared, “We refuse to be your mammies, nannies, aunties, uncles, girls, handmaidens any longer.” With compelling personal stories of the leaders and participants on the front lines, Household Workers Unite gives voice to the poor women of color whose dedicated struggle for higher wages, better working conditions, and respect on the job created a sustained political movement that endures today.

PB - Beacon Press CY - Boston L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Humanized Management? Capital and Migrant Labour in a Time of Labour Shortage in South China JF - Human Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Choi, Susanne YP A1 - Yinni Peng KW - humanized management KW - labor shortage KW - managerial control KW - migrant labor KW - South China AB -

This article explores changing strategies of managerial control in a labour-intensive factory in South China at a time of labour shortage. It describes power relationships between capital and migrant labour under changing labour market conditions, migrant cohorts and global business environment, and analyses a new paternalist managerial strategy named ‘humanized management’ and workers’ reactions to it. Although ‘humanized management’, as part of East Asian paternalism, advocates mutual respect, care and reciprocity between management and labour, it constructs workers as irresponsible, spoiled children needing to be led, moved, touched, taught and ruled. Its human focus notwithstanding, the new strategy did not result in substantial reforms of managerial despotism, nor did the factory institute any welfare programs for workers. Because of these discrepancies between the ideological avowals and practical application of ‘humanized management’, the new approach was disregarded by workers, who preferred to rely on individual measures such as threats to quit, or collective action, to win concessions from management. The study provides new insight into the changing relationship between capital and migrant workers in South China and informs the debate in industrial sociology and human resource management research about the efficacy of East Asian paternalist management in improving capital–labour relationships.

VL - 68 L2 - eng UR - http://hum.sagepub.com/content/68/2/287.full.pdf+html CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - If We Can Win Here: The New Front Lines of the Labor Movement Y1 - 2015 A1 - Quigley, Fran KW - low-wage workers KW - middle-class KW - organizing KW - service-sector workers AB - Do service-sector workers represent the future of the U.S. labor movement? Mid-twentieth-century union activism transformed manufacturing jobs from backbreaking, low-wage work into careers that allowed workers to buy homes and send their kids to college. Some union activists insist that there is no reason why service-sector workers cannot follow that same path. In If We Can Win Here, Fran Quigley tells the stories of janitors, fry cooks, and health care aides trying to fight their way to middle-class incomes in Indianapolis. He also chronicles the struggles of the union organizers with whom the workers have made common cause. The service-sector workers of Indianapolis mirror the city's demographics: they are white, African American, and Latino. In contrast, the union organizers are mostly white and younger than the workers they help rally. Quigley chronicles these allies’ setbacks, victories, bonds, and conflicts while placing their journey in the broader context of the global economy and labor history. As one Indiana-based organizer says of the struggle being waged in a state that has earned a reputation as antiunion: "If we can win here, we can win anywhere." The outcome of the battle of Indianapolis may foretell the fate of workers across the United States. PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact Of China’s New Labour Contract Law On Socioeconomic Outcomes For Migrant And Urban Workers JF - Human Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Cheng, Zhiming A1 - Russell Smyth A1 - Fei Guo KW - China KW - labor contract law KW - migrant worker KW - propensity score matching KW - urban worker AB -

This article examines the effect of having a labour contract on a range of employee outcomes (wages, hours worked, social insurance coverage and subjective well-being) for a sample of urban and migrant workers in China using data from the Rural-Urban Migration in China (RUMiC) project. Using different methods, we find that the Labour Contract Law has larger effects for urban workers than for migrant workers on receipt of social benefits, subjective well-being and wages, but not for hours worked.

VL - 68 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact of China’s New Labour Contract Law on Socioeconomic Outcomes for Migrant and Urban Workers JF - Human Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Cheng, Zhiming A1 - Russell Smyth A1 - Fei Guo KW - China KW - labor contract law KW - migrant worker KW - worker well-being AB -

This article examines the effect of having a labour contract on a range of employee outcomes (wages, hours worked, social insurance coverage and subjective well-being) for a sample of urban and migrant workers in China using data from the Rural-Urban Migration in China (RUMiC) project. Using different methods, we find that the Labour Contract Law has larger effects for urban workers than for migrant workers on receipt of social benefits, subjective well-being and wages, but not for hours worked.

VL - 68 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Impact of Climate Change on Migration from Vietnam to Russia as a Factor of Transformation of Geopolitical Relations JF - Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Y1 - 2015 A1 - Elena E. Pismennaya A1 - Irina S. Karabulatova A1 - Sergey V. Ryazantsev A1 - Artem S. Luk’yanets A1 - Roman V. Manshin KW - climate change KW - climate migration KW - global climate change KW - migration policy KW - resettlement of the population AB -

The article gives a brief description of the migration from Vietnam to Russia. The place of migration from Vietnam in global migration turnover is represented, as well as historical forms of migration and the relationship between Vietnam and the Soviet Union on the one hand, and later Russia, on the other hand. As a result of climate change on the planet Vietnam faced with new challenges and threats. Geographical position peculiarity, relief and demographic potential of the territory led to the need of revision of the existing and well-established policy of resettlement of the population across the country. Speaking of global climate change on our planet, one implies the average temperature of the environment increase, including the temperature of the water of the World Ocean. This given phenomenon is also denoted as the term "global warming". Negative phenomena, frequent due to climate change, in the medium term outlook will require the development of a new concept of migration policy in Vietnam, mostly aimed at the resettlement of people from potentially dangerous places of residence, primarily coastal areas. When considering the stated problem, the authors show the gradation of concepts like "climate migrants", "environmental migrants", "environmental refugee". In implementing the most unfavorable forecasts, the country will face the need of resettlement of millions of people. In the conditions of the limited area of the country thousands of people will be looking for a new place of residence outside the country.

VL - 6 L2 - eng UR - http://www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/view/6484 CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact of IMF and World Bank Programs on Labor Rights JF - Political Research Quarterly Y1 - 2015 A1 - Blanton, Robert G. A1 - Shannon Lindsey Blanton A1 - Dursun Peksen KW - human rights KW - International Monetary Fund KW - labor rights KW - structural adjustment KW - World Bank AB -

What effect do International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank programs have on collective labor rights? Labor rights advocacy networks and organized labor groups have long been critical of neoliberal policy prescriptions attached to loans by international financial institutions (IFIs), claiming that they harm the interests of workers. IFIs dispute these claims, noting that they work with relevant labor organizations and that many of their arrangements call for compliance with core labor standards. Yet very little research has been devoted to whether IFI programs affect labor laws and the actual labor practices of recipient countries. We argue that IFI programs undermine collective labor rights. Specifically, recommended policy reforms, as well as the broader signals connoted by participation in the programs, undermine labor organizations and the adoption of protective laws. To substantiate these claims, we use time-series cross-national data for a sample of 123 low- and middle-income countries for the years 1985 to 2002. Our findings suggest that programs from both IFIs are negatively and significantly related to labor rights, including laws designed to guarantee basic collective labor rights as well as the protection of these rights in practice.

VL - March 30, 2015 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact of Social Capital on Wages of Rural Migrants and its Gender Difference in China JF - Journal of Macromarketing Y1 - 2015 A1 - Wang, Chunchao A1 - Xianbo Zhou A1 - Chenglei Zhang KW - China KW - Chinese rural migrants KW - gender KW - gender differences KW - macromarketing KW - social capital KW - wage ordered model KW - wages AB -

The objective of this article is to study the impact of social capital on the wages of Chinese rural migrants and the gender difference of the effect. The empirical results show that both “bridging” and “bonding” social capital have positive effects on wages, but “bridging” has a more significant effect. Friendly relationships between migrants and local workers can help the migrants increase the probability of earning upper middle to high wages by 6.4%. Migrants whose jobs are introduced by friends or relatives have over 1.6% higher probabilities of earning a upper middle to high wage. In addition, gender differences exist in the social capital effect on wage. The “bridging” effect on male migrants’ wage is significantly larger than the effect on female migrants’ wage, while the “bonding” effect on female’s wage is larger than the effect on male’s wage. Some policy implications are discussed.

VL - 35 L2 - eng CP - 2 J1 - Journal of Macromarketing ER - TY - RPRT T1 - An Integrated Approach to Climate Change, Income Distribution, Employment, and Economic Growth Y1 - 2015 A1 - Taylor, Lance A1 - Rezai, Armon A1 - Foley, Duncan K. KW - climate change KW - economic growth KW - environmental degradation KW - greenhouse gas concentration KW - growth theory KW - income distribution AB -

A demand-driven growth model involving capital accumulation and the dynamics of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration is set up to examine macroeconomic issues raised by global warming, e.g. effects on output and employment of rising levels of GHG; offsets by mitigation; relationships among energy use and labor productivity, income distribution, and growth; the economic significance of the Jevons and other paradoxes; sustainable consumption and possible reductions in employment; and sources of instability and cyclicality implicit in the two- dimensional dynamical system. The emphasis is on the combination of biophysical limits and Post- Keynesian growth theory and the qualitative patterns of system adjustment and the dynamics that emerge.

PB - Institute for Ecological Economics CY - Wien, Austria L2 - eng UR - http://eprints.wu-wien.ac.at/4557/1/EcolEcon_WorkingPaper_2015_3.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The ‘Integrative Approach’ And Labour Regulation And Indonesia: Prospects And Challenges JF - Economic and Industrial Democracy Y1 - 2015 A1 - Miles, Lilian KW - comparative industrial relations KW - deregulation of industrial relations KW - economic democracy KW - Indonesia KW - labor history KW - labor regulation AB -

In contrast to theories of regulation which bypass the state and cede regulatory authority to private regimes, the scholar Kevin Kolben makes a cogent argument for the state to be brought back to centre stage in labour regulation, but envisages that private actors can develop and strengthen its capacity. This article considers the utility of what he terms an integrative approach for Indonesia. In line with what the approach advocates, the article examines the relationships between private actors and the state and considers the extent to which the former can communicate, interact with and incentivise the latter in ways which strengthen its regulatory capacity. Several challenges are identified. Finally, the potential of the Better Work Programme in Indonesia to further the goals of the approach is assessed.

VL - 36 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - International Human Rights Treaties and the Right to Strike Y1 - 2015 A1 - Frey, Diane F. KW - freedom of association KW - human rights KW - ILO KW - International Labor Organization KW - right to strike AB -

The right to strike under international law has been challenged by the International Organization of Employers since the mid 1990s. The employer group claims that no such right exists under international law and are moving to undermine recognition of the right at the International Labor Organization (ILO). This article examines the right to strike in international human rights law. It examines the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights treatment of the right to strike and finds the right to strike exists in these treaties. Further, the article demonstrates that while employers may challenging the existence of the right to strike, governments around the world have overwhelmingly ratified international treaties contradicting the employer group’s position.

PB - Working Paper Series L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2567937 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - International Trade Union Solidarity and the Impact of the Crisis JF - Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies Y1 - 2015 A1 - Rebecca Gumbrell-McCormick A1 - Richard Hyman KW - Europe KW - globalization KW - solidarity KW - trade unions AB -

In this paper we first explore the diverse meaning(s) of solidarity, particularly with regard to trade unions. In particular we focus on understandings which focus on a shared identity, on common interests and on mutuality despite difference. We relate these different conceptions to the problematic concept of class. We then discuss the forms which international trade union solidarity takes and the difficulties which it encounters, at global and European levels. There is always a tension between long-term idealism and short-term pragmatism, which means that the achievement of solidarity is always incomplete. Solidarity is never ‘natural’, it must always be constructed against the odds. We go on to examine the impact of the financial and economic crisis at European level, which has accentuated some of the tensions in achieving solidarity within and between countries. We end with a discussion of how solidarity might be reconstructed under particularly adverse circumstances.

VL - 1 L2 - eng UR - http://www.sieps.se/sites/default/files/2015_1epa%20eng%20A4%20korr7.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Irregular Work Scheduling and Its Consequences JF - Economic Policy Institute Briefing Paper No. 394 Y1 - 2015 A1 - Golden, Lonnie KW - contracts without guaranteed hours KW - employment law KW - low-wage workers KW - on-call schedules KW - precarious work KW - precariousness KW - unstable work schedules AB -

The plight of employees with unstable work schedules is demonstrated here with new findings, using General Social Survey (GSS) data. These findings (as well as key findings from other research) are highlighted below. Irregular scheduling about 10 percent of the workforce is assigned to irregular and on-call work shift times and this figure is likely low. Add to this the roughly 7 percent of the employed who work split or rotating shifts and there are about 17 percent of the workforce with unstable work shift schedules.Six percent of hourly workers, 8 percent of salaried workers, and 30 percent of those paid on some other basis work irregular or on-call shifts. Adding in split or rotating shifts, the shares working unstable work schedules are 16 percent (hourly), 12 percent (salaried) and 36 percent (other). By income level, the lowest income workers face the most irregular work schedules. Workers paid under $22,500 per year are more likely to work on irregular schedules than workers in the income bracket above that (workers in the latter bracket who are salaried would be just above the current salary minimum threshold for assured FLSA overtime coverage). Irregular shift work is associated with working longer weekly hours. By occupation type, about 15 percent of sales and related occupations have irregular or on-call schedules. By industry, irregular scheduling is most prevalent in agriculture, personal services, business/repair services, entertainment/recreation, finance/insurance/real estate, retail trade, and transportation communications. Estimates of the proportion of the workforce with “variable hours,” in terms of not being able to specify a “usual” workweek (according to Current Population Survey, not GSS data), are remarkably consistent — almost 10 percent of workers overall. Being part-time more than doubled the likelihood of having hours that vary weekly. The share with variable workweeks also is higher in certain occupations and industries, such as sales, and lower in others, such as professional, managerial, and administrative support. Also, the prevalence is reduced for union members, married workers, government employees, whites, men, and workers with a higher level of education. Employees who work irregular shift times, in contrast with those with more standard, regular shift times, experience greater work-family conflict, and sometimes experience greater work stress. Less than 11 percent of workers on “regular” work schedules report “often” experiencing work-family conflict in contrast with as many as 26 percent of irregular/on-call shift employees, and 19 percent of rotating/split shift workers. Similar differences appear for reporting that they “never” experience work-family interference. Overtime work that is required by the employer increases the likelihood of having an irregular schedule and particularly of working on rotating/split shifts. Overtime work that is mandatory is greatest among those who earn at least $22,500 but below $40,000 per year; who work longer weekly hours; who work inflexible daily schedules (they can’t take time off or change their starting and ending times); or who report that there are often too few workers on staff to get all the work done. Work-family conflict is worsened not only by longer weekly hours of work, but also by having irregular shift work. The association between work-family conflict and irregular shift work is particularly strong for salaried workers, even when controlling for their relatively longer work hours. Working on rotating shift times exacerbates work-family conflict, although slightly less than does working irregular/on-call shifts and split-shift arrangements. Irregular/on-call work is moderately associated with higher work stress, but rotating and split-shift times are not. Hourly workers experience greater work stress if working on irregular shift times and more so than salaried workers. Mandatory overtime work contributes to both work-family conflict and work stress. Being underemployed does not significantly reduce work-family conflict, but part-time workers who prefer that part-time status experience less work-family conflict.

L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2597172 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Is It Worth It? Postsecondary Education And Labor Market Outcomes For The Disadvantaged JF - IZA Journal of Labor Policy Y1 - 2015 A1 - Ben Backes A1 - Harry J Holzer A1 - Erin Dunlop Velez KW - achievement KW - associate degree KW - bachelor’s degree KW - completion KW - disadvantaged KW - earnings KW - postsecondary AB -

In this paper we examine a range of postsecondary education and labor market outcomes, with a particular focus on minorities and/or disadvantaged workers. We use administrative data from the state of Florida, where postsecondary student records have been linked to UI earnings data and also to secondary education records. Our main findings can be summarized as follows: 1) Gaps in secondary school achievement can account for a large portion of the variation in postsecondary attainment and labor market outcomes between the disadvantaged and other students, but meaningful gaps also exist within achievement groups, and 2) Earnings of the disadvantaged are hurt by low completion rates in postsecondary programs, poor performance during college, and not choosing high-earning fields. In particular, significant labor market premia can be earned in a variety of more technical certificate and Associate (AA) programs, even for those with weak earlier academic performance, but instead many disadvantaged (and other) students choose general humanities programs at the AA (and even the BA level) with low completion rates and low compensation afterwards. A range of policies and practices might be used to improve student choices as well as their completion rates and earnings.

VL - 4 L2 - eng UR - http://www.izajolp.com/content/4/1/1 CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Join the Union and Be Safe: The Effects of Unionization on Occupational Safety and Health in the European Union JF - LABOUR Y1 - 2015 A1 - Athina Economou A1 - Ioannis Theodossiou KW - health and safety KW - injuries KW - occupational safety and health KW - work accidents KW - work injuries KW - worker deaths KW - worker safety KW - workplace AB -

This paper investigates the effect of unionization on occupational safety and health, as measured by the fatal and non-fatal work accidents, after controlling for the country's gross domestic product. It uses a panel sample of 10 European Union countries, for the period 1982–2006. The study takes into account the time persistence in work injuries and the endogenous nature of the work injuries–union density relationship. In addition, the effect of union density is decomposed into a temporary and permanent effect. It is shown that increasing union density is associated with a decrease in the number of both fatal and non-fatal work injuries.

VL - 29 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Joining UNISON: Does The Reform Of A Union Organizing Strategy Change How Members Perceive Their Recruitment? JF - Industrial Relations Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Jeremy Waddington A1 - Allan Kerr KW - organizing KW - union organizing KW - UNISON AB -

Drawing on survey evidence collected between 2001 and 2012, this article examines whether changes in the organizing approach of UNISON were reflected in changes in the routes of entry of new members into the union. The article shows that shifts in UNISON policy were marginal to the pattern of entry into the union. The implications of these findings for the concept and implementation of organizing are subsequently reviewed.

VL - 46 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Activists And The New Working Class In China: Strike Leaders' Struggles Y1 - 2015 A1 - Leung, Parry P. KW - anthropology KW - China KW - ethnography KW - human rights KW - labor activists KW - political economy KW - sociology AB -

Labor Activists and the New Working Class in China is an ethnographic work examining an export jewelry industrial district in Pearl River Delta of China. While well known that China is undergoing an unprecedented capitalist transformation, few have noted the new working class of China are also actively striving to alter their fate through labor struggles. Parry Leung lived for twelve months in the migrant worker dwelling sites, and kept close contact with the strike activists. Leung illuminates how strikes emerge and transform in an authoritarian state, by enhancing our understanding on the informal agency power of strike organizers in labor activism.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor in the Twenty-First Century: The Top 0.1% and the Disappearing Middle-Class JF - Institute for New Economic Thinking Working Paper Series No. 4 Y1 - 2015 A1 - Lazonick, William KW - globalization KW - middle-class KW - wage gap AB -

The ongoing explosion of the incomes of the richest households and the erosion of middle-class employment opportunities for most of the rest have become integrally related in the now-normal operation of the U.S. economy. Since the beginning of the 1980s, employment relations in U.S. industrial corporations have undergone three major structural changes – summarized as “rationalization,” “marketization,” and “globalization” – that have permanently eliminated middle-class jobs in the United States. From the early 1980s, rationalization, characterized by plant closings, terminated the jobs of high-school educated blue-collar workers, most of them well-paid union members. From the early 1990s, marketization, characterized by the end of a career with one company as an employment norm, placed the job security of middle-aged white- collar workers, many of them college educated, in jeopardy. From the early 2000s, globalization, characterized by the movement of employment offshore to lower-wage nations, left all members of the U.S. labor force, whatever their educational credentials and work experience, vulnerable to displacement. Initially, these structural changes in employment could be justified as business responses to changes in technologies, markets, and competitors. Once U.S. corporations transformed their employment relations, however, they often pursued rationalization, marketization, and globalization to cut current costs rather than to reposition themselves to produce competitive products. Defining superior corporate performance as ever-higher quarterly earnings per share, companies turned to massive stock repurchases to “manage” their own corporations’ stock prices. Trillions of dollars that could have been spent on innovation and job creation in the U.S. economy over the past three decades have instead been used to buy back stock for the purpose of manipulating stock prices. Legitimizing this financialized mode of corporate resource allocation has been the ideology, itself a product of the 1980s and 1990s, that a business corporation should be run to “maximize shareholder value.” Through their stock options and stock awards, corporate executives who make these resource-allocation decisions are themselves prime beneficiaries of the focus on rising stock prices as the sole measure of corporate performance. While rationalization, marketization, and globalization undermined stable and remunerative employment structures, the “financialization” of the U.S. corporation entailed the distribution of corporate cash to shareholders through stock repurchases, often in addition to generous cash dividends, and, incentivizing these distributions, the stock-based remuneration of top corporate executives. In this essay, I review evidence on the fundamental structural changes related to rationalization, marketization, and globalization that, since the early 1980s, have eroded U.S. middle-class employment opportunities. Then, I analyze how, in many different ways and in many different industries, the financialized mode of corporate resource allocation has undermined the prosperity of the U.S. economy. I go on to show how justified by the ideology that companies should be run to “maximize shareholder value,” this financialized behavior boosts the remuneration of top corporate executives, providing a major explanation for the increasing concentration of income among the top 0.1% of U.S. households that is, through the very way it is achieved, based on the systematic destruction of middle-class employment opportunities available to members of the U.S. labor force.

VL - February 2015 L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2586239 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Labor Market Regulations and Outcomes in Sweden: A Comparative Analysis of Recent Trends Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hulya Ulku A1 - Silvia Muzi KW - labor market regulations and flexibility KW - productivity KW - temporary employment KW - unemployment KW - wage determination AB -

This paper analyzes recent trends in Sweden’s labor market regulations in relation to comparator economies and examines the relationship between labor market regulations and outcomes. The paper finds that the Swedish labor market responded more rapidly to the recent global financial crisis than the majority of the European Union economies, which helped Sweden to recover quickly. Sweden’s hiring regulations are more flexible than those of many comparator economies, however, fixed-term contracts of short duration might have adverse consequences for the economy. In addition, Sweden’s regulations on work during the weekly holidays and mandatory paid annual leave are stricter than those of the majority of comparator economies. Moreover, among the economies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Sweden has one of the largest differences in employment protection between permanent and temporary employees, which could lead to a segmented labor market, where insiders enjoy high job security and outsiders are largely marginalized. This could be cause for concern, given that Sweden has a higher share of involuntary temporary workers among youth and involuntary part-time workers than both the Nordic and European Union averages. While protecting employees is important, excessive protection, particularly if it differs across different types of employment contracts, has been shown to have adverse effects on welfare and economic performance.

PB - Development Economics Global Indicators Group CY - Washington, D.C. L2 - eng UR - http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2015/04/02/090224b082d2a86e/1_0/Rendered/PDF/Labor0market0r0sis0of0recent0trends.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor Protest Under the New First Amendment JF - Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law Y1 - 2015 A1 - Fisk, Catherine A1 - Rutter, Jessica KW - labor picketing KW - labor picketing restrictions KW - labor protest KW - National Labor Relations Board KW - NLRB AB -

Low-wage workers across the country have recently gripped the nation’s attention with public demonstrations calling for workplace fairness. But as these workers and the unions supporting them employ new and innovative strategies to organize their workplaces and improve their working conditions, employers and the National Labor Relations Board have charged them with violating section 8(b)(7) of the National Labor Relations Act, which prohibits peaceful picketing to organize workers or gain employer recognition of a union. This article analyzes the history and impact of labor picketing restrictions in light of the Supreme Court’s recent First Amendment jurisprudence. We demonstrate that the National Labor Relations Board, its enforcement officials, and the courts can no longer apply old law prohibiting picketing for recognitional and organizational objects. The NLRA’s prohibitions on labor unions picketing to obtain recognition or get workers to join them are unconstitutional speaker-based and content-based discrimination. We describe how the Board and the courts can adopt narrower interpretations of labor picketing that accord with the Supreme Court’s recent First Amendment cases. Specifically, we advance three proposals to bring the Board’s interpretation and enforcement practices into compliance with the Constitution, and a fourth approach that might at least partially address the constitutional infirmities of the Board’s current approach. All of these proposals aim to ensure that section 8(b)(7) will be violated only by conduct that actually or imminently coerces employees or companies in the selection of a bargaining representative through methods other than peaceful persuasion of consumers or employees to cease doing business with the firm.

VL - 36 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2604226 CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Relations in a Globalizing World Y1 - 2015 A1 - Katz, Harry C. A1 - Thomas A. Kochan A1 - Alexander J. S. Colvin KW - Brazil KW - China KW - emerging countries KW - globalization KW - India KW - labor relations KW - South Africa AB -

Compelled by the extent to which globalization has changed the nature of labor relations, Harry C. Katz, Thomas A. Kochan, and Alexander J. S. Colvin give us the first textbook to focus on the workplace outcomes of the production of goods and services in emerging countries. In Labor Relations in a Globalizing World, they draw lessons from the United States and other advanced industrial countries to provide a menu of options for management, labor, and government leaders in emerging countries. They include discussions based in countries such as China, Brazil, India, and South Africa which, given the advanced levels of economic development they have already achieved, are often described as “transitional,” because the labor relations practices and procedures used in those countries are still in a state of flux.Katz, Kochan, and Colvin analyze how labor relations functions in emerging countries in a manner that is useful to practitioners, policymakers, and academics. They take account of the fact that labor relations are much more politicized in emerging countries than in advanced industrialized countries. They also address the traditional role played by state-dominated unions in emerging countries and the recent increased importance of independent unions that have emerged as alternatives. These independent unions tend to promote firm- or workplace-level collective bargaining in contrast to the more traditional top-down systems. Katz, Kochan, and Colvin explain how multinational corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and other groups that act across national borders increasingly influence work and employment outcomes.

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labour Markets, Care Regimes and Foreign Care Worker Policies in East Asia JF - Social Policy & Administration Y1 - 2015 A1 - Jiyeoun Song KW - East Asia KW - foreign care workers KW - gender KW - immigration KW - Japan KW - Korea KW - labor market KW - public social care provision KW - Taiwan AB -

This article analyzes the politics of foreign care worker policies in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In the face of socio-demographic challenges, these countries have responded differently to the increasing demand for hiring foreign care workers, creating distinct policies with respect to the origins of the foreign care workforce, the size of the foreign care workforce in the labour market, and job specifications. In this article, I argue that the interaction of female employment patterns, the public provision (or lack) of social care, and labour market policies in the care service sector determines the diverging political pathways of foreign care worker policies in these three countries over the past two decades.

VL - 49 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour Markets, Institutions And Inequality: Building Just Societies in the 21st Century Y1 - 2015 A1 - Berg, Janine KW - collective bargaining KW - employment regulations KW - gender KW - labor market institutions KW - migrant workers KW - social protection policies AB -

Labour market institutions, including collective bargaining, the regulation of employment contracts and social protection policies, are instrumental for improving the well-being of workers, their families and society. In many countries, these institutions have been eroded, whilst in other countries they do not exist at all. Labour Markets, Institutions and Inequality includes empirical case studies, from both developed and developing countries, which examine the role of institutions in ensuring equitable income distribution. The volume discusses the effect of macroeconomic, labour and social policies on inequality, highlighting how specific groups such as women, migrants and younger workers are affected by labour market institutions. Expert contributions demonstrate that in order to reduce inequality, countries must strengthen their labour market institutions through comprehensive policy formulation.

PB - Edward Elgar CY - Camberley Surrey, UK L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Learning From Las Vegas: Unions And Post-Industrial Urbanization JF - Urban Studies Y1 - 2015 A1 - Gray, Mia A1 - James DeFilippis KW - institutional innovation KW - labor organizing KW - Las Vegas KW - local growth coalitions KW - organizing KW - place dependence KW - postmodern KW - UNITE HERE AB -

Las Vegas is often portrayed as the apogee of postmodern urbanism, but we argue that you cannot understand Las Vegas without understanding the role of unions in the City’s political economy. By focusing on the social relations surrounding workplace, class, and gender we highlight alternative versions of Las Vegas’ history. The Culinary Union, a UNITE HERE local, has introduced new institutional forms and played an active role in the local growth coalition. They have set standards around work intensity, training, and job ladders. Highlighting the ability of the union to affect these issues contributes to a counter-narrative about the City which stresses the agency of labour to actively produce Las Vegas’ cultural and economic landscapes. The postmodern narrative about Las Vegas hides these important lessons. Learning from Las Vegas can transform issues of signs and symbolism to issues of union organising and institutional structures in the post-industrial economy.

VL - 52 L2 - eng CP - 9 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Legislating The Right To Strike In China: Historical Development And Prospects JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Chang, Kai A1 - Fang Lee Cooke KW - China KW - labor rights KW - legislation KW - strikes KW - trade unions AB -

The strike as a confrontational form of expression of labour disputes has become an unavoidable phenomenon in China. However, knowledge about the politico-historical context of the right to strike in China remains patchy, despite growing interest in labour activism in the Chinese context. We aim to fill this gap by examining the Chinese jurisprudence of labour rights in general and the right to strike specifically. We do so by examining the policy and political stance adopted by the Chinese Communist Party on strikes; analysing the historical development of the legislation of the right to strike in Socialist China; highlighting the key features of labour disputes; and contemplating the legal foundation of, and implications for legislating for, the right to strike in China. This knowledge is essential to understanding the changing dynamics of industrial actions and workers’ activism, with wider implications for foreign direct investment and the management of labour relations.

VL - 57 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Long Work Hours And Health In China JF - China Economic Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Nie, Peng A1 - Steffen Otterbach A1 - Alfonso Sousa-Poza KW - China KW - Chinese workers KW - health KW - lifestyle KW - work hours AB -

Using several waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), this study analyzes the effect of long work hours on health and lifestyles in a sample of 18- to 65-year-old Chinese workers. Although working long hours does significantly increase the probabilities of high blood pressure and poorer reported health, the effects are small. Also small are the negative effects of long work hours on sleep time, fat intake, and the probabilities of sports participation or watching TV. We find no positive association between work time and different measures of obesity and no evidence of any association with calorie intake, food preparation and cooking time, or the sedentary activities of reading, writing, or drawing. In general, after controlling for a rich set of covariates and unobserved individual heterogeneity, we find little evidence that long work hours affect either the health or lifestyles of Chinese workers.

VL - 33 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2586414 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Lost in Translation: Language and Cross-National Comparison in Industrial Relations JF - E-Journal of International Comparative Labour Studies Y1 - 2015 A1 - Pietro Manzella KW - comparative perspective KW - comparative research KW - cross-national comparison KW - cultural differences KW - culture KW - industrial relations KW - language AB -

[Excerpt] Comparative research is universally regarded as a fascinating but challenging task, among others because of the relevance of the national differences stemming from distinct historical, economic, legal and cultural developments. Affording a comparative perspective might serve to identify a certain degree of correspondence among practices and processes in place in different contexts and to assess their effectiveness, particularly considering their applicability elsewhere, away from the original legal framework. Yet when engaging in comparative analysis, consideration ought to be given to those institutional changes in societies that are peculiar to each legal system. In so doing, many problems arise in terms of equivalence, as a number of authors have pointed out. Kahn-Freund has posited that the variations in the organisation of power among different countries can prevent and even frustrate the transfer of legal institutions, thus affecting the effectiveness of comparison. This is because “even in very similar societies, the role played by law may be very different, owing to the tempo and the sequence of economic and political history”.

VL - 4 L2 - eng UR - http://adapt.it/EJCLS/index.php/ejcls_adapt/article/view/260/333 CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Low-Wage Workers and Organizing JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2015 A1 - Anne Visser A1 - Héctor R. Cordero-Guzmán KW - ethnicity KW - low-wage work KW - low-wage workers KW - organizing KW - race KW - union organizing AB -

[Excerpt] Over the last forty years, changes in the structure and function of the labor market and the demographic composition of the labor force have reshaped patterns of economic opportunity in the United States. Changes in the structure of the economy and increasing globalization have facilitated the integration of capital, labor, production, and consumption markets, and systems of production and labor procurement are now characterized by global chains, corporate net-works, and transnational labor recruitment regimes. As global firms have increased in power, broader macro processes of outsourcing and subcontracting have induced trends in employment flexibility, resulting in the increased demand for temporary and contingent workers and a reliance on labor market intermediaries to supply and secure labor. These trends have occurred in connection to declining rates of union participation and density, the practical breakdown of labor protections, and the erosion of employment standards that are associated with increased labor market segmentation and growing economic inequality

VL - 18 L2 - eng UR - http://www.researchgate.net/publication/274141709_Low-Wage_Workers_and_Organizing CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Managing the Next Generation of Public Workers: A Public Solutions Handbook Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hamidullah, Madinah F. KW - diversity KW - human relations management AB -

Managing the Next Generation of Public Workers looks at the changing climate of diversity in the public and nonprofit workplace. The workforce of the twenty-first century represents unparalleled complexity: Baby Boomers, GenX, GenY, Millennials, and other groupings that surely will emerge. Although that diversity may be challenging and often overwhelming for public managers, Madinah Hamidullah emphasizes the potential strengths that can be drawn from complex multigenerational relationships.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Migrant Encounters: Intimate Labor, the State, and Mobility Across Asia Y1 - 2015 A1 - Friedman, Sara Lizbeth A1 - Pardis Mahdavi KW - Asia KW - cross-border mobility KW - domestic workers KW - health care workers KW - intimate care KW - migrant workers AB -

Migrant Encounters examines what happens when migrants across Asia encounter both the restrictions and opportunities presented by state actors and policies, some that leave deep marks on migrants' own life trajectories and others that produce fragmentary, uneven traces. With a focus on those who migrate to perform intimate labor—domestic, care, and sex work—or whose own intimate and familial lives are redefined through migration, marriage, and sometimes parenthood, this volume argues that such encounters transform both migrants and the states between which they move.Written by an international group of anthropologists, sociologists, and geographers, these essays offer richly detailed and insightful accounts of the intimate consequences of migration and the transformative effects of migrant-state encounters across Asia. Addressing a range of topics from the fate of children born to unmarried migrant mothers to the everyday negotiations of cross-border couples and migrant domestic workers, the contributors situate themselves at various points along the extensive migration routes that extend from northeast Asia all the way to the Gulf region. The authors draw on ethnographic research and policy analysis to illustrate the texture of migrants' interactions with state actors and forces. From a range of perspectives, they explore what these encounters teach us about migrant agency and the workings of state power in a region now rife with diverse forms of cross-border mobility.

PB - University of Pennsylvania Press CY - Philadelphia L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Minimum Wage Systems And Earnings Inequalities: Does Institutional Diversity Matter? JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Garnero, Andrea A1 - Stephan Kampelmann A1 - François Rycx KW - collective bargaining KW - Europe KW - minimum wage KW - minimum wage systems KW - wage inequality AB -

This article explores how the diversity of minimum wage systems affects earnings inequalities within European countries. It relies on the combination of harmonized microdata from household surveys, data on national statutory minimum wages and coverage rates and information on minimum rates compiled from more than 1100 sectoral-level agreements across Europe. The analysis covers 18 countries over the period 2007–2009. Empirical results confirm the intuition of many practitioners that the combination of sectoral minima and high collective bargaining coverage can be regarded as a functional equivalent of a binding statutory minimum wage, at least for earnings inequalities. Regression results suggest indeed that both a national statutory minimum and, in countries with sectoral minima, higher collective bargaining coverage is significantly associated with lower levels of (overall and inter-industry) wage inequalities and a smaller fraction of workers paid below prevailing minima. Several robustness checks confirm these findings.

VL - 21 L2 - eng UR - https://ideas.repec.org/p/sol/wpaper/2013-143827.html CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Minimum Wages, Collective Bargaining and Economic Development in Asia and Europe: A Labour Perspective Y1 - 2015 A1 - Maarten vanKlaveren A1 - Denis Gregory A1 - Thorsten Schulten KW - Asia KW - collective bargaining KW - economic development KW - Europe KW - income inequality KW - minimum wage KW - social security KW - wage-setting AB -

Minimum Wages, Collective Bargaining and Economic Development in Asia and Europe offers a labour perspective on wage-setting institutions, collective bargaining and economic development. Sixteen country chapters, eight on Asia and eight on Europe, focus in particular on the role and effectiveness of minimum wages in the context of national trends in income inequality, economic development, and social security. Two chapters on Asia and Europe compare and contrast national experiences and discuss the relevance of a redistributive wages policy for worldwide as well as national economic recovery. Demand or wage-led economic recovery is explored as an alternative to the export-led strategies currently pursued by leading Asian and European countries. In light of the slow pace of recovery from recession in Europe, the renewed recession in Japan and the weakening growth rates of major Asian countries, this book provides a timely reconsideration of the macroeconomic policy options. As such, it contributes to the wider debate over sustainable economic growth and income inequality.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Monitoring Employee Behavior Through the Use of Technology and Issues of Employee Privacy in America JF - Sage Open Y1 - 2015 A1 - Moussa, Mahmoud KW - employee monitoring KW - employee monitoring technology KW - employee privacy KW - monitoring KW - privacy AB -

Despite the historic American love for privacy that has enhanced innovation and creativity throughout the country, encroachments on privacy restrain individual freedom. Noticeable, advances in technology have offered decision makers remarkable monitoring aptitudes that can be used in numerous tasks for multiple reasons. This has led scholars and practitioners to pose a significant number of questions about what is legitimate and illegitimate in the day-to-day affairs of a business. This article is composed of (a) research about electronic monitoring and privacy concerns; (b) definitions of, critiques of, and alternatives to electronic performance monitoring (EPM); (c) motives behind employee monitoring and leadership behaviors; (d) advice that makes monitoring less distressful; (e) employee monitoring policies; (f) reviewing policies and procedures; (g) the role of human resource development (HRD) in employee assessment and development; and (h) conclusion and recommendations for further studies.

VL - 5 L2 - eng UR - http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/5/2/2158244015580168.abstract CP - 2 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - A Multilevel Analysis of the Unemployment in Egypt Y1 - 2015 A1 - Bertoni, Eleonora A1 - Ricchiuti, Giorgio KW - discrimination KW - Egypt KW - Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey KW - gender KW - Multilevel Generalized Linear Mixed Model KW - unemployment AB -

Despite its recent economic development, Egypt employment inequalities among gender and between different age cohorts are still an unresolved issue. In this work we apply a Multilevel Generalized Linear Mixed Model to the Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey 2006 (ELMPS 2006) and 2012 (ELMPS 2012). By exploiting the hierarchical structure of the survey data, we investigate how the interplay between individual characteristics and regional context conditions Egyptians' individual probability of being unemployed. Moreover, we attempt to check if and how these same characteristics have changed between 2006 and 2012, that is, before and after the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2011 Revolution of the Arab world.

PB - DISEI - Università degli Studi di Firenze Working Paper N. 23/2014 CY - Firenze, Italy L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2586535 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The NLRB as an Überagency for the Evolving Workplace JF - Emory Law Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Green, Michael Z. KW - discrimination KW - labor KW - National Labor Relations Act KW - National Labor Relations Board KW - NLRB KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace KW - workplace disputes AB -

In addressing legal issues regarding the relationships between employers and employees, one must navigate a complex maze of rights and remedies that govern the workplace. This essay details several recent and important workplace disputes addressed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) pursuant to Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Section 7 protects a worker’s right to pursue an activity for mutual aid or protection regarding wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The NLRB, a unique agency with its ultimate decisions determined by five members who primarily establish rules through adjudication rather than rulemaking, has been asked to offer an initial answer to many pressing workplace questions arising from technological and legal advances.Some of the critical issues that have been or will be addressed by the NLRB include employee use of social media, use of electronic mail communications, immigrant workers’ rights and remedies, enforcement of class arbitration waivers in collective wage and hour claims, organizing of college football players, protected worker speech versus employer rights and obligations to limit certain speech, the scope of coverage under joint employer/independent contractor arrangements, and the intersection of labor law with anti-discrimination law concerns in the workplace. The NLRB is encountering these matters at a unique time concerning the number of NLRB members appointed by the President with advice-and-consent approval by the Senate. While in the midst of considering the ramifications of a pending Supreme Court decision regarding challenges to the scope of the President’s recess appointment of certain NLRB members, the President and the Senate agreed in August 2013 to a political compromise allowing the NLRB to operate with all five members approved and in place for the first time in ten years. A full complement of NLRB members remains in place throughout 2015 and at the dawn of the NLRB’s eightieth anniversary. As a result of having this full complement of NLRB members, this Essay asserts that the NLRB has become the premier administrative agency for addressing workplace matters across a broad spectrum of employee-employer concerns. In this respect, the NLRB represents a super — or über — agency in pointing a spotlight on important workplace issues that no other administrative agency could or should address. With the five appointed members’ outstanding expertise in labor law as well as in broader workplace concerns under employment discrimination and employment law, these NLRB decision-makers offer an unusual level of knowledge to operate on the front line in adjudicating perplexing issues that continue to evolve in the workplace.

VL - 64 L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2580786 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The NLRB v. The Courts: Showdown Over the Right to Collective Action in Workplace Disputes JF - American Business Law Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Stephanie Greene A1 - Christine Neylon O'Brien KW - D.R. Horton KW - industrial relations KW - mandatory arbitration agreement KW - National Labor Relations Act KW - National Labor Relations Board KW - NLRA KW - NLRB KW - protected concerted activity KW - Supreme Court AB -

When employees sign employment agreements, they are most likely not concerned about a mandatory arbitration provision forbidding them from engaging in class or collective actions. The United States Supreme Court has shown a strong preference for enforcing arbitration agreements, even when they foreclose rights to collective action. The National Labor Relations Board, however, has found that individual employment agreements may not prevent employees from engaging in protected concerted activity in both union and nonunion environments. The Board ruled in D.R. Horton that individual, as opposed to collectively bargained, arbitration agreements that are a condition of employment, may not bar collective action through both arbitral and judicial forums. The Board reasons that Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act mandates the preservation of rights to collective activity, and that the Supreme Court’s strong preference for individual arbitration must accommodate the text and legislative history of the Act. Despite the Board’s decision, most federal courts have declined to strike down mandatory arbitration agreements that foreclose collective action, even when it means undermining rights under federal wage and hour statutes as well as employees’ NLRA rights. The authors support the NLRB’s interpretation as the correct and preferred framework for analysis of NLRA challenges to forced individual arbitration. The authors maintain that the courts should recognize that the Board’s decision is consistent with Supreme Court precedent and adopt the reasoning of the NLRB to preserve substantive federal statutory rights of private sector employees.

VL - 52 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2406577 CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Non-Majority North Carolina: Cummins Diesel Engine Workers Breathe New Life into an Old Organizing Model JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2015 A1 - Strauss, Mariya KW - collective bargaining KW - community organizations KW - corporations KW - industry KW - labor KW - racism KW - union democracy KW - unorganized workers KW - working class AB -

[Excerpt] Loud, dirty diesel engines move just about every load imaginable. Their smoke and roar are so ubiquitous that one’s brain almost does not register them; yet every piece of heavy construction equipment, every big-rig truck, every school bus, most boats, and many of the pickup trucks on the road run on diesel. And the engines are big business. Cummins, Inc., which manufactures and distributes diesel engines, reported a whopping $1.2 billion in profits for the third quarter of 2014; shares of its stock are expected to rise by as much as 15 percent this year. But that large pile of cash has not flowed equitably to the workers at Cummins’ engine assembly plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, one of eleven such Cummins facilities in the United States. The Rocky Mount plant, located in eastern North Carolina’s Black Belt, has about a thousand employees, with another three hundred or so temp and subcontracted workers doing everything from working the assembly line to providing housekeeping, painting, and other services for the plant. The Rocky Mount facility has a majority African-American workforce. Globally, Cummins employs a workforce of 47,900 people. The Rocky Mount Engine Plant (RMEP) is nestled in the northeast quadrant of the least-unionized state in the country: just 2.9 percent of North Carolina’s workers belong to unions, and seven years after the start of the Great Recession, its unemployment rate remains among the highest in the nation. Against those punishing odds, and without a majority of workers signing union cards, thirty-year employee Jim Wrenn, who serves as president of the Carolina Auto, Aerospace & Machine Workers Union (CAAMWU), a branch of the United Electrical Workers (UE) Local 150, and his coworkers at RMEP have built a union anyway.

VL - 24 L2 - eng UR - http://www.ueunion.org/sites/default/files/CAAMWU%20Article%20New%20Labor%20Forum%202015.pdf CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Origins of Right to Work: Antilabor Democracy in Nineteenth-Century Chicago Y1 - 2015 A1 - DeLeon, Cedric KW - anti-labor KW - anti-unionism KW - Chicago KW - right to work AB -

“Right to work” states weaken collective bargaining rights and limit the ability of unions to effectively advocate on behalf of workers. As more and more states consider enacting right-to-work laws, observers trace the contemporary attack on organized labor to the 1980s and the Reagan era. In The Origins of Right to Work, however, Cedric de Leon contends that this antagonism began a century earlier with the Northern victory in the U.S. Civil War, when the political establishment revised the English common-law doctrine of conspiracy to equate collective bargaining with the enslavement of free white men. In doing so, de Leon connects past and present, raising critical questions that address pressing social issues. Drawing on the changing relationship between political parties and workers in nineteenth-century Chicago, de Leon concludes that if workers’ collective rights are to be preserved in a global economy, workers must chart a course of political independence and overcome long-standing racial and ethnic divisions.

PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Out To Work: Migration, Gender, And The Changing Lives Of Rural Women In Contemporary China Y1 - 2015 A1 - Gaetano, Arianne M. KW - China KW - gender KW - migration KW - rural workers AB -

Out to Work is a fresh, engaging account of the lives of a group of migrant women who, while in their teens, moved from rural towns to Beijing to take up work as maids, office cleaners, hotel chambermaids, and migrant schoolteachers. Part of the vanguard of China's great rural-urban migration in the 1990s, these women were deprived of an education because their parents were unable to pay school fees for both sons and daughters. They also faced strong objections from parents, who feared for their daughters' safety and reputations.Gaetano kept in touch with several women for over a decade, and her longitudinal perspective and biographical focus provide a rich empirical basis for her analysis. Through sustained and close contact, she learned about the women's employment searches and interviews, first jobs, promotions and job changes, shopping and leisure activities, self-study efforts, illnesses, romantic relationships, and marriage and motherhood. By accompanying them to visit their rural families at festival time, and meeting their coworkers, friends, employers, and eventually even their in-laws, she obtained fascinating insights about their lives. Gaetano shows that the structural constraints the women experienced stem from ideological barriers and discriminatory practices associated with gender and rural-urban hierarchies. To some extent the women themselves accepted prevailing ideas about gendered obligations and propriety and internalized prevailing ideas about rurality's inferior status. However, they sought to transform themselves and realize their aspirations by cultivating social networks that connected them to more desirable jobs and marriage prospects; by careful selection of a future spouse who shared their vision of social mobility; and through smart economic and emotional investments in their spouses, children, and affines. This multifaceted exploration of migrant women's lives demonstrates how the intersection of gendered norms and rural-urban inequalities shaped the women's identities and desires and makes clear the palpable material consequences the decision to migrate made in their lives. Overall, the book convincingly shows that migration for work advances rural women's gender equality and increases their ability to exercise agency and thus their chances to achieve success and build better lives for themselves. But it also makes clear that the socioeconomic mobility they find is inadequate to completely dismantle the wider gender and rural-urban inequalities that have made these women's journeys so difficult.

PB - University of Hawaii Press CY - Honolulu L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Party Management of Talent: Building a Party-led, Merit-based Talent Market in China JF - Australian Journal of Public Administration Y1 - 2015 A1 - Chen, L. A1 - Chan, H. A1 - Gao, J. A1 - Yu, J. KW - China KW - human resource management KW - meritocracy KW - party management of cadres KW - party management of experts KW - talent management AB -

This study examines major policy measures that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders have adopted to establish a party-led, merit-based talent management system to cope with a talent deficit in the reform era. It also assesses the effectiveness of these measures at both national and local levels. This study argues that although merit principles are never entirely missing from China's cadre personnel management, they have been given increasing priority in managing the cadre corps and recruiting global experts to China during the past three decades. This study shows that the CCP personnel management policies are in substantial and adaptive evolution, which is important for understanding the nature of human resource management in post-Mao China.

VL - Published online March 10, 2015 L2 - eng UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8500.12141/abstract ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Political Behaviour of Temporary Workers (Work and Welfare in Europe) Y1 - 2015 A1 - Marx, Paul KW - political behavior KW - precarious employment KW - temp workers KW - temporary employment KW - temporary workers AB -

In many European labour markets, temporary employment has become a sizeable phenomenon. We know that temporary contracts come with severe socio-economic disadvantages. But do they also affect political views and behaviour? Do temporary workers have distinct policy preferences? Do they lean towards specific parties? Or do they see themselves as politically excluded and respond with protest behaviour or abstention? It is these vital questions that The Political Behaviour of Temporary Workers addresses. Combining insights from psychology, political science and labour market research, it offers new theories and evidence on the political repercussions of temporary jobs, working with original and existing data to analyse social and labour market policy preferences, voting behaviour and levels of trust in politicians.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Political Process and Widespread Protests in China: The 2010 Labor Protest JF - Journal of Contemporary China Y1 - 2015 A1 - Yang, Ray Ou KW - China KW - collective action KW - protests KW - strikes AB -

Existing studies of collective actions in China pay most attention to frequent but localized protests, but such protests are less likely to deeply drive China's political and social prospect. By contrast, widespread protests are more likely to affect the Chinese Communist Party's authority and policies once they emerge. The goal of this article is thus to probe the conditions under which a widespread protest can happen in China today. This article proposes four necessary conditions grounded in the political process model and tests them by explaining the successful outbreak of the 2010 labor protest. Identifying these conditions helps us understand and predict the political and social development of China.

VL - 24 L2 - eng UR - http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10670564.2014.918395 CP - 91 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Politics of Flexibility: Employment Practices in Automotive Multinationals in Central and Eastern Europe JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Drahokoupil, Jan A1 - Myant, Martin A1 - Domonkos, Stefan KW - automotive sector KW - Central and Eastern Europe KW - Czech Republic KW - employment relations KW - flexibility KW - Hungary KW - multinational companies KW - Slovakia AB -

This paper investigates flexibility strategies of automobile producers in nine assembly subsidiaries in three Central and Eastern Europe Countries (CEECs). The organization of employment flexibility is an important concern for car makers, as well as for their employees. In CEECs, employment flexibility has become the major employment relations question, and is an area of conflict with unions. Analyzing the processes through which incoming MNCs established their labor flexibility strategies also demonstrates how they coped with the established legal and employment relations environments in the region. This analysis draws on a comparative case study approach, based on information obtained from published sources and semi-structured interviews with management and trade unions, to analyze these processes in nine automobile assembly subsidiaries in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. The argument here is that the flexibility strategies were shaped by parent-company flexibility practices, the flexibility needs of individual affiliates, and the relative strength of labor in negotiating the implementation of these practices in the affiliates. Given the relatively weak industrial relations institutions in the region, the relative strength of labor is conditioned primarily by market factors and parent-company contexts. The findings thus highlight the importance of political resources and agency of actors in the MNCs in shaping the employment policies.

VL - 21 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2454669 CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Politics of Work-Family Policies: Comparing Japan, France, Germany and the United States Y1 - 2015 A1 - Boling, Patricia KW - France KW - gender KW - gender bias KW - Germany KW - Japan KW - maternity KW - motherhood KW - work-family policies AB -

The work-family policies of Sweden and France are often held up as models for other nations to follow, yet political structures and resources can present obstacles to fundamental change that must be taken into account. Patricia Boling argues that we need to think realistically about how to create political and policy change in this vital area. She evaluates policy approaches in the US, France, Germany and Japan, analyzing their policy histories, power resources, and political institutions to explain their approaches, and to propose realistic trajectories toward change. Arguing that much of the story lies in the way that job markets are structured, Boling shows that when women have reasonable chances of resuming their careers after giving birth, they are more likely to have children than in countries where even brief breaks put an end to a career, or where motherhood restricts them to part-time work.

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Poor Workers' Unions: Rebuilding Labor from Below (Tenth Anniversary Edition) Y1 - 2015 A1 - Tait, Vanessa KW - low-wage organizing KW - low-wage organizing campaigns KW - low-wage workers KW - minimum wage AB -

A classic account of low-wage workers’ organizing that the US Department of Labor calls one of the “100 books that has shaped work in America.” As low-wage organizing campaigns have been reignited by the Fight for 15 movement and other workplace struggles, Poor Workers’ Unions is as prescient as ever.

PB - Haymarket CY - Chicago L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Pressure Of Wildcat Strikes On The Transformation Of Industrial Relations In A Developing Country: The Case Of The Garment And Textile Industry In Vietnam JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Cox, Anne KW - industrial relations KW - labor rights KW - strike KW - unofficial representation mechanism KW - unofficial worker representative KW - Vietnam AB -

Focusing on seven organizations, one from Hong Kong, three South Korea, and three Taiwan, operating in the garment and textile industry, this paper argues that the transformation of the Vietnamese industrial relations system has had very limited impact on the nature and capacity of trade unions. At the workplace level, the ‘race to the bottom’ has led to violations of labor rights. In this context, unofficial worker representatives (UWRs) have emerged and gained significant power to coordinate large scale strikes across firms and inter-provinces. This paper provides a clear profile of UWRs and shows that the bottom-up pressure created by wildcat strikes has influenced labor legislation and improved working conditions. The unofficial representation mechanism in Vietnam presents a unique example where an effective representation mechanism can be achieved without the presence of ‘input legitimacy’. Furthermore, this paper argues that rapid industrialization and social transformation coupled with the increasing structural power of capital have escalated labor conflicts and strikes in Vietnam. It underlines the importance of involving workers and their representatives, be it official or unofficial, in the process of change and transition.

VL - 57 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Pride at Work: Organizing at the Intersection of the Labor and LGBT Movements JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Maura Kelly A1 - Amy Lubitow KW - activism KW - labor unions KW - LGBT rights KW - organizing AB -

Collaborations between labor and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organizations represent opportunities for both movements to increase their membership base, expand their circle of influence, and more fully embrace an intersectional framework for understanding social and economic justice. Drawing from interviews and participation with Pride at Work, an LGBT labor organization, we explore how coalitions that include LGBT and labor organizations can potentially benefit and strengthen both the labor movement and the movement for LGBT rights.

VL - Published online before print January 20, 2015 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Privatization In China: Technology And Gender In The Manufacturing Sector JF - Contemporary Economic Policy Y1 - 2015 A1 - Ana C. Dammert A1 - Beyza Ural Marchand KW - China KW - gender KW - gender discrimination KW - gender wage-productivity differentials KW - manufacturing sector KW - privatization KW - technology AB -

This paper examines the impact of privatization on gender discrimination in China across firms with different technology intensities. Using a comprehensive firm-level survey, the paper identifies gender wage-productivity differentials by directly estimating the relative productivity levels of workers from the production function of firms. The panel structure of the survey is taken advantage of by following firms that were fully state-owned in the initial year, and distinguishing them from firms that were later privatized. The main results show that privatization was associated with an increase in relative productivity of female workers in high technology industries, and a reduction in relative productivity of female workers in low technology industries. Time varying coefficient results suggest that the improvements in gender outcomes in high technology industries may not be maintained in the long run as the relative wage and productivity ratios tend to deteriorate, potentially due to low supply of highly educated female workers. At the same time, outcomes in privatized low technology industries increase over time, lowering the wage and productivity gaps between male and female workers.

VL - 33 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Raw Deal: How the "Uber Economy" and Naked Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hill, Steven KW - freelancing KW - libertarianism KW - non-traditional employment KW - sharing economy KW - workers AB - The US workforce, which has been one of the most productive and wealthiest in the world, is undergoing an alarming transformation. Increasing numbers of workers find themselves on shaky ground, turned into freelancers, temps and contractors. Even many full-time and professional jobs are experiencing this precarious shift. Within a decade, a near-majority of the 145 million employed Americans will be impacted. Add to that the steamroller of automation, robots and artificial intelligence already replacing millions of workers and projected to "obsolesce" millions more, and the jobs picture starts looking grim. Now a weird yet historic mash-up of Silicon Valley technology and Wall Street greed is thrusting upon us the latest economic fraud: the so-called "sharing economy," with companies like Uber, Airbnb and TaskRabbit allegedly "liberating workers" to become "independent" and "their own CEOs," hiring themselves out for ever-smaller jobs and wages while the companies profit. But this "share the crumbs" economy is just the tip of a looming iceberg that the middle class is drifting toward. Raw Deal: How the "Uber Economy" and Naked Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers,by veteran journalist Steven Hill, is an exposé that challenges conventional thinking, and the hype celebrating this new economy, by showing why the vision of the "techno sapien" leaders and their Ayn Rand libertarianism is a dead end. In Raw Deal, Steven Hill proposes pragmatic policy solutions to transform the US economy and its safety net and social contract, launching a new kind of deal to restore power back into the hands of American workers. PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Rebuilding the House of Labor: Unions and Worker Centers in the Residential Construction Industry JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2015 A1 - Nik Theodore KW - building trades KW - construction KW - day labor worker centers KW - day laborers KW - hiring halls KW - residential construction KW - worker centers KW - worker organizing AB -

This article explores strategies for organizing workers in residential construction in light of the decades long restructuring of the industry. It begins by charting the course of this restructuring and the impacts it has had on employment conditions, including changes in union density, the deterioration of labor standards, and the rise of various labor market intermediaries that assist employers in managing contingent labor. The article then turns to day labor and the controversial topic of whether worker centers should operate hiring halls. It argues that, unlike temporary staffing agencies and other labor brokers, the operation of day labor worker centers is complementary to union organizing strategies. These hiring halls help monitor employer practices while also raising the floor on wages and working conditions. It concludes with a call for ongoing innovation in worker organizing.

VL - 18 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Regulating Employment Discrimination in China: A Discussion from the Socio-legal Perspective JF - Michigan State International Law Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Lu, Jiefeng KW - China KW - employment discrimination KW - human rights KW - law KW - workers’ rights AB -

China’s legal system continues to struggle with the political and social complications of its rapid economic development. One of the more glaring tensions in China is the treatment of workers in a capitalist economy nested within a socialist political system. Employment discrimination is an emerging issue in Chinese workplace, although studies on discrimination-related subjects, such as the definition of discrimination and its wrongfulness, the nature of anti-discrimination law, the burden of proving discrimination, and remedial measures to discrimination victims, etc. are relatively unsophisticated. This paper focuses on an important but often neglected area on employment discrimination—the capacity of people to perceive discrimination and how that may affect legal remedies. Applying a socio-legal theory in the emergence and transformation of dispute, the paper analyzes the question of why few people file discrimination claims in Chinese courts while violations are many. The paper argues that conceptual and institutional barriers substantially limit the ability of discrimination victims to seek legal remedies. It argues that in addition to perfecting the legal institutions, from the conceptual level Chinese people must perceive discrimination as injurious and violative of their equal employment rights.

VL - 23 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.law.msu.edu/ilr/vol23/iss2/4/ CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Relationship Between Gender, Perceived Career Barriers, and Occupational Aspirations JF - Journal of Applied Social Psychology Y1 - 2015 A1 - Logan L. Watts A1 - Mark C. Frame A1 - Richard G. Moffett A1 - Judith L. Van Hein A1 - Michael Hein KW - career barriers KW - gender KW - glass ceiling KW - occupational aspirations AB -

The relationships between college student gender, perceived career barriers, and occupational aspirations were examined. Participants were 314 students located in the southeastern United States. Overall, college women reported higher levels of occupational aspirations than college men. While occupational aspirations were not correlated with perceived career barriers for women or men, women reported anticipating more barriers to their career advancement than their male peers. Perceived career barriers and the interaction between gender and perceived career barriers predicted occupational aspirations after controlling for gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and year in school. The relationship between occupational aspirations and the interaction between gender and perceived career barriers in college-age adults enhances our understanding of occupational aspirations.

VL - 45 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Religiosity, gender attitudes and women’s labour market participation and fertility decisions in Europe JF - Acta Sociologica Y1 - 2015 A1 - Guetto, Raffaele A1 - Ruud Luijkx A1 - Stefani Scherer KW - female labor market participation KW - fertility KW - gender KW - religiosity KW - Second Demographic Transition AB -

The Second Demographic Transition (SDT) theory underlines the importance of changing values and attitudes to explain the trend toward low fertility and raising female labor market participation. We contribute to this debate comparing religiosity and gender attitudes over several European countries using three waves of the European Values Study (1990, 1999 and 2008). By dealing with the issues of measurement invariance and endogeneity between values and behaviour, our results support some critiques of the SDT theory. The pace of the process of sociocultural change has not been the same across European countries and the forerunners of the SDT, that is, the most secularized and gender-egalitarian societies, now have the highest female labor market participation rates and the highest fertility. We provide evidence for a ‘macro–micro paradox’ regarding the role of values on family behaviours. Religiosity is positively correlated with fertility and housewifery, while gender attitudes are only correlated with women’s labor market decisions. These correlations are stronger in more traditional countries, even if aggregate fertility is lower. We stress the necessity to integrate cultural and structural explanations, suggesting the lack of family policies and the rigidity of the family formation process as possible mechanisms to unravel this paradox.

VL - 58 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Representing Worker Interests: Past, Present, and Future JF - Social Service Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Berg, Peter KW - benefits KW - employee voice KW - labor organization KW - labor standardss KW - stagnant wages KW - unionization KW - wages KW - workers’ groups AB -

Although productivity and employment are rising in the United States, many US workers continue to suffer from stagnant wages and poor benefits. This essay reviews three books about the state of labor organization, both through formal unions and informal workers’ groups, in the United States and globally. It concludes with some suggestions of ways to increase employee voice and raise labor standards.

VL - 89 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Retirement In Japan And South Korea: The Past, The Present And The Future Of Mandatory Retirement Y1 - 2015 A1 - Higo, Masa A1 - Thomas R. Klassen KW - involuntary retirement KW - Japan KW - population ageing KW - retirement KW - retirement policies KW - South Korea AB -

This book analyses reforms to retirement policies in Japan and South Korea, especially in the context of rapid population ageing. A defining feature of the labour markets and workplaces in these two nations, and the lives of workers and families, is involuntary retirement at relatively young ages. The book explains past developments and recent reforms of retirement policies both in the two countries, as well as in a cross-national comparative manner. At the core of the book is an examination of the social, economic and political conflicts around retirement, such as between younger and older workers, between employers and governments, and between employers and workers. The policy recommendations offered apply not only to Japan and South Korea, but also to other nations such as China.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Right to Strike in the European Union after Accession to the European Convention on Human Rights: Identifying Conflict and Achieving Coherence JF - Human Rights Law Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Velyvyte, Vilija KW - Europe KW - European Convention on Human Rights KW - European Union KW - human rights KW - right to strike AB -

This article analyses the conflict between the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) concerning protection of the right to strike in light of the European Union’s (EU) accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. It aims to determine how the CJEU should change its current position to achieve compatibility with the Convention after accession. The two courts seem to have adopted essentially opposite positions with respect to the right to strike. The ECtHR requires that practices restricting the right to strike must be justified and assessed for proportionality in light of the legitimate objectives they pursue. By contrast, the CJEU places the right to strike itself under the proportionality review to assess the lawfulness of its exercise when it interferes with EU economic freedoms. It is submitted that the CJEU needs to strive for a more equitable balance between the right to strike and economic freedoms, similar to how it considers civil and political rights in the context of the internal market.

VL - 15 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Riots and Rights: Law and Exclusion in Singapore's Migrant Worker Regime JF - Asian Journal of Law and Society Y1 - 2015 A1 - Neo, Jaclyn KW - immigration KW - integration KW - migrant rights KW - migrant workers KW - Singapore KW - social exclusion AB -

This article examines the legal framework regulating unskilled and low-skilled migrant workers in Singapore. It argues that the current legal framework discriminates against these migrant workers and conceptualizes them as undesirable for inclusion in the wider society. This, it is contended, is premised on the assumption that migrant workers could be sequestered from the local population to some extent. This article provides some challenges to this assumption, highlighting instead some of the broader social and political consequences of this exclusionary legal framework. Consequently, it is argued that a more inclusive and integrationist approach is needed, and some positive developments are highlighted.

VL - 22 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2575016 CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Risk Factors of Workplace Bullying for Men and Women: The Role of the Psychosocial and Physical Work Environment JF - Scandinavian Journal of Psychology Y1 - 2015 A1 - Salin, D. KW - bullying KW - compensation system KW - gender KW - physical work environment KW - psychosocial work environment KW - risk factors KW - workplace bullying AB -

Workplace bullying has been shown to be a severe social stressor at work, resulting in high costs both for the individuals and organizations concerned. The aim of this study is to analyze risk factors in a large, nationally representative sample of Finnish employees (n = 4,392). The study makes three important contributions to the existing literature on workplace bullying: first, it demonstrates the role of the physical work environment alongside the psychosocial work environment - employees with a poor physical work environment are more likely than others to report having been subjected to or having observed bullying. Second, contrary to common assumptions, the results suggest that performance-based pay is associated with a lower, rather than higher risk of bullying. Third, the findings suggest that there are gender differences in risk factors, thereby constituting a call for more studies on the role of gender when identifying risk factors. Increased knowledge of risk factors is important as it enables us to take more effective measures to decrease the risk of workplace bullying.

VL - 56 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Role Of International Trade In Managing Food Security Risks From Climate Change JF - Food Security Y1 - 2015 A1 - Uris Lantz C. Baldos A1 - Thomas W. Herte KW - climate change KW - climate change adaption KW - climate change impacts KW - food security KW - international trade KW - price volatility AB -

International trade plays an important role in facilitating global food security in the face of a changing climate. In considering this issue, it is useful to distinguish between two different time scales: inter-annual and inter-decadal. Inter- annual adjustments in international trade can play an important role in shifting supplies from food surplus regions to regions facing food deficits which emerge as a consequence of extreme weather events, civil strife, and/or other disruptions The first section of the paper explores the evidence on in- creased inter-annual supply side volatility, as well as historical and prospective analyses of adaptation to such volatility and the role international trade can play in mitigating the adverse impacts on food security. In the long run, we expect that the fundamental patterns of comparative advantage will be altered by the changing climate as well as availability of technology and endowments (water for irrigation, labor force, capital stock). In a freely functioning global economy, long run trade patterns will respond to this evolving comparative advantage. However, historical food trade has not been free of obstacles, with both tariff and non-tariff barriers often limiting the adjustment of trade to the changing economic landscape. This section of the paper capitalizes on a newly available library of climate impact results in order to characterize the tails (both optimistic and pessimistic) of this distribution. We then explore the potential for a more freely functioning global trading system to deliver improved long run food security in 2050.

VL - 7 L2 - eng UR - https://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/climate/assets/pdfs/The%20role%20of%20international%20trade%20in%20managing%20food%20security%20risks%20from%20Climate%20Change.pdf CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Shaping The Future Of Industrial Relations In The EU: Ideas, Paradoxes And Drivers Of Change JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Maarten Keune KW - EU KW - EU countries KW - European Union KW - labor relations KW - market economy KW - precarious employment KW - quality of working life KW - trade unionism AB -

The author argues that Europe's future industrial relations will be shaped by the resolution of three paradoxes embedded in today's labour markets, unionization dynamics, and EU policy. The first is the increasing individualization of employment relationships versus fictional “individual autonomy” and workers' growing market dependency and vulnerability. The second centres on the deterioration of job quality and precarious workers' growing need for protection versus their low unionization and the failure of unions to reach out to them despite declining membership. The third is the EU's current market-oriented stance, encouraging employment conditions ultimately conducive to a political backlash against the EU itself.

VL - 154 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Shifting Boundaries Of Industrial Relations: Insights From South Africa JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Edward Webster KW - casual worker KW - informal workers KW - labor relations KW - precarious employment KW - self-employed KW - social dialogue KW - South Africa KW - temporary worker AB -

Post-apartheid South Africa's turbulent industrial relations and experience of wider social protest movements mirror the challenges confronting industrial relations systems globally, suggesting how workers' representation could be reconfigured in the future. Traditional trade unions have so far failed to address the agenda of marginalization, inequality and poverty which might have enabled them to organize workers currently excluded from union membership. Meanwhile, globalization has been opening up opportunities for new forms of organization and institutional innovation. The outcome, the author argues, will be determined by how key actors in the world of work respond to the marginalized workers of the world.

VL - 154 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Shrinking Collective Bargaining Coverage, Increasing Income Inequality: A Comparison Of Five EU Countries JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Gerhard Bosch KW - equal rights KW - Germany KW - social dialogue KW - Sweden KW - trade union KW - wage determination KW - wage differential AB -

Wage-setting institutions can play a crucial part in containing the socio-economically destabilizing growth of income inequality. Using an analytical framework that distinguishes between protective and participative standards, the author examines their respective effects on the incidence of low-paid employment and income inequality under the wage-setting systems of Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom. His comparative focus on the interplay of statutory minimum wages and collective wage bargaining shows that while the latter is more effective than the former at reducing inequality, both require state intervention, with particular emphasis on participative standards to counter the erosion of industrial relations institutions.

VL - 154 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Social Expectations, Gender And Job Satisfaction: Front-Line Employees In China's Retail Sector JF - Human Resource Management Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Qihai Huang A1 - Jos Gamble KW - China KW - gender KW - gender role theory KW - human resource management KW - job satisfaction KW - multinationals KW - retail employment AB -

This study aims to enhance our understanding of gender and employment in China. Analysing data collected from over 1,800 employees at 22 foreign-invested and locally owned retail stores in eight Chinese cities, it firstly explores whether, like their counterparts in Western countries, female employees have higher levels of job satisfaction than their male colleagues. Secondly, it distinguishes the key differential predictors of female and male employees' job satisfaction levels. This article extends gender role theory on job satisfaction by showing how traditional values, the structure of work and a nation's dominant gender ideology combine to shape women and men's job satisfaction and work experiences in a transitional context.

VL - First published online February 2015 L2 - eng UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1748-8583.12066/full ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Social Movement Unionism In Practice: Organizational Dimensions Of Union Mobilization in the Los Angeles Immigrant Rights Marches JF - Work, Employment & Society Y1 - 2015 A1 - Engeman, Cassandra KW - business unionism KW - community unionism KW - immigration KW - Los Angeles KW - protest KW - social movement KW - social movement unionism KW - unions AB -

To revitalize union movements globally, labor scholars frequently prescribe social movement unionism. This union strategy adopts social change goals beyond member representation and contract negotiations and often requires allying with community organizations in pursuit of these goals. As a term, however, social movement unionism is often described in opposition to union organizational functions, such as member representation. This article challenges this organization-movement dichotomy by demonstrating the important influence of union organizational dimensions on the dynamics of social movement unionism. Analysis is based on case study research of labor union involvement in the 2006 immigrant rights marches in Los Angeles. Unions that participated in organizing these marches – thus, practicing social movement unionism – allied with large community organizations, preferred reform goals and advocated tactics perceived as effective. Such strategic decisions were informed by organizational considerations regarding members’ interests and unions’ long-term capacity for mobilization.

VL - 29 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Sociology of Work (4th Edition) Y1 - 2015 A1 - Grint, Keith A1 - Darren Nixon KW - institutions of employment KW - social processes KW - sociology KW - sociology of work AB -

Keith Grint and Darren Nixon examine different sociological approaches to work, emphasizing the links between social processes, institutions of employment and their social and domestic contexts.

PB - Polity Press CY - Cambridge, UK L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Solidarity Against All Odds: Trade Unions and the Privatization of Pensions in the Age of Dualization JF - Politics & Society Y1 - 2015 A1 - Naczyk, Marek A1 - Seeleib-Kaiser, Martin KW - Belgium KW - capitalism KW - collective bargaining KW - comparative political economy KW - dualization KW - Germany KW - labor unions KW - organized labor KW - pension funds KW - pensions KW - United Kingdom KW - welfare state AB -

In an era of fiscal austerity and dualization of social protection, has organized labor become increasingly split along skill and industry lines? Against recent political science accounts of trade union involvement in social policy-making, this paper argues that, in the specific area of pensions, unions representing high-skilled workers and the core industrial sectors of the economy have been paradoxically led to increase their cooperation with unions representing the less privileged segments of labor, and this in order to improve coverage of private pensions across the board. These unions’ motivations for doing so and the strategies they have employed have nonetheless differed according to the pre-existing institutional design of domestic pension systems. The argument is supported with case studies of British, French, German and Belgian unions’ involvement in contemporary pension reform.

VL - 43 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2565428 CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Solidarity Unionism: Rebuilding the Labor Movement from Below (Second Edition) Y1 - 2015 A1 - Lynd, Staughton KW - labor activism KW - labor movement KW - self-organization KW - Youngstown, Ohio AB -

Drawing deeply on Staughton Lynd's experiences as a labor lawyer and activist in Youngstown, OH, and on his profound understanding of the history of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), Solidarity Unionism helps us begin to put not only movement but also vision back into the labor movement. While many lament the decline of traditional unions, Lynd takes succor in the blossoming of rank-and-file worker organizations throughout the world that are countering rapacious capitalists and those comfortable labor leaders that think they know more about work and struggle than their own members. If we apply a new measure of workers’ power that is deeply rooted in gatherings of workers and communities, the bleak and static perspective about the sorry state of labor today becomes bright and dynamic. To secure the gains of solidarity unions, Staughton has proposed parallel bodies of workers who share the principles of rank-and-file solidarity and can coordinate the activities of local workers’ assemblies. Detailed and inspiring examples include experiments in workers' self-organization across industries in steel-producing Youngstown, as well as horizontal networks of solidarity formed in a variety of U.S. cities and successful direct actions overseas. This is a tradition that workers understand but labor leaders reject. After so many failures, it is time to frankly recognize that the century-old system of recognition of a single union as exclusive collective bargaining agent was fatally flawed from the beginning, and doesn’t work for most workers. If we are to live with dignity, we must collectively resist. This book is not a prescription but reveals the lived experience of working people continuously taking risks for the common good.

PB - PM Press CY - Oakland, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Strike Of ‘Unorganized’ Workers In A Chinese Car Factory: The Nanhai Honda Events Of 2010 JF - Industrial Relations Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Dave Lyddon A1 - Xuebing Cao A1 - Quan Meng A1 - Jun Lu KW - China KW - Honda KW - Japan KW - non-union strike KW - strike KW - strike process AB -

This strike in a Chinese factory of the Japanese multinational Honda in 2010 received worldwide coverage. A young workforce sustained an on–off strike, with varying numbers of workers involved, for 19 days. Academic interest has focused on prospects for collective bargaining and union reform in China. This article, using interviews with former strikers, and newspaper sources, analyses the strike process. The workplace union, as a constituent of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and subject to the Chinese Party–state, was hostile; so the workers were in effect ‘unorganized’. Examples of non-union strikes in the interwar car industry of the USA and UK show the similarity of situation with the Honda workers. Hiller's classic text, The Strike, provides a surprisingly suitable framework for understanding strikes of unorganised workers. The strikers' vocabulary ‘framed’ their demands initially as injustice, but incorporated anti-Japanese sentiment and, then, dignity, in response to events.

VL - 46 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Strike Wave in Vietnam, 2006–2011 JF - Journal of Contemporary Asia Y1 - 2015 A1 - Siu, Kaxton A1 - Anita Chan KW - living standards KW - migrant workers KW - protests KW - strikes KW - Vietnam AB -

Vietnam has witnessed more strikes than any other Asian country in the past decade, despite its vibrant economy. However, this regular industrial action has not deterred foreign investors from setting up manufacturing facilities in the country, as wages are about half those of China. Beneath the wildcat strike culture lies a deterioration in living standards to the extent that some Vietnamese workers have to conserve energy due to inadequate food and malnutrition. The article presents an analysis of more than a decade of strikes in Vietnam, moving from a period of relative industrial peace to a strike wave. Using statistical data, it argues that the Vietnamese state’s macroeconomic policy and inability to control inflation are partly responsible for the country’s deteriorating conditions, as is capital exploitation. Foreign investors are increasing impatience with these labour disturbances and are relentlessly pressuring the Vietnamese government to suppress strikes, but thus far the Vietnamese government has shown no signs of doing so.

VL - 45 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Struggle for Revitalisation by Japanese Labour Unions: Worker Organising after Labour-Market Deregulation JF - Journal of Contemporary Asia Y1 - 2015 A1 - Watanabe, Hiroaki Richard KW - interest representation KW - Japan KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - organizing KW - power resources KW - union revitalization AB -

This article analyses the decline of Japanese labour unions and their struggles for revitalisation from a power resources perspective. It demonstrates first that the power resources of labour unions declined in the neo-liberal political process of labour-market deregulation as a result of lower union density, the intensified conflicts of interest among unions and their reduced access to policy-making. Although this situation induced labour unions to change their interest representation to some extent and organise an increasing number of non-regular and marginalised regular workers, the article claims that they are still concerned about protecting the vested interests of regular workers in large companies and their efforts to organise non-regular and marginalised regular workers have been insufficient. In addition, although community unions have aimed to organise these workers extensively, their human and financial resources are too small to do so and revitalise the labour movement.

VL - 45 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Teacher Unions in Public Education: Politics, History, and the Future Y1 - 2015 A1 - Bascia, Nina KW - teacher unions KW - teachers AB -

While much mainstream educational research maintains that teacher unions should be outlawed or their powers greatly reduced, Bascia and her contributors, including many of the leading teacher union researchers working today, challenge this position. Instead, they recognize the important role teacher unions must play in defending public education and in minimizing the damage wrought by ill-thought-out educational policies. By avoiding idealization of these organizations and recognizing their limitations, Teacher Unions in Public Education demonstrates the necessity for union renewal for a successful education system.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Teachers’ Unions, Compensation, and Tenure JF - Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society Y1 - 2015 A1 - Kristine L. West KW - collective bargaining KW - compensation KW - teachers’ tenure KW - teachers’ unions KW - tenure KW - unionization AB -

In this paper I show that school districts in which teachers negotiate via collective bargaining have greater returns to experience and grant tenure earlier than districts without collective bargaining. Districts that are unionized, either with or without legal collective bargaining protections, have higher returns to degrees and higher starting salaries than districts without a union. Unionization is not strongly correlated with the existence of output-based pay for performance but is correlated with the use of output-based measures in tenure decisions. Unionization is positively correlated with the number of junior teachers dismissed for poor performance but not strongly correlated with the number of senior teachers dismissed for poor performance.

VL - 54 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Temporary Agency Work and Trade Unions in Comparative Perspective: A Mixed Blessing? JF - SAGE Open Y1 - 2015 A1 - Doerflinger, Nadja A1 - Valeria Pulignano KW - Belgium KW - Germany KW - precarious work KW - temporary workers KW - vulnerable workers AB -

The article examines local union approaches toward temporary agency work in Belgium and Germany. Heterogeneous plant-level use of temporary work is explained by differences in collective bargaining, together with representation structures and rights for agency workers. Specifically, within a context providing effective rights for representation, the Belgian unions responded to firms’ economic difficulties by improving the working conditions of agency workers through negotiating plant-level agreements that contributed to fostering equality between agency workers and regular workers. In contrast, agency work became instrumental in safeguarding the core workforce’s employment in the German workplaces, where the representation rights were absent. As a result, the status of agency workers remained vulnerable.

VL - 5 L2 - eng UR - http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/5/2/2158244015575633#sec-8 CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Three Approaches To Coordinated Bargaining: A Case For Power-Based Explanations JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Ibsen, Christian Lyhne KW - collective bargaining KW - coordinated collective bargaining KW - Denmark KW - discursive institutionalism KW - rational choice KW - rationalist institutionalism KW - Sweden AB -

This article discusses three theoretical approaches to the study of coordinated collective bargaining, each positing different causal mechanisms: rational choice, rationalist institutionalism and discursive institutionalism. Each approach involves a different view of the exercise of power and distributional consequences. The three approaches are applied to the critical cases of Sweden and Denmark. The conclusion drawn is that coordination is not purely cooperative, and that cooperation is itself conditioned by power relations. Thus power must be placed at the heart of coordination studies.

VL - 21 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Three Scenarios For Industrial Relations In Europe JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Richard Hyman KW - employment KW - EU KW - Europe KW - European Union KW - industrial relations KW - informal economy KW - labor relations KW - market economy KW - trade unionism KW - trend AB -

The author outlines three scenarios for the future of industrial relations in Europe. The first – perhaps the most realistic – projects continuing erosion of national industrial relations systems and conditions of employment, in line with current trends. The second envisages that “elite reform” from above will succeed in re-engineering industrial relations and workers' protection according to an ideal social policy agenda – an unlikely prospect given the overriding importance of financial considerations and globalized competition. The third scenario centres on a counter-movement from below which presents trade unions with the daunting challenge of mobilizing the discontented far beyond their traditional constituency.

VL - 154 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Towards Resonant Places: Reflections On The Organizing Strategy Of TheInternational Transport Workers’ Federation JF - Space and Polity Y1 - 2015 A1 - Anderson, Jeremy KW - global labor studies KW - global union federations KW - GUFs KW - International Transport Workers’ Federation KW - spatialities of power KW - transnational labor organizing AB -

This article explores a geographical dilemma at the heart of union organizing in transnational corporations; namely, how to circulate union power across different spaces when existing labor struggles are generally restricted to single sites. Reflecting on the experience of the International Transport Workers' Federation, this paper argues that single site campaigns have been crucial to its organizing program. Analyzing cases involving dock workers in India and logistics workers in Turkey, it is noted that these struggles are resource intensive but potentially transformational, and should be theorized as ‘resonant places’ in a wider global organizing strategy.

VL - 19 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Trade union internationalism and political change in Myanmar JF - Global Change, Peace & Security Y1 - 2015 A1 - Henry, Nicholas KW - ILO KW - International Labor Organization KW - international orms KW - Myanmar KW - non-state actors KW - political change KW - trade unions AB -

Networks of trade union activists working as part of the global union movement have played a central role in political change in Myanmar. In response to trade union advocacy, compliance with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards was made a key condition for the lifting of sanctions on Myanmar, leading the current civilian government to pass revised labor laws allowing the formation of independent trade unions. Union activists have taken advantage of this new freedom, with a rapid growth in registration of local union organizations since 2011. Based on recent fieldwork in Myanmar, including interviews with union leaders and ILO officials, this paper presents an empirical analysis of political relationships formed by local and international union organizations in the context of multi-level political change. In this case study of translating international norms into domestic political change, local and international trade union networks are shown to have a significant impact on achieving compliance with international labor standards.

VL - 27 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Trade, Wages, and Collective Bargaining: Evidence from France Y1 - 2015 A1 - Carluccio, Juan A1 - Fougere, Denis A1 - Gautier, Erwan KW - collective bargaining KW - exports KW - firm-level wages KW - France KW - offshoring AB -

We estimate the impact of international trade on wages using data for French manufacturing firms. We instrument firm-level trade flows with firm-specific instrumental variables based on world demand and supply shocks. Both export and offshoring shocks have a positive effect on wages. Exports increase wages for all occupational categories while offshoring has heterogeneous effects. The impact of trade on wages varies across bargaining regimes. In firms with collective bargaining, the elasticity of wages with respect to exports and offshoring is higher than in firms with no collective bargaining. Wage gains associated with collective bargaining are similar across worker categories.

PB - IZA Discussion Paper No. 8894 CY - Bonn, Germany L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2578246 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Transformation Of Work And Industrial Relations In The Post-Soviet Bloc: 25 Years On From 1989 JF - Work, Employment & Society Y1 - 2015 A1 - Upchurch, Martin A1 - Richard Croucher A1 - Hanna Danilovich A1 - Claudio Morrison KW - crony capitalism KW - industrial relations KW - organization of work KW - post-communism KW - Soviet Union AB -

The uprisings of 1989 in the Soviet sphere were momentous in their political impact. Examination of this prolonged transformation is timely. We progress from case study analysis of the workplace – important in the early stages of transformation – to reflective overviews which consider the accumulated experience of a quarter of a century of post-communism. Our overview studies highlight, for example, aspects of gender difference within the frame of ‘winners and losers’. The commonalities of ‘state capture’ are revealed across the states and geographical differences emerge in post-communist ‘recovery’ which highlight processes of uneven and combined development. Finally we identify relationships between state, labour and capital which stand outside the economic prescribed orthodoxy and the expected convergence of East with West. Instead of convergence to liberal economic values and practices we find crony capitalism associated with clientelism and mafia crime forming the backdrop to institutional failure.

VL - 29 L2 - eng UR - http://wes.sagepub.com/content/29/3/NP1.full CP - 3 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Transnational Labor Alliances and Why Corporations Concede: Lessons from Southeast Asia T2 - International Studies Association Annual Convention Y1 - 2015 A1 - Brookes, Marissa KW - Southeast Asia KW - TLAs KW - transnational activism KW - transnational advocacy networks KW - transnational corporations KW - transnational labor alliances AB -


This paper analyzes the dynamics of transnational labor alliances (TLAs), which entail active cooperation by workers from two or more different countries aimed at altering the behavior of a transnational corporation. Unlike transnational advocacy networks (TANs), TLAs are motivated mainly by material goals and do not seek to involve the state in their conflicts with corporations. Consequently, TLAs do not follow the boomerang model (Keck and Sikkink 1998) of transnational activism. Existing theories of transnational activism are therefore inadequate for explaining the recent success of TLAs in improving working conditions and labor rights across a variety of firms around the world. This paper thus develops a theory of success and failure in TLAs by investigating the mechanisms through which TLA campaigns do or do not have an impact on corporate practices. Using original interview data and process-tracing methods of causal analysis, I compare two highly similar TLA campaigns centered on labor disputes at foreign-owned luxury hotels in Indonesia and Cambodia. I find that the Indonesia-based TLA failed while the Cambodia-based TLA succeeded because the latter directly threatened the target corporation’s core, material interests, while the former did not. The evidence suggests that while TLAs share some characteristics in common with TANs, the mechanism through which transnational activists compel a target actor to change its behavior differs in TLA campaigns.

JA - International Studies Association Annual Convention CY - New Orleans, LA L2 - eng UR - http://web.isanet.org/Web/Conferences/GSCIS%20Singapore%202015/Archive/c594f3e0-32f8-460d-b135-042b5265163a.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Transnational Labour Law Y1 - 2015 A1 - Ojeda-Avilés, Antonio KW - comparative labor law KW - ILO KW - labor law KW - regulation AB - This unique title is the first in-depth study to treat labour law transnationally; providing a horizontal perspective across world institutions and thereby revealing new formulas of the private regulation of economic and production relations. The centre of gravity in labour relations worldwide has shifted from governments to multinational companies and financial institutions. In Transnational Labour Law, Antonio Ojeda Avilés examines the mixture of private and public regulation – both substantive and procedural – that characterizes employment relations virtually everywhere in the world today, allowing the reader to gain insight into how this interaction of public and private rules affects the employment relationship. The book’s detailed discussions of ILO and EU measures deal not with these organizations’ rules in themselves, but with the ways these organizations regulate private entities, because such regulations mark the limits and possibilities of labour action by multinationals. PB - Wolters Kluwer Law & Business CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - A Transnational Law of Just Transitions for Climate Change and Labor T2 - Research Handbook on Transnational Labour Law Y1 - 2015 A1 - Doorey, David J. ED - Adelle Blackett ED - Anne Trebilcock KW - climate change KW - labor law AB - Climate change will dramatically affect labor markets. However, labor law scholars have been mostly absent from discourse over how law and legal policy ought to prepare and respond to these changes. They have treated climate change as an environmental issue best left to environmental law scholars. Environmental law scholars are concerned with climate change, but they lack expertise in the complexities of regulating the labor relationship. Existing legal taxonomies are insufficient to manage the challenge of governing the effects of climate change on labor markets. This chapter proposes a new legal discipline called The Law of Just Transitions. This new field would bring together subject matter and modes of thinking from a variety of legal fields, including labor, environmental, and environmental justice law, mobilized around the subject matter of climate change and labor markets. The field would be guided by a theory of justice that views law through the normative claim that the benefits, harms, and risks associated with climate change and its effects on global labor markets should be distributed in a just manner. The field encompasses all those laws and legal norms that affect this factual and normative matrix. A Law of Just Transitions offers a potentially rich new legal field that would bundle together laws and legal norms in interesting and challenging ways, offering new insights into how law intersects with climate change and labor markets. This brief Chapter considers the potential value of a 'transnational' law of just transitions that emphasizes the role of non-state actors and multiple layers of public and private governance to tackle the challenge of climate change as it affects global labor markets. JA - Research Handbook on Transnational Labour Law PB - Edward Elgar Publishing CY - Camberley Surrey, UK L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Tumbleweed Society: Working and Caring in an Age of Insecurity Y1 - 2015 A1 - Pugh, Allison J. KW - economic insecurity KW - human relations KW - industrial relations KW - job insecurity AB -

Today we live in a society in which relationships, social ties, and jobs seem to change constantly. People roll this way and that, like tumbleweeds blown across an arid plain. Yet we know little about the broader impact of job insecurity and uncertainty in our lives. In The Tumbleweed Society, Allison Pugh offers a moving exploration of sacrifice, betrayal, defiance, and resignation, as people adapt to insecurity with their own negotiations of commitment on the job and in intimate life. When people no longer expect commitment from their employers, how do they think about their own obligations? How do we raise children, put down roots in our communities, and live up to our promises at a time when flexibility and job insecurity reign? Based on eighty in-depth interviews with parents who vary in their experiences of job insecurity and socio-economic status, Pugh finds that most people accept job insecurity as inevitable, even as many maintain high standards for their own dedication: a "one-way honor system" in which workers are beholden but employers are not. But while many seem to either embrace or resign themselves to insecurity at work, they try to hold off that insecurity from infiltrating their home lives. Erecting a "moral wall" to corral the maelstrom at work, however, comes with a price. Placing nearly all of their hopes for enduring connections on their intimate relationships, she argues, can place intolerable stress on their intimate lives, often sparking the very instability they long to avoid. By shining a light on how we ourselves adapt-and prepare our children-for the new environment of uncertainty, Allison Pugh gives us a finely detailed portrait of what commitment and obligation mean today.

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Understanding Nurses’ Work: Exploring The Links Between Changing Work, Labor Relations, Workload, Stress, Retention And Recruitment JF - Economic and Industrial Democracy Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hart, Susan M. A1 - Amy M. Warren KW - collective bargaining KW - healthcare KW - nurses’ health KW - nursing KW - nursing shortages KW - stress KW - women’s health KW - work intensification KW - work-life balance AB -

This article enhances our understanding of nurses’ work as they see it, in an exploration of the links between changing work, the labour relations climate, workload, stress, retention and recruitment. Conventionally separate bodies of literature on occupational health and safety, public sector industrial relations and human resource management informed the design and implementation of the study. Interviews with nurses revealed a high level of commitment but also indicated clear links between the labour relations climate, work intensification leading to high stress and poor work–life balance, retention and recruitment. The study concludes that working conditions must be improved to gain a healthy workplace and because wage increases on their own are not enough to make nursing more attractive.

VL - 36 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Organizing after the Collapse of Neoliberalism in Argentina: The Place of Community in the Revitalization of the Labor Movement (2005–2011) JF - Critical Sociology Y1 - 2015 A1 - Elbert, Rodolfo KW - Argentina KW - informality KW - labor movement KW - labor revitalization KW - Latin America KW - neoliberalism KW - organizing KW - sociology KW - union strategies AB -

Recent Argentine history showed that since 2003 the labor movement became increasingly relevant due to protests organized by unionized formal workers. Labor revitalization in a context of persistent informality raised the following question: Were there union organizing strategies that related formal workers to the broader working class community that included informal workers? This article answered the question through the analysis of union strategies from three formal sector firms located in one city of the Northern Gran Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 2005 and 2011. The evidence from this comparison showed that in two of the factories there were union strategies to reach the community. The existence of a grassroots democratic union in the shop floor appeared as a necessary condition for inclusive union strategies. The scale of those relations varied according to the geographical pattern of workers’ housing, which was the result of the company’s localization strategy.

VL - Published online before print February 9, 2015 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Unionization and Firm Performance in China's Manufacturing Industries JF - Journal of Labor Research Y1 - 2015 A1 - Anwar, Sajid A1 - Sun, Sizhong KW - China KW - Manufacturing firms KW - unionization AB -

This paper examines the link between unionization and firm performance in China’s manufacturing industries. The empirical results suggest that unionization has not greatly benefited workers in China’s textile industry but it has contributed to much larger increase in average wages in both domestic and foreign invested firms in communication equipment, computer and other electronic equipment manufacturing industry. In the case of the general equipment manufacturing industry, unionized domestic firms pay higher average wages but there is no link between unionization and average wage in foreign invested firms.

VL - 36 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2562699 CP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - United, Yet Apart? A Note on Persistent Labour Market Differences between Western and Eastern Germany Y1 - 2015 A1 - Schnabel, Claus KW - German unification KW - Germany KW - labour market disparities AB -

Comparing aggregate statistics and surveying selected empirical studies, this paper shows that the characteristics and results of labor markets in eastern and western Germany have become quite similar in some respects but still differ markedly in others even 25 years after unification. Whereas no substantial differences can be detected in firms' labor demand decisions and in employees' representation via works councils or trade unions, both parts of the country are somewhat apart concerning labour supply behaviour, labour productivity, wages, and bargaining coverage, and they still exhibit substantially different rates of unemployment. These differences may reflect observable and unobservable characteristics of economic actors as well as differences in behaviour, norms, and individuals' attitudes.

PB - IZA Discussion Paper No. 8919 CY - Bonn, Germany L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2586422 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Unusual Unanimity and the Ongoing Debate on the Meaning of Words: The Labor and Employment Decisions from the Supreme Court's 2013-14 Term JF - ABA Journal of Labor and Employment Law Y1 - 2015 A1 - Green, Michael Z. KW - benefits KW - discimination KW - employment KW - labor KW - Supreme Court KW - wages KW - whistleblower AB -

During its 2013-14 term, the Supreme Court focused on labor relations, wage and hour law, whistleblowing, and employee benefits in several cases. The Court also addressed constitutional issues concerning the First Amendment, the Recess Appointments Clause, and affirmative action. The Court did not decide any employment discrimination cases during the term. Even without employment discrimination cases, the 2013-2014 term provided ten key cases of importance to labor and employment lawyers. Three of these cases involved distinctly different matters of concern for organized labor. Two cases addressed employee whistleblowing matters. Three cases focused on employee benefits. Two cases addressed issues tangentially-related to employment law. One case involved affirmative action. Another case addressed taxation of severance payments.In assessing the past term, one has to note the remarkable number of unanimous rulings. On the other hand, many of those "unanimous" decisions arose from general agreement on a limited result with blistering opinions questioning the majority's rationale. At one point, commentators even referred to the unanimity of the Supreme Court this past term as "specious" or "faux-nanimity." To explore the common theme of false unanimity, this Article reviews both the unanimous components of the decisions as well as the Justices’ existing divisions, especially over different approaches to interpreting the meaning of words. Finally, the Article identifies the significance of the Supreme Court’s 2013-14 labor and employment decisions and forecasts similar issues likely in store for the Court in the near future.

VL - 2 L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2580720 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Victory at Pomona College: Union Strategy and Immigrant Labor JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Silverman, Victor KW - dining hall KW - immigrant workers KW - low-wage workers KW - Pomona College KW - undocumented workers KW - union organizing KW - UNITE HERE AB -

Despite the firing of 17 purported undocumented workers and bitter conflicts on campus, Pomona College’s dining hall staff overwhelmingly voted for UNITE HERE Local 11 in spring 2013 and approved a good contract less than a year later. Although a labor victory, the Pomona story, nonetheless, illustrates the obstacles to organizing low-wage immigrant workers at powerful institutions opposed to unionization. Drawing on interviews with labor and community activists, media reports, and the author’s participant observation, this article finds that campus and community support, while critical, could not prevent years of delays and serious acts of intimidation. This campaign had a transformative effect on the workers and their workplace but raises questions about long-term union strategy.

VL - 40 L2 - eng UR - http://pages.pomona.edu/~vis04747/sources/Labor%20Studies%20Journal-2014-Silverman-.pdf CP - 1 J1 - Labor Studies Journal ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Wage Compression And The Gender Pay Gap JF - IZA World of Labor Y1 - 2015 A1 - Kahn, Lawrence M. KW - collective bargaining KW - gender KW - minimum wages KW - unions KW - wage inequality AB -

There are large international differences in the gender pay gap. In some developed countries in 2010–2012, women were close to earnings parity with men, while in others large gaps remained. Since women and men have different average levels of education and experience and commonly work in different industries and occupations, multiple factors can influence the gender pay gap. Among them are skill supply and demand, unions, and minimum wages, which influence the economy-wide wage returns to education, experience, and occupational wage differentials. Systems of wage compression narrow the gender pay gap but may also lower demand for female workers.

VL - April 2015 L2 - eng UR - http://wol.iza.org/articles/wage-compression-and-gender-pay-gap.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - We Are Market Basket: The Story of the Unlikely Grassroots Movement That Saved a Beloved Business Y1 - 2015 A1 - Korschun, Daniel A1 - Grant Welker KW - customer loyalty KW - grassroots movement KW - industrial relations KW - Market Basket AB -

What if a company were so treasured and trusted that people literally took to the streets - by the thousands - to save it? That company is Market Basket, a popular New England supermarket chain. After long-time, CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was ousted by his cousin Arthur S. Demoulas, the company's managers and rank-and-file workers struck back. Risking their own livelihoods to restore the job of their beloved boss they walked out, but they didn't walk far. At huge protest rallies, they were joined by loyal customers - leaving stores empty. Suppliers and vendors stopped deliveries - rendering shelves bare. Politicians were forced to take sides. The national media and experts were stunned by the unprecedented defense of an executive. All openly challenged the Market Basket board of directors to make things right. And, in the end, they prevailed. With its arresting firsthand accounts from the streets and executive suites, We Are Market Basket is as inspiring as it is instructive. What is it about Market Basket and its leader that provokes such ferocious loyalty? How does a company spread across three states maintain a culture that embraces everyone - from cashier to customer - as family? Can a company really become an industry leader by prioritizing stakeholders over shareholders? Set against a backdrop of bad blood and corporate greed, We Are Market Basket is, above all, a page-turner that chronicles the epic rise, fall, and redemption of this iconic and uniquely American company.

PB - AMACOM CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - We Are One: Stories of American Workers Y1 - 2015 A1 - Gottlieb, Elizabeth KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - workers KW - workplaces AB -

There are millions of workers around the world, each with their own personal story. WE ARE ONE explores the lives of American workers from coast to coast, from all walks of life, in words and self-portrait photography. The collection examines their workplaces, their life events and ideas about success, inspiring reflection and thought among its readers. We hear from musicians, laborers, teachers, journalists, auto workers, nurses, a ballet dancer from the San Francisco Ballet, a West Virginia coal miner, filmmaker John Sayles, and many others. WE ARE ONE is an introduction to today's labor movement from a personal perspective, and a much needed answer to the all too common negative stereotype of unions.

PB - Hard Ball Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - We Don't Quit!: Stories of UAW Global Solidarity Y1 - 2015 A1 - Stillman, Don KW - globalization KW - UAW KW - unionization KW - United Auto Workers KW - workers’ rights AB -

We Don’t Quit! describes the crucial role the United Auto Workers (UAW) union has played in the global struggle for workers’ rights. At a time when labor’s power seems to be waning, the book establishes the UAW’s vigorous internationalism as a counterbalance to corporate globalization and anti-worker repression by foreign governments. The UAW joined independent black unions in South Africa in the struggle against apartheid. It supported the Solidarity union in Poland that toppled the communist regime there. In Central America, the UAW stood up for workers targeted by death squads. In moving detail, author Don Stillman describes the UAW’s efforts to win freedom for imprisoned worker activists in Burma, China, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Mexico. In addition, he outlines how the support of German workers helped the UAW organize workers in North Carolina in the face of a harsh anti-union campaign. At a time when corporations operate without national boundaries, We Don’t Quit! charts a path for workers to join together across borders to preserve and expand workers’ rights.

PB - UAW CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Why Do Temp Workers Work as Hard as They Do?: The Commitment and Suffering of Factory Temp Workers in Japan JF - The Sociological Quarterly Y1 - 2015 A1 - Shinji Kojima KW - factory workers KW - Japan KW - Marxism KW - precarious work KW - temp workers KW - temporary work AB -

This qualitative study on blue-collar temporary agency workers in Japan uses participant observation and in-depth interviews to revisit the Marxist problem of surplus appropriation; that is, why do temp workers work as hard as they do, when management has little to offer in return? Existing literature has provided two answers of “coercion” and “consent.” This study attempts to bridge the debate by employing Bourdieu and Wacquant's concepts of practical sense and illusio. Workers entering the factory as novices initially made conscious efforts to master the specific bodily schemes necessary to survive on an insecure job. It was in the process of mastering the practical knowledge of factory work that temp workers came to be taken in, and by the game. Temp workers came to experience joy in investing their mind and body in the tasks, for they saw themselves reflected in the good job they did. Yet workers were not wholehearted believers in the game; they questioned their commitment and deeply suffered from reflecting on the poor treatment they continued to receive despite their commitment.

VL - 56 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Why Do Unionized Workers Have More Nonfatal Occupational Injuries? JF - ILR Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Alejandro Donado KW - labor unions KW - occupational health and safety KW - panel data KW - working conditions AB -

Most empirical studies have estimated a positive union–nonunion “injury gap,” suggesting that unionized workers are more likely than their nonunion counterparts to have a nonfatal occupational injury. Using individual-level panel data for the first time in this type of study, the author explores several explanations for this puzzling result. He finds that controlling for time-invariant individual fixed effects already reduces the gap by around 40%. Some of the explanations he studies contribute to reducing this gap even further. The author does not, however, find evidence of the gap becoming negative, and the impact of unions on nonfatal injuries appears to be insignificant at best.

VL - 68 L2 - eng UR - http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/md/awi/forschung/dp551.pdf CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Why Workers’ Rights Are Not Women’s Rights JF - Laws Y1 - 2015 A1 - Gottfried, Heidi KW - citizenship KW - gender KW - labor law KW - regulation KW - rights KW - shared responsibilities KW - social reproduction AB -

“Why workers’ rights are not women’s rights” is an argument whose purpose isto make clear why workers’ rights rest on a masculine embodiment of the labor subject and it is this masculine embodiment which is at the center of employment contracts and employment relations systems. By excavating the gender subjects implicit to and explicit in regulations of labor, the paper reveals the opposition of paired terms, masculinity and femininity privileging production over reproduction and naturalizing gender-based power relations. The paper identifies various laboring activities associated with differential rights and responsibilities. An examination of the treatment of part-time employment and waged caring labor, framed in labor, welfare, immigration, and citizenship policies and practices, locates exclusions from labor standards and exemptions from entitlements due to eligibility requirements and thresholds that assume the masculine embodiment of the worker-citizen. Gendering the analysis illustrates how contemporary labor laws and conventions grant rights on the basis of, and to, a rather abstract conception of the prototypical worker-citizen. Its origins lie in what classical political economy labeled a capitalist logic, as well as the historical practices in which free class agents entered into contracts for continuous, full-time work free of care responsibilities outside of the wage/labor nexus. Thus, it is this particular abstract construction of the proto-typical worker which instantiates the separation of “rights to” from “responsibilities for”, and it is this separation that allows the masculine embodiment of the labor subject. Modes of regulation privileging rights over responsibilities will valorize the masculine worker-citizen whose rights derive from their participation in wage labor and simultaneously devalue the feminine worker who is directly connected to caring labor.

VL - 4 L2 - eng UR - http://www.mdpi.com/2075-471X/4/2/139/pdf CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Worker Activism After Successful Union Organizing Y1 - 2015 A1 - Markowitz, Linda KW - union organizing KW - Wagner Act KW - worker activism KW - worker participation AB -

Shows how different levels of worker participation during a union organizing campaign influence the perceptions and actions of those same workers after the campaign ends, and, thereby, the long-term effectiveness and success of the organizing effort. Drawing on historical and current examples, the author analyzes the political and economic contexts within which today's unions are organizing, including a detailed examination of the impact of the Wagner Act.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Worker Centers, Worker Center Networks, and the Promise of Protections for Low-Wage Workers JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2015 A1 - Héctor R. Cordero-Guzmán KW - labor market intermediation KW - labor violations KW - low-wage economy KW - low-wage occupations KW - low-wage workers KW - organizing KW - worker centers AB -

Over the last two decades, a number of community-based and community-led organizations—known as worker centers—have been engaging in organizing, research, direct service provision, policy analysis and development, and advocacy with low-wage workers in the most marginalized sectors of the labor market. Worker centers and worker center networks engage in a broad range of labor market activities, including worker-based programs, services, and campaigns; labor market intermediation; employer-focused strategies; and a range of consumer and community education and engagement campaigns and initiatives. Worker centers and worker center networks play an essential role in low-wage labor markets by identifying key sectors in the low-wage economy where there are large numbers of vulnerable workers and labor violations; by organizing workers, developing and managing campaigns, and providing access to legal remedies for labor violations; and by developing strategies to improve pay, working conditions, and other aspects of job quality in low-wage occupations. Any strategy designed to reduce labor violations and improve working conditions for low-wage workers should take into account the functions and roles of worker centers and worker center networks in articulating the needs of workers and devising strategies, programs, campaigns, and initiatives designed to address them.

VL - 18 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Worker Engagement in the Health and Safety Regulatory Arena under Changing Models of Worker Representation JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2015 A1 - Delp, Linda A1 - Kevin Riley KW - health and safety KW - labor standards enforcement KW - low-wage workers KW - occupational safety and health regulations KW - worker advocacy KW - workplace KW - workplace hazards AB -

This paper examines the efforts of a labor-community-university partnership in Southern California to confront violations of workplace health and safety standards by employers of nonunion workers in low-wage jobs. A worker engagement model has opened avenues for workers and worker advocates to participate in the regulatory arena absent union representation. This approach has achieved notable successes to date, including groundbreaking Cal/OSHA citations and nascent collaboration with agency officials to target enforcement of health and safety standards. We argue this model constitutes the foundation needed to support a potentially viable form of tripartism that allows nonunion workers a voice, albeit limited, in the health and safety regulatory process.

VL - 40 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Workers And Social Movements Of The Developing World: Time To Rethink The Scope Of Industrial Relations? JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Ratna Sen A1 - Chang-Hee Lee KW - Brazil KW - China KW - developing world KW - India KW - industrial relations KW - informal economy KW - informal workers KW - labor relations KW - nonunionized worker KW - precarious employment KW - Russian Federation KW - South Africa AB -

Against the background of decline in traditional industrial relations institutions in post-Fordist economies, the authors review the patterns of counter-movement to globalization that are emerging in the defense of workers in developing countries, with a particular focus on Asia. From the Marxian struggle they identify in China to the widely varied forms of protest and representational organization they observe in India, they argue for a more inclusive approach to industrial relations, both in practice and in research. The future, they suggest, will be shaped by the interplay of reform from above and the social movements spontaneously filling today's representational vacuum.

VL - 154 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Workers And Trade Unions For Climate Solidarity: Tackling Climate Change In A Neoliberal World Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hampton, Paul KW - climate change KW - global warming KW - Marxism KW - neoliberalism KW - trade unions KW - United Kingdom AB -

This book is a theoretically rich and empirically grounded account of UK trade union engagement with climate change over the last three decades. It offers a rigorous critique of the mainstream neoliberal and ecological modernization approaches, extending the concepts of Marxist social and employment relations theory to the climate realm. The book applies insights from employment relations to the political economy of climate change, developing a model for understanding trade union behavior over climate matters. The strong interdisciplinary approach draws together lessons from both physical and social science, providing an original empirical investigation into the climate politics of the UK trade union movement from high level officials down to workplace climate representatives, from issues of climate jobs to workers’ climate action.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Workers' Guide to Health and Safety Y1 - 2015 A1 - Jailer, Todd A1 - Miriam Lara-Meloy A1 - Maggie Robbins KW - electronics factories KW - factory workers KW - garment factories KW - garment workers KW - health and safety KW - occupational safety and health KW - Rana Plaza KW - shoe factories KW - workplace KW - workplace disasters KW - workplace hazards AB -

Workplace disasters, from the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Karachi to the Rana Plaza building collapse in Savar remind us that our clothes, shoes, and electronics might be cheap for us but come at much too high a price to those who manufacture them. The Workers’ Guide to Health and Safety puts occupational safety and health information into a form that can be used by those most affected by workplace hazards—the workers themselves. From low wages to sexual harassment, from ergonomics to fire safety, from chemical exposure at work to pollution outside the plant, this book draws on the experiences of factory workers and their communities around the world to provide actionable tools to help organize for short- and long-term improvements. Developed in collaboration with factory workers and their advocates, workers, educators, and organizers will find a wealth of practical and sustainable information in this one-of-a-kind resource.

PB - Hesperian Foundation CY - Berkeley, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Working In The New Low-Wage Economy: Understanding Participation In Low-Wage Employment In The Recessionary Era JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2015 A1 - Visser, Anne A1 - Edwin Meléndez KW - ethnicity KW - low-wage work KW - low-wage workers KW - race AB -

This paper examines the factors that influence the likelihood of engaging in low-wage work during the recessionary and post-recessionary era. Using micro data from the 5-year 2008–2012 American Community Survey Estimates, we examine human capital, structural, and labor market characteristics that induce workers' participation into low-wage jobs and labor markets, as well as how these vary between and within various ethnic/racial, age, and gender groups, including Hispanic/Latino ethnic groups. We find that the factors influencing engagement in low-wage employment largely mirror those identified in pre-recessionary studies and analyses but that there is a differential effect across ethnicity, race, gender, and age that may lead to and lock specific groups of workers into low-wage employment. Using a post-estimation technique to generate predicted probabilities, we discuss how these factors influence a worker's likelihood to engage in low-wage employment across and within ethnic and racial populations, and the implications these present for contemporary scholarship, policy, and praxis.

VL - 18 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Working through the Past: Labor and Authoritarian Legacies in Comparative Perspective Y1 - 2015 A1 - Caraway, Teri L. A1 - Maria Lorena Cook A1 - Stephen Crowley KW - Asia KW - authoritarianism KW - Eastern Europe KW - globalization KW - Latin America KW - neoliberal globalization AB -

Democratization in the developing and postcommunist world has yielded limited gains for labor. Explanations for this phenomenon have focused on the effect of economic crisis and globalization on the capacities of unions to become influential political actors and to secure policies that benefit their members. In contrast, the contributors to Working through the Past highlight the critical role that authoritarian legacies play in shaping labor politics in new democracies, providing the first cross-regional analysis of the impact of authoritarianism on labor, focusing on East and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Legacies from the predemocratic era shape labor’s present in ways that both limit and enhance organized labor’s power in new democracies. Assessing the comparative impact on a variety of outcomes relevant to labor in widely divergent settings, this volume argues that political legacies provide new insights into why labor movements in some countries have confronted the challenges of neoliberal globalization better than others.

PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Workplace Equality in Europe: The Role of Trade Unions Y1 - 2015 A1 - Paraskevopoulou, Anna A1 - Sonia Mckay KW - anti-discrimination policies KW - diversity KW - diversity policies KW - Europe KW - workplace equality AB -

Drawing on data from a Europe wide project, together with existing data on equality and diversity initiatives, this book explores the work of trade unions in supporting equality and anti-discrimination policies across Europe and, in particular, the processes and collaborations involved in incorporating equality and diversity policies into trade union agendas. It considers theoretical issues of equality and diversity, the role of EU legislation, multiple discrimination and exclusion and disadvantage in the labour market in relation to the role of trade unions, and addresses central questions about the actions and challenges faced by trade unions in promoting equality in the workplace and in implementing anti-discrimination policies at local, national and European levels.With research spanning 34 European countries and extending to over 250 interviews and 15 case studies, Workplace Equality in Europe examines the impact of a period of economic crisis on workplace diversity, exploring forms of inter-union cooperation at European and international levels and shedding fresh light on the processes that lead some trade unions to adopt equality policies while others remain reluctant to develop or expand policies in this area.

PB - Ashgate CY - Surrey, UK L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - World Employment Social Outlook: The Changing Nature of Jobs Y1 - 2015 A1 - International Labour Organization KW - global supply chains KW - ILO KW - informal employment KW - International Labor Organization KW - irregular work hours KW - joblessness KW - unemployment AB -

The world of work is changing profoundly, at a time when the global economy is not creating a sufficient number of jobs. The ILO estimates that global unemployment figures reached 201 million in 2014, over 30 million higher than before the start of the global crisis in 2008. Moreover, providing jobs to more than 40 million additional people who enter the global labour market every year is proving to be a daunting challenge. In addition to widespread joblessness, the employment relationship itself is facing a major transformation that is bringing further challenges. This report reveals a shift away from the standard employment model, in which workers earn wages and salaries in a dependent employment relationship vis-à-vis their employers, have stable jobs and work full time. In advanced economies, the standard employment model is less and less dominant. In emerging and developing economies, there has been some strengthening of employment contracts and relationships but informal employment continues to be common in many countries and, at the bottom of global supply chains, very short-term contracts and irregular hours are becoming more widespread

PB - International Labour Office CY - Geneva L2 - eng UR - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_368626.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Young And Unionised In The UK? Insights From The Public Sector JF - Employee Relations Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hodder, Andy KW - industrial relations KW - public sector KW - trade union membership KW - trade unionism KW - union responses KW - young workers AB -

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between trade unions and young workers in the UK using the Young Members’ Network of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union as a case study. Findings are based on semi-structured interviews with 20 full-time officials and 39 lay officials of all ages, the collection and analysis of primary documents and observations at a range of union meetings. It is argued that PCS has developed a strong network of young activists and is leading the way in terms of engaging with and representing young workers. However, its success in the future may be limited due to changes to the external environment in which the union is trying to organize. The research highlights the role of an under researched area of trade union membership. To provide additional insights, further research is needed into the practice of other unions. This paper provides significant qualitative analysis into this issue which complements the existing quantitative research in this area.

VL - 37 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Young Workers and Trade Unions: A Global View Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hodder, Andy A1 - Lefteris Kretsos KW - austerity policies KW - precariousness KW - trade union revitalization KW - trade unions KW - young workers AB -

In most cases young workers all over the world carry out low-paid, low-status and insecure work. As their position in the labour market becomes increasingly precarious, one may expect them to join unions to get more protection. Nevertheless most young workers remain disengaged from trade union activity and trade unions are struggling with the loss of members and an increasing ageing effect. Young Workers and Trade Unions provides an understanding of the processes in which unions engage with young people and the views and opinions young people hold relating to collective representation. One of the key strengths of the collection is the selection of specific national cases of high relevance to contemporary debates of precariousness, trade union revitalization strategies and austerity policies.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Young Workers and Trade Unions: A Global View Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hodder, Andy A1 - Lefteris Kretsos KW - labor unions KW - organizing KW - precarious work KW - precariousness KW - young workers AB -

In most cases young workers all over the world carry out low-paid, low-status and insecure work. As their position in the labour market becomes increasingly precarious, one may expect them to join unions to get more protection. Nevertheless most young workers remain disengaged from trade union activity and trade unions are struggling with the loss of members and an increasing ageing effect. Young Workers and Trade Unions provides an understanding of the processes in which unions engage with young people and the views and opinions young people hold relating to collective representation. One of the key strengths of the collection is the selection of specific national cases of high relevance to contemporary debates of precariousness, trade union revitalization strategies and austerity policies.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The 'Zero-Hours Contract': Regulating Casual Work, or Legitimating Precarity? JF - University of Oxford Legal Research Paper Series Y1 - 2015 A1 - Adams, Abi A1 - Freedland, Mark R. A1 - Prassl, Jeremias KW - contracts without guaranteed hours KW - employment law KW - labor force survey KW - mutuality of obligation KW - precarious work KW - social security KW - zero-hours contract AB -

Zero-Hours Contracts have become one of the most high-profile employment law issues of recent years. In this article, we analyse the legal and empirical evidence of work under Zero-Hours arrangements and suggest that whilst a legal engagement with Zero-Hours Contracts as an unresolved labour market problem is long overdue, the current discourse surrounding these work arrangements is fundamentally flawed: there is no such thing as the Zero-Hours Contract as a singular category; the label serves as no more than a convenient shorthand for masking the explosive growth of precarious work for a highly fragmented workforce. Ongoing attempts at regulating Zero-Hours Contracts thus constitute a significant shift towards the normalisation of all but the most extreme forms of abusive employment arrangements, leaving a rapidly increasing number of workers without recourse to employment protective norms. In concluding, we indicate ways towards a more coherent approach to the de-normalisation and progressive regulation of this large and growing set of casual work arrangements.

VL - 11/2015 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2507693## ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The 1877 Railroad Strike in Baltimore Y1 - 2014 A1 - Barry, Bill KW - history KW - immigration KW - industrial workers KW - railroad KW - railroad strike KW - strike KW - worker organizations AB -

This history of the first national strike also covers issues like state and federal power, the role of industrial workers, the development of railroads, immigration and the different forms of worker organizations in the period after the Civil War.

PB - CreateSpace CY - Seattle, WA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Aiming for Giants: Charter School Legislation and the Power of Teacher Unions JF - Education and Urban Society Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jason Giersch KW - charter schools KW - educational policy KW - teacher unions KW - teachers AB -

Historically, strong teacher unions have been successful at gaining benefits and security for their members, but they have been put on the defensive by recent proposals for education reform. Charter schools are one such reform that could threaten unions, but there is wide variety in the content of state charter school laws. Using state-level data from 3 different years, I find that the stronger a state’s teacher union, the more antiunion provisions a state’s charter school law will contain. These results suggest that antiunion sentiment has reached a level high enough to overcome the unions’ ability to influence policy on this issue.

VL - 46 L2 - eng CP - 6 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Alienated Politics: Labour Insurgency and the Paternalistic State in China JF - Development and Change Y1 - 2014 A1 - Friedman, Eli KW - alienated politics KW - authoritarian politics KW - China KW - labor movement KW - labor politics KW - worker resistance AB -

Is there a labor movement in China? This contribution argues that China does not have a labor movement, but that contestation between workers, state and capital is best characterized as a form of ‘alienated politics’. Widespread worker resistance is highly effective at the level of the firm because of its ability to inflict losses on capital and disrupt public order. But authoritarian politics in China prevent workers from formulating political demands. Despite the spectacular repressive capacity of the state, the central government has in fact responded to highly localized resistance by passing generally pro-labour legislation over the past decade. The consequence of this is that worker unrest has produced important political shifts at the national level, but these have come about without workers’ direct involvement in the process. In other words, workers are alienated from the political object that they themselves have produced. As a consequence, when the state intervenes in labour politics, it appears to be doing so of its own accord, i.e. paternalistically. This framework helps us to understand how worker unrest in China has become highly antagonistic towards employers and the local state, while maintaining the stability of the system as a whole.

VL - 45 L2 - eng CP - 5 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - ALT-Labor, Secondary Boycotts, and Toward a Labor Organization Bargain JF - Catholic University Law Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Michael C. Duff KW - ALT-Labor KW - fast-food workers KW - Labor Management Relations Act KW - living wage KW - low-wage workers KW - minimum wage AB -

Recently, workers led by non-union labor advocacy groups, popularly labeled “ALT-Labor,” staged strikes and other job actions across the low-wage economy. Some observers see this activity as the harbinger of a reinvigorated labor movement or as audacious dissent by low-wage workers with nothing to lose. Others view the activity cynically as an exercise in futility, a struggle against inexorable market forces that refuse to pay $15 per hour to a fast food restaurant or big box retail worker. This article presumes that employers will respond to ALT-Labor in a historically typical manner—by seeking labor injunctions and civil damages in courts. Labor injunctions are available under certain sections of the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA) when “labor organizations” violate those sections. This article specifically considers whether ALT-Labor groups, though not unions in the traditional sense, are “labor organizations” under the LMRA, in which case they may be subject to federal court injunction and civil damages under the LMRA. The article concludes that ALT-Labor’s labor organization status is uncertain and will turn on a given group’s explicit statement of a “labor organization-like” purpose, and on whether it behaves like a statutory labor organization. Litigation premised on the labor organization status of an ALT-Labor group, therefore, poses risk for both sides—business and ALT-Labor.

VL - 63 L2 - eng UR - http://scholarship.law.edu/lawreview/vol63/iss4/1/ CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - American Workers, American Unions: The Twentieth and Early Twenty-First Centuries (fourth edition) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Zieger, Robert H. A1 - Timothy J. Minchin A1 - Gilbert J. Gall KW - blue-collar politcs KW - labor history KW - labor legislation KW - workers’ rights AB -

Highly acclaimed and widely read since its first publication in 1986, American Workers, American Unions provides a concise and compelling history of American workers and their unions in the twentieth century and the first decade of the twenty-first. Taking into account recent important work on the 1970s and the Reagan revolution, the fourth edition newly considers the stagflation issue, the rise of globalization and big box retailing, the failure of Congress to pass legislation supporting the right of public employees to collective bargaining, the defeat in Congress of legislation to revise the National Labor Relations Act, the emasculation of the Humphrey-Hawkins Act, and the changing dynamics of blue-collar politics. In addition to important new information on the 1970s and 1980s, the fourth edition contains a completely new final chapter. Largely written by Timothy J. Minchin, this chapter provides a rare survey of American workers and their unions between 9/11 and the 2012 presidential election. Gilbert J. Gall presents new information on government workers and their recent battles to defend workplace rights. An extensive collection of bibliographical material will be made available online.

PB - Johns Hopkins University Press CY - Baltimore L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Are Chinese Workers Paid the Correct Wages? Measuring Wage Underpayment in the Chinese Industrial Sector, 2005-2010 JF - Review of Radical Political Economics Y1 - 2014 A1 - Xu, Zhun A1 - Ying Chen A1 - Minqi Li KW - China KW - living wage KW - marginal product of labor AB -

This paper examines the labor compensations of the Chinese industrial sector for the period 2005-2010. We find that both the state owned enterprises and the non-domestic enterprises pay more than the living wage. But the domestic private enterprises pay substantially less than the living wage. We also find that all types of Chinese industrial enterprises pay the workers with wages that are substantially less than their marginal product of labor.

VL - Published online before print August 21, 2014 L2 - eng UR - http://rrp.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/08/20/0486613414542780.abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Austerity and Politically Motivated Changes: Wage Bargaining in Hungarian Municipal Services JF - Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research Y1 - 2014 A1 - Neumann, László A1 - Erzsébet Berki A1 - AU - Márk Edelényi KW - collective bargaining KW - Hungary KW - industrial relatio KW - outsourcing KW - public sector industrial relations KW - public sector reform KW - public sector salaries KW - salaries KW - wage bargaining AB -

Salaries of public sector employees have been the number one target of austerity measures applied by successive Hungarian governments since 2006, and trade unions have found it difficult to influence government policies. Until 2008 the outcomes of centralized quasi-bargaining somewhat mitigated the harsh measures, but later governments, especially the right-wing one in place since 2010, abandoned such negotiations, implementing labour law reforms that weakened trade union bargaining power and concluding selective agreements solely with representatives of certain strong groups of employees. Social dialogue institutions have become especially weak at sectoral and municipal levels. Though decentralized collective bargaining is common in larger private sector companies, and though the legal regulation is similar in state-/municipality-owned companies, genuine collective bargaining within the latter is very rare. The article presents two case studies (on geriatric care and public transport) highlighting current developments and their impacts on employment relations.

VL - 20 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Battle over the Minimum Wage, City by City JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2014 A1 - Peter Dreier KW - community organizations KW - elections KW - equality KW - living wage KW - minimum wage KW - working class AB -

[Excerpt] Seattle Mayor Ed Murray used May Day 2014 to announce that business and labor had agreed to a historic plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Seattle’s bold measure is a part of a growing wave of activism and local legislation around the country to help lift the working poor out of poverty. The gridlock in Washington—where Congress has not boosted the federal minimum wage, stuck at $7.25 an hour, since 2009—has catalyzed a growing movement in cities and states. Nineteen states have minimum wages over $7.25 an hour, and ten states automatically increase their minimum wages with inflation. In 2004, San Francisco and Santa Fe, New Mexico were the first two localities to adopt citywide minimum-wage laws, now $10.74 and $10.66, respectively. Since then, cities from Los Angeles to New York have begun the process of crafting minimum-wage laws with different components. Nineteen states now have minimum wages over $7.25 an hour, and ten states automatically increase their minimum wages with inflation. As of June 2014, activists in Idaho, South Dakota, and Alaska were gathering signatures to put minimum-wage hikes on the ballot this year. Their counterparts in Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Hawaii were pushing state legislators to raise the minimum wages in their states, too.

VL - 23 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Best Practices for Managing Union Arbitration : Leading Lawyers on Understanding the Key Components of Arbitration and Bringing the Case to a Successful Resolution Y1 - 2014 A1 - William G. Trumpeter A1 - David I. Rosen A1 - Charles H. Kaplan A1 - John C. Romeo KW - ADR KW - alternative dispute resolution KW - arbitration KW - dispute resolution AB -

Best Practices for Managing Union Arbitration provides an authoritative, insider's perspective on leading employers through the triumphs and pitfalls of the arbitration process. Experienced partners from law firms across the nation explore the recent trends surrounding alternative dispute resolution (ADR), as well as the differences between varying kinds of disputes. These top lawyers offer advice on helping employers in deciding when to move forward with arbitration, collecting evidence of intent, and determining witness credibility. Covering a range of topics from analyzing the laws governing union arbitration to knowing when to settle, these experts discuss key strategies for alerting clients to National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decisions and stress the importance of interpreting the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) language. The different niches represented and the breadth of perspectives presented enable readers to get inside some of the great legal minds of today, as these experienced lawyers offer up their thoughts on the keys to success within this ever-present legal field.

PB - Thomson Reuters CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Between Accommodation and Transformation: The Two Logics of Union Renewal JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Melisa R Serrano KW - Canada KW - Canadian Auto Workers KW - Germany KW - IG Metall KW - logic of accommodation KW - logic of transformation KW - trade unions KW - union renewal AB -

This article distinguishes between two logics of union renewal: accommodation and transformation. It examines the functioning and potential of these logics in two industrial unions in Germany and Canada, exploring factors that influence decisions to give priority to one renewal logic. The findings suggest that the two logics can coexist, and that unions are able to alternate between them. Of particular relevance in comparative perspective are some similarities and differences in the renewal processes and strategies pursued by the two unions.

VL - 20 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Between Consultation and Collective Bargaining? The Changing Role of Non-Union Employee Representatives: A Case Study from the Finance Sector JF - Industrial Relations Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Tuckman, Alan A1 - Jeremé Snook KW - collective bargaining KW - employment relations KW - labor relations KW - non-union employee representatives KW - trade unions KW - unionism AB -

This article reviews the roles and activities of non-union employee representatives (NERs) acting as forum officers in a large Internet finance company. Currently there is little academic coverage concerning NERs in this sector, including their contributions to employment relations, their motivations and orientations towards representative role and activities, or relations with management and fellow employees. An important precondition to answering one of the main questions asked of NERs is whether such representation constitutes the foundation of some nascent trade unionism, or whether by acting as forum representatives, they are positioning themselves to support management agendas and outlook? The range of data from this article's longitudinal case study, indicating time usage including individual and collective representation, suggests that NERs allegiances and roles remain ambiguous, existing as they do in the intersection between consultation and collective bargaining. An important factor may be their capacity for independent action and independence from senior management.

VL - 45 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Beyond the Union-Centred Approach: A Critical Evaluation of Recent Trade Union Elections in China JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Hui, Elaine Sio-ieng A1 - Chan, Chris King-Chi KW - China KW - strike-driven elections KW - strikes KW - union democracy KW - union elections AB -

Many Western scholars have regarded union democracy and elections as affairs that are internal to trade unions and unconnected with outside forces. Going beyond the mainstream union-centered approach, this study critically assesses one significant type of union election that has been emerging in China since 2010 and that has been driven by different forces from previous elections. Previous workplace union elections had been ‘top-down’ — initiated by the party-state or its apparatuses, or else transnational corporation-induced — but this newer type of election has been driven by workers' strikes. This study illustrates how the dynamics among the quadripartite actors — party-state, higher-level trade unions, capital and labor — have shaped these strike-driven elections. Contrary to the claim that these elections have been ‘direct’ and ‘democratic’, our case studies show that they have been indirect and quasi-democratic in nature.

VL - Article first published online: 1 DEC 2014 L2 - eng UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjir.12111/abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Bottom-Up Workplace Law Enforcement JF - Indiana Law Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Alexander, Charlotte S. A1 - Prasad, Arthi KW - employment law KW - labor law KW - low-wage workers KW - retaliation KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace rights AB -

This Article presents an original analysis of newly available data from a landmark survey of 4387 low-wage, front-line workers in the three largest U.S. cities. We analyze data on worker claims, retaliation, and legal knowledge to investigate what we call “bottom-up” workplace law enforcement, or the reliance of many labor and employment statutes on workers themselves to enforce their rights. We conclude that bottom-up workplace law enforcement may fail to protect the workers who are most vulnerable to workplace rights violations, as they often lack the legal knowledge and incentives to complain that are prerequisites for enforcement activity.

VL - 89 L2 - eng UR - http://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ilj/vol89/iss3/2/ CP - 3 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Building a More Diverse Skilled Workforce in the Highway Trades: Are Oregon’s Current Efforts Working? Y1 - 2014 A1 - Burd-Sharps, Sarah A1 - Kristen Lewis A1 - Maura Kelly KW - Apprenticeship programs KW - barriers to participation KW - Career Education KW - diversity KW - ethnicity KW - gender KW - Nontraditional Occupations KW - race AB -

Jobs in the highway construction trades have historically been primarily held by white men and largely remain so today; of those completing apprenticeships in the highway trades in Oregon between 2011 and early 2014, 83.4 percent were white men. Building a more diverse skilled workforce and making careers in these trades more accessible and appealing to women and people of color has proven challenging.The state’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), in 2010 began a statewide effort—the Highway Construction Workforce Development Program—to find, train, and employ a diverse workforce for highway construction jobs throughout the state. The program provides mentoring and four services designed to help workers overcome commonly identified barriers to participation in the heavy highway trades: financial support for childcare; fuel assistance; support for tools, clothes and other required equipment; and overnight travel expenses for jobs. This paper provides the findings of an assessment of these efforts using data on trends in the Oregon heavy highway workforce from the Oregon Apprenticeship System, a phone survey of current and past highway apprentices conducted in early 2014, and a review of the experiences of others states in this area.

PB - Final report submitted to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries and Oregon Department of Transportation L2 - eng UR - http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/soc_fac/16/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Changing Labour Regulations and Labour Standards in China: Retrospect and Challenges JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Chan, Chris King-Chi A1 - Nadvi, Khalid KW - China KW - corporate responsibility KW - labor policy KW - labor standards KW - working conditions AB -

China's global economic strength is underpinned by its manufacturing prowess, predicated on a disciplined, skilled but relatively low-paid workforce. Hence the State's recent regulatory initiatives to improve employment conditions in response to growing labour unrest. In their introductory article, the coordinators of this Special Issue of the International Labour Review contextualize the contributions that follow by reviewing the broader debates on labour regulation in global production – particularly on “soft” vs “hard” regulation – and the changes that have occurred in China's labour markets, labour regulations, labour standards and labour relations over the past decade. They conclude with suggestions for further research.

VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Changing Labour Regulations And Labour Standards In China: Retrospect And Challenges JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Chris King-Chi Chan A1 - Khalid Nadvi KW - China KW - corporate responsibility KW - labor policy KW - labor standards KW - working conditions AB -

China's global economic strength is underpinned by its manufacturing prowess, predicated on a disciplined, skilled but relatively low-paid workforce. Hence the State's recent regulatory initiatives to improve employment conditions in response to growing labor unrest. In their introductory article, the coordinators of this Special Issue of the International Labour Review contextualize the contributions that follow by reviewing the broader debates on labor regulation in global production – particularly on “soft” vs “hard” regulation – and the changes that have occurred in China's labor markets, labor regulations, labor standards and labor relations over the past decade. They conclude with suggestions for further research.

VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Childhood Career Development in Mainland China: A Research and Practice Agenda JF - The Career Development Quarterly Y1 - 2014 A1 - Liu, Jianwei A1 - McMahon, Mary A1 - Watson, Mark KW - career development KW - childhood KW - China KW - mainland China AB -

Career development in adolescence and adulthood has been widely researched; however, less is known about childhood career development, particularly in non-Western cultures. This is especially the case in mainland China, where children grow up in a unique context. The Confucian tradition of emphasizing education as an important social ladder and parents' role in their children's development may restrict children's development of career-planning skills. By contrast, the shift from a planned economy to a market economy enables individuals to choose careers and demands that individuals have career-planning skills. The elementary school years could be a starting point to develop such skills by providing career guidance for children. This article considers childhood career development in mainland China, discusses the status quo of childhood career development research and practice, and considers an agenda for future research and practice.

VL - 62 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - China and ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Y1 - 2014 A1 - Roger Blanpain KW - China KW - globalization KW - ILO KW - International Labor Organization KW - labor law KW - workers’ rights AB -

Although China is not new to labour law – it was among the founders of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1919 – labour conditions in China today are the subject of concern to observers both inside China and in the international community. In response, China has devoted much attention recently to reforming its labour law system, a process driven by a political reorientation towards labour protection in the context of economic globalization. However, labour disputes and labour unrest continue to proliferate. Using as its starting point an international research seminar held at Helsinki University in January 2013, this volume gathers a remarkable array of academic perspectives on China and its legal system by scholars from China, the United States, and Europe into a stimulating and unique combination of commentary and analysis of the challenges relating to implementation of fundamental labour rights as spelled out in the landmark 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in the Chinese setting. Importantly, the analysis fully takes into account action in relation to the promotion of labour rights by not only the Chinese government but local governmental authorities, trade unions, enterprises, and other actors. Each author focuses on a different aspect of how these fundamental labour rights operate in the Chinese legal environment and the kinds of obstacles met in their protection.

PB - Kluwer Law International CY - Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - China's “Labour Shortage” and Migrant Workers' Lack of Social Security JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Wang, Zhikai KW - China KW - labor shortage KW - productivity KW - rural migration KW - social security KW - workers’ rights AB -

Since 2004, the massive flow of surplus rural labour in China has dried up; indeed, the country's eastern coastal region is currently experiencing a “labour shortage”. This phenomenon, which is bound up with China's ongoing economic and social development, has arisen because migrant workers have little or no social security in China. Rather than a labour shortage, there is in fact still a huge rural labour surplus. If the system governing migrant workers' social security and labour rights were improved, this could ease the apparent labour shortage and solve firms' employment problems, thereby increasing productivity and supporting China's long-term economic growth.

VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - China's Pension Challenge: Adaptive Strategy for Success JF - Public Administration And Development Y1 - 2014 A1 - Dong, Keyong A1 - Wang, Gengyu KW - China KW - China's pension scheme KW - multi-pillar pension scheme model KW - pension AB -

After 30 years of reformation, China has set up a multi-tiered pension system. This paper aims to observe China's current complex pension scheme longitudinally by analyzing the overall impact and changes it brings to Chinese society. As a broad overview of the whole of China's pension scheme and a discussion of its future challenges, this paper will follow the following order. Firstly, China's pension scheme will be introduced along with the observation of the current standing of the pension scheme from the perspective of a multi-tiered system and with a brief summary of its history. Secondly, different kinds of pension plans based on urban/rural areas and different occupational groups will be studied. Thirdly, problems of the current pension fund system and its future challenges focusing on financial stability, income support, and controversy over the system will be dealt with, and finally, the adaptive strategy of recent reforms will be discussed.

VL - 34 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Class Power and China’s Productivity Miracle: Applying the Labor Extraction Model to China’s Industrial Sector, 1980-2007 JF - Review of Radical Political Economics Y1 - 2014 A1 - Piovani, Chiara KW - China KW - productivity KW - time-series KW - wage share AB -

This paper aims to assess the relationship between industrial productivity and industrial wage share in China between 1980 and 2007, and to identify the determinants of the industrial wage share over the same period. The results suggest that the market reforms in China have led to a reduction of workers’ bargaining power, which in turn explains both the rapid productivity increase and the steady decline in the wage share observed since the beginning of the reforms. The results also suggest that privatization, labor market informalization, and retreat of the state from social provisioning are key factors explaining the decline in the wage share. The current Chinese model of development, however, is unsustainable for economic, social, and environmental reasons, and a sustainable model of development is likely to require a more egalitarian income distribution.

VL - 46 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Climate Change And The Great Inaction: New Trade Union Perspectives Y1 - 2014 A1 - Sean Sweeney KW - climate change KW - environmental degradation KW - globalization KW - jobs versus environment KW - social movement unionism KW - trade unions AB -

This working paper recounts the history of trade union involvement with efforts at the international level to deal with climate change. In addition to its valuable account of history, it also provides an insightful analysis of why international efforts have failed and proposes a way forward for unions.

PB - Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (Working Paper No. 2) CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://www.rosalux-nyc.org/climate-change-and-the-great-inaction/ ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Climate Change And The Great Inaction: New Trade Union Perspectives Y1 - 2014 A1 - Sean Sweeney KW - climate change KW - environmental degradation KW - globalization KW - jobs versus environment KW - social movement unionism KW - trade unions AB -

This working paper recounts the history of trade union involvement with efforts at the international level to deal with climate change. In addition to its valuable account of history, it also provides an insightful analysis of why international efforts have failed and proposes a way forward for unions.

PB - Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (Working Paper No. 2) CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://www.rosalux-nyc.org/climate-change-and-the-great-inaction/ ER - TY - RPRT T1 - The Codetermination Bargains: The History of German Corporate and Labour Law Y1 - 2014 A1 - McGaughey, Ewan KW - codetermination KW - collective agreements KW - corporate governance KW - Germany KW - labor history KW - nexus of contracts KW - worker participation AB -

Why does codetermination exist in Germany? Law and economics theories have contended that if there were no legal compulsion, worker participation in corporate governance would be ‘virtually nonexistent’. This positive analysis, which flows from the ‘nexus of contracts’ conception of the corporation, supports a normative argument that codetermination is inefficient because it is supposed it will seldom happen voluntarily. After discussing competing conceptions of the corporation, as a ‘thing in itself’, and as an ‘institution’, this article explores the development of German codetermination from the mid-19th century to the present. It finds the inefficiency argument sits at odds with the historical evidence. In its very inception, the right of workers to vote for a company board of directors, or in work councils with a voice in dismissals, came from collective agreements. It was not compelled by law, but was collectively bargained between business and labour representatives. These ‘codetermination bargains’ were widespread. Laws then codified these models. This was true at the foundation of the Weimar Republic from 1918 to 1922 and, after abolition in 1933, again from 1945 to 1951. The foundational codetermination bargains were made because of two ‘Goldilocks’ conditions (conditions that were ‘just right’) which were not always seen in countries like the UK or US. First, inequality of bargaining power between workers and employers was temporarily less pronounced. Second, the trade union movement became united in the objective of seeking worker voice in corporate governance. As the practice of codetermination has been embraced by a majority of EU countries, and continues to spread, it is important to have an accurate positive narrative of codetermination’s economic and political foundations.

PB - King's College London Law School Research Paper No. 2015-15 CY - London, U.K. L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2541877 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Collective Bargaining and the Gender Pay Gap in the Printing Industry JF - Gender, Work & Organization Y1 - 2014 A1 - Tricia Dawson KW - collective bargaining KW - gender KW - gender bias KW - gender pay gap KW - power AB -

This paper considers the effect of collective bargaining on the gender pay gap in the printing industry. This sector was subject to multi-employer bargaining for around 90 years, until 2010. The article analyses gendered collective bargaining processes through the mechanism of symbolic power, that is, the power of interpretation and definition, and utilizes Walton and McKersie's seminal work on bargaining behaviour to understand the processes that have prevented the closing of the pay gap. It finds that symbolic power operates within the sub-processes of attitudinal structuring and intra-organizational bargaining to de-legitimize women's role in equal pay bargaining, alongside distributive bargaining tactics that preclude equal pay bargaining, thereby creating the impression that women are irrelevant to bargaining processes and ensuring relative invisibility for issues of importance to equality bargaining.

VL - 21 L2 - eng CP - 5 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Collective Consultation Under Quota Management: China's Government-Led Model of Labour Relations Regulation JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Wu, Qingjun A1 - Sun, Zhaoyang KW - China KW - collective bargaining KW - consultation KW - labor relations KW - state intervention AB -

China's system of labor relations regulation is based on a government-led model of collective consultation and contracts, driven by the central planning tradition of “quota management”. Government and trade unions thus cooperate to fulfil coverage quotas, especially at the local/enterprise level. Though their methods are highly successful at overcoming employers' reluctance, the absence of genuine collective bargaining leaves collective contracts largely devoid of substance. Under this system, the authors argue, the Government is institutionalizing a labor regulation framework aimed at containing the recent rise in labor unrest, while pragmatically postponing collective bargaining for the sake of stability and growth.

VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Comparative Labor Law and Industrial Relations in Industrialized Market Economies (eleventh edition) Y1 - 2014 A1 - R. Blanpain A1 - J. Baker KW - comparative labor law KW - globalization KW - industrial relations KW - labor law AB -

Comparativism is no longer a purely academic exercise but has increasingly become an urgent necessity for industrial relations and legal practitioners due to the growth of multinational enterprises and the impact of international and regional organizations aspiring to harmonize rules. The growing need for comprehensive, up-to-date and readily available information on labour law and industrial relations in different countries led to the publication of the International Encyclopaedia for Labour Law and Industrial Relations, in which more than 70 international and national monographs have thus far been published. This book, Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations in Industrialized Market Economies, goes a step further than the Encyclopaedia in as much as most of the chapters provide comparative and integrated thematic treatment. The aim is to describe the salient characteristics and trends in labour law and industrial relations in the contemporary world. This book is obviously not exhaustive, with respect to the coverage of countries and topics. The authors limit themselves mainly to the industrialized market economies. The book is divided in four main parts: an introduction relating to methodology and documentation, including the use of Internet. The second part concerns international actors, like the International Employer’s Organisations and the International Trade Union Movement, as well as Human Resources Management. The third concerns the sources of regulation, concentrating on International and European Labour Law, as well as on Codes of Conduct for Multinational Enterprises and describes also the rules in case of conflict of laws. The last part deals with international developments and comparative studies in not less than 14 chapters.

PB - Kluwer Law International CY - Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Comparing Human Resource Management in China and Vietnam: An Overview JF - Human Systems Management Y1 - 2014 A1 - M. Warner KW - China KW - culture KW - HRM KW - human resource management KW - management KW - unions KW - Vietnam AB -

This paper attempts to compare human resource management (HRM) in China and Vietnam. The main thrust of the paper is broadly interpretative, as well as analytical. First, it sets out seven dimensions relating to the evolution of people-management there, namely, historical, cultural, political, legal, economic, demographic and management. Next, it deals with a number of contemporary issues relating to the implementation of HRM in the two countries. Last, it presents a set of conclusions regarding the national differentiation of HRM models and the implications for management in Asia.

VL - 32 L2 - eng UR - http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/research/workingpapers/wp1303.pdf CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Regulations in Nigeria’s Public Regulatory Entity: A Call for Attention JF - International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications Y1 - 2014 A1 - Umeokafor, N. A1 - Umeadi, B. A1 - Jones, K. A1 - Igwegbe, O. KW - compliance KW - enforcement KW - Nigeria KW - occupational safety and health AB -

The amelioration of the deplorable state of occupational safety and health (OSH) in Nigeria should flow from upstream to downstream. This short communication reports on some preliminary results of an ongoing research project in which workplace observations and interviews were conducted on 10 staff out of 48 staff of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity Inspectorate Division in Nigeria, the custodian of OSH. Results show that they fail to comply with some OSH regulations that they should enforce, thus establishing the upstream decay of enforcement and compliance with OSH regulations in Nigeria.

VL - 4 L2 - eng UR - http://www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-0514/ijsrp-p2955.pdf CP - 5 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Continuity Despite Change: The Politics of Labor Regulation in Latin America Y1 - 2014 A1 - Carnes, Matthew KW - Argentina KW - Chile KW - globalization KW - labor laws KW - labor regulation KW - Latin America KW - Peru AB - As the dust settles on nearly three decades of economic reform in Latin America, one of the most fundamental economic policy areas has changed far less than expected: labor regulation. To date, Latin America's labor laws remain both rigidly protective and remarkably diverse. Continuity Despite Change develops a new theoretical framework for understanding labor laws and their change through time, beginning by conceptualizing labor laws as comprehensive systems or "regimes." In this context, Matthew Carnes demonstrates that the reform measures introduced in the 1980s and 1990s have only marginally modified the labor laws from decades earlier. To explain this continuity, he argues that labor law development is constrained by long-term economic conditions and labor market institutions. He points specifically to two key factors—the distribution of worker skill levels and the organizational capacity of workers.Carnes presents cross-national statistical evidence from the eighteen major Latin American economies to show that the theory holds for the decades from the 1980s to the 2000s, a period in which many countries grappled with proposed changes to their labor laws. He then offers theoretically grounded narratives to explain the different labor law configurations and reform paths of Chile, Peru, and Argentina. His findings push for a rethinking of the impact of globalization on labor regulation, as economic and political institutions governing labor have proven to be more resilient than earlier studies have suggested. PB - Stanford University Press CY - Redwood City, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Continuity Despite Change: The Politics of Labor Regulation in Latin America Y1 - 2014 A1 - Carnes, Matthew KW - labor law KW - labor regulation in Latin America KW - Latin America AB -

As the dust settles on nearly three decades of economic reform in Latin America, one of the most fundamental economic policy areas has changed far less than expected: labor regulation. To date, Latin America's labor laws remain both rigidly protective and remarkably diverse. Continuity Despite Change develops a new theoretical framework for understanding labor laws and their change through time, beginning by conceptualizing labor laws as comprehensive systems or "regimes." In this context, Matthew Carnes demonstrates that the reform measures introduced in the 1980s and 1990s have only marginally modified the labor laws from decades earlier. To explain this continuity, he argues that labor law development is constrained by long-term economic conditions and labor market institutions. He points specifically to two key factors—the distribution of worker skill levels and the organizational capacity of workers. Carnes presents cross-national statistical evidence from the eighteen major Latin American economies to show that the theory holds for the decades from the 1980s to the 2000s, a period in which many countries grappled with proposed changes to their labor laws. He then offers theoretically grounded narratives to explain the different labor law configurations and reform paths of Chile, Peru, and Argentina. His findings push for a rethinking of the impact of globalization on labor regulation, as economic and political institutions governing labor have proven to be more resilient than earlier studies have suggested.

PB - Stanford University Press CY - Redwood City, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Convergence: How Nursing Unions and Magnet are Advancing Nursing JF - Nursing Forum Y1 - 2014 A1 - Johnson, Joyce E. A1 - Billingsley, Molley KW - administration KW - leadership KW - nursing KW - nursing unions KW - professional issue KW - workforce AB -

Problem: Historically, unions and professional associations such as the American Nurses Association have been adversaries in the fight to represent the best interests of the nursing profession.Methods: We reviewed the literature on the evolution of nursing unions, nursing's historical unease about unions, the Magnet designation in nursing, the tensions between the unions and Magnet, the core values and commonalities they share, and the obligations of nursing as a profession. Findings: Refocusing on the advancement of our profession provides a positive pathway in which the collective efforts of nursing unions and professional initiatives such as the Magnet designation converge during these turbulent times for our profession. Conclusion: The single, central organizing idea of nursing—where nursing unions and Magnet converge—is the pivotal role of nurses in delivering high-quality patient care. The often-maligned dialectic between unions and Magnet has advanced and not hindered the nursing

VL - 49 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography Y1 - 2014 A1 - Pawel, Miriam KW - agriculture industry KW - California KW - Cesar Chavez KW - Latinos KW - migrant workers AB -

Cesar Chavez founded a labor union, launched a movement, and inspired a generation. He rose from migrant worker to national icon, becoming one of the great charismatic leaders of the 20th century. Two decades after his death, Chavez remains the most significant Latino leader in US history. Yet his life story has been told only in hagiography-until now. In the first comprehensive biography of Chavez, Miriam Pawel offers a searching yet empathetic portrayal. Chavez emerges here as a visionary figure with tragic flaws; a brilliant strategist who sometimes stumbled; and a canny, streetwise organizer whose pragmatism was often at odds with his elusive, soaring dreams. He was an experimental thinker with eclectic passions-an avid, self-educated historian and a disciple of Gandhian non-violent protest. Drawing on thousands of documents and scores of interviews, this superbly written life deepens our understanding of one of Chavez's most salient qualities: his profound humanity. Pawel traces Chavez's remarkable career as he conceived strategies that empowered the poor and vanquished California's powerful agriculture industry, and his later shift from inspirational leadership to a cult of personality, with tragic consequences for the union he had built. The Crusades of Cesar Chavez reveals how this most unlikely American hero ignited one of the great social movements of our time.

PB - Bloomsbury CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Death and Life of American Labor: Toward a New Workers' Movement Y1 - 2014 A1 - Stanley Aronowitz KW - enrollment KW - labor movement KW - membership KW - union membership AB -

Union membership in the United States has fallen below 11 percent, the lowest rate since before the New Deal. Labor activist and scholar of the American labor movement Stanley Aronowitz argues that the movement as we have known it for the last 100 years is effectively dead. And he explains how this death has been a long time coming—the organizing and political principles adopted by U.S. unions at mid-century have taken a terrible toll. In the 1950s, Aronowitz was a factory metalworker. In the ’50s and ’60s, he directed organizing with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers. In 1963, he coordinated the labor participation for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Ten years later, the publication of his book False Promises: The Shaping of American Working Class Consciousness was a landmark in the study of the U.S. working-class and workers’ movements. Aronowitz draws on this long personal history, reflecting on his continuing involvement in labor organizing, with groups such as the Professional Staff Congress of the City University. He brings a historian’s understanding of American workers’ struggles in taking the long view of the labor movement. Then, in a survey of current initiatives, strikes, organizations, and allies, Aronowitz analyzes the possibilities of labor’s rebirth, and sets out a program for a new, broad, radical workers’ movement.

PB - Verso Books CY - Brooklyn, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Differences in Workplace Experiences Between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Employees in a Representative Population Study JF - Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Y1 - 2014 A1 - Kuyper, Lisette KW - bias KW - bisexual KW - discrimination KW - gay KW - lesbian KW - sexual orientation AB -

Various studies using community and convenience samples of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) employees have concluded that LGB employees report relatively high levels of victimization and distress at the workplace and low levels of job satisfaction. It remains unknown, however, whether these findings can be generalized to the broader population of LGB employees due to a lack of representative population samples. The current study aims to address this knowledge gap by using data from a random population sample representative of Dutch employees (N = 9,417). It was hypothesized that LGB employees would report more bullying, more unequal opportunities, less job satisfaction, and more burn-out than heterosexual employees. Results differed for male and female employees and for lesbian/gay and bisexual employees. Lesbian and gay employees did not differ from heterosexual employees in bullying, unequal opportunities, job satisfaction, or burn-out symptoms. Bisexual female employees reported higher levels of bullying, unequal opportunities, and burn-out compared with heterosexual female employees, whereas bisexual men reported higher levels of burn-out than heterosexual men. No relationship was found between job satisfaction and sexual orientation. Even though significant differences between bisexual and heterosexual employees were found, these differences were very small in terms of effect size. Explanations for the (lack of) differences in workplace experiences between LGB and heterosexual employees are discussed, as well as the limitations of the current study and suggestions for future research.

VL - December 1, 2014 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Disposable Bodies and Labor Rights: Workers in China's Automotive Industry JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2014 A1 - Anita Chan A1 - Yiu Por Chen A1 - Yuhua Xie A1 - Zhao Wei A1 - Cathy Walker KW - automotive assembly KW - Automotive industry KW - China KW - injuries KW - occupational health and safety KW - worker safety AB -

This article focuses on the serious occupational health and safety (OHS) injuries affecting the workers of one of China's most important industries—automotive assembly—and particularly the musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that are common in the industry. The data are drawn from a 2011 survey of 1,100 autoworkers conducted at twelve assembly plants in seven Chinese cities. By correlating injury rates with age, speed of the assembly line, length of work hours, mental pressure, availability of floaters to replace absent workers, ease to take sick leave, etc., the data identify the most salient causes of MSD. The study raises the issue that the state and management's ignoring of MSD and the lack of workers' participation and representation in the plants constituted a violation of labor rights. The article offers some remedies that are applicable both in China and internationally.

VL - 17 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Distributional Analysis of Wage Discrimination Against Migrant Workers in China’s Urban Labour Market JF - Urban Studies Y1 - 2014 A1 - Wang, Haining A1 - Fei Guo A1 - Zhiming Cheng KW - China KW - migrant workers KW - urban labor market KW - wage discrimination AB -

Chinese internal migrants without a local hukou (household registration) are often discriminated against in the urban labor market. This study examines the impacts of such discrimination on wage differentials and the distribution among urban locals, urban migrants and rural migrants. It uses an extended analytical framework of segmented labor market to examine the multiple segmentations between urban residents and rural migrants and between locals and non-locals. The results show that, compared with urban locals, rural migrants only face discrimination above the medium-wage level, while urban migrants face discrimination below the medium-wage level, but to a much lesser degree. Owing to structural differences in employment, urban locals (rather than migrant workers) are discriminated against at other wage levels. The results suggest that the hukou system still plays an important role in segmenting China’s urban labor market. The degree of discrimination against urban migrants relative to urban locals is greater than that against rural migrants relative to urban migrants. This suggests that nowadays China’s urban labor market is mainly characterized by the segmentation between locals and non-locals, rather than the segmentation between urban residents and rural migrants, which was the case in the past.

VL - Published online before print September 1, 2014 L2 - eng UR - http://usj.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/08/31/0042098014547367.abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Do Cultural Differences Explain Differences in Attitudes Towards Unions? Culture and Attitudes Towards Unions Among Call Centre Workers in Britain and India JF - Industrial Relations Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Sarkar, Santanu A1 - Andy Charlwood KW - anti-unionism KW - attitude toward unions KW - labor relations KW - pro-unionism KW - union attitudes KW - union organizing KW - union recruitment AB -

This article adds to the literature on worker attitudes towards unions by investigating the impact of cultural attitudes and the call center labor process on union attitudes among call center workers in Britain and India. It is hypothesized that workers with egalitarian and collectivist cultural attitudes will be more likely to have pro-union attitudes than other workers, although if the impact of cultural attitudes is mediated by history and institutions, it might be expected that this relationship is stronger for British than Indian workers. Conversely, if union attitudes are largely a function of the call center labor process, we would expect union attitudes to be similar among workers in both countries. Our results only partially support our hypotheses. Collectivist attitudes are only weakly related to union attitudes among the British sample but are more strongly related in the Indian sample. There are significant differences between union attitudes among our British and Indian samples. The article concludes that relationship between cultural attitudes and union attitudes are heavily dependent on institutional context. Cultural attitudes are unlikely to be either a constraint or a facilitator of union efforts to organize workers.

VL - 45 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Do Employers Prefer Undocumented Workers? Evidence from China's Hukou System (IZA Discussion Paper No. 8289) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Kuhn, Peter A1 - Shen, Kailing KW - China KW - hukou KW - temporary migration KW - undocumented migrants AB -

We study urban Chinese employers' preferences between workers with and without a local residence permit (hukou) using callback information from an Internet job board serving private sector employers. We find that employers prefer migrant workers to locals who are identically matched to the job's requirements; these preferences are especially strong at low skill levels. We argue that migrants' higher work hours and effort help to account for employers' preferences, and present evidence that efficiency wage and intertemporal labor substitution effects might explain these hours/effort gaps.

PB - Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Research Paper Series CY - Bonn, Germany L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2462721 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Do Female Executives Make a Difference? The Impact of Female Leadership on Gender Gaps and Firm Performance Y1 - 2014 A1 - Flabbi, L. A1 - Macis, M. A1 - Moro, A A1 - Schivardi, F. KW - executives’ gender KW - firm performance KW - gender bias KW - gender discrimination KW - gender gap KW - glass ceiling AB -

We analyze a matched employer-employee panel data set and find that female leadership has a positive effect on female wages at the top of the distribution, and a negative one at the bottom. Moreover, performance in firms with female leadership increases with the share of female workers. This evidence is consistent with a model where female executives are better equipped at interpreting signals of productivity from female workers. This suggests substantial costs of underrepresentation of women at the top: for example, if women became CEOs of firms with at least 20% female employment, sales per worker would increase 6.7%.

PB - Cornell University, ILR School, Institute for Compensation Studies CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/ics/15/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Do Unions Promote Gender Equality? JF - Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Lilach Lurie KW - collective agreements KW - gender KW - gender equality KW - labor unions KW - patriarchal division of labor AB -

Do workers’ unions promote gender equality? The scholarship in the past thirty years has increasingly questioned the ability of unions to give voice to the needs of all workers, including foreign workers, workers with disabilities, elderly workers, gay and lesbian workers, and women. This article shows that unions promote a patriarchal division of labor in society through an empirical study of most of the sectorial collective agreements with employers in Israel. The fathers’ role in these collective agreements is to support their family; the mothers’ role is to raise the children. Thus several collective agreements provide mothers with flexible working hours and reimbursements for daycare centers, while not providing these rights to working fathers. Significant collective agreements grant working fathers, but not working mothers, with a special “family supplement” that is added to their monthly wages, increasing the gender wage-gap.

VL - 22 L2 - eng UR - http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/djglp/vol22/iss1/3/ CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Does Union Membership Benefit Immigrant Workers in ‘Hard Times’? JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Turner, Thomas A1 - Christine Cross A1 - Michelle O’Sullivan KW - benefits KW - immigrants KW - Ireland KW - low pay KW - migrant workers KW - pay KW - pay inequality KW - union membership AB -

Immigrants experience many obstacles in obtaining jobs with comparable pay and conditions to native workers. Arguably, unionization could offer migrant workers the mechanism to obtain better pay and conditions. This paper examines whether migrant workers have benefited from unionization in terms of pay, pensions and health insurance in Ireland. Based on a large-scale national survey, we find that union membership delivers a modest wage premium of a relatively similar magnitude to both nationals and immigrant workers. Unionized immigrants are twice as likely as non-unionized immigrants to earn above the median hourly earnings and have greater pension coverage. In particular, immigrants from the new accession states in the European Union, with the lowest mean hourly earnings of any immigrant group, gain the most from union membership. Nonetheless, Irish nationals enjoy greater benefits from membership than immigrant workers. Addressing this discrepancy will require a greater focus by unions on organizing immigrant workers.

VL - 56 L2 - eng UR - http://www.ilpc.org.uk/Portals/56/ilpc2013-paperupload/ILPC2013paper-Paper%20for%20ILPC%202013_20130228_122640.docx CP - 5 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Early Retirement Across Europe. Does Non-Standard Employment Increase Participation of Older Workers? Y1 - 2014 A1 - Been, Jim A1 - vanVliet, Olaf KW - early retirement KW - Europe KW - labor market institutions KW - non-standard employment KW - part-time employment KW - self-employment KW - social insurance programs AB -

In many European countries, the labor market participation of older workers is considerably lower than the labor market participation of prime-age workers. This study analyzes the variation in labor market withdrawal of older workers across 13 European countries over the period 1995-2008. We seek to contribute to existing macro-econometric studies by taking non-standard employment into account, by relating the empirical model more explicitly to optional value model theory on retirement decisions and by using a two-step IV-GMM estimator to deal with endogeneity issues. The analysis leads to the conclusion that part-time employment is negatively related to labor market withdrawal of older men. This relationship is less strong among women. Additionally, we find that part-time employment at older ages does not decrease the average actual hours worked. Furthermore, the results show a positive relationship between unemployment among older workers and early retirement similar to previous studies.

PB - Netspar Discussion Paper No. 10-2014-044 CY - Tilburg , The Netherlands L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2510401 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Economic Crisis And Municipal Public Service Employment: Comparing Developments In Seven EU Member States JF - Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research Y1 - 2014 A1 - Leisink, Peter A1 - Stephen Bach KW - austerity KW - employee participation KW - EU KW - Europe KW - European Union KW - municipal employment KW - municipalities KW - trade unions AB -

This article examines the impact of austerity policies in seven EU Member States on municipal employment and the ways in which social dialogue can influence consequences for employees. It provides a comparative institutional framework, looking at municipal tasks and powers, and the social dialogue institutions available in the respective countries. In addition, the outcomes of austerity policies are compared with regard to wages, employment levels and the public service provision, as well as the influence of social dialogue institutions on these outcomes. Trade unions and workplace employee representatives face a dilemma, having to choose between concession bargaining and opposition to employer plans in order to preserve public sector employment. Between and within countries there seem to be significant differences in their success. Generally speaking, however, these are tough times for municipal workers, their representatives and citizens dependent on the services municipalities offer.

VL - 20 L2 - eng UR - http://trs.sagepub.com/content/20/3/327.abstract CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Economic Effects of Facilitating the Flow of Rural Workers to Urban Employment in China JF - Papers in Regional Science Y1 - 2014 A1 - Mai, Yinhua A1 - Peng, Xiujian A1 - Dixon, Peter A1 - Rimmer, Maureen KW - CGE modelling KW - China KW - economic growth KW - labor supply KW - rural-urban migration AB -

Using a dynamic computable general equilibrium model of the Chinese economy we investigate the economic effects of relaxing China's household registration system over the period 2008 to 2020. The modelling results show that reducing the institutional restriction to rural labor movement will encourage rural workers to move from agricultural and rural non-agricultural sectors into urban sectors. This enhanced labor movement will not only increase China's GDP and real consumption of households but it will also raise the real wages of agricultural and rural non-agricultural workers. Although the real wage of rural migrant workers will increase at a slightly lower rate than in the baseline scenario, rural migrant workers remain considerably better paid than agricultural and rural non-agricultural workers.

VL - 93 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Embodiment of Women in Wine: Gender Inequality and Gendered Inscriptions of the Working Body in a Corporate Wine Organization JF - Gender, Work & Organization Y1 - 2014 A1 - Lia Bryant A1 - Bridget Garnham KW - embodiment KW - gender KW - inequality regimen KW - wine industry AB -

This paper problematizes media representations that suggest women working in the traditionally patriarchal wine industry are no longer subject to structural constraints according to gender. It contributes theoretically driven empirical insights concerning the ways in which gender inequality is produced and embodied within a multinational wine organization. The paper draws on Acker's framework for understanding inequality regimens and Foucault's theorization of discourse and the body together with empirical data from interviews with women working at different hierarchical positions in the organization. The analysis examines the discursive inscription of the ideal body, weak bodies, reproducing bodies and home bodies to reveal the ways in which women's working bodies are problematized and constituted as deviant in relation to masculine norms for working bodies. The analysis develops the argument that naturalized and normalized gendered discourses of the body conceal the structural relations of power that constitute an inequality regimen within the organization.

VL - 21 L2 - eng CP - 5 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Employer and Worker Collective Action: A Comparative Study of Germany, South Africa, and the United States Y1 - 2014 A1 - Lawrence, Andrew G. KW - Germany KW - labor-movement power KW - South Africa KW - union power KW - worker power AB -

This book compares sources of worker and employer power in Germany, South Africa, and the United States in order to identify the sources of comparative U.S. decline in union power and to more precisely analyze the nature of labor-movement power. It finds that this power is not confined to allied parties, union confederations, or strikes, but rather consists of the capacity to autonomously translate power from one context to the next. By combining their product, labor market, and labor law advantages through their dominant employers' associations, leading firms are able to impose constraints on labor's free collective bargaining regionally and nationally, defeating employer interests that are more amenable to labor in the process. Through an examination of these patterns of interest organization, the book shows, however, that initial employer advantages prove to be contingent and unstable and that employers are forced to cede to more far-reaching demands of increasingly organized workers.

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Employer and Worker Collective Action: A Comparative Study of Germany, South Africa, and the United States Y1 - 2014 A1 - Andrew G. Lawrence KW - Germany KW - labor movement KW - South Africa KW - union confederations KW - union power KW - worker collectives AB -

This book compares sources of worker and employer power in Germany, South Africa, and the United States in order to identify the sources of comparative U.S. decline in union power and to more precisely analyze the nature of labor-movement power. It finds that this power is not confined to allied parties, union confederations, or strikes, but rather consists of the capacity to autonomously translate power from one context to the next. By combining their product, labor market, and labor law advantages through their dominant employers' associations, leading firms are able to impose constraints on labor's free collective bargaining regionally and nationally, defeating employer interests that are more amenable to labor in the process. Through an examination of these patterns of interest organization, the book shows, however, that initial employer advantages prove to be contingent and unstable and that employers are forced to cede to more far-reaching demands of increasingly organized workers.

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Employment Arbitration Reform: Preserving the Right to Class Proceedings in Workplace Disputes JF - University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform Y1 - 2014 A1 - Javier J. Castro KW - class action KW - collective action KW - employment arbitration KW - labor law KW - workplace disputes AB -

The recent judicial enforcement of class waivers in arbitration agreements has generated ample debate over the exact reach of these decisions and their effects on the future of collective action for consumers and employees. In AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, a 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court majority held that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) preempted state laws prohibiting companies from incorporating class action waivers into arbitration agreements. The Court upheld such waivers on the grounds that they are consistent with the language and underlying purpose of the FAA. Most courts across the country have since reinforced the strong federal policy favoring arbitration. This, in turn, has made it more difficult for employees—most of whom do not enjoy the benefit of union representation and must therefore arbitrate their claims as individuals—from engaging in class proceedings. Faced with this dire judicial landscape, employees must turn to Congress to limit the scope of compulsory arbitration and secure recognition of the right to class proceedings. This Note advocates for legislative reform of federal arbitration law. Specifically, it argues for an amendment to the FAA that invalidates class waivers in mandatory arbitration agreements and applies only in employment disputes. Such a reform would help preserve important employee protections under federal labor law and would allow nonunion workers, in particular, to fully exercise their fundamental right to collective action.

VL - 48 L2 - eng UR - http://repository.law.umich.edu/mjlr/vol48/iss1/5/ CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Enough Blame to Go Around : The Labor Pains of New York City's Public Employee Unions Y1 - 2014 A1 - Steier, Richard KW - industrial relations KW - labor history KW - labor relations KW - New York City AB -

Since 1980 Richard Steier has had a unique vantage point to observe the gains, losses, and struggles of municipal labor unions in New York City. He has covered those unions and city government as a reporter and labor columnist for the New York Post and, since 1998, as editor and featured columnist of the Chief-Leader, a century-old independent newspaper that covers city and state government in greater detail than today’s mainstream news organizations. Drawing from his column with the Chief-Leader, “Razzle Dazzle,” Enough Blame to Go Around describes in vivid terms how the changed economy has drastically altered the city’s labor landscape, and why it has been difficult for municipal unions to adapt. There can be no doubt, he writes, that public employee unions have contributed to the problems that confront them today, including corruption and failed leadership. But at the same time and for all their flaws, he believes unions represent the best chance for ordinary people to receive fair economic treatment.

PB - State University of New York Press CY - Albany, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - EU Employment Law and the European Social Model: The Past, the Present and the Future JF - University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Research Paper No. 43/2014 Y1 - 2014 A1 - Barnard, Catherine KW - employment KW - ESM KW - EU Social Model KW - European Union KW - labor KW - labor law KW - social policy AB -

If the critics are right, the EU social model is dead and that’s the end of it. Those on the right may well be dancing on its grave; those more sympathetic might mourn its passing. My view is more sanguine. I shall argue that the European social model is certainly facing unprecedented challenges. However, I will suggest that these challenges, caused in part by the EU’s response to the crisis but more generally resulting from a growing hostility towards the European Union project as a whole, are not terminal and that there is – and should be - a continued role for the European social model and its employment dimension in particular. The article therefore considers what is meant by the European social model (ESM) and why the ESM is important. It then examines why the ESM, and its employment dimension in particular, is facing such difficulties before recognising that, in fact, the EU’s history demonstrates that the ESM has, in fact, a long-standing ability to regenerate and resurrect itself in different guises. Given this regenerative capacity, the article will conclude by considering the form EU social policy might take going forward.

L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2471740 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Exploring Novice Teachers’ Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Teacher Unionism JF - Educational Policy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Ben Pogodzinski A1 - Nathan Jones KW - attachment KW - novice teachers KW - socialization KW - teacher unions KW - teachers AB -

The distinct needs and interests of novice teachers are not always reflected in the priorities of teacher unions, which may impact novice teachers’ attachment to teacher unionism. Using survey data from teachers, we examined novice teachers’ involvement in their unions and their desire for union involvement in their work lives compared to their veteran colleagues’. Finally we explored how novices’ union beliefs and involvement varied by characteristics of their organizational context. Our findings suggest that teacher unions need to more fully address the needs and interests of novice teachers as well as the organizational factors that influence their evaluation of unionism.

VL - 28 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Export Dependence and Institutional Change in Wage Bargaining in Germany JF - International Studies Quarterly Y1 - 2014 A1 - Damian Raess KW - collective bargaining KW - Germany KW - globalization KW - institutional convergence KW - labor relations KW - wage bargaining KW - work councils AB -

This article explores the adjustment of wage bargaining institutions to international trade in Germany. Embracing IPE as opposed to CPE lenses yields a novel interpretation of change in the institution of wage bargaining. Export dependence of a sector, we argue, has destabilizing effects for industry-wide bargaining by sparking an intra-sectoral cleavage between domestic- and export-oriented enterprises. Specifically, the greater the degree of export dependence of a sector, the greater the degree to which domestic-oriented enterprises within that sector will abandon collective bargaining. We also explain how workplace employee representation through works councils mitigates this effect, such that the presence of works councils helps domestically oriented firms to hold to collective bargaining agreements in the face of a sector's deepening exposure to export markets. These claims find empirical support in the history of labor relations developments in the metal industry and, especially, in extensive analysis of a cross-section of establishments. Our findings attribute major responsibility to the firms driving globalization for undermining collective bargaining institutions and suggest that economic globalization is a cause of dualization. In all, the article provides fresh ammunition for a version of globalization-induced institutional convergence.

VL - 58 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - External Governance, Convention Ratification And Monitoring: The EU, The ILO And Labour Standards In EU Accession Countries JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Kahn-Nisser, Sara KW - Central Europe KW - Eastern Europe KW - EU KW - European Union KW - external governance KW - ILO KW - International Labor Organization KW - labor rights KW - labor standards KW - labor standards monitoring AB -

This article presents an empirical analysis of the factors associated with trends in labour standards, in EU accession countries, using a new dataset of labour rights. It focuses on ratification of the ILO’s fundamental conventions, EU monitoring and ILO monitoring. It describes the similarities and differences between the two monitoring schemes and evaluates their roles in shaping labour rights. Generalized estimating equation analysis shows that EU monitoring is positively associated with improved labour rights while ILO monitoring is not. The results further indicate that ratification of ILO fundamental Conventions is positively associated with labour rights protection. The article returns to the notion of external governance to suggest possible explanations for these findings.

VL - 20 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Fate of Care Worker Unionism and the Promise of Domestic Worker Organizing: An Update JF - Feminist Studies Y1 - 2014 A1 - Eileen Boris A1 - Jennifer Klein KW - anti-labor union activism KW - home health aides KW - household employees KW - National Labor Relations Act AB -

The article discusses the 2014 U.S. Supreme Court Case Harris v. Quinn and its implications for the legal status of U.S. household workers. According to the authors, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to exclude home healthcare or aid from the U.S. National Labor Relations Act illustrates the roles of slavery, racialization, and feminization in the U.S. domestic and care work. Anti-labor union activism and public employee status are also discussed.

VL - 40 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Flexibility Without Security and Deconstruction of Collective Bargaining: The New Paradigm of Labor Law in Greece JF - Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Yannakourou, Matina A1 - Tsimpoukis, Chronis KW - austerity KW - collective bargaining KW - Greece KW - labor law KW - labor legislation AB -

Greece’s accession to the financial support mechanism of the IMF, the European Central Bank, and the European Commission in May 2010 led to severe austerity measures radically affecting the whole range of labor legislation. An intense legislative activity was manifest between 2010 and 2013, aiming at a labor cost reduction and a labor rights’ restriction. The purpose of this Article is to offer a critical overview of the most crucial reforms that have taken place in the Greek labor legislation after the Memoranda and to demonstrate how they affected the foundations, the sources, the principles and the functions of the Greek labor law. The Article attempts to demonstrate that the Greek example reveals the paradigm shift in labor law that gradually expands across the Europe, consisting into the replacement of the after war humanitarian labor law model with a neoliberal economic model of market supremacy over labor rights. The Article argues that this paradigm shift is in line with the new economic governance structure at European level laying on the neoliberal dogma of deregulation, liberalization, and removal of collective regulation constraints over employment relationship.

VL - 35 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2438797 CP - 3 J1 - Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal ER - TY - JOUR T1 - From 'Brain Drain' to 'Care Drain': Women's Labor Migration and Methodological Sexism JF - Women's Studies International Forum Y1 - 2014 A1 - Dumitru, Speranta KW - brain drain KW - care drain KW - children KW - gender KW - global inequality KW - global justice KW - migration KW - sexism KW - skilled migration KW - women labor migration AB -

The metaphor of “care drain” has been created as a womanly parallel to the “brain drain” idea. Just as “brain drain” suggests that the skilled migrants are an economic loss for the sending country, “care drain” describes the migrant women hired as care workers as a loss of care for their children left behind. This paper criticizes the construction of migrant women as “care drain” for three reasons: 1) it is built on sexist stereotypes, 2) it misrepresents and devalues care work, and 3) it misses the opportunity for a theoretical change about how skills in migration contexts can be understood.

VL - 47 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2485735 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Gender Equality Bargaining: Developing Theory and Practice JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Williamson, Sue A1 - Marian Baird KW - collective bargaining KW - gender KW - gender equality KW - women and work KW - working conditions AB -

It has long been recognized that collective bargaining is at the heart of industrial relations. Research on collective bargaining was largely gender blind; however, since the late 1980s, researchers have begun to examine how collective bargaining can progress gender equality in the workplace. The practice of negotiating for terms and conditions of employment to advance workplace gender equality is known as ‘gender equality bargaining’. This article provides an overview of the development and debates around gender equality bargaining over the last 25 years. It shows how definitions and concepts have broadened so that ‘gender equality bargaining’ is now effectively a subset of a wider ‘equality bargaining’ project being implemented by some unions. Just as the concept of equality bargaining has expanded, so too has the range of gender equality bargaining items, reflecting the gendered needs of both male and female employees. This prompts the authors to question whether gender equality bargaining is becoming mainstreamed within collective bargaining and to consider possible attendant implications. This article concludes by framing the following articles in this special edition, highlighting the diverse subject areas which are being negotiated, the multiple approaches being used and the theoretical interdisciplinary approaches being applied to advance both the practice and scholarship of gender equality bargaining.

VL - 56 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Gender Inequality in the Labour Market in the UK Y1 - 2014 A1 - Razzu, Giovanni KW - gender KW - gender inequality KW - gender pay gap KW - occupational segregation KW - UK KW - United Kingdom AB -

This book addresses one of the most topical and pressing areas of inequality experienced by women in the UK: inequality in the labor market. Despite the changed and changing position of women in society there remain substantial gender differences in the labor market.

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Gender Inequality in the Labour Market in the UK Y1 - 2014 A1 - Razzu, Giovanni KW - discrimination KW - gender KW - gender bias KW - inequality KW - women AB -

This book addresses one of the most topical and pressing areas of inequality experienced by women in the UK: inequality in the labour market. Despite the changed and changing position of women in society there remain substantial gender differences in the labour market.

PB - Oxford University Press CY - Northamptonshire, UK L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - The Gender Pay Gap Across Countries: A Human Capital Approach (IZA Discussion Paper No. 8603) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Solomon W. Polachek A1 - Jun Xiang KW - female lifetime work KW - gender KW - gender wage gap KW - women AB -

The gender wage gap varies across countries. For example, among OECD nations women in Australia, Belgium, Italy and Sweden earn 80% as much as males, whereas in Austria, Canada and Japan women earn about 60%. Current studies examining cross-country differences focus on the impact of labor market institutions such as minimum wage laws and nationwide collective bargaining. However, these studies neglect labor market institutions that affect women's lifetime work behavior – a factor crucially important in gender wage gap studies that employ individual data. This paper explicitly concentrates on labor market institutions that are related to female lifetime work that affect the gender wage gap across countries. Using ISSP (International Social Survey Programme), LIS (Luxembourg Income Study) and OECD wage data for 35 countries covering 1970-2002, we show that the gender pay gap is positively associated with the fertility rate, positively associated with the husband-wife age gap at first marriage, and positively related to the top marginal tax rate, all factors which negatively affect women's lifetime labor force participation. In addition, we show that collective bargaining, as found in previous studies, is negatively associated with the gender pay gap.

PB - Institute for the Study of Labor CY - Bonn, Germany L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2520778 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Global Capitalism, Immigrant Labor, and the Struggle for Justice JF - Class, Race and Corporate Power Y1 - 2014 A1 - Robinson, William I. A1 - Santos, Xuan KW - anti-immigrant controls KW - anti-immigration KW - free trade agreement KW - global capitalism KW - globalization KW - immigrant workers KW - immigrants AB -

Around the world borders are militarized, states are stepping up repressive anti-immigrant controls, and native publics are turning immigrants into scapegoats for the spiraling crisis of global capitalism. The massive displacement and primitive accumulation unleashed by free trade agreements and neo-liberal policies, as well as state and “private” violence has resulted in a virtually inexhaustible immigrant labor reserve for the global economy. State controls over immigration and immigrant labor have several functions for the system: 1) state repression and criminalization of undocumented immigration make immigrants vulnerable and deportable and therefore subject to conditions of super-exploitation, super-control and hyper-surveillance; 2) anti-immigrant repressive apparatuses are themselves ever more important sources of accumulation, ranging from private for-profit immigrant detention centers, to the militarization of borders, and the purchase by states of military hardware and systems of surveillance. Immigrant labor is extremely profitable for the transnational corporate economy; 3) the anti-immigrant policies associated with repressive state apparatuses help turn attention away from the crisis of global capitalism among more privileged sectors of the working class and convert immigrant workers into scapegoats for the crisis, thus deflecting attention from the root causes of the crisis and undermining working class unity. This article focuses on structural and historical underpinnings of the phenomenon of immigrant labor in the new global capitalist system and on how the rise of a globally integrated production and financial system, a transnational capitalist class, and transnational state apparatuses, have led to a reorganization of the world market in labor, including deeper reliance on a rapidly expanding reserve army of immigrant labor and a vicious new anti-immigrant politics. It looks at the United States as an illustration of the larger worldwide situation with regard to immigration and immigrant justice. Finally, it explores the rise of an immigrant justice movement around the world, observes the leading role that immigrant workers often play in worker’s struggles and that a mass immigrant rights movement is at the cutting edge of the struggle against transnational corporate exploitation. We call for replacing the whole concept of national citizenship with that of global citizenship as the only rallying cry that can assure justice and equality for all.

VL - 2 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/classracecorporatepower/vol2/iss3/1/ CP - 3 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Globalization and the Pursuit of Decent Work: Can the ILO Deliver? Y1 - 2014 A1 - Hutchison, Harry G. KW - decent work KW - globalization KW - ILO KW - inequality KW - International Labor Organization KW - international labor standards KW - labor law KW - living wage KW - minimum wage KW - non-governmental organizations KW - OECD KW - Russia KW - South Africa AB -

Whether globalization is a relatively recent development or not, it appears that as nations and nongovernmental organizations focus on international competitiveness and the correlative commitment to liberalization and privatization, and the acceptance of interdependencies and integrations among the world’s major economies, these moves have consequences. Taken together with (1) the pursuit of trade liberalization by the West (the quest for open markets for Western products and capital markets), (2) increased international inequalities with respect to capital stock and flows favoring the richest countries, (3) the simultaneous rise in trade protection that reduces or constrains access by developing countries to Western markets, and (4) the incipient and growing emphasis on technology and innovation by many countries and firms including the emergence of information and communication technologies (ICT) including the world wide web and the internet, the prospect of inequality in relationships and income advances. On the other hand, globalization has been accompanied by the instantiation of new institutions coupled with renewed attention being given to existing intergovernmental institutions such as the International Labor Organization that are designed to deal with problems that are either initiated or exacerbated by globalization. Given the difficult economic currents percolating throughout the world, many analysts suggest that the “real question is how labor law can respond to the challenges presented by globalization. In order to promote an efficacious labor law...[it is argued that a] new global goal should be added to the labor law agenda – decent work with a living wage.” The ILO program is advanced around the world through its promotion of “decent work,” an apparently ambiguous slogan calculated to level income inequalities within and between nations. It is the objective of this paper to briefly explore the promise, possibilities and failures of the ILO in an era that apparently features an increasing acceptance by elite opinion formers, banks and financial institutions, and Western world leaders of the presumed value and presumed legitimacy of increased trade integration.

PB - George Mason Law & Economics Research Paper No. 14-51 CY - Arlington, VA L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2510955 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Greening Auto Jobs: A Critical Analysis of the Green Job Solution Y1 - 2014 A1 - Goods, Caleb KW - ecology KW - green jobs KW - political economy AB -

Greening Auto Jobs: A Critical Analysis of the Green Job Solution details current and problematic understandings of what constitutes a "green job." Adopting an approach grounded in critical political economy, this book presents a framework to scrutinize the green job solution and the theoretical framework which overwhelmingly informs contemporary green job creation efforts and ecological modernization. The text also explores the tensions that encircle the world of work and environmental action, often referred to as "jobs versus the environment," by detailing the conflicting commitments of political-economic actors to the idea of green job creation. These conflicts are outlined through an examination of the political-economic debate that has surrounded the Australian Government’s environmental plans from 2008 to 2012 and the conflicting positions of Australian trade unions on environmentally transitioning the world of work. Interviews with key political-economic actors provide in-depth and nuanced understandings of the varied perspectives of political and union leaders in Australia. The second part of the book presents a detailed case study of the posited green job solution within the specific context of the Australian automotive manufacturing industry. The case study is also informed by interviews with key industry, union, and policymakers. The automotive industry is scrutinized not only because it has expressed going green as important to its long-term economic future, but because the Australian Government declared that its $6.2 billion "New Car Plan for a Greener Future" policy would create green jobs. Therefore, the book engages with the task of examining the three multinational vehicle producers operating in Australia—Ford, GM Holden, and Toyota—and how they have responded and engaged with the idea of green jobs, greening the manufacturing process, and the vehicles they produce in Australia.

PB - Rowman & Littlefield CY - Lanham, MD L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Has Globalization Affected Collective Bargaining? An Empirical Test, 1980–2009 JF - The World Economy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Zohal Hessami A1 - Thushyanthan Baskaran KW - collective bargaining KW - decentralized bargaining KW - emerging countries KW - globalization KW - government intervention KW - OECD KW - unionization AB -

We investigate whether globalization has affected the nature of collective bargaining in OECD and emerging countries. The main innovations over the existing empirical literature are (i) the consideration of three distinct aspects of collective bargaining (union density, decentralised bargaining and the extent of government intervention), (ii) the reliance on a sample with a larger cross-sectional and time dimension (44 countries from 1980 to 2009), and (iii) the application of a more appropriate empirical methodology (dynamic panel data models). We find that globalization, on average, depresses unionisation but neither affects the degree of decentralisation nor government intervention in collective bargaining. We also uncover significant effect heterogeneity, both across countries and over time.

VL - Article first published online: 16 DEC 2014 L2 - eng UR - http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/wiwi/workingpaperseries/WP_02-Hessami-Baskaran_2013.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Has Globalization Affected Collective Bargaining? An Empirical Test, 1980–2009 JF - The World Economy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Zohal Hessami A1 - Thushyanthan Baskaran KW - collective bargaining KW - globalization KW - union density KW - unionization AB -

We investigate whether globalization has affected the nature of collective bargaining in OECD and emerging countries. The main innovations over the existing empirical literature are (i) the consideration of three distinct aspects of collective bargaining (union density, decentralized bargaining and the extent of government intervention), (ii) the reliance on a sample with a larger cross-sectional and time dimension (44 countries from 1980 to 2009), and (iii) the application of a more appropriate empirical methodology (dynamic panel data models). We find that globalization, on average, depresses unionization but neither affects the degree of decentralization nor government intervention in collective bargaining. We also uncover significant effect heterogeneity, both across countries and over time.

VL - Article first published online: 16 DEC 2014 L2 - eng UR - http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/wiwi/workingpaperseries/WP_02-Hessami-Baskaran_2013.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - How a Strike Was Won: Rebuilding Union Capacity and Strategic Leverage in a Utility Workers Local JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Juravich, Tom A1 - Dan Dash A1 - Andrea Greenberg A1 - Nate Johnson KW - organizational development KW - strategic campaigns KW - strikes KW - union tactics AB -

This article explores the determinants of a successful strike by examining the victory by Utility Workers Local 369 at NStar, a Boston-based utility company. The conventional wisdom in the labor movement is that unions are successful when they use specific tactics during a strike. This case shifts the focus back to what unions do organizationally in the years prior to the strike. Three years before going on strike Local 369, the recent amalgamation of six separate locals, undertook a massive effort to directly involve members, build a transparent organization, and reengage with the broader community and labor movement. Once on strike, the local used this increased organizational capacity to build a strategic approach, which repeatedly outflanked NStar, targeting key relationships of the firm, changing the rules of bargaining, and reframing the company’s characterization of the strike. Coupled with strong membership involvement Local 369 won a strong contract in thirteen days.

VL - 39 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - How Collective Is Union Citizenship Behavior? Assessing Individual and Coworker Antecedents JF - ILR Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Snape, Ed A1 - Tom Redman A1 - Julian Gould-Williams KW - group norms KW - solidarity KW - union citizenship behavior KW - union commitment KW - union participation AB -

Contributing to an emerging literature on solidarity or group-norm effects on union participation, the authors examine the extent to which union citizenship behavior (UCB) can be characterized as a collective phenomenon. Findings from studies of UK local government workers and teachers suggest that, for organization-focused behaviors, it is meaningful to think of collective or group-level UCB. Furthermore, group-level UCB had a significant positive association with individual-level UCB. There was no evidence that a greater consistency of citizenship within a unit was associated with a stronger relationship between collective and individual citizenship behaviors. These findings suggest that it is worthwhile to analyze UCB as a collective phenomenon, and the authors call for more work on the contextual antecedents of union citizenship and participation.

VL - 67 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - How Do Teachers’ Unions Influence Education Policy? What We Know and What We Need to Learn (Working Paper #42) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Joshua Cowen A1 - Katharine O. Strunk KW - collective bargaining KW - political organizing KW - teachers’ unions KW - union priorities AB -

In this paper we consider more than three decades of research on teachers’ unions in the United States. Focusing on unions’ role in shaping education policy, we argue that collective bargaining and political organizing comprise the two central but distinct forms of influence at the district, state and national levels of decision-making. We note recent changes in state policy directly and indirectly affecting unions and union priorities. We argue that these changes may result in a variety of different conditions under which unions operate, and suggest that this variation represents fertile ground for new empirical analyses of union influence. Such work may in turn require a reconsideration of the extent of, and limitations to union power in altered educational landscapes.

PB - The Education Policy Center at Michigan State University CY - East Lansing, MI L2 - eng UR - http://education.msu.edu/epc/library/documents/WP%2042%20How%20do%20teachers%20unions%20influence%20education%20policy.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - ‘I’d Rather Work in a Supermarket’: Privatization of Home Care Work In Japan JF - Work, Employment & Society Y1 - 2014 A1 - Broadbent, Kaye KW - employment conditions KW - home care KW - home care sector KW - Japan KW - Long Term Care Insurance KW - organization of work KW - workplace AB -

The rise in nuclear family households and more married women engaging in paid work have forced governments to address the issue of aged care for the elderly to a greater degree. A good illustration is home care in Japan where the government introduced a Long Term Care Insurance scheme (LTCI) (2000) focused on offering affordable almost universal care by extending existing home care services. Japan’s home care services were privatized in 2006 and, while this is not unique to Japan, the combination of cost-cutting measures and the client-driven model encompassed in the LTCI has had a significant impact on employment conditions and the organization of work in home care services. This research assesses the impact on employment conditions and the organization of work in Japan’s former government-run home care sector compared with the pre-LTCI period and argues that privatization has resulted in work intensification and deteriorating employment conditions.

VL - 28 L2 - eng CP - 5 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - If Not Now, When? A Labor Movement Plan to Address Climate Change JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jeremy Brecher A1 - Ron Blackwell A1 - Joe Uehlein KW - climate change KW - climate-safe economy KW - income inequality KW - jobs AB -

This article argues to labor unions for the goal for a transition to a “climate-safe” economy and looks to U.S. experience in World War II mobilization to argue that it can be done. It also argues that to be generally accepted as fair, the transition to a climate-safe economy will require an incomes policy, as was provided during World War II by the War Labor Board. A Nordic-style welfare state system, providing a high level of income for the unemployed combined with strong support for retraining and new jobs, will be necessary to answer fears that change will lead to disaster for workers. Public planning, investment, and incentives for new employment opportunities in affected regions, industries, and occupations can play a similar role. As in World War II, the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively with their employers will be essential to ensure popular participation in the mobilization and protect workers from abuse. In World War II, unions gave up the right to strike but millions of workers struck anyway; this time unions should demand that the right to strike be ensured. Full employment will bolster workers' bargaining power, restore the relationship of wage and productivity growth, and reduce the obscene level of income and wealth inequality.

VL - 23 L2 - eng UR - http://portside.org/print/2014-10-21/if-not-now-when-labor-movement-plan-address-climate-change CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact of Learning on Women's Labour Market Transitions JF - Research in Comparative and International Education Y1 - 2014 A1 - Haasler, Simone R. KW - discrimination KW - gender KW - gender bias AB -

Women play an increasingly important role in the labor market and as wage earners. Moreover, in many countries, young women have outperformed men in terms of educational attainment and qualification. Still, women's human capital investment does not pay off as it does for men as they are still significantly disadvantaged on the labor market. Based on a qualitative empirical investigation with women in their mid-career, this article investigates the role of learning for women's labor market participation and career paths. Women's careers complexly intersect with role expectations, family needs, the career of the partner and anticipation of low returns of educational investment. This is typically reflected in discontinuous employment, part-time work and women's secondary wage earner position in the family. Furthermore, women qualified at the intermediate skills level are more likely to move horizontally in their career than vertically. Horizontal mobility thereby requires significant engagement with learning as the German labor market usually requires a formal qualification to realise a career change. Learning and further training thus become instrumental to facilitate and support women's career transitions, which are often aimed at re-entering regular employment after longer periods of family-related interruptions and/or to remain qualified in jobs in the social, health and educational fields, all of which are female dominated. Ultimately, women's significant engagement with continuing learning is not primarily expected to support career advancement and vertical mobility, particularly as it can neither alter discontinuities of employment nor the German-specific nexus between welfare, family and education policies and the labor market. This challenges the lifelong learning rhetoric insofar as one key aim of lifelong learning policies is to support labor market inclusion and the mobility of disadvantaged groups.

VL - 9 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Impact of Trade Unions on Economic Performance: The Case of Singapore JF - Singapore Economic Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Chew, Soon Beng KW - macro-focused union KW - Singapore KW - strategic collective bargaining KW - trade unions KW - union social responsibility AB -

Trade unions may exact a heavy cost on an economy, but there is one mode of trade unionism that will enable the trade union to play a positive role in economic development. This mode of unionism, which may be characterized as macro-focused, requires the trade union to work closely with the ruling party in order to contribute to economic development. The required symbiosis between such a trade union and the ruling party may not be sustainable when there is a change in government. This paper argues that a union can remain macro-focused as long as it is not part of any political party and therefore can work with any government regardless of which political party is in power. The paper will examine the various conditions, both economic and non-economic, under which such an outcome can exist and be sustainable. The paper will also analyze how a macro-focused union induces workers to join the union based on the results of a field survey of 690 respondents in Singapore.

VL - 59 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Implicit Public Values and the Creation of Publicly Valuable Outcomes: The Importance of Work and the Contested Role of Labor Unions JF - Public Administration Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - John W. Budd KW - labor unions KW - public values KW - unions KW - work AB -

The deep importance of work for families and communities means that discussions of public values and debates over public policies to create publicly valuable outcomes must not overlook work, the workplace, and the employment relationship. This article considers the range of public values on work and the options for creating work-related publicly valuable outcomes. Labor unions feature prominently in the analyses because they are the most visible nonmarket institution for creating publicly valuable outcomes relating to work. Ultimately, however, there is no consensus on the desired public values about work or the best ways of fulfilling them. Rather, these are deeply contested issues rooted in contrasting frames of reference on work and the employment relationship, which makes the realization of publicly valuable outcomes challenging.

VL - 74 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Income Inequality in the People's Republic of China: Trends, Determinants, and Proposed Remedies JF - Journal of Economic Surveys Y1 - 2014 A1 - Wang, Chen A1 - Wan, Guanghua A1 - Yang, Dan KW - China KW - income distribution KW - inequality AB -

The issue of income inequality in the People's Republic of China (PRC) has attracted world-wide attention, leading to a sizable literature. This paper attempts to provide a nonexhaustive literature review of the PRC's inequality trends and determinants, and suggested government interventions. It discusses profiles of income inequality along three dimensions: interhousehold disparity, regional divides, and urban–rural gaps. This is followed by an exploration of the driving forces behind rising inequality, including the notorious hukou system, policy biases, location or geographic factors, globalization, and education. Finally, the paper summarizes and proposes government interventions for containing or reducing income inequality in the PRC. Important areas for future research are also suggested in the final section of the paper.

VL - 28 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Income Redistribution Effect Of China's Personal Income Tax: What The Micro-Data Say JF - Contemporary Economic Policy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Ma, Guangrong A1 - Xu, Jianwei A1 - Li, Shi KW - China KW - Income Redistribution Effect KW - Personal Income Tax KW - Progressivity KW - Tax Burden AB -

This paper uses continuous micro-level data to investigate the income redistribution effect of the personal income tax (PIT) in China beginning in 1997. We find that the average tax rate plays a larger role in determining the income redistribution effect of PIT than tax progressivity does. Although tax progressivity decreased as a result of rising personal incomes and a constant PIT policy prior to 2005, the income redistribution effect of the PIT improved as a result of the higher average tax rate. The tax reform beginning in 2006 increased tax progressivity but decreased the average tax rate, thereby weakening the income redistribution effect of the PIT. Further analysis indicates that the middle-income group was the only net loser before 2005, but it benefited from the PIT policy reform. A cross-country comparison shows that China has a lower PIT burden and higher progressivity than developed countries; in fact, China’s levels of progressivity and tax burden are similar to those of Latin American countries.

L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2180220 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Indian Public-Sector Trade Unionism in an Autocratic Political Climate: The Distinctive Case of Gujarat JF - Capital & Class Y1 - 2014 A1 - David Beale A1 - Ernesto Noronha KW - Bharatiya Janata Party KW - Gujarat KW - India KW - organized labor KW - political hegemony KW - public-sector trade unionism KW - trade unionism AB -

The power and influence of trade unionism in telecommunications, state government employment and municipal bus services are examined in Gujarat, an Indian state ruled by the Hindu nationalist, pro-big business Bharatiya Janata Party. We identify significant examples of resilience in unions critical of the BJP, alongside conflicts of interest and challenges for pro-BJP unions. These are somewhat surprising findings in a context expected to be hostile to class-based trade unionism, suggesting an important pole of ongoing, organized labor opposition to Gujarat’s perceived political hegemony, and posing some wider issues. In the interim between the writing and publishing of this article, the BJP won India’s 2014 general election.

VL - 38 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Industrial Relations in South-Eastern Europe: Disaggregating the Contexts JF - The International Journal of Human Resource Management Y1 - 2014 A1 - Alexandros Psychogiosa A1 - Chris Brewsterb A1 - Fotis Missopoulosc A1 - Andrej Kohontd A1 - Elizabeta Vatchkovae A1 - Agnes Slavicf KW - Bulgaria, KW - Cyprus KW - Greece KW - industrial relations KW - Serbia KW - Slovenia KW - South-Eastern European organizations AB -

This study critically evaluates industrial relations (IR) in South-Eastern Europe and points towards future practical and research-oriented opportunities in the region. A survey of organizational policies and practices has been used to explore the state of IR in both private and public organizations in this region. Specifically, the data, collected in 2009–2010 (including the latest changes due to the economic crisis), cover 840 different organizations located in Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus. We discuss the development of ‘regional-specific’ IR policies, the ‘importing’ of varieties of capitalism models, the diffusion of the European Union social model and the role of foreign MNCs in changing IR in the region.

VL - 25 L2 - eng UR - http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09585192.2013.837090#.VJMeO8mX6zJ CP - 11 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Inequality in the Workplace: Labor Market Reform in Japan and Korea Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jiyeoun Song KW - employment protections KW - Japan KW - Korea KW - labor market reform KW - workers’ rights KW - working conditions KW - workplace AB -

The past several decades have seen widespread reform of labor markets across advanced industrial countries, but most of the existing research on job security, wage bargaining, and social protection is based on the experience of the United States and Western Europe. In Inequality in the Workplace, Jiyeoun Song focuses on South Korea and Japan, which have advanced labor market reform and confronted the rapid rise of a split in labor markets between protected regular workers and underprotected and underpaid nonregular workers. The two countries have implemented very different strategies in response to the pressure to increase labor market flexibility during economic downturns. Japanese policy makers, Song finds, have relaxed the rules and regulations governing employment and working conditions for part-time, temporary, and fixed-term contract employees while retaining extensive protections for full-time permanent workers. In Korea, by contrast, politicians have weakened employment protections for all categories of workers.In her comprehensive survey of the politics of labor market reform in East Asia, Song argues that institutional features of the labor market shape the national trajectory of reform. More specifically, she shows how the institutional characteristics of the employment protection system and industrial relations, including the size and strength of labor unions, determine the choice between liberalization for the nonregular workforce and liberalization for all as well as the degree of labor market inequality in the process of reform.

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Injured Workers in China: Injustice, Conflict and Social Unrest JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Zhu, Ying A1 - Chen, Peter Y. A1 - Zhao, Wei KW - China KW - labor policy KW - occupational health KW - occupational injury KW - occupational safety AB -

Compared to other, developed countries, there has been a disproportionately high level of work-related accidents and ill health in China over the past decade, resulting in increased conflict and unrest, thereby undermining social stability and social harmony. To investigate how key stakeholders address occupational safety and health (OSH) challenges, the authors interview 25 injured workers from five Chinese provinces about: safety practices at work; potential causes of injury; how the workers were treated – or mistreated – when they were injured; and the compensation process, and present recommendations for addressing OSH problems in China, in order to ensure social justice and social harmony.

VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - International Labor Standards: How Far is India? JF - International Journal of Research & Analysis Y1 - 2014 A1 - Malik, Harshit KW - child labor KW - freedom of association KW - India KW - international labor standards KW - labor law AB -

Growing concerns and debate over rights of workers have been much discussed in the contemporary treatise. While, most countries have ratified all international conventions on labor standards, there still exist many who do not agree with some of them. India is one of those countries. India has only partially accepted international labor standards and is being constantly urged to adopt the rest. This paper is one contribution to the debate of India’s ratification of International labor standards. Over the course of analysis, we seek to argue that India’s discourse on labor legislation has not necessarily been flawed merely because it has not ratified some of the conventions. The paper focuses on the 8 fundamental conventions identified by the International Labor organization. The paper analyses India’s national labor legislations from the perspective of International labor standards. The paper is divided in three parts. The first describes India’s profile as per ILO. The second part, which comprises of further subparts, will discuss corresponding laws in India for the conventions not ratified by it, and will try to understand the reason for non-ratification with the help of case studies. The last part of the paper offers an opinion on India’s decision of non-ratification.

VL - 2 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2486506 CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - International Solidarity or Renewed Trade Union Imperialism? The AFL–CIO and Garment Workers in Bangladesh JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2014 A1 - Zia Rahman A1 - Tom Langford KW - AFL-CIO KW - Bangladesh KW - gender KW - readymade garment industry KW - trade union imperialism KW - women AB -

This article assesses the AFL–CIO's in Bangladesh's readymade garment (RMG) industry over the past two decades, drawing upon documentary sources and in-depth interviews conducted in 2007. Our research indicates that AFL–CIO actions clearly match four of the five characteristics of hegemonic trade union imperialism, including initiating its own organizations that it can directly control instead of working with existing unions; and employing bureaucratic and legalistic methods when pursuing workplace grievances. Nevertheless, while we characterize the AFL–CIO's actions in Bangladesh as renewed trade union imperialism, this thrust has been tempered with reformist achievements. These include path-breaking attention to the development of women workers' leadership skills. We conclude that the labor movement in the RMG industry in Bangladesh will have to find ways to accumulate new resources and credibility and to overcome its historical subservience to the two major Bangladeshi political parties if it is to effectively counter the AFL–CIO's trade union imperialism.

VL - 17 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - International Trade and Collective Bargaining Outcomes: Evidence from German Employer–Employee Data JF - The Scandinavian Journal of Economics Y1 - 2014 A1 - Gabriel Felbermayr A1 - Hans-Jörg Schmerer A1 - Andreas Hauptmann KW - collective bargaining KW - employer–employee data KW - Germany KW - trade unions AB -

In theoretical trade models with variable mark-ups and collective wage bargaining, exposure to international markets might reduce the exporter wage premium. We test this prediction using linked German employer–employee data covering the years 1996–2007. To separate the rent-sharing mechanism from assortative matching, we exploit individual worker information to construct profitability measures that are free of skill composition. Our results show that rent-sharing is less pronounced in more export-intensive firms or in more open industries. The exporter wage premium is highest for low-productivity firms. In line with theory, these findings are unique to the subsample of plants covered by collective bargaining.

VL - 116 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - An Introduction to Labor Law (third edition) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Gold, Michael Evan KW - employment law KW - human resources KW - industrial relations KW - labor law KW - labor relations AB -

An Introduction to Labor Law is a useful and course-tested primer that explains the basic principles of the federal law regulating the relationship of employers to labor unions. In this updated third edition, which features a new introduction, Michael Evan Gold discusses the law that applies to union organizing and representation elections, the duty to bargain in good faith, economic weapons such as strikes and lockouts, and the enforcement of collective bargaining agreements. Gold describes the structure and functions of the National Labor Relations Board and of the federal courts in regard to labor cases and also presents a number of legal issues presently in contention between labor and management.

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Invisible No More: Domestic Workers Organizing in Massachusetts and Beyond JF - University of Massachusetts Boston Scholar Works Y1 - 2014 A1 - Tracy, Natalicia A1 - Sieber, Tim A1 - Moir, Susan KW - domestic workers KW - Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights KW - low-wage workers KW - Massachusetts Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights AB -

Domestic workers across the country are making it clear that, even in a difficult political environment, it is possible to make gains for low-wage workers. For the first time in many, many decades, domestic workers are finding ways to win. They are creating policy change that will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers in tangible and substantial ways. The 2014 Massachusetts Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights is the most expansive codification of rights for this long-overlooked part of the labor force ever to be enacted. In one sense, there is nothing new about domestic workers organizing for better wages and working conditions. From the days of the Atlanta washer- women’s strike at the end of the 19th century through the household employee organizing of the 1960s and 70s, women have joined together to challenge an industry in which, traditionally, they have been poorly compensated and routinely over- worked. But today’s domestic worker movement, while building on the past, is also breaking new ground. It has generated new political protagonists – the immigrant nannies, housecleaners and elder care- givers who now make up a substantial segment of the work force and whose commitment to organizing is the foundation of today’s victories. It has been strategically innovative, winning campaigns for domestic worker bills of rights in four states, with more to come. It has welcomed and built upon the support of allies from organized labor, immigrant and workers’ rights groups, leaders from a range of faith communities, and ethically oriented employers. And it has networked and organized with women from around the world to win the very first international convention for domestic workers’ rights. Today’s domestic workers’ movement is a sustained and growing effort that draws upon and fertilizes the transformative vision and innovative organizing of communities of color, immigrant communities, low-wage workers and women of color. Domestic workers have stepped into their power. Their victories are expanding the realm of the possible, not only for themselves, but also for all who are committed to worker justice and dignity.

L2 - eng UR - http://scholarworks.umb.edu/laborstudies_faculty_pubs/1/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor Codes of Conduct and Labor Policy Codes: An Overview JF - E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies Y1 - 2014 A1 - Adrián Todolí Signes KW - codes of conduct KW - enforcement KW - labor codes of conduct KW - labor policy codes KW - regulation AB -

Labour codes of conduct and labour policy codes are two legal instruments which employers have at their disposal to regulate stakeholder relations (workers, suppliers and customers). Yet their purpose is often unclear. Labour codes of conduct apply to suppliers, worker’s suppliers and customers. They are also regarded as soft law initiatives and this is why some difficulties arise when they are challenged in court. Conversely, labour policy codes concern employees and are fully enforceable. The problem stems from the terminology employed to refer to them, which makes it particularly difficult to draw a distinction. Accordingly, this paper seeks to clarify the differences between these two codes considering their features, the applicable rules, and their scope of application.

VL - 3 L2 - eng UR - http://adapt.it/EJCLS/index.php/ejcls_adapt/article/view/217/267 CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor Culture on Screen and Online: Union Films as Mobilization Strategies JF - Labour History: A Journal of Labour and Social History Y1 - 2014 A1 - Milner, Lisa KW - film KW - Internet KW - mobilization KW - public opinion KW - union films KW - unionization AB -

Strikes and industrial disputes have been a regular feature of Australian working life, as has the early uptake of new media technologies in and around these struggles. Despite substantial change in the power and membership of unions in recent decades, Australian filmmakers have contributed significantly to a broader labour culture via their depictions of strikes and other trade union activities, first on film, then television and now the Internet. Of particular interest to this article are unions that encourage filmmaker-members to document the range of activities now considered as standard union initiatives. In focusing on the output of two trade unions, the Maritime Union of Australia and the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, this article explores how the production and reception of union films adds new dimensions to members’ lives, and how these cultural projects have the potential to bind members together in solidarity.

VL - 107 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Economics (second edition) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Cahuc, Pierre A1 - Stephane Carcillo A1 - Andre Zylberberg KW - discrimination KW - employment protection KW - globalization KW - income redistribution KW - labor economics KW - labor markets KW - minimum wage AB -

This graduate-level text combines depth and breadth of coverage with recent, cutting-edge work in all the major areas of modern labor economics. Its command of the literature and its coverage of the latest theoretical, methodological, and empirical developments make it also a valuable resource for practicing labor economists. This second edition has been substantially updated and augmented. It incorporates examples drawn from many countries, and it presents empirical methods using contributions that have proved to be milestones in labor economics. The data and codes of these research publications, as well as numerous tables and figures describing the functioning of labor markets, are all available on a dedicated website (www.labor-economics.org), along with slides that can be used as course aids and a discussion forum. This edition devotes more space to the analysis of public policy and the levers available to policy makers, with new chapters on such topics as discrimination, globalization, income redistribution, employment protection, and the minimum wage or labor market programs for the unemployed. Theories are explained on the basis of the simplest possible models, which are in turn related to empirical results. Mathematical appendixes provide a toolkit for understanding the models.

PB - The MIT Press CY - Cambridge MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Guide to Labor Law Y1 - 2014 A1 - Feldacker, Bruce S. A1 - Michael J. Hayes KW - employment law KW - labor law KW - labor relatoins KW - private sector law AB -

Labor Guide to Labor Law is a comprehensive survey of labor law in the private sector, written from the labor perspective for labor relations students and for unions and their members. This thoroughly revised and updated fifth edition covers new statutes, current issues, and the latest developments in labor and employment law. The text emphasizes issues of greatest importance to unions and employees. Where the law permits a union to make certain tactical choices, those choices are pointed out. Material is included on internal union matters that tend to be ignored in management texts. Bruce S. Feldacker and Michael J. Hayes cover applicable labor law principles from a union's initial organizing campaign to the mature bargaining relationship, including such subjects as the employee right to engage in protected concerted activity, the duty to bargain, labor arbitration, the use of strikes, picketing and other economic weapons in resolving a labor dispute, the duty of fair representation, internal union regulation, and employment discrimination. This book is also a useful reference and review for full-time union officers and representatives who have a working knowledge of labor law but wish to brush up on certain points as needed in their work. Both authors have extensive experience in the construction field, and they have been careful to include material on those aspects of labor law that are unique to that field. Labor Guide to Labor Law is structured to present an unbiased and comprehensive explanation of labor law principles for anyone interested in the field. Thus, labor relations educators, as well as practitioners in the field representing labor, management, or individual employees, should also find the text suitable for their use. Each chapter includes a summary, review questions and answers, a restatement of "Basic Legal principles" with citations to key cases, and a bibliography for additional research.

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor in the Global Digital Economy: The Cybertariat Comes of Age Y1 - 2014 A1 - Huws, Ursula KW - digital era KW - global capitalist economy KW - globalization KW - information technology KW - labor AB -

For every person who reads this text on the printed page, many more will read it on a computer screen or mobile device. It’s a situation that we increasingly take for granted in our digital era, and while it is indicative of the novelty of twenty-first-century capitalism, it is also the key to understanding its driving force: the relentless impulse to commodify our lives in every aspect.Ursula Huws ties together disparate economic, cultural, and political phenomena of the last few decades to form a provocative narrative about the shape of the global capitalist economy at present. She examines the way that advanced information and communications technology has opened up new fields of capital accumulation: in culture and the arts, in the privatization of public services, and in the commodification of human sociality by way of mobile devices and social networking. These trends are in turn accompanied by the dramatic restructuring of work arrangements, opening the way for new contradictions and new forms of labor solidarity and struggle around the planet. Labor in the Global Digital Economy is a forceful critique of our dizzying contemporary moment, one that goes beyond notions of mere connectedness or free-flowing information to illuminate the entrenched mechanisms of exploitation and control at the core of capitalism.

PB - Monthly Review Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Law in the Contemporary Workplace (second edition) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Dau-Schmidt, Kenneth G. KW - labor law KW - National Labor Relations Act KW - Railway Labor Act AB -

This book prepares students for the practice of labor law in the contemporary workplace by introducing them to the basic principles of American labor law and many of the exciting issues that labor attorneys face. The book varies from existing casebooks in several respects. First, the book is organized around contemporary problems as a means of teaching the core principles of labor law. Second, although the primary focus of the book is the National Labor Relations Act, considerable attention is given to the Railway Labor Act and public sector labor laws because of their growing relative importance in contemporary practice. Third, the book examines the intersection of the practice of labor law with anti-discrimination laws, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Finally, the book examines the problems of labor practice in the global economy and includes examples that touch on international problems and law.

PB - West Academic Publishing CY - St. Paul, MN L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Labor Market Conditions and Social Insurance in China (IFN Working Paper No. 924) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Rickne, Johanna KW - China KW - employer participation KW - labor market tightness KW - People’s Republic of China KW - social insurance AB -

Fifteen years after the introduction of highly ambitious social insurance programs for urban Chinese workers, a large number of them remain un-insured. This paper examines the relationship between labor market conditions and social insurance participation among industrial firms in the pre-crisis years of 2000-2007. I find that increased labor tightness over this period was a quantitatively important driver of participation. Comparing different segments of the labor market, stronger response to tightness is found in sectors with the largest shares of un-insured: private firms, those with a larger share of low-educated workers, and those without labor unions. Increased tightness in the years ahead can therefore be expected to aid policy makers in social insurance implementation and in combating insurance inequality.

PB - Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) CY - Stockholm, Sweden L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2509962 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor Process and the Social Structure of Accumulation in China JF - Review of Radical Political Economics Y1 - 2014 A1 - Li, Zhongjin A1 - Hao Qi KW - China KW - Chinese economy KW - labor process KW - living wage KW - social structure of accumulation KW - wage gap AB -

Inspired by the interplay between social structure of accumulation theory and labor process theory, this paper is to specify the particular mechanism that labor institutions take in accomplishing China’s rapid capital accumulation in the reform era. The paper starts by proposing a framework to understand the relation among overtime work, labor process, and the wage gap and presents the puzzling contradiction between low wages and the need to sustain the reproduction of labor power for Chinese workers. The paper then details the bi-directional determination between the subordination of labor in the workplace and the wage gap, and further analyzes the critical conditions for the stability of the current labor institutions and sustaining capital accumulation.

VL - 46 L2 - eng UR - https://www.aeaweb.org/aea/2014conference/program/retrieve.php?pdfid=957 CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Relations in the Public Sector (fifth edition) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Kearney, Richard C. KW - labor law KW - labor legislation KW - labor relations KW - public sector unions KW - union membership AB -

Since publication of the fourth edition of Labor Relations in the Public Sector, public sector unions have encountered strong headwinds in many parts of the U.S. Membership is falling in some jurisdictions, public opinion has shifted against the unions, and political forces are leaning against them. Retaining the structure that made the previous editions so popular, this fifth edition incorporates a complete round of updates, particularly sections on recent trends in membership figures, new legislation, and new politics as they influence bargaining rights.

PB - CRC Press CY - Boca Raton, FL L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor's Enduring Divide: The Distinct Path of Public Sector Unions in the United States JF - Studies in American Political Development Y1 - 2014 A1 - Alexis N. Walker KW - collective bargaining KW - labor law KW - labor movement KW - public sector unions KW - Wagner Act AB -

Why did public sector unionization rise so dramatically and then plateau at the same time as private sector unionization underwent a precipitous decline? The exclusion of public sector employees from the centerpiece of private sector labor law—the 1935 Wagner Act—divided U.S. labor law and relegated public sector demand-making to the states. Consequently, public sector employees' collective bargaining rights were slow to develop and remain geographically concentrated, unequal and vulnerable. Further, divided labor law put the two movements out of alignment; private sector union density peaked nearly a decade before the first major statutes granting public sector collective bargaining rights passed. As a result of this incongruent timing and sequencing, the United States has never had a strong union movement comprised of both sectors at the height of their membership and influence.

VL - 28 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labour Contracting and Changing Employment Relationships in South Korea JF - Development Policy Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jong-Woon Lee KW - car industry; KW - contract labor KW - contracting KW - employment relations KW - employment relationships KW - flexibility KW - labor relations KW - South Korea AB -

Not only has there been a growth in the utilisation of non-standard workers in South Korea in recent years, but a qualitative shift has also occurred in the nature of contracting practices. This article attempts to improve understanding of this trend by shedding light on the contradictory nature of the contracting system, while also addressing problems associated with the deployment of an external labour force with fewer employment entitlements on user-firm sites, and the implications of these phenomena for employment practices and workers' rights.

VL - 32 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labour Inspection in Contemporary China: Like the Anglo-Saxon Model, But Different JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Zhuang, Wenjia A1 - Ngok, Kinglun KW - China KW - institutional framework KW - labor inspection AB -

The authors examine the lack of enforcement of China's increasing body of labor legislation, showing how, since the 1980s, the country's labor inspection system has evolved into a system resembling the Anglo-Saxon model – characterized by fragmentation and reactive regulatory practices – but with highly selective and non-coercive state enforcement. This “hybrid” labor inspection model stems from the combination of neoliberal reforms with the Leninist legacy of the authoritarian regime. More effective enforcement of labor law would, the authors suggest, require greater tripartite cooperation and social dialogue in the regulatory process, and the involvement of an independently organized industrial labor force.

VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Labour Law Reforms in Europe: Adjusting Employment Protection Legislation for the Worse? Y1 - 2014 A1 - Schömann, Isabelle KW - economic recession KW - employment security KW - EU KW - Europe KW - labor law KW - labor law reform AB -

This new working paper is intended to map reforms of employment protection law in the member states with the aim of addressing these legal changes in the context of the crisis, but also in the context of the deregulation agenda of the European Commission. The report critically addresses the large-scale deregulation of employment protection law in the EU member states, which basically started under the umbrella of flexicurity, in particular the EU’s so-called 'better regulation agenda', its follow-up 'smart regulation agenda' and, finally, the Commission’s annual country-specific recommendations and the memoranda of understanding with programme countries within the framework of so-called anti-crisis measures. The report shows that the EU Commission’s deregulation doctrine not only contradicts primary and secondary European hard law on employment protection, but it also helped to exacerbate precariousness in the workplace and, in combination with other reforms, the pauperisation of workers, thus violating the fundamental rights of workers, as laid down in the Treaty.

PB - ETUI Working Paper 2014.02 CY - Brussels, Belgium L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2512678 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour Market Deregulation In Japan And Italy: Worker Protection Under Neoliberal Globalization Y1 - 2014 A1 - Watanabe, Hiroaki KW - globalization KW - Italy KW - Japan KW - labour market deregulation KW - neoliberal globalization KW - neoliberalism KW - worker protection AB - Japan and Italy encountered severe economic problems in the early 1990s, and the governments had to deal with those issues effectively under the increasing neoliberal pressures of globalization. In this context, labor market deregulation was considered an effective tool to cope with those economic problems. However, the forms and degrees of labor market deregulation in the two countries were quite different.This book seeks to explain the differences in labor market deregulation policies between Japan and Italy, despite the fact that the two countries shared a number of similar political, social and labor market (if not cultural) characteristics. Uniquely, it takes a political, rather than economic or sociological perspective to provide a theoretical and empirical analysis of the processes of labor market deregulation in the two countries. The precarious working conditions of an increasing number of non-regular workers has become a prominent social issue in many industrialized countries including Japan and Italy, but the level of the protection for these workers depends on a country’s labor market policies, which are affected by the power resources of labor unions and labor policy-making structures. This book provides a useful perspective for understanding the root causes of this phenomenon, such as the diffusion of ‘neoliberal’ ideas aimed at promoting labor-market flexibility under globalization, and demonstrates that there is still room for politics to decide the extent of deregulation and maintain worker protection from management offensives even in an era of globalization. PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labour Market Institutions and Worker Flows: Comparing Germany and the US JF - The Economic Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jung, Philip A1 - Kuhn, Moritz KW - Germany KW - labor market flows KW - unemployment KW - unemployment rate volatility KW - worker flows AB -

We compare labor market flows in the US and Germany between 1980 and 2004. In Germany, average worker flows in and out of unemployment are substantially lower; outflows are equally volatile in both countries; inflows are about twice as volatile in Germany and contribute more to the unemployment rate volatility. We explore four candidates for these differences: unemployment benefits; union bargaining power; employment protection and the efficiency of matching unemployed workers to open positions. We find that a lower matching efficiency in Germany can explain the bulk of the cross‐country differences. It amplifies the business cycle and adds persistence.

VL - 124 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2536176 CP - 581 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Labour Market Institutions in Europe: Differences, Developments, Consequences and Reforms T2 - Let’s Get to Work! The Future of Labour in Europe. Vol. 1. Y1 - 2014 A1 - Koster, Ferry A1 - vanVliet, Olaf ED - M. Beblavý ED - I. Maselli ED - M. Veselková KW - active labor market policy KW - employment protection legislation KW - Europe KW - labor market KW - legislation KW - political economy KW - unemployment benefits AB -

Researchers investigating labour market institutions can focus on different aspects of the labour market. To begin with, they can look at the outcomes or at the policies contributing to these outcomes, or both. Others who focus on government policies are more interested in learning how governments can contribute to achieving full employment. This chapter examines how governments intervene in the labour market and the consequences of this intervention. This chapter is structured as follows. First, some specific questions regarding labour market institutions are explored: 1) Do Western and Eastern European countries differ regarding labour market institutions? 2) What are the consequences of labour market institutions for employment in innovation industries? 3) What role do active labour market policies play in processes of labour market reforms? We then present an overview of the most recent country differences and trends in employment protection legislation, unemployment benefits, and active labour market policies, in order to shed light on how these institutions have developed and may develop in the near future.

JA - Let’s Get to Work! The Future of Labour in Europe. Vol. 1. PB - Centre for European Policy Studies CY - Brussels L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2473122 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labour Reforms in India: Issues & Challenges JF - Journal of Management & Public Policy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jha, Srirang KW - India KW - labor market KW - labor reforms AB -

This paper provides a critique of slow pace of labour reforms in India and consequences of rigidities in labour market, archaic labour laws and glaring skill deficit. The country has failed to reap demographic dividends as a consequence of policy paralysis so far as labour reforms are concerned. Sporadic changes in labour laws have been ineffectual in attracting foreign investors or provide an impetus to domestic entrepreneurs interested in expanding manufacturing facilities. The paper presents an incisive account of emerging issues and challenges that pose roadblocks for labour reforms in India and imperatives for enhancing labour productivity and lowering labour cost without compromising international labour standards.

VL - 5 L2 - eng UR - http://jmpp.in/wp-content/uploads/Srirang-Jha.pdf CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labour Relations, Production Regimes and Labour Conflicts in the Chinese Automotive Industry JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Lüthje, Boy KW - China KW - labor movement KW - labor relations KW - motor vehicle industry KW - strike KW - work organization VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Lessons for Social Change in the Global Economy: Voices from the Field Y1 - 2014 A1 - Garwood, Shae A1 - Sky Croeser A1 - Christalla Yakinthou KW - activists KW - globalization KW - inequality KW - labor activism KW - labor organizers KW - social activism KW - social change AB -

In the face of globalization’s massive social and economic transformations and the resulting persistent inequality, activists, labor organizers, and advocacy NGOs are seeking and creating change beyond the confines of formal state politics and across national borders. Given the breadth of local issues activists face, the ways they define the problem and seek redress vary widely. This book provides a unique perspective on these efforts, gathering into one volume concrete examples of the implementation of different strategies for social change that highlight the challenges involved. This provides useful lessons for those involved in social change, as well as for those studying it. Contributors to the volume are scholars and practitioners around the world, and they draw on strong connections with people working in the field to improve working conditions and environmental standards of global production systems. This allows readers to develop a more comprehensive and grounded understanding of strategies for social change.This book maintains a strong balance between breadth and specificity. It provides an overview of the themes of social change, which contextualizes and draws common threads from the chapters grounded in specific geographic locations and political spaces of change. The chapters analyze environmental and social problems and the varying degrees of success activists have had in regulating industries, containing environmental hazards, and/or harnessing aspects of an industry for positive social and economic change. Contributors draw upon different ways of creating change, which include corporate social responsibility schemes, fair trade regimes, and community radio. By providing insight into the potential and limitations of actions taken at different levels, the book encourages a critical perspective on efforts for social change, grounded in an understanding of how conditions around the world can affect these activities.

PB - Rowman & Littlefield CY - Lanham, MD L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Let's Get to Work! The Future of Labour in Europe Y1 - 2014 A1 - Beblavy, Miroslav A1 - Maselli, Ilaria A1 - Veselkova, Marcela KW - Europe KW - labor economics AB -

Work is both an essential part of our daily lives and one of the major policy concerns across Europe. Yet the public debate of labor issues is all too often driven by political rhetoric and short-term concerns. In this volume, researchers from seven European countries explain, in accessible language, the findings from various social sciences and what they mean for the future of labor in Europe. The conclusions they reach are addressed to policy-makers, the business world, journalists and fellow academics, and to anyone interested in the shape, size and character of the labor markets of tomorrow.

PB - Centre for European Policy Studies CY - Brussels, Belgium L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2472865 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Limits on Pay as a Strategic Tool: Obstacles to Alignment in Non-Union Environments JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jonathan Trevor A1 - William Brown KW - collective bargaining KW - non-union workplace KW - pay systems KW - strategic pay AB -

Strategic human resource management literature emphasizes the potential of pay to secure strategically desirable employee outcomes for the employer. Strategic pay, in contrast with pluralist models of pay determination, assumes an absence of collective bargaining constraints. This article analyses the process of determination of non-unionized managerial, professional and technical pay in seven leading consumer goods firms that claim to use pay as a strategic tool. It demonstrates that implemented pay practice is often remote from what is aspired to strategically. Despite the absence of collective bargaining constraints, there remain unavoidable obstacles to the ability of management to implement pay systems aligned to strategic goals. These constraints impose fundamental limitations on the use of pay as a strategic tool.

VL - 52 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Made in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka: The Labor Behind the Global Garment and Textile Industries Y1 - 2014 A1 - Saxena, Sanchita Banerjee KW - Bangladesh KW - Cambodia KW - garment industry KW - garment workers KW - labor conditions KW - Multi-Fiber Arrangement KW - Sri Lanka KW - textile workers KW - worker empowerment AB -

The garments and textiles sector is one of the oldest export industries and has often served as the “starter” industry for many countries, especially in Asia. To quell the fear of job losses to countries in the global South, northern countries established the Multi-Fiber Arrangement (MFA) in 1974. This arrangement restricted garment and textile imports to the United States, Canada, and the European Union (EU) by allocating quotas to countries throughout the developing world. The MFA, in place after more than thirty years, was finally phased out in 2005.Most studies conducted prior to the 2005 quota phase out predicted that once the quotas were lifted, many of the “smaller” countries would drastically lose market share. The prime reason for this pessimism was the notion that the various stakeholders would never be able to work together to make the necessary changes needed for the sector. The subtext was that these groups would be too focused on their own interests and would not want to compromise their intimate relationship with powerful players in the industry. In contrast to the conventional wisdom of that time, many of the “unexpected” countries like Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka not only survived the end of the MFA, but they have made significant improvements which have allowed them to maintain their foothold in the international trading regime. The general perception of the garment and textile industry in the global South is fueled only by images of dismal labor conditions and unsuitable factories, descriptions of labor clashes with police, and analyses of low wages and exploitative multinational corporations. This book presents an insightful perspective on the garment and textiles industries in Asia by highlighting that an industry fraught with competing concerns can, in fact, collaborate and work together when it is in the interest of both the state and interest groups to do so. This comparative study recognizes the role of both the state and interest groups in the policy making process and argues that they are interlinked and require one another for sustainable reforms. Employing original, in-depth research in three different countries, the study skillfully delves down deep beyond the macro statistics and commonly held images to cast light on some of the significant policy and attitudinal shifts that have occurred in this industry. It demonstrates that even though the struggle continues, it is important to recognize the improvements thus far and to work towards positive change. This book also takes a much larger historical view of the sector, arguing that manipulation of the trading regime has created and continues to create both incentives and disincentives for the various stakeholders involved in this industry. By analyzing the garment sector through the lens of domestic coalitions, Made in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka: The Labor Behind the Global Garments and Textiles Industries presents new and innovative ways of conceptualizing the garment and textiles industries that include the possibility for change and resistance from a vantage point of cooperation among key groups, rather than only contention. The book utilizes the established policy networks framework, which has traditionally only been applied to the United States and European nations, but expertly adapts it to countries in the global South. Saxena’s domestic coalitions approach, which can be thought of as a precursor to a full policy network, differs from the policy network approach in crucial ways by highlighting the importance of other actors or facilitators in the network, recognizing that interactions among stakeholders are just as important as interactions between groups and the state, as well as the incentives associated with expanding the existing coalition. Saxena has conducted more than a hundred interviews with key informants, several focus groups with eighty-five garment factory workers, as well as quantitative surveys of a hundred garment workers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka to establish several important insights about this early stage of domestic coalitions in these countries. First, the changing role of labor marked by its entrance into the coalition is itself significant in these countries where the network has been historically shut out to labor groups. Second, the study demonstrates that various types of channels and mechanisms, both institutionalized and non-institutionalized, are essential to ensure the representation of labor groups and their influence on policy change in the industry. Third, the book expertly delinks the concepts of “improved labor conditions” and “worker empowerment,” by arguing that one should not assume that better labor conditions automatically translate into an empowered workforce. Finally, Saxena comes to a critical conclusion that change and improvements stemming from top-down programs, though they may be initially effective in improving basic standards, do not help in furthering coalitions with labor groups and institutionalizing their role in policy making. This study puts the entire sector into the larger context of international trade policy; effects of decades of import quotas set the context at the beginning of the book while current trade policies impacting the garment sector, are discussed at the end. Saxena convincingly argues that the sector and the incentives of those who depend on it cannot be understood without this larger context in which the sector has flourished and ultimately survived, and all of these elements combined are essential to understanding the complexities of the garment and textile industries.

PB - Cambria Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Made in the EU: Foxconn in the Czech Republic JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2014 A1 - Andrijasevic, R. A1 - Sacchetto, D. KW - China KW - Czech Republic KW - electronics industry KW - Foxconn KW - globalization KW - labor relations KW - management KW - politics of production AB -

Next to its 32 factories in mainland China, Foxconn has another 200 factories and subsidiaries around the world on which there is little or no data. This article focuses on plants in the Czech Republic, Foxconn's most important European site and the hub for export-oriented electronics industry. It asks whether there are similarities between Foxconn's Chinese and European sites, two locations commonly imagined as separate and opposite in their management practices and treatment of the workforce. Drawing on sixty interviews with workers and privileged informants, the article outlines the labor process, forms of control, composition of labor, the role of the state, and the reach and impact of the trade unions in Foxconn's Czech plants. It makes visible the deterioration of working conditions in the Czech Republic, both under European Union regulations and just-in-time production by multinationals, and suggests that in order to understand the ongoing changes there is a need to move away from the idea of labor and labor markets as solely domestic actors, and toward a discussion on globally integrated politics of production.

VL - 17 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Management of An Ageing Workforce: Organisational Policies in Germany and Britain JF - Human Resource Management Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Heike Schröder A1 - Michael Muller-Camen A1 - Matthew Flynn KW - age management KW - ageing workforce KW - Germany KW - Great Britain AB -

Demographic change as well as pressure from the European Union and national government are forcing organisations to change age-discriminatory HRM approaches. Based on a qualitative analysis of eight British and German organisations, we found that commitment, scope, coverage and implementation of age management differ due to country-specific institutions, particularly government, in nudging employers and unions to preferred age practices. This confirms the path dependency concept suggested by institutional theory. Nevertheless, we also found that industry-specific factors mediate the implementation of age management, leading to some convergence across countries. This indicates that organisations deviate from the institutional path to implement practices that they deem important.

VL - 24 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Management of an Ageing Workforce: Organisational Policies in Germany and Britain JF - Human Resource Management Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Heike Schröder A1 - Michael Muller-Camen A1 - Matthew Flynn KW - age discrimination KW - age management; KW - Britain KW - case study KW - Germany KW - qualitative research AB -

Demographic change as well as pressure from the European Union and national government are forcing organizations to change age-discriminatory HRM approaches. Based on a qualitative analysis of eight British and German organizations, we found that commitment, scope, coverage and implementation of age management differ due to country-specific institutions, particularly government, in nudging employers and unions to preferred age practices. This confirms the path dependency concept suggested by institutional theory. Nevertheless, we also found that industry-specific factors mediate the implementation of age management, leading to some convergence across countries. This indicates that organizations deviate from the institutional path to implement practices that they deem important.

VL - 24 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Managing Employee Creativity and Health in Nursing Homes: The Moderating Role of Matching Job Resources and Matching Occupational Rewards JF - International Journal of Stress Management Y1 - 2014 A1 - deJonge, Jan A1 - Gevers, Josette A1 - Dollard, Maureen KW - employee creativity KW - health care workers KW - job demands KW - nursing homes KW - occupational rewards KW - stress KW - worker health AB -

Health care staff in nursing homes are facing increasingly high job demands at work, which can have a detrimental impact on their health and work motivation. The Demand-Induced Strain Compensation (DISC) Model offers a theoretical framework to study how matching job resources and matching occupational rewards can buffer the adverse effects of high job demands. The aim of this study is to test the moderating role of matching job resources and matching occupational rewards in the relation between corresponding job demands and employee creativity and adverse health (i.e., emotional exhaustion and physical health complaints). A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 184 health care workers from a nursing home in The Netherlands. Hierarchical regression analyses showed the proposed 3-way interaction effects of matching cognitive job resources and matching cognitive occupational rewards on the relation between cognitive job demands and employee creativity. In general, findings showed more moderating effects of job resources than of occupational rewards. In line with DISC theory, it is recommended that employers provide health care workers with those job resources that match the type of job demands concerned, conditioned by matching occupational rewards.

VL - 21 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Mandatory Employment Arbitration: Dispelling the Myths JF - Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation Y1 - 2014 A1 - David B. Lipsky A1 - J. Ryan Lamare A1 - Michael D. Maffie KW - employment disputes KW - labor disputes KW - mandatory arbitration AB -

Using mandatory arbitration to resolve employment disputes has been a major source of controversy since the practice emerged about twenty-five years ago. On one side of the debate have been proponents of the practice, who contend that mandatory pre-dispute arbitration provides a faster and cheaper means of resolving employment disputes than relying on conventional litigation.

VL - 32 L2 - eng CP - 9 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Market Transition and the Deinstitutionalization of Standard Work Hours in Post-Socialist China JF - ILR Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Cao, Yang A1 - Beth A. Rubin KW - China KW - institutional change KW - standard work hours KW - work hours AB -

The authors investigate the relationship between market transition and work hours in urban China. Regression analysis of data from the 2006 Chinese General Social Survey reveals a negative relationship between economic marketization, measured at the province level, and the likelihood that an employee works standard hours. Standard hours are less common among those working for smaller employers, which are less subject to outside scrutiny. This relationship between employer size and standard hours is stronger in more marketized regions. These findings support the authors’ argument that standard work hours are deinstitutionalized as employers strive for low cost and flexibility in China’s increasingly marketized but poorly regulated economy. Comparisons of the Chinese experience with recent trends in the United States reveal remarkable similarities in the weakening of social employment contracts precipitated by the ascendency of markets and the systematic disempowering of labor.

VL - 67 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Marrying Ain't Hard When You Got A Union Card? Labor Union Membership and First Marriage JF - Social Problems Y1 - 2014 A1 - Daniel Schneider A1 - Adam Reich KW - family KW - insecurity KW - labor unions KW - marriage KW - transition to adulthood AB -

Over the past five decades, marriage has changed dramatically, as young people began marrying later or never getting married at all. Scholars have shown how this decline is less a result of changing cultural definitions of marriage, and more a result of men’s changing access to social and economic prerequisites for marriage. Specifically, men’s current economic standing and men’s future economic security have been shown to affect their marriageability. Traditionally, labor unions provided economic standing and security to male workers. Yet during the same period that marriage has declined among young people, membership in labor unions has declined precipitously, particularly for men. In this article, we examine the relationship between union membership and first marriage and discuss the possible mechanisms by which union membership might lead to first marriage. We draw on longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-79 to estimate discrete time event-history models of first marriage entry and find that, controlling for many factors, union membership is positively and significantly associated with marriage. We show then that this relationship is largely explained by the increased income, regularity and stability of employment, and fringe benefits that come with union membership.

VL - 61 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Mass Strikes Against Austerity in Western Europe: A Strategic Assessment JF - Global Labour Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Nowak, J. A1 - Gallas, A. KW - austerity KW - Europe KW - labor law KW - mass strikes KW - strikes KW - Western Europe AB -

The politics of austerity and the changes to labour law in many Western European countries have led to a wave of mass strikes that is unprecedented in that part of the world, at least since the end of World War II. The strikes are predominantly one-day political and general strikes. Their characteristics are (a) a huge participation in historical comparison, (b) the crucial role of unions and workers from the public sector, and (c) a general lack of success. We give a brief account of the strike wave since 2008 and address four questions: 1. What type of strike do we encounter? 2. What are the socio-economic and political conditions that have led to the emergence of this type? 3. What are its limits as a means of struggle? 4. Which steps would have to be taken in order to change the relations of forces in favour of the European working classes?

VL - 5 L2 - eng UR - https://escarpmentpress.org/globallabour/article/view/2278/2293 CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Minimum Wage Levels Across Southeast Asia: Trends and Issues JF - International Area Studies Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Hee-Ryang Ra KW - economics KW - economy KW - minimum wage KW - Southeast Asia AB -

This study examines the minimum wage system of major Southeast Asian countries and the trends and issues of minimum wages across Southeast Asian countries. In addition, a minimum wage determining model is set up with regard to macroeconomic variables, and the minimum wage determining mechanism is analyzed based on the estimation. By comparing the actual minimum wage growth and expected one in the years of 2012 and 2013, the difference is discussed in this regard. We examine the causes of minimum wage increase as well. The rapid increase in minimum wages in many Southeast Asian countries, indeed, is different from the existing change patterns. In particular, the difference between the actual minimum wage growth and expected one in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam is outstandingly higher than the previous averages. Such a rapid minimum wage increase indicates the greater effect of political and non-economic factors than that of conventional economic deciding variables.

VL - 17 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Minimum Wages and Collective Bargaining: What Types of Pay Bargaining Can Foster Positive Pay Equity Outcomes? JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Damian Grimshaw A1 - Gerhard Bosch A1 - Jill Rubery KW - collective bargaining KW - minimum wage AB -

Using data from interviews and collective agreements in five European countries, this article analyses the relationship between collective bargaining and the minimum wage. In a context of changing minimum wage policy and competing government objectives, the findings illuminate how pay bargaining strategies of trade unions and employers shape the pay equity effects of minimum wage policy. Two general forms are identified: direct responses to a changing national minimum wage, and responses to the absence or weakness of a national minimum wage. The article explains how particular intersections of minimum wage policy and collective bargaining, together with country and sector contingencies, shape the form of pay bargaining and pay equity outcomes.

VL - 52 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Minimum Wages and Collective Bargaining: What Types of Pay Bargaining Can Foster Positive Pay Equity Outcomes JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Damian Grimshaw A1 - Gerhard Bosch A1 - Jill Rubery KW - collective bargaining KW - Europe KW - minimum wage KW - pay bargaining KW - pay equity AB -

Using data from interviews and collective agreements in five European countries, this article analyses the relationship between collective bargaining and the minimum wage. In a context of changing minimum wage policy and competing government objectives, the findings illuminate how pay bargaining strategies of trade unions and employers shape the pay equity effects of minimum wage policy. Two general forms are identified: direct responses to a changing national minimum wage, and responses to the absence or weakness of a national minimum wage. The article explains how particular intersections of minimum wage policy and collective bargaining, together with country and sector contingencies, shape the form of pay bargaining and pay equity outcomes.

VL - 52 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Minimum Wages as a Barrier to Entry: Evidence from Germany JF - Labour Y1 - 2014 A1 - Bachmann, R. A1 - Bauer, T. K. A1 - Frings, H. KW - Germany KW - minimum wage AB -

This study analyses employers' support for the introduction of industry-specific minimum wages as a cost-raising strategy in order to deter market entry. Using a unique data set consisting of 800 firms in the German service sector, we show that high-productivity employers support minimum wages. We further find some evidence that minimum wage support is higher in industries and regions with low barriers to entry. This is particularly the case in East Germany, where the perceived threat of low-wage competition from Central and Eastern European countries is relatively high. In addition, firms paying collectively agreed wages are more strongly in favour of minimum wages.

VL - 28 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Mobilizing against Inequality: Unions, Immigrant Workers, and the Crisis of Capitalism Y1 - 2014 A1 - Adler, Lee H. A1 - Maite Tapia A1 - Lowell Turner KW - France KW - Germany KW - immigrant workers KW - low-wage workers KW - Mobilizing Against Inequality KW - United Kingdom AB -

Among the many challenges that global liberalization has posed for trade unions, the growth of precarious immigrant workforces lacking any collective representation stands out as both a major threat to solidarity and an organizing opportunity. Believing that collective action is critical in the struggle to lift the low wages and working conditions of immigrant workers, the contributors to Mobilizing against Inequality set out to study union strategies toward immigrant workers in four countries: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and United States. Their research revealed both formidable challenges and inspiring examples of immigrant mobilization that often took shape as innovative social counter movements. Using case studies from a carwash organizing campaign in the United States, a sans papiers movement in France, Justice for Cleaners in the United Kingdom, and integration approaches by the Metalworkers Union in Germany, among others, the authors look at the strategies of unions toward immigrants from a comparative perspective. Although organizers face a different set of obstacles in each country, this book points to common strategies that offer promise for a more dynamic model of unionism is the global North.

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The National Federation of Women Workers, 1906–1921 Y1 - 2014 A1 - Hunt, Cathy KW - British labor politics KW - England KW - gender KW - Great Britain KW - National Federation of Women Workers KW - women workers KW - women’s history AB -

This is the first full length history of the National Federation of Women Workers – a pioneering, all-female trade union operating from 1906 to 1921. It centres on the leaders, organisers, activists and members throughout the regions of Britain who built and sustained the union. By focusing on strikes, disputes and branch life, Hunt provides vital details of the working lives of thousands of women workers in the early twentieth century. The Federation, led by the charismatic Mary Macarthur, was influential out of all proportion to its size and attracted brilliant women activists to its campaigns, many of whom became well known in British Labour politics. By highlighting grassroots activism as well as national leadership, this work brings fresh perspectives to trade union history, deepening our knowledge of women who, whilst living through the political and social upheavals of the First World War, knew the realities of women's work that was too often dominated by low pay, poor conditions and inequality.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - NIOSH Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers: Training and Awareness of Employer Safety Procedures JF - American Journal of Industrial Medicine Y1 - 2014 A1 - Steege, Andrea L. A1 - Boiano, James M. A1 - Sweeney, Marie H. KW - cognitive testing KW - employer safe handling procedures KW - health and safety KW - healthcare worker KW - NIOSH KW - professional practice organization KW - self-report KW - training KW - web-based survey AB -

The Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers describes current practices used to minimize chemical exposures and barriers to using recommended personal protective equipment for the following: antineoplastic drugs, anesthetic gases, high level disinfectants, surgical smoke, aerosolized medications (pentamidine, ribavirin, and antibiotics), and chemical sterilants.

VL - 57 L2 - eng CP - 6 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Only One Thing Can Save Us: Why America Needs a New Kind of Labor Movement Y1 - 2014 A1 - Thomas Geoghegan KW - anti-unionism KW - labor movement KW - organized labor growth KW - right-to-work KW - unionism AB -

Is labor’s day over or is labor the only real answer for our time? In his new book, National Book Critics Circle Award finalist and labor lawyer Thomas Geoghegan argues that even as organized labor seems to be crumbling, a revived—but different—labor movement is the only way to stabilize the economy and save the middle class. But the inequality now reshaping the country goes beyond money and income: the places we work have become ever more rigid hierarchies. Geoghegan makes his argument for labor with stories, sometimes humorous but more often chilling, about the problems working people like his own clients—from cabdrivers to schoolteachers—now face, increasingly powerless in our union-free economy. He explains why a new kind of labor movement (and not just more higher education) is the real program the Democrats should push—not just to save the middle class from bankruptcy but to revive Keynes’s original and sometimes forgotten ideas for getting the rich to invest and reducing our balance of trade, and to promote John Dewey’s vision of a “democratic way of life,” one that would start in the schools and continue in our places of work.

PB - The New Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Out of Poverty: Sweatshops in the Global Economy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Powell, Benjamin KW - anti-sweatshop movement KW - low-wage workers KW - sweatshops KW - third world KW - working conditions AB -

This book provides a comprehensive defense of third-world sweatshops. It explains how these sweatshops provide the best available opportunity to workers and how they play an important role in the process of development that eventually leads to better wages and working conditions. Using economic theory, the author argues that much of what the anti-sweatshop movement has agitated for would actually harm the very workers they intend to help by creating less desirable alternatives and undermining the process of development. Nowhere does this book put "profits" or "economic efficiency" above people. Improving the welfare of poorer citizens of third world countries is the goal, and the book explores which methods best achieve that goal. Out of Poverty will help readers understand how activists and policy makers can help third world workers.

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Overcoming Post-Communist Labour Weakness: Attritional and Enabling Effects of Multinationals in Central and Eastern Europe JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Aleksandra Sznajder Lee A1 - Vera Trappmann KW - labor revitalization KW - multinational corporations KW - Poland KW - post-communism KW - privatization KW - Romania KW - Slovakia KW - trade unions AB -

We use micro-level analysis of developments in the steel sector in Poland, Romania and Slovakia to examine the effects of multinational corporations on trade unions in Central and Eastern Europe. We argue that unions’ weakness can be attributed to their strategies during the restructuring and privatization processes of post-communist transition. Tactics used for union regeneration in the West are less appropriate in the East, but revival may be possible because the power of transnational capital forces unions to focus their efforts on articulating workers’ interests. We examine the emerging system of industrial relations in the sector and explore the development of capabilities needed to overcome post-communist legacies.

VL - 20 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Overcoming the Youth Employment Crisis: Strategies from Around the Globe Y1 - 2014 A1 - Gregory Randolph KW - Brazil KW - Germany KW - India KW - Indonesia KW - South Africa KW - unemployment KW - working conditions KW - youth unemployment AB -

The youth employment crisis is one of the greatest perils facing the global economy today. Young people around the world – in industrialized, emerging and developing economies alike – face acutely high levels of unemployment, low wages, poor working conditions, and obstructed pathways to economic mobility. This report examines 5 themes related to youth employment: (1) Young people require not only jobs, but career pathways, (2) Young people’s aspirations must inform job creation strategies, (3) Beyond job creation and training programs, policymaking must tackle the broader social and economic obstacles that limit young people’s employment prospects, (4) Policy coherence and effective coordination among stakeholders is required for any youth employment program to succeed and (5) Collective bargaining rights are critical to improving youth job outcomes. The report examines a range of youth education, social protection and employment programs in Germany, Brazil, U.S., India, South Africa, and Indonesia etc.

PB - JustJobs Network CY - Washington, D.C. L2 - eng UR - http://justjobsnetwork.org/wp-content/pubs/reports/Overcoming%20the%20Youth%20Employment%20Crisis.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Part-Peasants: Incomplete Rural–Urban Labour Migration in China JF - Pacific Economic Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Yinyin Cai A1 - Yew-Kwang Ng KW - China KW - labor migration KW - Lewisian turning point KW - peasants’ labor AB -

The institutional settings in China, including the land allocation system and the household registration system, lead to a rural–urban labor migration pattern that differs from that in other countries. Individual peasants' labor is often split (typically over different times of the year) into two or more parts as a result of institutional factors. Individuals work both as peasants on the land and as temporary migrant workers in urban areas (or in rural non-agricultural sectors). We examine this issue using province-level panel data. The present study provides a new interpretation of the phenomenon of labour shortages in coastal cities and rising rural migrant wages in China in recent years, and discusses whether the Lewisian turning point has been reached. Under part migration, the rural labor supply to urban areas is smaller than would be the case with full migration of workers to urban areas, so that the Lewisian turning point occurs earlier. This finding has important policy implications for China's future development.

VL - 19 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Pilot Survey of Physician Assistants Regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Providers Suggests Role for Workplace Nondiscrimination Policies JF - LGBT Health Y1 - 2014 A1 - Ewton, Tiffany A. A1 - Lingas Elena O. KW - discrimination KW - LGBT KW - LGBT discrimination KW - sexual orientation KW - workplace culture AB -

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) medical providers in the United States have historically faced discrimination from their peers. To assess current workplace culture and attitudes, and to evaluate awareness of workplace and professional policies regarding LGBT discrimination, we sent a cross-sectional survey to 163 PAs (Physician Assistants). Respondents had an overall positive attitude towards LGBT providers, yet the majority was not aware of relevant policy statements (>60%). A significant association existed between policy awareness and LGBT inclusivity (P<.025) and confidence reporting anti-gay harassment (P=.017). Despite improved societal attitudes toward LGBT providers, non-discriminatory work environments for LGBT physician assistants may relate to greater awareness of specific workplace policy standards.

L2 - eng UR - http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/lgbt.2014.0057?journalCode=lgbt& ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Politics of Labour Legislation in Southern China: How Foreign Chambers of Commerce and Government Agencies Influence Collective Bargaining Laws JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Hui, Elaine Sio-ieng A1 - Chan, Chris King-Chi KW - chamber of commerce KW - China KW - collective bargaining KW - comment KW - foreign capital KW - globalization KW - labor legislation KW - trade AB -

In 2010, labour protests spread across China, sparked by the Honda workers' strike. Hoping to pacify the aggrieved workers, the Shenzhen and Guangdong governments resumed discussion of the suspended draft Shenzhen Collective Consultation Ordinance and the Guangdong Regulations on the Democratic Management of Enterprises. However, following strong opposition from foreign chambers of commerce, discussion was once again suspended. The authors show that two factors determine how foreign chambers of commerce and government agencies influence labour legislation in southern China: the position in global production chains of the firms they represent, and the relevant industrial relations model.

VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Politics of Women's Work: The Paris Garment Trades, 1750-1915 Y1 - 2014 A1 - Judith G. Coffin KW - garment industry KW - gender KW - Paris KW - women’s labor KW - women’s work AB -

Few issues attracted more attention in the nineteenth century than the "problem" of women's work, and few industries posed that problem more urgently than the booming garment industry in Paris. The seamstress represented the quintessential "working girl," and the sewing machine the icon of "modern" femininity. The intense speculation and worry that swirled around both helped define many issues of gender and labor that concern us today. Here Judith Coffin presents a fascinating history of the Parisian garment industry, from the unraveling of the guilds in the late 1700s to the first minimum-wage bill in 1915. She explores how issues related to working women took shape and how gender became fundamental to the modern social division of labor and our understanding of it. Combining the social history of women's labor and the intellectual history of nineteenth-century social science and political economy, Coffin sets many questions in their fullest cultural context: What constituted "women's" work? Did women belong in the industrial labor force? Why was women's work equated with low pay? Should not a woman enjoy status as an enlightened homemaker/consumer? The author examines patterns of consumption as well as production, setting out, for example, the links among the newly invented sewing machine, changes in the labor force, and the development of advertising, with its shifting and often unsettling visual representations of women, labor, and machinery. Throughout, Coffin challenges the conventional categories of work, home, and women's identity.

PB - Princeton University Press CY - Princeton, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Precarious Employment: Understanding an Emerging Social Determinant of Health JF - Annual Review of Public Health Y1 - 2014 A1 - Benach, J. A1 - Vives, A., A1 - G. Tarafa A1 - Vanroelen, C. A1 - Amable, M. A1 - Muntaner, C. KW - employment conditions KW - precarious employment KW - social determinants KW - social epidemiology KW - working conditions AB -

Employment precariousness is a social determinant that affects the health of workers, families, and communities. Its recent popularity has been spear- headed by three main developments: the surge in “flexible employment” and its associated erosion of workers’ employment and working conditions since the mid-1970s; the growing interest in social determinants of health, including employment conditions; and the availability of new data and information systems. This article identifies the historical, economic, and political factors that link precarious employment to health and health equity; reviews concepts, models, instruments, and findings on precarious employment and health inequalities; summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of this literature; and highlights substantive and methodological challenges that need to be addressed. We identify two crucial future aims: to provide a compelling research program that expands our understanding of employment precariousness and to develop and evaluate policy programs that effectively put an end to its health-related impacts.

VL - 35 L2 - eng UR - http://www.upf.edu/greds-emconet/_pdf/P_Employment_ARPH_2014.pdf ER - TY - ABST T1 - Preventing Occupational Stress in Healthcare Workers Y1 - 2014 KW - burnout KW - health and safety KW - healthcare workers KW - occupational stress KW - social support KW - stress KW - workers’ stress AB - Healthcare workers suffer from work-related or occupational stress. Often this is because healthcare workers face high expectations and they may not have enough time, skills and social support at work. This can lead to severe distress, burnout or physical illness. In the end, healthcare workers may be unable to provide high quality healthcare services. Stress and burnout can also be costly because affected healthcare workers take sick leave and may even change jobs. We evaluated how well different ways to prevent healthcare workers' stress or burnout work. L2 - eng CP - 12 J1 - Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Psychology of the Recession on the Workplace Y1 - 2014 A1 - Antoniou, Alexander-Stamatios G. A1 - Cary L. Cooper KW - economic recession KW - workplace dissatisfaction KW - workplace distress KW - workplace psychology AB -

An economic recession can affect the aggregate well-being of a population. This book shows a significant increase in the mean levels of distress and dissatisfaction in the work place in recent years. In particular, increasing job demands, intrinsic job insecurity and increasingly inadequate salaries make substantial contributions to psychological distress, family conflict and related behaviors. The contributors reveal that the recession has fundamentally altered the way employees view their work and leaders. With employers and employees still facing a continued period of uncertainty, a severe impact on employment relations is a continuing reality. Given the difficult economic times, many people are feeling the pressure to work harder. This book will be valuable for undergraduate students and practitioners in the fields of organizational behavior and human resource management.

PB - Edward Elgar Publishing CY - Northampton, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - CONF T1 - Public Sector Labour Relations In Four European Countries Compared: Long-Term Convergence And Short-Term Divergences? Y1 - 2014 A1 - Andrea Müller A1 - Irene Ramos-Vielba A1 - Werner Schmidt A1 - Annette Thörnquist A1 - Christer Thörnqvist KW - England KW - Germany KW - industrial relations KW - labor relations KW - public-sector unions KW - Spain KW - Sweden AB -

This paper focuses on the impact of the 2007/2008 financial and economic crisis on the public sector and its labour relations in Spain, the UK, Sweden and Germany. The analysis of the contextual background - general and societal economic developments as well as industrial relations - in which such transformations happened embeds the comparison of the four country case studies. Our findings show that the crisis and austerity policies furthered some short-term divergent developments of the public sectors in the countries considered but long-term convergence can be also expected. Some theoretical conclusions from these mixed developments in the aftermath of the crisis are drawn.

PB - Industrial Relations in Europe Conference (IREC) 2014 Dublin CY - Dublin, Ireland L2 - eng UR - http://www.fatk.uni-tuebingen.de/files/mueller_et_al_2014.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Race to Lower Standards? Labor Standards and Location Choice of Outward FDI from the BRIC Countries JF - International Business Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jing-Lin Duanmu KW - Brazil KW - BRIC countries KW - China KW - Greenfield foreign direct investment KW - India KW - labor standards KW - Russia AB -

Scholars argue that multinational corporations tend to locate their investment in countries with lower labor standards, but empirical results are highly inconsistent. In this paper, we investigate the effect of differential labor standards on the location choice of outward greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) from Brazil, Russia, India and China (i.e., the BRIC countries). We find robust evidence that while there is a tendency towards the attraction of FDI by lower labor standards in developed countries, such a “race” is absent in FDI directed to developing countries. Location choice is highly path dependent upon previous trading relations between the home and the host country, which hampers the MNCs’ ability to arbitrage. Conversely, capital mobility at the industry level is found to intensify the race to lower standards.

VL - 23 L2 - eng UR - http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/804740/1/A%20Race%20to%20Lower%20Standards.pdf CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Recent Developments at the National Labor Relations Board and the Impact on Colleges and Universities JF - Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy Y1 - 2014 A1 - DiGiovanni, Nicholas KW - education KW - National Labor Relations Board KW - NLRB KW - professors KW - teachers L2 - eng UR - http://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss9/41/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Regional Distribution of Skill Premia in Urban China: Implications for Growth and Inequality JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Whalley, John A1 - Xing, Chunbing KW - China KW - skilled worker KW - unskilled worker KW - urban area KW - wage differential KW - wage increase AB -

Based on urban household survey data, the authors find that skill premia increased significantly across all regions of China between 1995 and 2002, but only in coastal regions between 2002 and 2007. By then, these regions also displayed much wider wage inequality and thus contributed more to overall urban wage inequality than non-coastal regions. While privatization was the main driver of skill premia in 1995–2002, China's (regionally uneven) integration into the global economy became the dominant influence in 2002–07. Reducing skill premia and inequality, the authors argue, calls for reform of the Hukou registration system which impedes skilled labour mobility and possibly also growth.

VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Relating Patient Satisfaction To Nurses' Job Satisfaction, Job Security, and Obedience OCBs JF - International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing Y1 - 2014 A1 - Ali Bassam Mahmoud A1 - William D. Reisel KW - job satisfaction KW - job security KW - nursing KW - obedience KW - patient satisfaction KW - Syria AB -

Purpose– This paper aims at investigating the relationships among patient satisfaction, and nurses' job security, job satisfaction, and obedience OCBs within the setting of private hospitals in Damascus and Rural Damascus Governorates. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey conducted within private hospitals in Damascus and Rural Damascus Governorates had resulted in (325) subjects of nurses, and (393) subjects of patients. Double-translation, face validation, exploratory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha were used to validate measures used in this study with respect to the Syrian context. Afterwards, the two samples were aggregated on the basis of hospital-department. That is, 217 cases had resulted, and were used to test the proposed model, and revise it if required. Findings – The results indicate that job security positively influences both job satisfaction and obedience OCBs. Both job satisfaction and obedience OCBs fully mediate the relationship between job security and patient satisfaction. Obedience OCBs partially mediate the relationship between job satisfaction and patient satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – Further investigations in other service-providing settings (e.g. telecommunications) are needed for more evidence of the model validity. Using cross-sectional design in testing causalities has been criticized by several researchers, so longitudinal method is recommended in further investigations for the model. Wider views could be delivered if more of other attitudinal variables are included in the model. Practical implications – Better levels of patient satisfaction could be achieved through enhancing nurses' perceptions towards job security. Job satisfaction would be an important factor in keeping positive levels of patient satisfaction, especially when employment at one private hospital lacks security and stability. Originality/value – This research comes to be one of the first studies to provide evidence of the full mediation that job satisfaction and obedience OCBs play regarding the relationship between job security and patient satisfaction. In addition, this study proves the partial mediation that obedience OCBs play between job satisfaction and patient satisfaction.

VL - 8 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Repurposing American Labor Law: Immigrant Workers, Worker Centers, and the National Labor Relations Act JF - Politics & Society Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jessica Garrick KW - immigrants KW - institutions KW - labor movement KW - law KW - National Labor Relations Act KW - NLRA KW - worker centers AB -

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935 has been widely portrayed as an anachronistic piece of legislation that needs to be reformed or abandoned. In the absence of reform, many US labor unions try to avoid the NLRA process altogether by organizing workers outside the confines of the law. But Somos un Pueblo Unido, or “Somos,” a worker center in New Mexico, has been using a novel interpretation of the NLRA less to boost union density than to develop an alternative to contract unionism. By helping nonunionized workers use Section 7 of the NLRA to act concertedly in their own defense, I argue, Somos is combating employer abuse, in the short run, and demonstrating that worker centers and their memberships may be transforming the US labor movement, in the long run. Their experiences illustrate the ability of organizations to redeploy existing institutional resources with potentially transformative results.

VL - 42 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Resources, Empire and Labour: Crises, Lessons and Alternatives Y1 - 2014 A1 - Leadbeater, David KW - globalization KW - natural resources KW - resource development AB -

The interconnections of natural resources, empire and labor run through the most central and conflict-ridden crises of our times: war, environmental degradation, impoverishment and plutocracy. Crucial to understand and to change the conditions that give rise to these crises is the critical study of resource development and, more broadly, the resources question, which is the subject of this volume. Intended for researchers, students and activists, the chapters in Resources, Empire and Labour illuminate key aspects of the resources question from a variety of angles through concrete analyses and histories focused on the extractive industries (mining, oil, gas) by examining such issues as: resource-dependency at the international, country and regional levels; the neglected role of metropolitanization; environmental impacts and limits; the colonial basis of and imperial patterns in today’s globalized resource exploitation system; lessons of Indigenous and working-class resistance to corporation resource extraction; the importance of democratic control and public ownership; new avenues in shifting the debate on resources and hinterlands.

PB - Fernwood Publishing CY - Winnipeg, Canada L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Restructuring UK Local Government Employment Relations: Pay Determination And Employee Participation In Tough Times JF - Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research Y1 - 2014 A1 - Bach, Stephen A1 - Alexandra Stroleny KW - austerity KW - employee participation KW - local government KW - pay determination KW - United Kingdom KW - wage cuts AB -

The Conservative-led coalition government has been committed to shrinking the state and this has had a major impact on local government. This article examines the consequences of austerity measures for staff participation and pay determination in UK local government. Local government has been particularly hard hit by austerity measures and this has encouraged employers to change terms and conditions, review forms of staff participation and cut jobs. The implications for the institutional resilience of systems of employment regulation and employee involvement in the sector are considered.

VL - 20 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Rethinking the Attractiveness of EU Labour Immigration Policies: Comparative Perspectives on the EU, the US, Canada and Beyond Y1 - 2014 A1 - Carrera, Sergio A1 - Guild, Elspeth A1 - Eisele, Katharina A1 - Ruhs, Martin A1 - Ryan, Bernard A1 - Cholewinski, Ryszard A1 - Triandafyllidou, Anna A1 - Kahanec, Martin A1 - Acosta Arcarazo, Diego A1 - Gabriel, Christina A1 - Fullerton, Maryellen A1 - Groenendijk, Kees A1 - Peers, Steve A1 - Popova, Natalia A1 - Desiderio, Maria Vincenza KW - Canada KW - EU KW - EU labor migration policies KW - Europe KW - immigration KW - immigration policy KW - labor migration policies AB -

Is Europe's immigration policy attractive? One of the priorities driving current EU debates on labor immigration policies is the perceived need to boost Europe's attractiveness vis-á-vis 'talented' and 'highly skilled' immigrants. The EU sees itself playing a role in persuading immigrants to choose Europe over other competing destinations, such as the US or Canada.This book critically examines the determinants and challenges characterising discussions focused on the attractiveness of labor migration policies in the EU as well as other international settings. It calls for re-thinking some of the most commonly held premises and assumptions underlying the narratives of ‘attractiveness’ and ‘global competition for talent’ in migration policy debates. How can an immigration policy, in fact, be made to be 'attractive' and what are the incentives at play (if any)? A multidisciplinary team of leading scholars and experts in migration studies address the main issues and challenges related to the role played by rights and discrimination, qualifications and skills, and matching demand and supply in needs-based migration policies. The experiences in other jurisdictions such as South America, Canada and the United States are also covered: Are these countries indeed so 'attractive' and 'competitive', and if so what makes them more attractive than the EU? On the basis of the discussions and findings presented across the various contributions, the book identifies a number of priorities for policy formulation and design in the next generation of EU labor migration policies. In particular, it highlights important initiatives that the new European Commission should focus on in the years to come.

PB - Centre for European Policy Studies CY - Brussels, Belgium L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2524309 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Rewards of (Dis)Integration: Economic, Social, and Political Globalization and Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining Rights of Workers in Developing Countries JF - ILR Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Krishna Chaitanya Vadlamannati KW - collective bargaining KW - developing countries KW - endogeneity KW - FACB rights KW - free association and collective bargaining rights KW - globalization KW - workers’ rights AB -

A much-debated issue regarding globalization is whether it translates into Free Association and Collective Bargaining (FACB) rights for workers. The author uses Dreher’s (2006) globalization index, which gauges globalization on economic, social, and political dimensions, and Mosley’s (2011) FACB rights index, which measures 37 aspects of both practices and laws violations of FACB rights, to examine the impact of globalization on FACB rights of workers. Using panel data for 142 developing countries during the 1985–2002 period, the author finds mixed evidence of the impact of globalization on FACB rights, controlling for a host of relevant factors, including endogeneity concerns using a System-GMM approach. While social globalization is associated with both strengthening laws and enforcing the laws to protect FACB rights, this is not the case for political globalization. In addition, the positive effect of economic globalization on FACB rights is sensitive to estimation specifications.

VL - Oct 24, 2014 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Right to Work and Health: What the Most Recent Attack on Organized Labor Will Mean for American Workers’ Health and Safety JF - Kennedy School Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Danyaal Raza KW - anti-unionism KW - right-to-work KW - Scott Walker KW - union-busting KW - Wisconsin AB -

[Excerpt] Organized labor is under attack. In 2011, in the depths of an icy Midwestern winter, roughly 100,000 Wisconsinites descended upon their state capitol. Just one month into his term, Governor Scott Walker’s ultimately successful attempt to strip state workers of labor rights provided the rallying cry. His unassumingly titled Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill sought to buoy the state budget by restricting collective bargaining and changing union membership rules. While Walker’s bill did reduce the state deficit, it did so like a chemotherapy drug gone wrong.

VL - 2014 Issue L2 - eng UR - http://harvardkennedyschoolreview.com/right-to-work-and-health/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Rights in Action: The Impact of Chinese Migrant Workers’ Resistances on Citizenship Rights JF - Journal of Chinese Political Science Y1 - 2014 A1 - Taihui Guo KW - action KW - China KW - Chinese migrant workers KW - Citizenship Rights KW - resistances AB -

There have been some debates on Chinese migrant workers’ resistances and their rising rights consciousness in the academia. This paper aims to understand the debates and their problems. This paper investigates the extent to which the forms of Chinese migrant workers’ resistance have diverse impact on their citizenship rights. The conception of citizenship rights can be analytically understood in the individual/ collective form and with the passive/active nature; such a dichotomy is also applicable for that of resistance according to the action theory. Both conceptualizations and their linkages constitute an analytical framework in this paper. Within it, the various cases of migrant workers’ resistances and their connections with attainment of rights are discussed comparatively. A main finding in this paper is that the individual resistance, whether passive or active, is almost independent of rights; individuals with the PC model only wait passively for the government’s help; and the AC model (e.g. strike) is much more prospective for the attainment of collective rights, which creates a new power to balance those of state and capital in China.

VL - 19 L2 - eng UR - http://gms.sysu.edu.cn/admin/UploadFiles/201411278467372.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Road Through the Rust Belt: From Preeminence to Decline to Prosperity Y1 - 2014 A1 - Bowen, William M. KW - Global Economic Transition KW - local economic development initiatives KW - regional prosperity KW - Rust Belt KW - workforce development AB -

The chapters in this book explore reasons for the decline of "Rust Belt" cities and the often innovative responses of local leaders and entrepreneurs that are helping to revive these areas.

PB - W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research CY - Kalamazoo, MI L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Role of Gender in Promotion and Pay over a Career JF - Journal of Human Capital Y1 - 2014 A1 - John T. Addison A1 - Orgul Demet Ozturk A1 - Si Wang KW - earnings KW - private sector KW - promotion KW - public sector AB -

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79), this paper considers the role of gender in promotion and subsequent earnings development and how this evolves over a career. In its use of three career stages, the study builds on earlier work using the NLSY79 that considers gender differences in the early career years alone. The raw data suggest reasonably favorable promotion outcomes for females over a career. But the advantages seem to be confined to less-educated females. And while there are strong returns to education for males through enhanced promotion probability and attendant wage growth in later career this is not the case for females. Although this latter finding is not inconsistent with fertility choices on the part of educated females, choice is seemingly only part of the explanation.

VL - 8 L2 - eng UR - http://www.uc.pt/feuc/gemf/working_papers/pdf/2014/gemf_2014-07 CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Role of Organized Labor in Civil Society JF - Sociology Compass Y1 - 2014 A1 - Brueggemann, John KW - anti-unionism KW - decline of organized labor KW - history KW - unionism AB -

Organized labor has served as a valuable element of civil society. The focus of this inquiry is how the decline of organized labor contributes to the weakening of the civil sphere. I first assess how unions have historically contributed to the positive functions of civil society. I then review the various factors that have led to the deterioration of organized labor and comment on the current state of the labor movement. I conclude with a discussion of the implications in terms of civil society and market culture.

VL - 8 L2 - eng CP - 8 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Role Of The International Labour Organisation In Balancing Work And Family In The 21st Century JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Hodges, Jane KW - family KW - gender KW - gender equality KW - ILO KW - International Labour Organisation AB -

[Excerpt] Having been created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles which ended the hostilities of the Great War, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has almost 100 years’ experience in addressing the important theme of balancing tensions that pit work responsibilities against family roles and societal expectations. With such a weight of history and time, one might be forgiven for expecting this article to overflow with successes and positive examples, built up over decades of normative work, policy advice, research and data collection, technical support and capacity-building with the ILO’s tripartite (employer, union and government) constituents. Yet, as with many fundamental principles and rights in the world of work, equality for women and men remains a challenge. The following section will cover the particular characteristics of the ILO and its commitment to gender equality in general. Next I will expand on the International Labour Standards (ILS) relevant to balancing work and family, with recent examples of good practices. In concluding, I will tempt the reader to examine in more depth the structural reasons that appear to feed the tensions, and posit ways forward.

VL - 56 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Routledge Companion to Alternative Organization Y1 - 2014 A1 - Parker, Martin A1 - George Cheney A1 - Valerie Fournier A1 - Chris Land KW - co-housing KW - community currencies KW - cooperatives KW - transition movement AB -

Despite the Great Recession, slightly different forms of global capitalism are still portrayed as the only game in town by the vast majority of people in power in the world today. Unbridled growth, trade liberalisation, and competition are advocated as the only or best ways of organizing the contemporary world. Unemployment, yawning gaps between rich and poor, political disengagement, and environmental devastation are too often seen as acceptable ‘side effects’ of the dominance of neo-liberalism. But the reality is that capitalism has always been contested and that people have created many other ways of providing for themselves. This book explores economic and organizational possibilities which extend far beyond the narrow imagination of economists and management theorists. Chapters on co-operatives, community currencies, the transition movement, scrounging, co-housing and much more paints a rich picture of the ways in which another word is not only possible, but already taking shape. The aim of this companion is to move beyond complaining about the present and into exploring this diversity of organisational possibilities. Our starting point is a critical analysis of contemporary global capitalism is merely the opening for thinking about organizing as a form of politics by other means, and one that can be driven by the values of solidarity, freedom and responsibility. This comprehensive companion with an international cast of contributors gives voice to forms of organizing which remain unrepresented or marginalised in organizational studies and conventional politics, yet which offer more promising grounds for social and environmental justice. It is a valuable resource for students, activists and researchers interested in alternative approaches to economy and society in a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Safety, Health, and Well-Being of Municipal Utility and Construction Workers JF - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Y1 - 2014 A1 - Bodner, T. A1 - Kraner, M. A1 - Bradford, B. A1 - Hammer, L. A1 - Truxillo, D. KW - construction workers KW - health KW - injury KW - safety KW - utility workers KW - well-being KW - workplace stressors AB -

Objective: To provide a baseline description of psychosocial workplace stressors and supports along with safety, injury, health, and well-being indicators in a sample of utility and construction workers for a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health–funded Total Worker Health™ intervention study.Methods: Survey responses and health assessments were collected from a total of 349 employees in two municipal utility departments. Results: Participants demonstrated poor weight control and body mass index and provided reports of frequent poor health habits, injury, and pain. Although safety climate was good, less desirable levels of psychosocial workplace stressors and supports were observed. These stressors and supports were found to relate with many of the health, injury, and pain indicators. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the need for workplace interventions to promote and protect construction worker health and the importance of the psychosocial work environment.

VL - 56 L2 - eng CP - 7 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Sharp Teeth or Empty Mouths? European Institutional Diversity and the Sector-Level Minimum Wage Bite JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Garnero, A. A1 - Kampelmann, S. A1 - Rycx, F. KW - collective bargaining KW - Europe KW - Kaitz indices KW - minimum wage AB -

The article explores the link between different institutional features of minimum wage systems and the minimum wage bite. We notably address the striking absence of studies on sectoral-level minima and exploit unique data covering 17 European countries and information from more than 1,100 collective bargaining agreements. Results provide evidence for a neglected trade-off: systems with bargained sectoral-level minima are associated with higher Kaitz indices than systems with statutory floors, but also with more individuals actually paid below prevailing minima. Higher collective bargaining coverage can, to some extent, reduce this trade-off between sharp teeth (high wage floors) and empty mouths (non-compliance/non-coverage).

VL - 16 SEP 2014 (published online before publication) L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Social Class Myopia: The Case of Psychology and Labor Unions JF - Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Bernice Lott KW - benefits of organized labor KW - organized labor KW - psychology KW - working class AB -

This article explores the potential for a research agenda that includes scholarship on working class issues and organized labor. Such an agenda is consistent with the official mission of American Psychological Association—to advance knowledge that benefits society and improves people's lives. I focus on our paucity of interest in the institution that gives the American working class a voice—the labor union. We know that work is one of the central focuses in the lives of most people and that the work experience is deeply implicated in satisfaction with life. The efforts of organized labor to achieve economic fairness and justice, and a healthy workplace environment, are intertwined with multiple corollary consequences that constitute a wide and complex spectrum—from physical job safety and economic security on one end, to the psychological benefits of heightened self-esteem, respect, dignity, empowerment, and affiliation on the other—all related to satisfaction with life. In addition, by advancing and protecting the rights of workers, unions are part of the larger movement for civil rights.

VL - 14 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Social Movement Unionism in Practice: Organizational Dimensions of Union Mobilization in the Los Angeles Immigrant Rights Marches JF - Work, Employment & Society Y1 - 2014 A1 - Cassandra Engeman KW - business unionism KW - community unionism KW - HR 4437 KW - immigration KW - Los Angeles KW - protest KW - Sensenbrenner KW - social movement KW - social movement unionism KW - unions AB -

To revitalize union movements globally, labour scholars frequently prescribe social movement unionism. This union strategy adopts social change goals beyond member representation and contract negotiations and often requires allying with community organizations in pursuit of these goals. As a term, however, social movement unionism is often described in opposition to union organizational functions, such as member representation. This article challenges this organization-movement dichotomy by demonstrating the important influence of union organizational dimensions on the dynamics of social movement unionism. Analysis is based on case study research of labour union involvement in the 2006 immigrant rights marches in Los Angeles. Unions that participated in organizing these marches – thus, practicing social movement unionism – allied with large community organizations, preferred reform goals and advocated tactics perceived as effective. Such strategic decisions were informed by organizational considerations regarding members’ interests and unions’ long-term capacity for mobilization.

VL - Published online before print December 30, 2014 L2 - eng UR - http://www.wzb.eu/sites/default/files/u35/2014_engeman_wes.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Social Movement Unionism or Social Justice Unionism? Disentangling Theoretical Confusion within the Global Labor Movement JF - Class, Race and Corporate Power Y1 - 2014 A1 - Scipes, Kim KW - global labor movement KW - labor movement KW - social justice unionism KW - social movement unionism AB -

After the election of John Sweeney as President of the AFL-CIO in October 1995, activists and supportive intellectuals in the United States began thinking about how to revitalize the almost moribund American labor movement. A key part of this literature has revolved around the concept of “social movement unionism.” This term touched a nerve, and has garnered widespread usage in North America over the past two decades. However, most researchers using this term have no idea that it was initially developed to understand the new unionism developed by members of specific labor movements in Brazil, the Philippines and South Africa, a type of unionism qualitatively different from that found in North America. This paper argues that the term “social movement unionism” should be confined only to labor organizations developing the same type of unionism, wherever in the world such should be found. Accordingly, this concept should not be utilized in North America today as there are no labor centers or unions present that are developing this type of trade unionism. It is important to clarify this confusion because it is leads to incorrect understandings and miscommunication. Accordingly, the current situation—whereby the same term is used to refer to two qualitatively different social phenomena —theoretically works against efforts to build global labor solidarity. What about the progressive, broad-scope unionism emerging in North America over the past two decades? Taking a page from labor history, this article argues that the proper precedent is progressive unionism developed by the United Packinghouse Workers of America, CIO, and others, and therefore should be referred to as “social justice unionism.” An Appendix provides a measurement tool. The argument is empirically grounded and theoretically developed, allowing us to better understand trade unionism around the globe.

VL - 2 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/classracecorporatepower/vol2/iss3/9/ CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Social Spending Responses to Organized Labor and Mass Protests in Latin America, 1970-2007 JF - Comparative Political Studies Y1 - 2014 A1 - Tenorio, Barbara Zarate KW - collective protest KW - democracy KW - Latin America KW - mass protests KW - organized labor KW - protests KW - social spending KW - strikes AB -

This article analyzes the relationship between collective protest and social spending in Latin America from 1970 to 2007. I argue that under democracy, organized labor is in a better position relative to other groups in society to obtain social policy concessions as a consequence of their collective action efforts. Labor insiders mobilize around specific demands, and labor strikes carry significant economic and political costs on governments. In contrast, other groups in society rarely protest around specific social policy issues and are more often subject to successful demobilization tactics from political leaders. Results from an error correction model (ECM) show that in democracies, collective protest has differentiated effects on social spending. While strikes have a strong positive long-term effect on social security and welfare spending, none of the different forms of collective protest affect education or health spending. Importantly, I also find evidence of a deterrent effect of mass protests in democratic regimes; cutbacks in human capital spending are less likely as peaceful large-scale demonstrations increase.

VL - 47 L2 - eng CP - 14 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Starting from Scratch: Building Community Support for Labor Organizing in Indianapolis JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Thomas F. Marvin KW - coalitions KW - community organizing KW - labor organizing KW - labor unions AB -

This study compares how two union organizing campaigns have attempted to mobilize community support by examining the opportunity structure for organizing in Indianapolis, comparing the community outreach efforts of the two campaigns, and assessing their effectiveness in matching their strategies to local conditions. Although some suggest that the “L.A. model” of creating powerful labor-community coalitions is replicable in other cities, important differences in the local opportunity structure force organizers to “start from scratch” and improvise innovative strategies in cities like Indianapolis that lack a strong social justice infrastructure.

VL - 39 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Stitching Together: How Workers Are Hemming Down Transnational Capital in the Hyper-Global Apparel Industry JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2014 A1 - Ashok Kumar A1 - Jack Mahoney KW - anti-sweatshop campaigns KW - Fruit of the Loom KW - garment industry KW - sweatshops KW - wages KW - working conditions AB -

Fatal disasters in Bangladesh garment factories demand we learn from recent anti-sweatshop breakthroughs. Beginning in 2007, workers at Fruit of the Loom (FOTL) factories in Honduras built a uniquely successful global campaign. FOTL closed a factory and laid off 1,200 workers in response to workers' efforts to improve working conditions, a textbook move in the industry's “race to the bottom.” But nine months later, after the largest collegiate boycott of a single company in history, FOTL reopened the factory and extended union neutrality to all its Honduran factories. We argue that the campaign, which resulted in a reversal of the transnational's decision to abandon the unionized factory and the direct negotiation between FOTL top executives and workers, provides an unprecedented model for labor to rein in the apparel industry's hyper-mobile capital. Since their negotiated agreement with FOTL, workers have won significant improvements in wages and working conditions, and inspired groundbreaking new campaigns to challenge the transnationals whose products they assemble.

VL - 17 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Strategies to Support Equality Bargaining Inside Unions: Representational Democracy and Representational Justice JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Briskin, Linda KW - collective bargaining KW - Equality bargaining KW - gender KW - representational democracy KW - representational justice KW - unions AB -

The article examines two internal union strategies for improving equality bargaining. The first, representational democracy (RD), highlights the demographic profile of women’s participation in collective bargaining (CB). The discussion presents the existing, albeit imperfect, data on women’s participation. It supports the continuing importance of the gender profiles of negotiators, but also considers the limits of RD via an exploration of essentialism, critical mass and gender composition. It concludes that RD is a limited proxy for voice, and, given the individualism inherent in its claims, an imperfect vehicle for collective agency. The paper then develops the concept of representational justice (RJ), which speaks to collective mechanisms which ensure that women’s interests are represented; in effect, a move from individual equality champions to vehicles for championing equality. As one means to such an end, the article argues for building formal and constitutionalized links between CB and union equality structures. Highlighting internal union strategies to support equality bargaining complements the widespread focus on the substantive issues on the bargaining agenda and takes the discussion of equality bargaining in new directions. Certainly, this approach underscores the importance of unions linking struggles around diversity, equality and representation inside unions to the CB process and agenda.

VL - 56 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Strengthening Labor Standards Compliance Through Co-Production of Enforcement JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2014 A1 - Fine, Janice KW - Fair Labor Standards Act KW - labor standards KW - labor standards compliance KW - labor standards enforcement AB -

The article emphasizes on the need to strengthen compliance to labor standards through co-produced enforcement in which the government and civil society organizations jointly monitor and enforce compliance. Compliance levels of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) have been found by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to be below 50 percent in various industries.

VL - 23 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Strike Back: Using the Militant Tactics of Labor's Past to Reignite Public Sector Unionism Today Y1 - 2014 A1 - Burns, Joe KW - collective bargaining rights KW - public employees KW - public sector unionism AB -

During the 1960s and 1970s, hundreds of thousands of teachers, sanitation workers, and other public employees rose up to demand collective bargaining rights in one of the greatest upsurges. These workers were able to transform the nature of public employment, win union recognition for millions, and ultimately force reluctant politicians to pass laws allowing for collective bargaining and even the right to strike. Strike Back uncovers this history of militancy to provide tactics for a new generation of public employees facing unprecedented attacks on their collective bargaining rights.

PB - Ig Publishing CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - CONF T1 - Strikes, Social Media and the Press: Why Chinese Authorities Allow or Suppress New and Old Media Coverage of Labor Disputes Y1 - 2014 A1 - Cairns, Christopher A1 - Elfstrom, Manfred KW - China KW - journalism KW - media coverage KW - media suppression KW - strikes AB -

China has a long history of working class activism, and amidst the restructuring of state-owned enterprises and the expansion of coastal sweatshop production, strikes, protests, and riots by Chinese workers have risen dramatically over the past two decades. Simultaneously, the marketization of the country’s traditional, state-controlled newspapers and the expansion of Internet usage have led to a livelier media environment, albeit one still subject to heavy censorship and influenced by top-down propaganda campaigns. How exactly these two trends increased labor unrest and a qualitative change in what Chinese are reading and writing in different forums - come together could have important implications for the ability of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to build a “harmonious society.”

PB - APSA 2014 Annual Meeting Paper CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2452732 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Suppressing the Mischief: New Work, Old Problems JF - Northeastern University Law Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Bernt, Lisa J. KW - contracts without guaranteed hours KW - employee KW - employment KW - employment law KW - labor KW - precarious work KW - purposive KW - work AB -

Increasing numbers of individuals are working in what have been described as nonstandard, contingent, or precarious relationships. These new arrangements force some difficult questions for labor law: Do these nonstandard types of work fit into the current regulatory scheme? If so, how? More fundamentally, what is work? What kind of work raises the concerns that labor law is meant to address? This paper discusses crowd work and recent developments in volunteerism as illustrations of arrangements that call for a fresh look at the way we identify workers who benefit from labor law protection. It then outlines a boundaried purposive approach to labor law coverage, one that first looks at broader purposes of labor law to decide whether a worker belongs in that protective realm, and then moves to examine the specific regulatory purpose at issue. This method widens potential application of some workplace laws, yet still limits those admitted into the labor law domain to those in economically dependent relationships that give rise to the mischief at which workplace regulation is aimed.

VL - 311 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2578755 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Sustainability Transitions: A Political Coalition Perspective JF - Research Poilcy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Hess, David J. KW - climate change KW - environmental sustainability KW - global warming KW - greenhouse gases AB -

In the case of technology transitions to low-carbon sources of energy, there is growing evidence that even in countries with a strong political consensus in favor of a transition, the pace has been slow in comparison with the need to reduce greenhouse gases. One factor that affects the slowness of the transition is political resistance from the incumbent industrial regime. Using data on the mobilization of resistance from the fossil-fuel industry in the United States, the study builds on the growing literature on the political dimensions of sustainability transitions by drawing attention to the role of incumbent regime coalitions, grassroots coalitions in support of green transition policies, and countervailing industrial power. Case studies of political coalitions for ballot propositions in the U.S. are used to show how countervailing industrial power, especially from the technology and financial sector, can tip the balance of electoral spending in favor of grassroots organizations.

VL - 43 L2 - eng UR - http://www.davidjhess.net/uploads/3/5/1/3/3513369/respolicy2014.draft.pdf CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Is There a Winning Formula for Union Organizing? JF - Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Lepie, Jonathan KW - labor law KW - organizing KW - union organizing KW - union-busting KW - unions AB -

Between 1995 and 2004, Kate Bronfenbrenner wrote several studies arguing that union organizing would be more successful if certain tactics were used. Bronfenbrenner’s methodology seemed unassailable and her opinions were influential among union leaders, but organizing outcomes did not improve. To understand why, this study asked highly successful union organizers for their views. Their responses point to an entirely different conceptualization of the organizing process. Rather than follow a certain recipe, respondents saw their first priority as building relationships of trust with workers. Then, organizers and workers together could develop tactics tailored to the particular situation. If organizing success most requires relation-building skills and creativity, then it is more important for unions to hire the right organizers than to employ a given tactical formula.

VL - 26 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Transnational Corporations from the Standpoint of Workers Y1 - 2014 A1 - Rathzel, Nora A1 - Diana Mulinari A1 - Aina Tollefsen KW - AB Volvo KW - India KW - Mexico KW - neo-liberalization KW - South Africa KW - Sweden KW - transnational corporations AB -

This book explores the history and global expansion of AB Volvo, one of the hundred largest corporations in the world, through the experiences of its workers in Sweden, Mexico, South Africa, and India. It investigates how neo-liberalization has transformed the company into a promoter of lean production, at the expense of the workers' needs.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Transnational Organizing: A Case Study of Contract Workers in the Colombian Mining Industry JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Cotton, Elizabeth A1 - Royle, Tony KW - Carbones del Cerrejón KW - coal mining KW - Columbia KW - IndustriALL KW - Sintracarbon KW - subsidiarity AB -

This article examines recent organizing successes in the Carbones del Cerrejón coal mine, reversing the organizational crisis of the Colombian mining union, Sintracarbon. Using Wever's concept of ‘field‐enlarging strategies’, we argue that these events were facilitated by the dissemination of organizing experiences between affiliates of a Global Union Federation, International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), which recently merged to form IndustriALL. Additionally, we argue that this articulation between international and national unions, based on the principle of subsidiarity, was facilitated through sustained ICEM educational project activity, providing multiple entry points for Sintracarbon to operationalize its strategy and re‐establish bargaining with multinational employers.

VL - 52 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2523696 CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Transnational Trade Union Strategies Toward European Wage Policy: A Neo-Institutional Framework JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Susanne Pernicka A1 - Vera Glassner KW - Europe KW - European wage policy KW - metal sector KW - neo-institutionalism KW - organizational fields KW - transnational trade union strategies AB -

This article applies sociological neo-institutionalism to help understand transnational trade union wage policy. We review existing approaches to the role of trade unions as organizational actors in wage bargaining coordination and contrast these with the concepts of organizational fields and institutional work. Besides structural and associational power, transnational institutions are also able to increase the ability and willingness of unions to act transnationally. We draw empirical evidences from existing studies on European wage bargaining coordination in metalworking.

VL - 20 L2 - eng UR - http://www.jku.at/soz/content/e94924/e98436/employee_groups_wiss98437/employees98438/subdocs98442/content229268/EuropeanJournalofIndustrialRelations-2014-Pernicka-0959680113518232_ger.pdf CP - 4 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Transnational Union Cooperation in the European Metal Sector: Reinforcing and Obstructing Factors (FEB Research Report - MSI_1421) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Luyten, Adriaan A1 - Crombez, Christophe A1 - DeBondt, Raymond KW - collective bargaining KW - cross-border coordination KW - Europe KW - European Metalworkers Federation KW - metal industry KW - transnational union cooperation AB -

The literature on unionized oligopoly has demonstrated that unions will generally benefit from cooperation. Despite these benefits, most initiatives towards Europeanization of collective bargaining have been unsuccessful. Some notable exceptions can be found in the European metal industry. The European Metalworkers Federation can claim several path-breaking precedents of cross-border coordination, and is being monitored closely by scholars of European industrial relations. Despite this abundant attention, the reasons for success or failure have not been analyzed analytically. In this paper, we present a model that takes specific characteristics of the metal industry into account, such as product differentiation, imports from low-wage countries and differences in reservation wages. We predict that cooperation will be easier when reservation wages are similar and when imports are imperfect substitutes. In contrast to the common truth that an external threat encourages cooperation, we find that under specific circumstances unions will be less eager to cooperate when faced with a foreign competitor. Our predictions are in line with the various levels of transnational cooperation in the automobile, electrical equipment and steel industries. Furthermore, our results indicate that the opposition of firms and the reluctancy of the European Commission to support transnational bargaining are generally justified by predicted changes in profits and overall welfare.

PB - Department of Managerial Economics, Strategy and Innovation (MSI), Leuven CY - Leuven, Belgium L2 - eng UR - https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/472889/1/MSI_1421.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Transnationalisation of Collective Bargaining: Approaches of European Trade Unions Y1 - 2014 A1 - Glassner, Vera KW - collective bargaining KW - Europe KW - Europeanization KW - industrial relations AB -

This book analyses the transnationalization of collective bargaining by European trade unions, presenting key theoretical concepts and debates on the Europeanization of collective bargaining and social dialogue. The author uses comprehensive empirical evidence to illustrate that trade union strategies can be linked to sector-specific economic, institutional and actor-related factors. Looking at seven different industrial sectors, the book investigates whether western European trade unions pursue a centralized, vertical approach towards the transnationalization of collective bargaining policies or embark upon decentralized, horizontal cross-border initiatives. It identifies and operationalizes the most important determinants of processes and explores commonly held assumptions about relationships between different forms of trade union-driven transnationalization. Overall, the study reveals a number of patterns in the variation between countries and sectors, both of the institutions and instruments involved and of the intensity of cross-border coordination.

PB - Peter Lang CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Trends in Labor Management Issues at Historically Black Colleges and Universities JF - Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Davenport, Elizabeth K. KW - African-Americans KW - discrimination KW - minorities KW - race KW - unionization AB -

The mobilization of workers through unionization has deep historical roots within American society; more so in the northern regions than in the southern region of this country. Despite these historical roots, some sectors of the American population (i.e., minorities in general and African Americans in particular) who have experienced various forms of discrimination have not fully participated in the unionization movement. This is especially true of the faculty in historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). As a result of the various forms of discrimination that not only denied them meaningful participation in the labor market but restricted their economic success, and the segregation that resulted from the stereotypic views of racial minorities, the fact that HBCU faculty do not mobilize effectively on college campus through unionization is troubling. In fact, on some HBCU campuses, faculty have no mechanism to participate in the governance of their own university. With the survival and destiny of HBCUs at stake, HBCU faculty must be proactive and engaged to create their own representative voice.

L2 - eng UR - http://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss9/6/ CP - 9 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Trends in Labor Management Issues at Historically Black Colleges and Universities JF - Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Moten, Derryn KW - anti-unionism KW - collective bargaining KW - educators KW - HBCUs KW - labor management KW - professors AB -

The uniqueness of Historically Black Colleges and Universities make achieving collective bargaining on these campuses problematic. All but a handful of black colleges are located in the south, a region with a well-established aversion to organized labor. The South’s history of plantation slavery coupled with feudal peonage labor and Big Mule politics is antithetical with notions of fair wages, reasonable benefits and work hours, and safe working environments. Something similar can be argued about shared governance on the campuses of HBCUs where labor trends favoring union representation of staff trails the success achieved on many Historically White Colleges and Universities during the last two decades.

L2 - eng UR - http://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss9/8/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Unaffordable Justice: The High Cost of Mandatory Employment Arbitration for the Average Worker JF - University of Miami Business Law Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Nagele-Piazza, Lisa A. KW - arbitration KW - employment arbitration KW - mandatory arbitration KW - pre-dispute arbitration agreements KW - workplace disputes AB -

Although the use of arbitration provisions in collective bargaining agreements and executive employment contracts serve a beneficial purpose for workers and employers alike, the growing use of mandatory, pre-dispute arbitration agreements in non-unionized employment settings stands as an obstacle for employees to vindicate their statutorily prescribed civil rights. In particular, by forcing workers to share in the unique costs of arbitration, employees may be deterred from bringing otherwise meritorious claims. Given the federal policy favoring arbitration, and in the absence of legislation banning mandatory employment arbitration agreements, it is essential for arbitration service providers and drafters of arbitration clauses to provide for employer paid arbitration expenses, all remedies that would be available to the employee in court, and the selection of a neutral arbitrator to ensure fairness for the average worker.

VL - 23 L2 - eng UR - http://repository.law.miami.edu/umblr/vol23/iss1/4/ CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Unfolding of American Labor Law: Judges, Workers and Public Policy Across Two Political Generations, 1790-1850 Y1 - 2014 A1 - Kahana, Jeffrey Steven KW - labor law KW - labor legislation KW - U.S. history AB -

In this debut history book, Kahana argues that an evolving American understanding of labor relations was the driving force behind 19th-century labor legislation, rather than centuries of English common law. He reviews the existing scholarship on the topic, first looking at the centrality of the law in the Colonies and newly independent United States and then moving into an analysis of labor law as a form of American exceptionalism: “Emphasizing the virtues of a homegrown system of laws, rather than foreign justice, was not mere chauvinism. It reflected a widespread belief that public liberty could best be secured by an acquaintance with America’s unique situation.” The book goes on to explore the nature of the master-servant relationship in English law and the shift away from such terminology in the United States. While Kahana relies on legal commentaries to develop his argument, he finds much of the evidence to support it in records of how the law was actually practiced. He focuses largely on Judge Lemuel Shaw, who issued several noteworthy labor-related decisions during his term as the chief justice of Massachusetts in the mid-1800s: “He stands out as a symbolic figure whose legal ideas were so favorably received because they both mirrored and gave cogent form to often inchoate values that were present in the larger society,” Kahana explains. By leading readers through Shaw’s decisions and their legal contexts, the author makes a credible argument for Shaw’s historical importance and for the validity of his own primary thesis. Despite the author’s narrow focus and extensive footnotes, he offers clear prose and coherent arguments, which never expect readers to have a thorough knowledge of early American government. As a result, this book is likely to be accessible to a general audience.

PB - LFB Scholarly Publishing CY - El Paso, TX L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Effectiveness: In Search of the Holy Grail JF - Economic and Industrial Democracy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Gregor Gall A1 - Jack Fiorito KW - employee representation KW - labor unions KW - trade unions KW - union organizing KW - unionization AB -

This article revisits the concept of union effectiveness and proposes a conceptual model to inform its study and application. Previous conceptual and empirical work is examined to identify key strengths and weaknesses, and to relate the union effectiveness concept to union renewal and other key concepts. This leads to the proposal of a Goal-System framework that builds and improves on prior research.

VL - Published online before print July 29, 2014 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Membership and Job-Related Training: Incidence, Transferability, and Efficacy JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - C. Jeffrey Waddoups KW - employer-sponsored training KW - job performance improvement KW - job-Related training KW - training AB -

This study examines the relationship between union membership and (i) the incidence of training, (ii) the degree to which training is transferable to firms other than the one providing the training and (iii) the degree to which workers perceive that training improves job performance. Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, I find that union members are more likely to receive employer-sponsored training than their non-union counterparts. I also find that male union members are more likely than non-members to report that training improved job performance. Union membership was not related to transferability of skills between employers.

VL - 52 L2 - eng UR - http://50.87.169.168/Documents/EPRN/Unions%20and%20Training%20SubmissionEPRN01-14-11.pdf CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Recognition By Multinational Companies In China: A Dual Institutional Pressure Perspective JF - Industrial & Labor Relations Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Sunghoon Kim A1 - Jian Han A1 - Longkai Zhao KW - China KW - foreign-owned firms KW - multinational companies KW - trade unions KW - union recognition AB -

Over the last decade, Chinese authorities have pressed foreign multinational companies to recognize official trade unions. Employing cross- classified multilevel modeling on a large data set (10,108 foreign-owned firms cross- embedded in 32 home countries and 755 Chinese cities), this study examines the antecedents of the varied positions of foreign-owned firms toward union recognition around the midpoint of the first decade of the 2000s—a time when the government-led union recognition campaign in China was gaining strength. Drawing on a dual institutional pressure perspective, the authors theorize that the likelihood that a foreign- owned firm will recognize a union depends on both the industrial relations system in the home country and the location of its operations in the host country. Specifically, a foreign-owned firm is more likely to recognize unions if it originated from a nation where the legitimacy of collective representation is high and if it is located in a Chinese city where union recognition is prevalent among Chinese-owned firms.

VL - 67 L2 - eng UR - http://ilr.sagepub.com/content/67/1/34.full.pdf+html CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Responsibility to Migrant Workers: A Global Justice Approach JF - Oxford Journal of Legal Studies Y1 - 2014 A1 - Albin, Einat KW - global justice KW - globalization KW - Laval KW - migrant workers KW - trade unions KW - Viking KW - work migration AB -

At a time when trade union activity is becoming more global, the article provides a theoretical framework that places a moral obligation on unions towards work migrants from the time they take a first step in the direction of movement, and continuing after they enter the receiving country and throughout the period of their work. The argument is based on theories of global justice and offers a three-axis framework that enables a complex analysis of union responsibility: direct and political responsibility, labor connectedness and solidarity. The moral obligation of unions stemming from global justice differs from the citizenship-based model or that of human rights. Its basis is global. Such an obligation should be recognized by various institutions, including the courts, thereby adding a global dimension to rights relating to collective action, such as the right to unionize, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike. The article analyses the ECJ’s decisions in the Viking and Laval cases, showing how the court failed to recognize this global dimension, and claiming that if such recognition were to be extended, a more accurate balance could be achieved between rights relating to collective action and economic interests in an era of globalization.

VL - 34 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Unionism and Employer Power Strategies in Spain: Ethnography of a Labor Struggle in an Iron and Steel Firm JF - Anthropology of Work Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Beltran Roca A1 - Lluis Rodriguez KW - iron and steel KW - labor power KW - labor relations KW - management strategies KW - Spain KW - trade union struggle KW - union campaign AB -

This article describes one case of trade union struggle in a mid-sized iron and steel company in the province of Cádiz (southern Spain). The authors propose an analytical framework that emphasizes power in the relations between capital and labor. According to them, the sources of labor power must be identified in order to study workers and management tactics. The described episode of a union campaign is used to illustrate management strategies to control the workforce, prevent conflict, and fight unions. The article finally provides a typology of management strategies based on the sort of labor power they aim to counter.

VL - 35 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Unions in Politics: Britain, Germany, and the United States in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries Y1 - 2014 A1 - Gary Wolfe Marks KW - American Exceptionalism KW - coalmining union KW - Organizational Revolution KW - printing union KW - state repression of unions AB -

This book combines the tools of political science, sociology, and labor history to offer a wide-ranging analysis of how unions have participated in politics in Britain, Germany, and the United States. Rather than focus exclusively on national union federations, Gary Marks investigates variations among individual unions both within and across these countries. By examining the individual unions that make up union movements, he probes beyond national descriptions of British laborism, German socialism, and American business unionism while bringing the analysis closer to the actual experiences of people who joined labor organizations.

PB - Princeton University Press CY - Princeton, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Unions' Response to Globalization Y1 - 2014 A1 - Chaison, Gary KW - collective bargaining KW - globalization KW - labor economics AB -

Globalization is commonly described in trade and cultural terms but its impact on unions and collective bargaining is seldom assessed. The few studies of unions and globalization are mostly collections of cases studies of how unions can work together or with other alliance partners to defend against the power of multinational corporations. This book goes beyond the current research by asking how unions have tried to deal with globalization and how globalization might threaten the fundamental union mission of taking wages, hours and conditions of employment out of competition. The introductory chapter defines globalization and uses the case of the Detroit Three automakers (GM, Chrysler and Ford) to show how globalization can affect employment and union size, influence and relevancy. The second chapter shows how unions deal globalization through collective bargaining regarding outsourcing, alliances, strikes and political action, including lobbying and international work standards. The final chapter argues that the unions cannot continue unchanged in this age of globalization and asks what they must do to be effective and relevant.

PB - Springer CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - U.S. Free Trade Agreements and Enforcement of Labor Law in Latin America Y1 - 2014 A1 - Dewan, Sabina A1 - Ronconi, Lucas KW - Free Trade Agreements KW - labor law KW - labor regulations KW - Latin America KW - workers’ rights AB -

This paper analyzes whether Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) signed between the United States and Latin American countries during the last decade produced higher enforcement of labor regulations. The paper computes before-after estimates of the effect of FTAs on labor inspections and exploits variation across countries using non-signers as a comparison group. The empirical strategy benefits from the fact that about half of Latin American countries have signed a trade agreement with the United States. Difference-in-differences estimates suggest that signing an FTA produced a 20 percent increase in the number of labor inspectors and a 60 percent increase in the number of inspections. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), however, does not appear to have the same positive impacts on Mexico. The paper concludes with a discussion of these results.

PB - IDB Working Paper No. IDB-WP-543 CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2559639 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - U.S. Union Revival, Minority Unionism and Inter-Union Conflict JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Harcourt, Mark A1 - Helen Lam A1 - Geoffrey Wood KW - minority unionism KW - union certification KW - union conflict KW - union revival AB -

One option for reversing US union decline, requiring no legislative change, would involve re-legitimizing non-majority or minority union representation, allowing unions to organize without running the gauntlet of union certification. Such minority representation, applicable only to workplaces without majority union support on a members-only basis, could run in parallel with the existing system of exclusive representation in workplaces where majority support is achieved. The increased representation in the currently unrepresented workplaces would inevitably promote workers’ collective voice and contribute to union revival. However, minority unionism has been criticized for breeding union competition because it is non-exclusive. In this paper, the nature and extent of inter-union conflict under minority unionism are re-examined, using survey data from unions in New Zealand which already has non-exclusive, minority union representation. The low levels and consequences of conflict suggest that the benefits of minority unionism far outweigh any potentially unfavourable effects.

VL - 56 L2 - eng CP - 5 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Using Social Media in Your Negotiations JF - Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Loconto, Michael T. KW - digital age KW - negotiations KW - social media AB -

In the age of social media, public pronouncements on private negotiations have become increasingly common. Social media is affecting negotiations in other ways as well. What potential benefits do social media formats lend to negotiation, and what pitfalls do the technologically savvy need to guard against? In this article, we examine the pros and cons of negotiating in the digital age.

L2 - eng UR - http://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss9/21/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Variable Pay, Industrial Relations and Foreign Ownership: Evidence from Germany JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - John S. Heywood A1 - Uwe Jirjahn KW - domestic ownership KW - employee ownership KW - foreign ownership KW - Germany KW - industrial relations KW - performance appraisal KW - profit-sharing KW - variable pay AB -

We use a representative sample of German establishments to show that those with foreign ownership are more likely to use performance appraisal, profit-sharing and employee share ownership than those with domestic ownership. Moreover, we show that works councils are associated with an increased probability of using each of the three practices when under domestic ownership but not when under foreign ownership. These results inform the ongoing debate over institutional duality, the extent to which foreign firms adopt uniform practices independent of local institutions, and the extent to which they adapt and participate in those local institutions.

VL - 52 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Victory at Pomona College: Union Strategy and Immigrant Labor JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Victor Silverman KW - dining hall workers KW - immigrant KW - Pomona College KW - union organizing KW - UNITE HERE AB -

Despite the firing of 17 purported undocumented workers and bitter conflicts on campus, Pomona College’s dining hall staff overwhelmingly voted for UNITE HERE Local 11 in spring 2013 and approved a good contract less than a year later. Although a labor victory, the Pomona story, nonetheless, illustrates the obstacles to organizing low-wage immigrant workers at powerful institutions opposed to unionization. Drawing on interviews with labor and community activists, media reports, and the author’s participant observation, this article finds that campus and community support, while critical, could not prevent years of delays and serious acts of intimidation. This campaign had a transformative effect on the workers and their workplace but raises questions about long-term union strategy.

VL - Published online before print December 30, 2014, L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Wage and Workforce Adjustments in the Economic Crisis in Germany and the Netherlands JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Tijdens, Kea A1 - Maarten van Klaveren A1 - Reinhard Bispinck A1 - Heiner Dribbusch A1 - Fikret Öz KW - collective agreements KW - economic crisis KW - Germany KW - industrial relations KW - labor hoarding KW - Netherlands KW - workforce adjustments AB -

This study uses data from a continuous employee web-survey to investigate the trade-off between wage and workforce adjustments and the role of industrial relations in firm-level responses to the economic crisis in Germany and the Netherlands. Workforce adjustments seemed to be a continuous organizational strategy, but wage adjustments were less often reported. We found no large-scale evidence of wage concessions being traded-off for job protection in the two countries. Collective bargaining ensured that wage-setting was more robust than employment protection: employees covered by collective agreements reported workforce adjustments more often than wage adjustments. Low-educated and low-wage employees reported basic wage reductions more often: the economic crisis increased wage inequality. Labor hoarding was reported predominantly by young, male employees with a permanent, full-time contract.

VL - 20 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Wage Determination in China During the Reform Period (BOFIT Discussion Paper No. 13/2014) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Holz, Carsten A. KW - collective bargaining KW - labor contracts KW - labor market institutions KW - minimum wages KW - public sector wages KW - wage classification system KW - wage determination KW - wage level and structure KW - wage-performance link AB -

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain how wages are being determined in China during the reform period. The paper focuses on the development of the regulatory framework since 1978 and proceeds by examining official regulations regarding labor market institutions and wage setting, and by evaluating their potential implications for actual wage setting.

PB - Bank of Finland Transition Economies BOFIT Discussion Papers CY - Helsinki, Finland L2 - eng UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=2451049 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Wal-Mart's Trade Union in China JF - Economic and Industrial Democracy Y1 - 2014 A1 - He, Baogang A1 - Xie, Yuhua KW - China KW - industrial relations KW - labor movement KW - neoliberalism KW - trade union KW - Wal-Mart AB -

In 2007-8, more than 100 Wal-Mart stores in China established trade unions, which were praised by labor organizations and scholars throughout the world. This article questions these positive assessments and evaluations through an empirical study. The empirical findings reveal a dark and unpleasant picture of a double cooptation in that both the Chinese government and Wal-Mart have successfully coopted a few more or less independent unions. Although the presence of the trade union seems to challenge Wal-Mart’s neoliberal corporate ideology and governance, the compromise and tacit agreement between Wal-Mart and the party-state not only reflects a marriage of convenience but also indicates some deeper compatibility, the compatibility between China’s state corporatist model and the neoliberal approach taken by Wal-Mart. This study finds that China continues to move in a ‘state corporatist’ direction and that the transition towards civil society and ‘societal corporatism’ has been stymied.

VL - 33 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2531560 CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - What Can We Learn from Bargaining Models About Union Power? The Decline in Union Power in Germany, 1992–2009 JF - The Manchester School Y1 - 2014 A1 - Boris Hirsch A1 - Claus Schnabel KW - collective bargaining KW - Germany KW - labor market KW - right-to-manage KW - union power AB -

Building on the right-to-manage model of collective bargaining, this paper tries to infer union power from the observed results in wage setting. It derives a time-varying indicator of union strength taking account of taxation, unemployment benefits, and the labor market situation and confronts this indicator with annual data for Germany. The results show that union power did not change much from 1992 to 2002 but fell markedly (by about one-third) from 2002 to 2007 in the aftermath of substantial labor market reforms.

VL - 82 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - What Did You Learn at Work Today? The Forbidden Lessons of Labor Education Y1 - 2014 A1 - Helena Worthen KW - job satisfaction KW - labor education KW - workplace AB -

What Did You Learn at Work Today? The Forbidden Lessons of Labor Education is written for everyone who works. How do workers make a bad job into a good job? Where do they get the power to do their jobs right? These lessons must be learned, but not the way we learn at school, where people study alone and succeed or fail as individuals. The lessons of labor education are learned collectively, through practice and discussion. How should we respond to a crisis? How do we recognize and define the enemy? How do we pass on what we've learned to the new generation? How do we use a network to solve a problem? This book, by experienced labor educator Helena Worthen, explains how to capture and preserve what workers learn at work and use it to build power. Chapters include case studies of teachers, engineers, healthcare workers, construction workers and garment factory workers. No previous knowledge of the labor movement required; it begins with the question, "Can they do that?”

PB - Hardball Press CY - Brooklyn, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - What Does the Minimum Wage Do? Y1 - 2014 A1 - Belman, Dale A1 - Paul J. Wolfson KW - employment KW - gender KW - inequality KW - low-wage workers KW - minimum wage KW - poverty KW - wages AB -

Belman and Wolfson have compiled the most comprehensive, analytical, and unbiased assessment of the effects of minimum wage increases that has ever been produced. Based on a rigorous meta-analysis of more than 200 scholarly publications published since 1991 (most after 2000) that address the various impacts of raising the minimum wage, the authors observe several outcomes influenced by increases in the minimum wage, how long it takes those outcomes to respond, the magnitude of effects, why increases in the minimum wage have the results they do, and the workers most likely to be impacted. The breadth and depth of their investigation clarifies the issues surrounding employment, wages, poverty and inequality, and effect by gender.

PB - W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research CY - Kalamazoo, MI L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - What Has 20 Years Of Public–Private Pay Gap Literature Told Us? Eastern European Transitioning Vs. Developed Economies JF - Journal of Economic Surveys Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jelena Lausev KW - developed economies KW - earnings KW - Eastern Europe KW - intercountry comparisons KW - pay KW - public and private sectors KW - public–private pay gap KW - salaries KW - transitioning economies in Eastern Europe AB -

This paper surveys the literature on public–private sector pay differentials based on 20 years of research in transitioning countries of Eastern Europe (EE) and compares the results with estimates obtained from developed market economies. The majority of empirical studies from EE economies found evidence of public sector pay penalties during the period of economic transition from a communist to market-based economy. In developed economies, however, the average differential is usually around zero or positive. The public sector pay inequality reducing effect relative to the private sector is greater in transitioning economies than in developed economies. Nevertheless, there is evidence that the sign of the public sector pay gap as well as the relative public sector pay distribution change with the progress of economic transition towards those usually observed in developed economies. Different pay-setting arrangements between private and public sectors and competition for workers seem to be major arguments for the existence of systematic pay differences between the two sectors.

VL - 28 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - What is a Workers’ Referendum for? Evidence from Italy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Carbonai, Davide A1 - Drago, Carlo KW - Italy KW - survey research KW - union democracy KW - Workers’ Referendum AB -

In July 2007, the Prodi government and representatives of the three main Italian trade union confederations signed a landmark agreement on welfare and economic development. In October, in order to ratify or reject the agreement, the Italian labor movement organized a referendum, i.e. the Workers’ Referendum of 2007, inviting workers, pensioners and the unemployed to assess the agreement. Based on a comprehensive sampling (1,574 interviewees), these research notes provide an analysis of the Workers’ Referendum with regard to both key societal voting features and attitudes toward unions.

PB - MPRA Paper CY - University Library of Munich, Germany L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2521005 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - What Sort of Collective Bargaining Is Emerging in China? JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Lee, Chang-Hee A1 - Brown, William A1 - Wen, Xiaoyi KW - China KW - collective bargaining KW - labor policy KW - union reform KW - worker activism AB -

China is experiencing a rapid expansion of what is termed ‘collective bargaining’. The article draws on workplace and sectoral examples to assess what underlies this. Recent changes in labor policy are outlined. Four studies at establishment level describe the use of hybrid representation in response to growing worker activism and internal union reform. Two studies of sectoral bargaining shed light on decentralized decision-making on pay. Attention is drawn to the growth of employer organizations and increased articulation within the trade union. A form of collective bargaining is emerging where the union draws on state power to improve conditions of employment.

VL - Article first published online: 10 NOV 2014 L2 - eng UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjir.12109/abstract ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Who Bears The Costs Of Climate Change? Evidence From Tunisia (Kiel Working Paper, No. 1952) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Wiebelt, Manfred A1 - Al-Riffai, Perrihan A1 - Breisinger, Clemens A1 - Robertson, Richard KW - agricultural growth KW - climate change KW - distribution KW - general equilibrium analysis KW - Middle East KW - North Africa KW - Tunisia AB -

In order to estimate the economic costs of climate change for Tunisia, this paper uses a combination of biophysical and economic models. In addition, the paper draws on the literature to complement the quantitative analysis with policy recommendations on how to adapt to the changing climate. The results bear out the expectation that climate change has a negative but weak overall effect on the Tunisian economy. Decomposing the global and local effects shows that global climate change may benefit the agricultural sector since higher world market prices for agricultural commodities are likely to stimulate export expansion and import substitution. Locally felt climate change, however, is likely to hurt the agricultural sector as lower yields reduce factor productivities lead to lower incomes and higher food prices. The combined local and global effects are projected to be mostly negative and the costs will have to be carried mainly by urban and richer households. From a policy perspective, the results suggest that Tunisia should try to maximize the benefits from rising global agricultural prices and to minimize (or reverse) declining crop yields at home.

PB - Kiel Institute for the World Economy CY - Kiel, Germany L2 - eng UR - http://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/100696/1/794372651.pdf ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Who Do Unions Target? Unionization over the Life-Cycle of U.S. Businesses (IZA Discussion Paper No. 8416) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Emin Dinlersoz A1 - Jeremy Greenwood A1 - Henry Hyat KW - Bayesian learning KW - diffusion of unionization KW - productivity KW - union certification election KW - union organizing KW - unionization AB -

What type of businesses do unions target for organizing? A dynamic model of the union organizing process is constructed to answer this question. A union monitors establishments in an industry to learn about their productivity and decides which ones to organize and when. An establishment becomes unionized if the union targets it for organizing and wins the union certification election. The model predicts two main selection effects: unions secure elections in larger and more productive establishments early in their life-cycles, and among the establishments that experience an election, unions are more likely to win in smaller and less productive ones. These predictions find support in union certification election data for 1977-2007 matched with data on establishment characteristics. Other empirical regularities pertaining to union organizing are also documented.

PB - Institute for the Study of Labor CY - Bonn, Germany L2 - eng UR - http://ftp.iza.org/dp8416.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Why Don’t Governments Need Trade Unions Anymore? The Death Of Social Pacts In Ireland And Italy JF - Socio-Economic Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Pepper D. Culpepper A1 - Aidan Regan KW - Europe KW - industrial relations KW - political economy KW - public policy KW - trade unions KW - tripartite institutions AB -

During the 1990s, a prominent strategy of economic adjustment to the challenges of competitiveness and budgetary retrenchment among the non-corporatist countries of Europe was the negotiation of social pacts. Since the onset of the great recession and the Eurozone crisis, social pacts have been conspicuous by their absence. Why have unions not been invited into government buildings to negotiate paths of eco- nomic adjustment in the countries hardest hit by the crisis? Drawing on empirical experiences from Ireland and Italy—two cases on which much of the social pact litera- ture concentrated—this article attributes the exclusion of unions to their declining legitimacy. Unions in the new European periphery have lost the capacity either to threaten governments with the stick of protest or to seduce policymakers with the carrot of problem-solving. They are now seen as a narrow interest group like any other.

VL - 12 L2 - eng UR - http://www.aidanregan.com/1/146/resources/publication_1603_1.pdf CP - 4 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Why Firms Avoid Cutting Wages: Survey Evidence from European Firms (World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 6976) Y1 - 2014 A1 - DuCaju, Philip A1 - Kosma, Theodora A1 - Lawless, Martina A1 - Messina, Julian A1 - Rõõm, Tairi KW - European Union KW - firm survey KW - labor costs KW - wage cuts KW - wage rigidity AB -

Firms very rarely cut nominal wages, even in the face of considerable negative economic shocks. This paper uses a unique survey of fourteen European countries to ask firms directly about the incidence of wage cuts and to assess the relevance of a range of potential reasons for why the firms avoid cutting wages. The paper examines how firm characteristics and collective bargaining institutions affect the relevance of each of the common explanations put forward for the infrequency of wage cuts. Concerns about the retention of productive staff and a lowering of morale and effort were reported as key reasons for downward wage rigidity across all countries and firm types. Restrictions created by collective bargaining were found to be an important consideration for firms in Western European (EU-15) countries but were one of the lowest ranked obstacles in the new EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe.

PB - The World Bank CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2470236## ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Why is Income Inequality Increasing in the Developed World? JF - Review of Income and Wealth Y1 - 2014 A1 - Max Roser A1 - Jesus Crespo Cuaresma KW - FDI KW - globalization KW - income inequality KW - inequality KW - international trade AB -

We address empirically the factors affecting the dynamics of income inequality among industrialized economies. Using a panel for 32 developed countries spanning the last four decades, our results indicate that the predictions of the Stolper–Samuelson theorem concerning the effects of international trade on income inequality find support in the data if we concentrate on imports from developing countries as a trade measure, as theory would imply. We find that democratization, the interaction of technology and education, and changes in the relative power of labor unions affect inequality dynamics robustly.

VL - Article first published online: 14 NOV 2014 L2 - eng UR - http://www.emod.ox.ac.uk/sites/emod.ox.ac.uk/files/CrespoCuaresmaRoser_Submitted.pdf ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Women’s Labour Rights in Collective Bargaining Agreements: Inventory of Women’s Labour Rights Clauses in Collective Bargaining Agreements in Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Y1 - 2014 A1 - Besamusca, J. A1 - Tijdens, K.G. KW - collective bargaining agreements KW - gender KW - Guatemala KW - Indonesia KW - Kenya KW - labor rights KW - Mozambique KW - Peru KW - South Africa KW - Tanzania KW - Uganda KW - women’s labor rights AB -

This report, written for the Labour Rights for Women project, examines the extent to which Collective Bargaining Agreements contributes to the empowerment of women in work. The new and innovative WageIndicator Collective Bargaining Agreements Database is used to compare 186 collective bargaining agreements in Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda in terms of pay, working hours and work-family clauses. Almost all agreements have clauses regarding wages, but only 26 out of 186 have detailed pay scales showing what workers in different occupations should earn. Up to 84% contain clauses on standard working hours, schedules and holidays. Just over six in ten agreements guarantee paid maternity leave and offer job security after maternity leave. On average, the agreements offer better working conditions than the legal requirements in every country. Only one of the collective agreements has set working hours that are longer than the legal standard, four in ten agreements copy the legal standard exactly, whereas nearly six in ten offer shorter hours. Two agreements offer shorter annual leaves than the statutory entitlement, three in ten agreements follow the law and all others offer longer leaves. However, the collective agreements do not always offer more maternity leave than the law. While three in four agreements copy the law, 17% offer less than the legal standard. In Mozambique, South Africa and Uganda, collective agreements sometimes offer only the compulsory leave, meaning the duration of weeks that it is legally forbidden for the mother to work, rather than the standard provisions for paid maternity leave.

PB - University of Amsterdam, AIAS Working Paper 155 CY - Amsterdam L2 - eng UR - http://www.uva-aias.net/uploaded_files/publications/WP155-Besamusca,Tijdens.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Worker Perceptions of Representation and Rights in Germany and the USA JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Godard, J. A1 - Frege C. KW - Comparative employment relations KW - employee participation KW - Germany KW - worker attitudes AB -

Germany and the USA have very different systems of legal representation and rights at work, but these differences and their effects may have lessened. We draw on a large-scale telephone survey to explore worker perceptions of these systems, and find that perceptions of German workers are more favourable than those of their US counterparts, but not by as much as might be expected. Our findings could in part be explained by cross-national differences in both worker ideologies and the way the different systems function, but they also point to the importance of perceptions in understanding and assessing cross-national institutional differences, and have implications for the future of workplace representation and rights in both nations.

VL - 20 L2 - eng UR - http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/56527/1/Frege_worker_perceptions_representation_right_Germany_USA.pdf CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Workers and Labor in a Globalized Capitalism: Contemporary Themes and Theoretical Issues Y1 - 2014 A1 - Atzeni, Maurizio KW - capitalism KW - globalization KW - human resources KW - management KW - sociology AB -

An introduction to work and society for undergraduate and postgraduate students. This new text brings together international experts on work and employment from a range of disciplines to debate key themes and issues related to work in a globalised economy.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Workers and Labour in a Globalised Capitalism: Contemporary Themes and Theoretical Issues Y1 - 2014 A1 - Atzeni, Maurizio KW - employment KW - globalization KW - work AB -

An introduction to work and society for undergraduate and postgraduate students. This new text brings together international experts on work and employment from a range of disciplines to debate key themes and issues related to work in a globalized economy.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Working in the Big Easy: The History and Politics of Labor in New Orleans Y1 - 2014 A1 - Thomas J. Adams A1 - Steve Striffler KW - low-wage workers KW - New Orleans KW - slave labor KW - slave markets AB -

Following the labors of slaves and service workers, voodoo practitioners and dockworkers, new immigrants and streetcar drivers, independent African-American businesswomen and unionized musicians this book uncovers the forgotten stories of those who made New Orleans the city it was and is. The diverse contributions to this book illuminate the lives of those whose everyday work contributed to the city's distinct history, culture, and politics. The slave markets of the 18th and 19th Centuries famous across the Atlantic, the waterfront that brought the world's people and goods to the mouth of the Mississippi, the dishes central to the city's world famous cuisine, the daily practices of its indigenous religion, the music that has made the city a global icon, and the reconstruction following the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina are all, as Working in the Big Easy shows, processes and practices of work and labor. By placing the history and politics of both slave and wage labor at the heart of our understanding of the city, Working in the Big Easy will fascinate all those interested in New Orleans as well as change the way scholars across disciplines understand the city.

PB - University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press CY - Lafayette, LA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Working-Time Configurations: A Framework for Analyzing Diversity Across Countries JF - Industrial & Labor Relations Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Peter Berg A1 - Gerhard Bosch A1 - Jean Charest KW - labor market KW - pay KW - wage inequality KW - work schedule KW - workday KW - working-time KW - workweek KW - zero-hour contract AB -

[Excerpt] Working-time practices across the developed world have exploded with diversity during the past few decades. The once standard 8-hour day and 40-hour workweek that emerged and reigned throughout much of the 20th century have given way to an increasing variety of working-time arrangements. Flexible schedules, in which hours can vary daily or weekly, and nonstandard work arrangements, such as fixed term, on-call, temporary, or part-time, are widely used at the workplace. In addition, we have witnessed the growth of zero-hour contracts that make no guarantee to provide workers with weekly working hours or a reliable income, while requiring employees to work on very short notice with very unpredictable schedules; annualized hours contracts that allow for work hours to vary over a year; and working-time accounts that allow employees to bank hours worked over a set weekly standard and to then draw on these accounts for paid time off.As a vital element of the employment relationship, working time is deeply linked to changes in the labor market and intertwined with pay and rewards. As such, the duration and scheduling of work hours are closely connected to some of the most pressing economic issues, including wage inequality. In the United States, zero-hour contracts with unpredictable schedules foster unpredictable incomes. Nonstandard work arrangements restrict hours of work and often pay lower per hour rates than full-time jobs pay, contributing to the low-wage sector of the economy. Nonstandard work arrangements also restrict access to full-time employment and benefits such as paid vacations, sick leave, and premium pay for working at unsocial hours . These alternative arrangements make it difficult for individuals to move up the economic ladder and thereby further inequality within the labor market. Moreover, stagnating or declining wages for the vast majority of the workforce pushes people to work more hours to maintain income. This increase in the labor supply further dampens wage levels, exacerbating the problem.

VL - 67 L2 - eng UR - http://ilr.sagepub.com/content/67/3/805.full CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Workplace Empowerment and Disempowerment: What Makes Union Delegates Feel Strong? JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2014 A1 - Murray, Gregor A1 - Christian Lévesque A1 - Catherine LeCapitaine KW - disempowerment KW - education sector KW - empowerment KW - new public management KW - shop steward KW - union delegates KW - union democracy KW - union renewal KW - workplace union delegate AB -

This study of workplace union delegates in the education sector identifies a typology of the experience of workplace union representatives according to their assessment of their degree of influence in their workplace and their union and their degree of control over their work as a union representative. When combined, these two assessments yield different types of disempowerment and empowerment. While workplace context plays an important role in delegates’ degree of control, their influence in the workplace and union is strongly associated with different types of power resources (internal and external networks) and strategic capabilities (learning and articulating or bridging). Unions seeking to increase workplace representative influence should therefore look to the reinforcement of delegates’ power resources and strategic capabilities while looking at how to reinforce their ability to deal with more difficult contexts associated with feeling a loss of control.

VL - 39 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Workplace Flexibilities, Job Satisfaction and Union Membership in the US Workforce JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2014 A1 - Chad D. Cotti A1 - M. Ryan Haley A1 - Laurie A. Miller KW - job satisfaction KW - National Study of the Changing Workforce KW - union membership KW - workplace flexibilities AB -

Using individual-level data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce, we quantify how workers' job satisfaction levels correlate with five schedule-based workplace flexibilities. The data permit us to control for numerous variables that might otherwise explain variation in the probability of job satisfaction, including, but not limited to, income, benefits, stress, depression, job control and individual preferences over flexibilities. Conditional on this control set, we find that workplace flexibilities correlate with an 8.1 per cent increase in job satisfaction. The relationship between job satisfaction and workplace flexibilities prevails through several sensitivity analyses, bias assessments and a propensity score matching analysis. We also explore how job satisfaction, union membership and workplace flexibilities intermix; we find that workplace flexibilities may function as a partial substitute for union membership.

VL - 52 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Workplace Representation, Its Impact on Trade Union Members and Its Capacity to Compete with Management in the European Workplace JF - Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jeremy Waddington KW - Europe KW - union representation KW - union workplace performance KW - workplace representation AB -

Drawing on questionnaire-based survey data comprising responses from the members of 14 trade union organizations based in 12 European countries, this article explores the impact of workplace representatives on perceptions of the performance of trade unions among members. The article shows that large numbers of members are dissatisfied with the quality of representation, even if a workplace representative is located at their place of work. When there is a workplace representative present, it is apparent that members view the performance of the union to be superior to that of management on a wide range of workplace tasks. When there is no workplace representative present, the performance of management is generally superior to that of the union.

VL - 20 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Works Councils, Collective Bargaining, and Apprenticeship Training – Evidence From German Firms JF - Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society Y1 - 2014 A1 - Kriechel, Ben A1 - Samuel Muehlemann A1 - Harald Pfeifer A1 - Miriam Schütte KW - apprenticeship Training KW - collective bargaining KW - Germany KW - workplace training KW - works Councils AB -

In this paper, we investigate the effects of works councils on apprenticeship training in Germany. The German law attributes works councils substantial information and co-determination rights to training-related issues. Thus, works councils may also have an impact on the cost-benefit relation of workplace training. Using detailed firm-level data containing information on the costs and benefits of apprenticeship training, we find that firms with works councils make a significantly higher net investment in training compared to firms without such an institution. We also find that the fraction of former trainees still employed with the same firm 5 years after training is significantly higher in the presence of works councils, thus enabling firms to recoup training investments over a longer time horizon. Furthermore, all works council effects are much more pronounced for firms covered by collective bargaining agreements.

VL - 53 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Border as Method, or, the Multiplication of Labor Y1 - 2013 A1 - Mezzadra, Sandro A1 - Brett Neilson KW - Asia KW - border struggles KW - borderlands KW - Europe KW - globalization KW - migration AB -

Far from creating a borderless world, contemporary globalization has generated a proliferation of borders. In Border as Method, Sandro Mezzadra and Brett Neilson chart this proliferation, investigating its implications for migratory movements, capitalist transformations, and political life. They explore the atmospheric violence that surrounds borderlands and border struggles across various geographical scales, illustrating their theoretical arguments with illuminating case studies drawn from Europe, Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, and elsewhere. Mezzadra and Neilson approach the border not only as a research object but also as an epistemic framework. Their use of the border as method enables new perspectives on the crisis and transformations of the nation-state, as well as powerful reassessments of political concepts such as citizenship and sovereignty.

PB - Duke University Press CY - Durham, NC L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Broken Paradigms: Labor Law in the Wake of Globalization and the Economic Crisis JF - Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal Y1 - 2013 A1 - Coutu, Michel A1 - Martine Le Friant A1 - Gregor Murray KW - collective bargaining KW - economic recession KW - globalization KW - labor law KW - labor relations KW - precarious employment KW - trade unionization KW - workers rights VL - 34 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building Global Worker Power in a Time of Crisis JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2013 A1 - Feingold, Cathy KW - anti-worker policies KW - employment protection KW - global economy KW - globalization KW - International Financial Institutions KW - labor market flexibilization KW - trade unions AB -

The article focuses on issues concerning the global economy and employment protection. It notes that governments and the International Financial Institutions (IFI) have utilized the global economic and jobs crisis to impose an anti-worker policy agenda. Critical topics such as labor market flexibilization as well as trade unions are discussed.

VL - 22 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Building More Effective Labour-Management Relationships Y1 - 2013 A1 - Chaykowski, Richard P. A1 - Robert S. Hickey KW - Canada KW - collective bargaining KW - employment relations KW - labor relations KW - labor-management relations KW - management AB -

Building More Effective Labour-Management Relationships combines valuable insights into new approaches to relationship-building and collective bargaining with unique knowledge and concrete lessons garnered from some of the foremost industrial relations practitioners in Canada.

PB - McGill-Queen's University Press CY - Montreal, Quebec L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Building More Effective Labour-Management Relationships Y1 - 2013 A1 - Chaykowski, Richard P. A1 - Robert S. Hickey KW - collective bargaining KW - industrial relations KW - labor relations KW - labor-management relations AB - Combines valuable insights into new approaches to relationship-building and collective bargaining with unique knowledge and concrete lessons garnered from some of the foremost industrial relations practitioners in Canada. Contributors include Warren "Smokey" Thomas (president, OPSEU), Buzz Hargrove (former president, CAW), Warren Edmondson (former ADM Labour, Government of Canada, and chair of the CLRB), George Smith (former VP at CP Rail and CBC/Radio Canada), David Logan, (ADM, Government of Ontario) Glenda Fisk (Queen's University), Richard Chaykowski (Queen's University), Robert Hickey (Queen's University).(publisher's statement) PB - McGill-Queen’s University Press CY - Montreal, Quebec L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Business of Business: Comparing Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives in China and the United States JF - Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law Y1 - 2013 A1 - Conrad, Jessica M. KW - China KW - corporate greed KW - corporate social responsibility KW - public opinion AB -

[Excerpt] Peanut-themed parks, barista training, and cash donations supporting environmental causes might seem unrelated to the casual observer. In fact, these endeavors represent a global effort by corporations to increase their charitable giving and undertake socially responsible behavior that benefits their employees, consumers, and communities. At a time when popular movements rage “against greed, corporate influence, gross social inequality and other nasty byproducts of wayward capitalism,” corporate social responsibility initiatives are particularly relevant because they represent the nexus between corporate action, government regulation, and the welfare of individual citizens. Popular distaste for corporations is not a new phenomenon. Contemporary scholars have addressed perceived problems with corporate misbehavior since the 1970s. As corporations continue to grow ever larger and acquire more global influence, the actions they take have the potential to affect individuals, environments, and states around the globe. American and Chinese companies are arguably the most influential in the world. The United States and China are the world’s two largest economies, and China is the United States’ second largest, and most important non-North American, trade partner. In 2009, “U.S. goods and services trade with China totaled $390 billion.” The following year, the total goods trade between China and the U.S. was $457 billion. Given the enormity of the economic partnership between the United States and China, the approaches the two countries take towards implementing corporate social responsibility will undoubtedly have global effects. Therefore, it is important to develop a keen understanding of their respective approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the implications their implementation methods have for corporations that conduct business worldwide and touch the lives of billions of people. The differing approaches to corporate social responsibility seen in the People’s Republic of China and the United States demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of CSR. A comparative study examining the social and legal history of CSR initiatives in both China and the United States will shed light on the different approaches and reveal a more effective model for the future.

VL - 41 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/gjicl/vol41/iss3/10 CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Capitalist Globalization: Consequences, Resistance, and Alternatives Y1 - 2013 A1 - Hart-Landsberg, Martin KW - capitalist globalization KW - economic development KW - economics KW - globalization KW - market forces AB -

“Globalization,” surely one of the most used and abused buzzwords of recent decades, describes a phenomenon that is typically considered to be a neutral and inevitable expansion of market forces across the planet. Nearly all economists, politicians, business leaders, and mainstream journalists view globalization as the natural result of economic development, and a beneficial one at that. But, as noted economist Martin Hart-Landsberg argues, this perception does not match the reality of globalization. The rise of transnational corporations and their global production chains was the result of intentional and political acts, decisions made at the highest levels of power. Their aim—to increase profits by seeking the cheapest sources of labor and raw materials—was facilitated through policy-making at the national and international levels, and was largely successful. But workers in every nation have paid the costs, in the form of increased inequality and poverty, the destruction of social welfare provisions and labor unions, and an erratic global economy prone to bubbles, busts, and crises. This book examines the historical record of globalization and restores agency to the capitalists, policy-makers, and politicians who worked to craft a regime of world-wide exploitation. It demolishes their neoliberal ideology—already on shaky ground after the 2008 financial crisis—and picks apart the record of trade agreements like NAFTA and institutions like the WTO. But, crucially, Hart-Landsberg also discusses alternatives to capitalist globalization, looking to examples such as South America’s Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) for clues on how to build an international economy based on solidarity, social development, and shared prosperity.

PB - Monthly Review Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Chinese Women Garment Workers in New York Chinatown JF - Global Identities, Local Voices: Amerasia Journal at 40 Years Y1 - 2013 A1 - Quan, K. KW - Chinatown KW - garment workers KW - negotiation KW - New York KW - strike AB -

[Excerpt] In June 1982, more than 20,000 immigrant women garment workers went on strike in New York Chinatown to demand a good contract. Their employers demanded deep cutbacks in wages and benefits, and threatened to withdraw from the union altogether if their demands weren’t met. However at the sight of thousands of immigrant women workers marching through the streets of Chinatown, the employers quickly withdrew their demands, and within hours the workers and their union had won the strike.

VL - 2 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Collective and Individual Benefits of Trade Unions: A Multi-Level Analysis of 21 European Countries JF - Industrial Relations Journal Y1 - 2013 A1 - Bengt Furåker A1 - Mattias Bengtsson KW - Europe KW - industrial relations KW - job security KW - trade unios KW - union density KW - union influence AB -

In light of internationally declining union density, this article examines to what extent employees derive advantage from trade unions. Data collected in 21 countries through the European Social Survey 2010 are being used. Multilevel analyses show that it is not so much individual membership but unions' collective power that matters. Perceived union influence and a union-friendly industrial relations regime (mainly the organized corporatism in the Nordic countries) are positively linked to the occurrence of regular workplace meetings and to the impact of these meetings on organizational decisions. Employees also appear to benefit from unions' collective power in terms of appropriate pay and job security, although the regime pattern is then less clear.

VL - 44 L2 - eng CP - 5-6 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Collective Bargaining Unity and Fragmentation in Germany: Two Concepts of Trade Unionism? JF - Economic and Industrial Democracy Y1 - 2013 A1 - Burgess, Pete A1 - Graham Symon KW - collective bargaining KW - Germany KW - industrial relations KW - institutional change KW - labor legislation KW - labor unions KW - trade unionism AB -

In recent years established collective bargaining arrangements in some sectors in Germany have been challenged by an upsurge of sectional union activity that has contested the status of industry-level incumbents. Gauging the impact of this development has proved difficult for both observers and insiders, with a range of responses from labour market actors and government. This article explores recent developments and actor responses and locates them in the wider context of the German political economy. It argues that of all these actors trade unions, in particular in organized forms of capitalism, are confronted by strategic dilemmas related to managing the difficult ‘variable geometry’ of mobilization and systemic accommodation.

VL - 34 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Community in Conflict: A Working Class History of the 1913-14 Michigan Copper Strike and the Italian Hall Tragedy Y1 - 2013 A1 - Kaunonen, Gary A1 - Aaron Goings KW - Italian Hall Tragedy KW - labor history KW - labor rights KW - Michigan KW - Michigan Copper Strike AB -

A mirror of great changes that were occurring on the national labor rights scene, the 1913–14 Michigan Copper Strike was a time of unprecedented social upheaval in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. With organized labor taking an aggressive stance against the excesses of unfettered capitalism, the stage was set for a major struggle between labor and management. The Michigan Copper Strike received national attention and garnered the support of luminaries in organized labor like Mother Jones, John Mitchell, Clarence Darrow, and Charles Moyer. The hope of victory was overshadowed, however, by violent incidents like the shooting of striking workers and their family members, and the bitterness of a community divided. No other event came to symbolize or memorialize the strike more than the Italian Hall tragedy, in which dozens of workers and working-class children died. In Community in Conflict, the efforts of working people to gain a voice on the job and in their community through their unions, and the efforts of employers to crush those unions, take center stage. Previously untapped historical sources such as labor spy reports, union newspapers, coded messages, and artifacts shine new light on this epic, and ultimately tragic, period in American labor history.

PB - Michigan State University Press CY - East Lansing, MI L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Comparitive Employment Relations in the Global Economy Y1 - 2013 A1 - Carola Frege A1 - John Kelly KW - employment relations KW - global economy KW - globalization KW - human resource management KW - industrial relations KW - labor politics KW - political economy AB - "Employment Relations" is widely taught in business schools around the world. Increasingly however more emphasis is being placed on the comparative and international dimensions of the relations between employers and workers. It is becoming ever more important to comprehend today’s work and employment issues alongside a knowledge of the dynamics between global financial and product markets, global production chains, national and international employment actors and institutions and the ways in which these relationships play out in different national contexts. This textbook is the first to present a cross-section of country studies, including all four BRIC countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China alongside integrative thematic chapters covering all the important topics needed to excel in this field. The textbook also benefits from the editors' and contributors' experience as leading scholars in Employment Relations. The book is an ideal resource for students on advanced undergraduate and postgraduate comparative programs across areas such as Employment Relations, Human Resource Management, Political Economy, Labour Politics, Industrial and Economic Sociology, Regulation and Social Policy.(publisher's statement) PB - Routledge CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Constructing a Comprehensive Curriculum in Labor and Employment Law JF - Saint Louis University Law Journal Y1 - 2013 A1 - Malin, Martin H. KW - curriculum KW - employment discrimination KW - employment law KW - labor law KW - law school AB -

An essay is presented on the labor and employment law teaching programs. Topics discussed include a brief historical overview of the certificate program in labor and employment law. Topics discussed include development of the program and its accompanying Institute for law such as Chicago-Kent College of Law, four core courses of the program such as labor law, employment discrimination, employment relationships along with program's approach of dealing with job opportunities and costs.

VL - 58 L2 - eng UR - http://www.slu.edu/Documents/law/Law%20Journal/Archives/LawJournal58-1/Malin_Article.pdf CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Construction Chart Book: The U.S. Construction Industry and Its Workers Y1 - 2013 KW - building trades KW - construction KW - construction industry KW - construction workers KW - health and safety KW - injury KW - training AB - The fifth edition of The Construction Chart Book presents the most complete data available on all facets of the U.S. construction industry: economic, demographic, employment/income, education/training, and safety and health issues, plus much more. This new edition features more charts and topics not covered in previous editions, such as green construction, employment projects, unemployment and re-employment rates, and risks of falls, MSDs, respiratory hazards, and hearing loss by trades. PB - Center for Construction Research and Training CY - Silver Spring, MD L2 - eng UR - http://www.cpwr.com/publications/construction-chart-book ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Construction Chart Book: The U.S. Construction Industry and Its Workers (Fifth Edition) Y1 - 2013 KW - building trades KW - construction KW - construction industry KW - construction workforce KW - green construction KW - safety and health KW - worker safety and health AB -

[Except] The Construction Chart Book, now in its fifth edition, marks the 16th year since it was first published in 1997. While this edition updates statistics on topics covered in previous editions, it also highlights emerging issues within the construction industry (for example, green construction and displaced workers) and explores topics such as the aging workforce and health disparities. Yet, with these additions, the fifth edition continues to follow in the footsteps of previous chart books; that is, to characterize the changing construction industry and its workers in the United States, monitor the impact of such changes on worker safety and health, and identify priorities for safety and health interventions in the future. Although the book addresses a broad audience, it focuses on aspects of the construction industry most important to decision makers responsible for worker safety and health.

PB - The Center for Construction Research and Training CY - Silver Spring, MD L2 - eng UR - http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/5th%20Edition%20Chart%20Book%20Final.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Continuing La Causa: Organizing Labor in California's Strawberry Fields Y1 - 2013 A1 - Mireles, Gilbert Felipe KW - California KW - Latino immigrants KW - migrant workers KW - organizing KW - strawberry industry KW - United Farm Workers AB -

Gilbert Mireles explores the legendary United Farm Workers' campaign to organize laborers—predominantly Latino immigrants—in California's strawberry industry. Tracing the UFW's actions from the picking fields to the world of government offices and corporate boardrooms, Mireles shows how the very traits that made the union such a successful advocate for farm workers also inhibited the meaningful participation of those same workers in the union. His systematic analysis of one of the most influential social movements in the country points to troubling implications for the place of immigrants—and the role of civil society and participatory democracy—in US society.

PB - First Forum Press CY - Boulder, CO L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Employee Representation in Non-Union Firms: An Overview JF - Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society Y1 - 2013 A1 - Gollan, Paul J. A1 - David Lewin KW - employee relations KW - employee representation KW - industrial relations KW - non-union employee representation KW - non-union firms KW - representation AB -

For many decades, employee representation and voice in the employment relationship were manifested mainly through unionism and collective bargaining, but that is no longer the case. Today most employees do not belong to unions, but they may be represented and exercise voice through a variety of other mechanisms and arrangements. This paper provides an overview of a special issue of Industrial Relations containing eight papers that analyze various types of non-union employee representation. These papers feature a wide variety of research designs as well as industry, company, and employee settings. Empirically, they draw upon data from the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia. As a set, these papers provide the most comprehensive knowledge to date of employee representation in non-union firms, and also offer recommendations for future research to further enhance such knowledge.

VL - 52 L2 - eng CP - s1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Employers Gone Rogue: Explaining Industry Variation in Violations of Workplace Laws JF - Industrial and Labor Relations Review Y1 - 2013 A1 - Bernhardt, A. A1 - Michael Spiller A1 - Nik Theodore KW - labor law KW - labor rights KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace violations AB -

Drawing on an innovative, representative survey of workers in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, the authors analyze minimum wage, overtime, and other workplace violations in the low-wage labor market. They document significant interindustry variation in both the mix and the prevalence of violations, and they show that while differences in workforce composition are important in explaining that variation, differences in job and employer characteristics play the stronger role. The authors suggest that industry noncompliance rates are shaped by both product market and institutional characteristics, which together interact with labor supply and the current weak penalty and enforcement regime in the United States. They close with a research agenda for this still young field, framing noncompliance as an emerging strategy in the reorganization of work and production at the bottom of the U.S. labor market.

VL - 66 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Employment Relations in the Shadow of Recession: Findings from the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Study Y1 - 2013 A1 - vanWanrooy, Brigid A1 - Helen Bewley A1 - Alex Bryson A1 - John Forth A1 - Stephanie Freeth A1 - Lucy Stokes A1 - Stephen Wood KW - employment policy KW - employment relations KW - human resources KW - labor relations AB -

How have employment relations evolved over the last decade? And how did workplaces and employees fare in the face of the longest recession in living memory? Employment Relations in the Shadow of Recession examines the state of British employment relations in 2011, how this has changed since 2004, and the role the recession played in shaping employees' experiences of work. It draws on findings from the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Study, comparing these with the results of the previous study conducted in 2004. These surveys – each collecting responses from around 2,500 workplace managers, 1,000 employee representatives and over 20,000 employees –provide the most comprehensive portrait available of workplace employment relations in Britain. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the changes made to employment practices through the recession and of the impact that the economic downturn had on the shape and character of the employment relationship.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Employment Relations on Major Construction Projects: The London 2012 Olympic Construction Site JF - Industrial Relations Journal Y1 - 2013 A1 - Janet Druker A1 - Geoffrey White KW - building trades KW - construction KW - employee relations KW - employment relations AB -

The construction of the London 2012 Olympic Park provided a model of employee relations that crossed organizational boundaries. This model was countercultural, contrasting with the unregulated approaches that are commonplace in construction and contrasting too with collaborative models that have been developed on other major projects.

VL - 44 L2 - eng CP - 5-6 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Fires on the Border: The Passionate Politics of Labor Organizing on the Mexican Frontera Y1 - 2013 A1 - Hennessy, Rosemary KW - gender KW - labor organizing KW - Mexico KW - organizing AB -

The history of the maquiladoras has been punctuated by workers’ organized resistance to abysmal working and living conditions. Over years of involvement in such movements, Rosemary Hennessy was struck by an elusive but significant feature of these struggles: the extent to which organizing is driven by attachments of affection and antagonism, belief, betrayal, and identification.What precisely is the “affective” dimension of organizing for justice? Are affects and emotions the same? And how can their value be calculated? Fires on the Border takes up these questions of labor and community organizing—its “affect-culture”—on Mexico’s northern border from the early 1970s to the present day. Through these campaigns, Hennessy illuminates the attachments and identifications that motivate people to act on behalf of one another and that bind them to a common cause. The book’s unsettling, even jarring, narratives bring together empirical and ethnographic accounts—of specific campaigns, the untold stories of gay and lesbian organizers, love and utopian longing—in concert with materialist theories of affect and the critical good sense of Mexican organizers. Teasing out the integration of affect-culture in economic relations and cultural processes, Hennessy provides evidence that sexuality and gender as strong affect attractors are incorporated in the harvesting of surplus labor. At the same time, workers’ testimonies confirm that the capacities for bonding and affective attachment, far from being entirely at the service of capital, are at the very heart of social movements devoted to sustaining life.

PB - University of Minnesota Press CY - Minneapolis, MN L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - A Freedom Budget for All Americans: Recapturing the Promise of the Civil Rights Movement in the Struggle for Economic Justice Today Y1 - 2013 A1 - Le Blanc, Paul A1 - Michael D. Yates KW - civil rights history KW - civil rights movement KW - economic justice KW - economic security KW - labor movement AB -

While the Civil Rights Movement is remembered for efforts to end segregation and secure the rights of African Americans, the larger economic vision that animated much of the movement is often overlooked today. That vision sought economic justice for every person in the United States, regardless of race. It favored production for social use instead of profit; social ownership; and democratic control over major economic decisions. The document that best captured this vision was the Freedom Budget for All Americans: Budgeting Our Resources, 1966-1975, To Achieve Freedom from Want published by the A. Philip Randolph Institute and endorsed by a virtual ‘who’s who’ of U.S. left liberalism and radicalism. Now, two of today’s leading socialist thinkers return to the Freedom Budget and its program for economic justice. Paul Le Blanc and Michael D. Yates explain the origins of the Freedom Budget, how it sought to achieve “freedom from want” for all people, and how it might be re-imagined for our current moment. Combining historical perspective with clear-sighted economic proposals, the authors make a concrete case for reviving the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement and building the society of economic security and democratic control envisioned by the movement’s leaders—a struggle that continues to this day.

PB - Monthly Review Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Gender and Leadership in Unions Y1 - 2013 A1 - Gill Kirton A1 - Geraldine Healy KW - gender KW - gender equality KW - social justice KW - union leadership KW - women trade union leaders KW - women union members AB -

Reflecting the increased attention to gender and women in the field of employment relations, there is now a growing international literature on women and trade unions. The interest in women as trade unionists arises partly from the fact that women comprise 40 percent of trade union membership in the USA and over 50 percent in the UK. Further, despite considerable overall union membership decline in both the UK and USA, more women than men are joining unions in both countries. Recognition of the importance of women to the survival and revival of trade union movements has in many cases produced an unprecedented commitment to equality and inclusion at the highest level. Yet the challenge is to ensure that this commitment is translated to action and improves the experience of women in their union and in their workplace.Gender and Leadership in Trade Unions explores and evaluates the similarities and differences in equality strategies pursued by unions in the US and the UK. It assesses the conditions experienced by women union members and how these impact on their leadership, both potential and actual. Women have made gains in both countries within union leadership and decision-making structures, however, climbing the ladder to leadership positions remains far from a smooth process. In the trade union context, women face multiple barriers that resonate with the barriers facing aspiring women leaders in other organizational contexts, including the gendered division of domestic work; the organization and nature of women’s work; the organization and nature of trade union work and the masculine culture of trade unions. The discussion of women trade union leaders is situated more broadly within debates on governance, leadership and democracy within social justice activism.(publisher's statement)

PB - Routledge CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Getting Back to Full Employment: A Better Bargain for Working People Y1 - 2013 A1 - Bernstein, Jared A1 - Dean Baker KW - employment level KW - full employment labor market KW - income gap KW - low-wage workers KW - unemployment KW - wage distribution KW - wage gap AB -

While most people intuitively know that low unemployment is important to job seekers, they may not realize that high levels of employment actually would make an enormous difference in the lives of large segments of the workforce who already have jobs. Particularly in an era of historically high wage and income inequality, many in the workforce depend on full employment labor markets, and the bargaining power it provides, to secure a fair share of the economy’s growth. For the bottom third or even half of the wage distribution, high levels of employment are a necessary condition for improving wages, higher incomes, and better working conditions. Getting Back to Full Employment is a follow-up to a book written a decade ago by the authors, The Benefits of Full Employment (Economic Policy Institute, 2003). It builds on the evidence presented in that book, showing that real wage growth for workers in the bottom half of the income scale is highly dependent on the overall rate of unemployment. In the late 1990s, when the United States saw its first sustained period of low unemployment in more than a quarter century, workers at the middle and bottom of the wage distribution were able to secure substantial gains in real wages. When unemployment rose in the 2001 recession, and again following the collapse of the housing bubble, most workers no longer had the bargaining power to share in the benefits of growth. The book also documents another critical yet often overlooked side effect of full employment: improved fiscal conditions (without mindless budget policies like the current sequestration). Finally, in this volume, unlike the earlier one, the authors present a broad set of policies designed to boost growth and get the unemployment rate down to a level where far more workers have a fighting chance of getting ahead.

PB - Center for Economic and Policy Research CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://www.cepr.net/documents/Getting-Back-to-Full-Employment_20131118.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Handbook of Research on Gender and Economic Life Y1 - 2013 A1 - Figart, Deborah M. A1 - Tonia L. Warnecke KW - civil society KW - discrimination KW - gender KW - informal work KW - migration KW - poverty AB -

In the aftermath of global economic downturn, it has never been more important to understand how gender relates to economic life and well-being. This interdisciplinary collection of original research details key areas of intersection, provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research and proposes avenues for further investigation. The Handbook illuminates complex facets of the economic and social provisioning process across the globe. The contributors – academics, policy analysts and practitioners from wide-ranging areas of expertise – discuss the methodological approaches to, and analytical tools for, conducting research on the gender dimension of economic life. They also provide analyses of major issues facing both developed and developing countries. Topics explored include civil society, discrimination, informal work, working time, central bank policy, health, education, food security, poverty, migration, environmental activism and the financial crisis. Economists, sociologists and political scientists will find this book to be an invaluable research tool, as will academics, researchers and students with an interest in economics – particularly feminist economics – gender studies and global studies.

PB - Edward Elgar Publishing CY - Northampton, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Handbook of Research on Gender and Economic Life Y1 - 2013 A1 - Figart, Deborah M. A1 - Tonia L. Warnecke KW - discrimination KW - environmental activism KW - feminist economics KW - gender KW - gender studies KW - informal work KW - poverty AB -

In the aftermath of global economic downturn, it has never been more important to understand how gender relates to economic life and well-being. This interdisciplinary collection of original research details key areas of intersection, provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research and proposes avenues for further investigation. The Handbook illuminates complex facets of the economic and social provisioning process across the globe. The contributors – academics, policy analysts and practitioners from wide-ranging areas of expertise – discuss the methodological approaches to, and analytical tools for, conducting research on the gender dimension of economic life. They also provide analyses of major issues facing both developed and developing countries. Topics explored include civil society, discrimination, informal work, working time, central bank policy, health, education, food security, poverty, migration, environmental activism and the financial crisis. Economists, sociologists and political scientists will find this book to be an invaluable research tool, as will academics, researchers and students with an interest in economics – particularly feminist economics – gender studies and global studies.(publisher's statement)

PB - Edward Elgar Publishers CY - Northampton, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Immigrant Women Workers in the Neoliberal Age Y1 - 2013 A1 - Flores-Gonzalez, Nilda A1 - Anna Romina Guevarra A1 - Maura Toro-Morn A1 - Grace Chang KW - domestic workers KW - gender KW - immigrant women KW - immigrants KW - informal laboar markets KW - informal work KW - labor conditions KW - street vendors KW - working conditions AB - To date, most research on immigrant women and labor forces has focused on the participation of immigrant women in formal labor markets. In this study, contributors focus on informal economies such as health care, domestic work, street vending, and the garment industry, where displaced and undocumented women are more likely to work. Because such informal labor markets are unregulated, many of these workers face abusive working conditions that are not reported for fear of job loss or deportation. In examining the complex dynamics of how immigrant women navigate political and economic uncertainties, this collection highlights the important role of citizenship status in defining immigrant women's opportunities, wages, and labor conditions.(publisher's statement) PB - University of Illinois Press CY - Champaign, IL L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Industrial Disputes in Vietnam: The Tale of the Wildcat JF - Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources Y1 - 2013 A1 - Bernadine Van Gramberg A1 - Julian Teicher A1 - Tien Nguyen KW - labor rights KW - unions KW - Vietnam KW - Vietnam Labor Code KW - Vietnam labor relations KW - wildcat strikes KW - working conditions AB -

Vietnam has experienced a combination of sustained high economic growth and high inflation over the last ten years. This has been a ‘double-edged sword’ for the country as rapid price rises have also fuelled the growth in labour conflicts and strikes, which have the potential to negatively affect Vietnam's continuing economic growth. Added to this potent mix is the increasing evidence that some employers' strict use of managerial prerogative combined with poor working conditions and harsh treatment of employees have precipitated the growth of ‘wildcat’ strikes particularly in the country's growing export-oriented private sector. In the absence of publicly available statistics on industrial action in Vietnam, this paper draws on an analysis of strikes reported in the nation's key newspapers and three elite interviews to explore the types of disputes and their causes as well as the industries most affected. We find that in order to improve the management of workplace conflict, reform to the Labour Code alone is insufficient. There is also a need to train all parties in dispute resolution and to ensure that unions are independent of management.

VL - 51 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Industrial Policy in America: Breaking the Taboo Y1 - 2013 A1 - DiTommaso, Marco R. A1 - Stuart O. Schweitzer KW - government intervention KW - government policy KW - industrial policy KW - international economics KW - political economy AB -

In contrast to what observers have frequently argued, this timely and thought provoking book suggests that the concept of industrial policy is not alien to the American past and present. The debate on this topic in the US has always been full of contradictory rhetoric and policy practices, and the expert authors therefore acknowledge a need to rethink the traditional antagonist positions. They illustrate that contemporary markets continue to demand to be fixed by government policies, and governments continue to show how fixing-the-market policies might fail. The conclusion is that the future of industrial policy is about how to make both markets and governments better in their functioning, but that the real goal for industrial policy is to make better-market and better-government policies consistent with the goal of building a better society.

PB - Edward Elgar Publishing CY - Northampton, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Just Transition To A Green Economy: Evaluating The Response Of Australian Unions JF - Australian Bulletin of Labour Y1 - 2013 A1 - Goods, Caleb KW - climate change KW - environmental degradation KW - green jobs KW - jobs versus environment KW - social movement unionism AB -

Many policymakers, unions, and businesses have embraced the idea of green jobs and a green economy. This enthusiasm for environmentally sound job creation received a significant shot in the arm at the end of 2008, in the context of the global financial crisis, as an important element in the solution to the world’s economic and ecological concerns. The connection between work and combating environmental problems is however an area of significant contestation. This has resulted in highly varied understandings of what constitutes a green job and a just transition to a green economy. This article scrutinises the response of the Australian Council of Trade Unions—as the peak union body in Australia—and three specific unions to the challenge of transiting from the world of work towards an ecologically sustainable footing.

VL - 39 L2 - eng UR - http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au/cgi-bin/espace.pdf?file=/2014/02/18/file_1/193879 CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor Insurgency in China: Strikes, Unions, and the Role of the Government JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2013 A1 - Quan, K. KW - China KW - collective bargaining KW - democracy KW - globalization KW - insurgency KW - organizing KW - strikes KW - unions KW - working class AB -

A conversation with a Chinese labor organizer.
 

VL - 22 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor Law Reform Again? Reframing Labor Law as a Regulatory Project JF - New York University Journal of Legislation and Public Policy Y1 - 2013 A1 - Cynthia L. Estlund KW - democracy KW - labor law KW - regulation KW - working conditions AB -

This essay argues that reframing the project of labor law reform as a regulatory project might put the project on a firmer foundation and shake up existing conceptions of what labor law reform should look like. In other words, “labor law” should be seen as part of the larger societal project of regulating work and working conditions; and that larger project should be situated among other fields of regulation, alongside the regulation of consumer products, the environment, and financial integrity. Reframing labor law as a regulatory project brings into view an alternative set of analytical levers and tools of governance, and additional reservoirs of political support for the ultimate ends pursued by labor law.Reframing labor law as a regulatory project can also recast and refurbish old linkages between labor law and democracy. Good regulatory design aims to deepen and extend democracy -- to effectuate societal decisions about the governance of powerful private organizations, in part by extending democracy beyond the polling booth and giving citizens more levers of power both within those private organizations and in public regulatory processes. Moreover, opening additional avenues of participation within non-governmental institutions can rejuvenate public participation in political processes. Labor law was in a pioneer in that democratization project. Proponents of the NLRA in the New Deal argued that extending democracy to the workplace would provide both a mechanism to improve and enforce labor standards and a training ground for citizens in political participation. But labor law has since fallen on hard times. Now labor law and labor law scholars may have to expand their field of vision to reach across fields of regulation, and to recognize that they have much to learn and much to teach about how to make the law effective and how to empower citizens vis-à-vis the powerful organizations that shape their lives.

VL - 16 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2366903 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor, Risk, and Uncertainty in Global Supply Networks—Exploratory Insights JF - Journal of Business Logistics Y1 - 2013 A1 - Jörg Sydow A1 - Stephen J. Frenkel KW - employer–employee issues KW - Europe KW - global production networks KW - globalization KW - interorganizational networks KW - labor relations KW - outsourcing KW - risk KW - supply chain risk management KW - supply chains KW - uncertainty AB -

Arising from widespread outsourcing and, in particular, offshoring, goods and services are increasingly provided by supply networks that rely on global logistic systems. While the risks and uncertainties involved in this strategy have been widely acknowledged in the literature on interorganizational networks and supply chain management, labor conditions and labor relations—and related human resource management issues—have thus far been neglected. Starting from a perspective that takes into consideration that global supply networks are not only confronted with calculable risks but also genuine uncertainties, we explore the conditions under which labor may constitute a source as well as a means for dealing with risk and uncertainty. The study is based on a review of the relevant interorganizational network and supply chain management literature and is informed by an investigation of International Framework Agreements (IFAs) in 10 European corporations and their supply networks. IFAs—in addition to unilateral codes of conduct—could be used to detect and cope with labor-related risk and uncertainties. However, our findings reveal that this is not the case. This leads to some tentative theoretical conclusions and implications for dealing with risk and uncertainty in global supply networks.

VL - 34 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor Unions, Alternative Forms of Representation, and the Exercise of Authority in U.S. Workplaces JF - Industrial and Labor Relations Review Y1 - 2013 A1 - Godard, John A1 - Carola Frege KW - dignity KW - fairness KW - justice KW - labor law KW - representation systems KW - unions AB -

The authors draw on a telephone survey of 1,000 U.S. workers to explore whether alternative, nonunion forms of representation are filling the gap left by union decline; whether this matters to authority relations at work; and whether these first two points help to explain union decline. The authors find that nonunion associations do not appear to be filling the gap, but that management-established, nonunion representation systems are one-and-a-half times as widespread as is union representation and are evaluated somewhat more favorably by workers. Both unions and management-established systems bear positive associations with authority relations at work before controlling for management practices, but these are substantially weakened once management practices--especially "bureaucratic" practices--are entered. The authors argue that, in the case of unions, this is likely because unions cause employers to adopt these practices. This is not likely to be the case in management-established systems, however, which are more likely to be set up in conjunction with these practices. Finally, results suggest that management-established systems are often in violation of the Wagner Act, but they bear no association with the propensity to vote for a union. Instead, bureaucratic practices matter, independently of these systems.

VL - 66 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/ilrreview/vol66/iss1/6/ CP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Labour Dispute Systems: Guidelines for Improved Performance Y1 - 2013 KW - dispute resolution KW - employment relations KW - ILO KW - industrial relations KW - International Labour Organization KW - labor dispute KW - labor dispute resolution KW - labor dispute settlement AB -

Effective dispute prevention and resolution procedures and mechanisms provide an important underpinning for sound and stable industrial and employment relations. This guide is part of the ILO’s effort to strengthen institutions for the prevention and resolution of labour disputes. It provides advice on the steps to be taken to either revitalize an existing system, or establish an independent institution, ensuring that they operate efficiently and provide effective dispute resolution services.

PB - International Labour Organization (ILO) CY - Geneva, Switzerland L2 - eng UR - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---dialogue/documents/publication/wcms_211468.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labour Struggles for Workplace Justice: Migrant and Immigrant Worker Organizing in Canada JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2013 A1 - Choudry, Aziz A1 - Mark Thomas KW - Canada KW - immigrant workers KW - labor organizing KW - migrant workers KW - temporary foreign worker programs AB -

This article explores the dynamics of labour organizing among migrant and immigrant workers in Canada, focusing on two case studies: first, recent efforts to organize migrant farmworkers in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Program; and, second, the work of the Immigrant Workers’ Centre in Montreal. The Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Program, which employs workers from Mexico and Caribbean countries, is often viewed by policymakers and employers as an example of ‘best practices’ in migration policy. Yet workers in the program experience seasonal employment characterized by long hours and low wages, and are exempt from many basic labour standards. The Immigrant Workers’ Centre formed in 2000 to provide a safe place for migrant and racialized immigrant workers to come together around problems in their workplaces. Through these case studies, we examine labour organization efforts including advocacy and grassroots organizing through the Immigrant Workers’ Centre and legal challenges attempting to secure recognition of freedom of association rights for farmworkers. The article explores the ‘limits and possibilities’ of these strategies, and concludes by assessing the implications for labour organizing among the growing numbers of migrant and immigrant workers employed in a wide range of low-wage, low-security occupations due to the recent expansion of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

VL - 55 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Law and Economics of Discrimination Y1 - 2013 A1 - Donohue, John J. KW - discrimination KW - economics of discrimination KW - government intervention KW - law of discrimination AB -

This volume introduces the reader to the key theoretical and empirical issues concerning the topical field of law and economics of discrimination. The book begins with readings from Gary Becker’s seminal work on the economics of discrimination followed by a series of papers that try to evaluate the degree of discrimination in labour markets and the extent to which government intervention has reduced this discrimination. In addition to examining discrimination on the basis of race, gender, and sexual orientation in the labour market, Professor Donohue explores the problem of discrimination in various consumer markets, in the criminal justice sphere, in education and in health care. Along with an original introduction, this valuable collection will be of immense use to both scholars and practitioners with an interest in the law and economics of discrimination.

PB - Edward Elgar Publishing CY - Northampton, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Meta-Regulation of European Industrial Relations: Power Shifts, Institutional Dynamics and the Emergence of Regulatory Competition JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2013 A1 - Theodoros Papadopoulos A1 - Antonios Roumpakis KW - collective bargaining KW - ECJ KW - Europe KW - European Court of Justice KW - freedom of movement KW - industrial relations KW - labor dispute settlement KW - labor flexibility KW - labor relations KW - meta-regulation KW - regulatory competition AB -

“Meta-regulation” describes the transnational governance of industrial relations emerging from attempts to resolve conflicts between national collective agreements and EU Member States' freedom to provide services and post workers abroad. The norm underpinning such meta-regulation is competition, not only between workers from different EU Member States but also between States' labour regulations. Using the concepts of “structural power” and “social field”, the authors discuss judicial decisions that illustrate the gradual meta-regulation of industrial relations in the EU and show how the power asymmetry between labour and capital is growing in favour of the latter.

VL - 152 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Minimum Wages and Collective Bargaining: What Types of Pay Bargaining Can Foster Positive Pay Equity Outcomes? JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2013 A1 - Grimshaw, Damian A1 - Gerhard Bosch A1 - Jill Rubery KW - collective agreements KW - collective bargaining KW - Europe KW - minimum wage KW - pay bargaining AB -

Using data from interviews and collective agreements in five European countries, this article analyses the relationship between collective bargaining and the minimum wage. In a context of changing minimum wage policy and competing government objectives, the findings illuminate how pay bargaining strategies of trade unions and employers shape the pay equity effects of minimum wage policy. Two general forms are identified: direct responses to a changing national minimum wage, and responses to the absence or weakness of a national minimum wage. The article explains how particular intersections of minimum wage policy and collective bargaining, together with country and sector contingencies, shape the form of pay bargaining and pay equity outcomes.

L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Minimum Wages, Pay Equity, and Comparative Industrial Relations Y1 - 2013 A1 - Grimshaw, Damian KW - comparative industrial relations KW - Europe KW - industrial relations KW - labor market protection KW - labor market regulation KW - low wage workers KW - minimum wage KW - pay equity AB -

With growing concern about the conditions facing low wage workers and new challenges to traditional forms of labor market protection, this book offers a timely analysis of the purpose and effectiveness of minimum wages in different European countries. Building on original industry case studies, the analysis goes beyond general debates about the relative merits of labor market regulation to reveal important national differences in the functioning of minimum wage systems and their integration within national models of industrial relations.There is no universal position on minimum wage policy followed by governments and social partners. Nor is it true that trade unions consistently support minimum wages and employers oppose them. The evidence in this book shows that interests and objectives change over time and differ across industries and countries. Investigating the pay bargaining strategies of unions and employers in cleaning, security, retail, and construction, this book’s industry case studies show how minimum wage policy interacts with collective bargaining to produce different types of pay equity effects. The analysis provides new findings of ‘ripple effects’ shaped by trade union strategies and identifies key components of an ‘egalitarian pay bargaining approach’ in social dialogue. The lessons for policy are to embrace an inter-disciplinary approach to minimum wage analysis, to be mindful of the interconnections with the changing national systems of industrial relations, and to interrogate the pay equity effects.

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Multinational Companies and Their Attitude Towards Union Activity JF - USV Annals Of Economics & Public Administration Y1 - 2013 A1 - Bălăneasa, Maria Cristina KW - Europe KW - globalization KW - multinational companies KW - syndicates KW - workers’ rights KW - working relations AB -

The intensification of the global economic activity has generated changes in working relations. The intensification of the activities within multinational companies has determined greater employment flexibility, but also a lower collective bargaining power of the employees, because the multinationals attempted to weaken the power of trade unions. The purpose of this paper is precisely to identify the attitude of these companies towards trade union activity and the reaction of labour organizations in response to the challenges of the globalization. The policy of multinational companies is, as it comes from the results presented in this paper, to avoid as far as possible syndicates recognition for collective bargaining of the reciprocal rights and obligations. One of the reasons would be that trade unions recognition would imply for the managers of these companies some restrictions of control management prerogatives. In order to show strength against multinational companies, trade unions have joined at European and international level, trying to formulate a strategic response to the challenges of the globalization. Through global trade unions such as Global Syndicate Federations (GSF) and the European Trade Union Confederation, employees have obtained the right to be consulted, informed and negotiate their rights through international and European social dialogue. Although multinational companies have an attitude of avoiding trade union recognition, the internationalization and Europeanization of syndicates contribute to maintaining the strategic partner role of the union in the struggle to ensure satisfactory life and working conditions of its members.

VL - 13 L2 - eng UR - http://seap.usv.ro/annals/ojs/index.php/annals/article/viewFile/542/568 CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - New Forms and Expressions of Conflict at Work Y1 - 2013 A1 - Gregor Gall KW - capitalism KW - collective grievances KW - conflict KW - conflict resolution KW - labor protests KW - labor strikes AB -

This edited collection surveys and analyses new forms and expressions of conflict at work under capitalism. Using theoretical and empirical approaches it chapters demonstrate that there is an underlying historical continuity to current and new forms and expressions of conflict at work and that there is also a path dependency by country and culture. Although the strike is in decline in many countries, it is not so in all and different means of expressing and resolving collective grievances are used but not always as substitutes to the strike weapon.(publisher's statement)

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - A Primer on American Labor Law (Third Edition) Y1 - 2013 A1 - Gould , William B. KW - collective bargaining KW - dispute resolution KW - labor law KW - National Labor Relations Act KW - unfair labor practices AB -

An accessible guide written for nonspecialists as well as labor lawyers – labor and management representatives, students, and general practice lawyers, and trade unionists, government officials, and academics from other countries. It covers topics such as the National Labor Relations Act, unfair labor practices, the collective bargaining relationship, dispute resolution, the public sector, and public-interest labor law. This updated fifth edition contains extensive new materials covering developments that include the repeal or change in public employee labor law and the development of case law relating to wrongful dismissals and pension reform in the public sector; bankruptcy in both the private and public sector; ADA litigation and 2008 amendments of that statute; new cases on all subjects, but particularly Bush and Obama NLRB decisions, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, and retaliation; and the globalization of labor disputes in labor-management relations in the United States, with particular reference to professional sports disputes and the extraterritoriality of American labor law generally.(publisher's statement)

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Promise and Limits of Private Power: Promoting Labor Standards in a Global Economy Y1 - 2013 A1 - Locke, Richard M. KW - global supply chains KW - globalization KW - International Labor Organization KW - KW – workers’ rights KW - labor rights KW - labor standards KW - supply chains KW - wages KW - working conditions AB -

This book examines and evaluates various private initiatives to enforce fair labor standards within global supply chains. Using unique data (internal audit reports, and access to more than 120 supply chain factories and 700 interviews in 14 countries) from several major global brands, including NIKE, HP, and the International Labor Organization's Factory Improvement Program in Vietnam, this book examines both the promise and the limitations of different approaches to actually improve working conditions, wages, and working hours for the millions of workers employed in today's global supply chains. Through a careful, empirically grounded analysis of these programs, this book illustrates the mix of private and public regulation needed to address these complex issues in a global economy. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Quiescence Continued? Recent Strike Activity in Nine Western European Economies JF - Economic and Industrial Democracy Y1 - 2013 A1 - Gregor Gall KW - Europe KW - industrial conflict KW - strike activity KW - unions KW - Western Europe AB -

This article examines whether the downward trajectory in strike activity in nine Western European economies has continued over recent years. In doing so, it considers the nature of the dominant forms of extant strike activity and how these relate to systems of collective bargaining and political exchange. The main findings are three-fold. First, while there has been a general decline in aggregate strike activity, this has often been punctuated by sharp peaks. Second, the dominant nature of the strike activity, especially the sharp peaks, has become increasingly concerned with mounting demonstrative collective mobilizations in the political, rather than industrial, arena. Consequently, much strike activity is increasingly being deployed as a tool of political leverage with governments rather than as a tool of industrial leverage with (private sector) employers. Third, official data on strikes are becoming increasingly unreliable as they contain ever more significant exclusions, raising not so much the prospect of an end to quiescence but an over-estimation of the extent of decline.

VL - 34 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Raising Retail: Organizing Retail Workers in Canada and the United States JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2013 A1 - Kendra Coulter KW - collective action KW - community-labor organizing KW - retail work KW - retail workers KW - union organizing AB -

Retail workers are a significant but largely unorganized group in Canada and the United States. However, in recent years, there has been a marked increase in efforts to organize retail workers, including pursuit of innovative structures and strategies. The author focuses on the dominant threads of contemporary retail organizing work in Canada and the United States, outlining three current organizing vehicles: unionization, store-based networks, and occupation or sector-based associations. The author then reflects on the strengths, weaknesses, and possibilities of these approaches, independently and collectively, and emphasizes the need to confront the social and cultural as well as the economic devaluation of retail workers.

VL - 38 L2 - eng UR - http://lsj.sagepub.com/content/38/1/47.abstract CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Regional Collective Contract System in China Y1 - 2013 A1 - Song, Y. KW - bargaining KW - collective contract KW - labor regulation KW - labor relations KW - negotiation AB -

Explores the system of making collective contracts in China based on regions, above the level of the enterprise. Since 1978, the market reform in China has significant influences on the political-economic environment in which China's labour relations take place, and the result has been a major transformation in the latter. A key issue for labour relations in China is how to regulate labour relations effectively and maintain a stable relationship between employee and employer. Due to the inherent limitations in individual forms of labour regulation, there has been recognition of the need for the regulation of collective labour relations to function more effectively. In recent years, regional collective contract/ consultation system has been promoted to supplement the existing system based at the level of the enterprise. This thesis examines the new regulatory mechanism of regional collective contract system from field work in two of the key cities where this form of agreement is being developed, and uses case studies of regional level collective contracts, supplemented by qualitative interviews, statistics and documents from the district, municipal and national levels. This thesis reviews the development of the regional collective contract system, both from the formal provisions and the practice, and demonstrates the operation of this system from the parties, the processes and the outcome. By explaining the dynamics of the regional collective contract system, this thesis further investigated the efficacy of the system based on a pivotal question as to whether the regional collective contract is reached through negotiation? Locating the regional collective contract system within the regulatory framework of labour relations in China, this thesis has some significant findings. While the formal provisions are increasingly supportive to the regional system, the primary focus still remains on the enterprise level. The ambiguities and the lack of consideration for the peculiarity of the regional level in those provisions have led to discrepancy in implementation. The availability of enterprises' representatives affects the procedures for reaching the regional collective contract and the form it takes. With the absence of the enterprises' organisation at the regional level in most cases, the union tends to simplify the procedures and adopt a decentralised way of dealing with each individual enterprise. The negotiation process is, thus, less emphasised at the regional level, and the contract is signed at the enterprise level. Furthermore, being influenced by the union's tradition of administrative role, the promotion of the regional collective contract system still follows the top-down pattern and is assessed against the assigned quotas. With few direct connections with the employees and much noncooperation from the employers, the union fulfills its task with formality-like contract or compromised terms. Notwithstanding the above, by moving the collective contract beyond a single enterprise and engaging the regional union, the regional collective contract system not only provides a countermeasure for regulating labour relations in the fast increasing small private enterprises, but also has potentials to overcome the defects in the Chinese enterprise-level collective contract system by a union which is more independent of the employer and with cadres who are devoted and have the capacity to negotiate for the employees' interests.

PB - Scientific and Technical Documentation Press CY - Beijing L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools Y1 - 2013 A1 - Ravitch, Diane KW - education KW - privatization KW - public education KW - public school education KW - public schools AB -

In Reign of Error, Diane Ravitch argues that the crisis in American education is not a crisis of academic achievement but a concerted effort to destroy public schools in this country. She makes clear that, contrary to the claims being made, public school test scores and graduation rates are the highest they’ve ever been, and dropout rates are at their lowest point. She argues that federal programs such as George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind and Barack Obama’s Race to the Top set unreasonable targets for American students, punish schools, and result in teachers being fired if their students underperform, unfairly branding those educators as failures. She warns that major foundations, individual billionaires, and Wall Street hedge fund managers are encouraging the privatization of public education, some for idealistic reasons, others for profit. Many who work with equity funds are eyeing public education as an emerging market for investors. Reign of Error begins where The Death and Life of the Great American School System left off, providing a deeper argument against privatization and for public education, and in a chapter-by-chapter breakdown, putting forth a plan for what can be done to preserve and improve it. She makes clear what is right about U.S. education, how policy makers are failing to address the root causes of educational failure, and how we can fix it. For Ravitch, public school education is about knowledge, about learning, about developing character, and about creating citizens for our society. It’s about helping to inspire independent thinkers, not just honing job skills or preparing people for college. Public school education is essential to our democracy, and its aim, since the founding of this country, has been to educate citizens who will help carry democracy into the future. (publisher's statement)

PB - Knopf, Inc CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - A Renegade Union: Interracial Organizing and Labor Radicalism Y1 - 2013 A1 - Lisa Phillips KW - AFL-CIO KW - community organizing KW - District 65 KW - interracial organizing KW - labor union KW - New York City KW - radicalism KW - union history AB -

Dedicated to organizing workers from diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, many of whom were considered "unorganizable" by other unions, the progressive New York City–based labor union District 65 counted among its 30,000 members retail clerks, office workers, warehouse workers, and wholesale workers. In this book, Lisa Phillips presents a distinctive study of District 65 and its efforts to secure economic equality for minority workers in sales and processing jobs in small, low-end shops and warehouses throughout the city. Phillips shows how organizers fought tirelessly to achieve better hours and higher wages for "unskilled," unrepresented workers and to destigmatize the kind of work they performed.

Closely examining the strategies employed by District 65 from the 1930s through the early Cold War years, Phillips assesses the impact of the McCarthy era on the union's quest for economic equality across divisions of race, ethnicity, and skill. Though their stories have been overshadowed by those of auto, steel, and electrical workers who forced American manufacturing giants to unionize, the District 65 workers believed their union provided them with an opportunity to re-value their work, the result of an economy inclining toward fewer manufacturing jobs and more low-wage service and processing jobs.

Phillips recounts how District 65 first broke with the CIO over the latter's hostility to left-oriented politics and organizing agendas, then rejoined to facilitate alliances with the NAACP. In telling the story of District 65 and detailing community organizing efforts during the first part of the Cold War and under the AFL-CIO umbrella, A Renegade Union continues to revise the history of the left-led unions of the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

PB - University of Illinois Press CY - Champaign, IL L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Research Handbook On The Economics Of Labor And Employment Law Y1 - 2013 A1 - Cynthia L. Estlund A1 - Michael L. Wachter KW - economics KW - economics of labor markets KW - employment law KW - employment relations KW - industrial relations KW - labor economy KW - labor law KW - union organizing AB -

This Research Handbook assembles the original work of leading legal and economic scholars, working in a variety of traditions and methodologies, on the economic analysis of labor and employment law. In addition to surveying the current state of the art on the economics of labor markets and employment relations, the volume’s 16 chapters assess aspects of traditional labor law and union organizing, the law governing the employment contract and termination of employment, employment discrimination and other employer mandates, restrictions on employee mobility, and the forum and remedies for labor and employment claims. Comprising a variety of approaches, the Research Handbook on the Economics of Labor and Employment Law will appeal to legal scholars in labor and employment law, industrial relations scholars and labor economists.(publisher's statement)

PB - Edward Elgar Publishers CY - Northampton, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Resource Depletion, Climate Change, and Economic Growth Y1 - 2013 A1 - Andrew Steer KW - Carbon pricing KW - climate change KW - environmental degradation KW - food prices KW - green growth KW - greenhouse gas emissions KW - international cooperation KW - natural resource depletion KW - population growth AB -

Current patterns of energy and natural resource use, agricultural practices, and urbanization appear to be largely unsustainable and require urgent remediation. Left unchecked, these patterns will lead to dangerous climate change and reduced economic growth, as a result of increased economic, social, and environmental costs and decreased productivity. Current economic models fail to incorporate the effects of high-carbon growth on climate change and environmental degradation. A new generation of economic models is needed that account for the risk of catastrophic impacts, do not overestimate the costs of climate change action, and use a discount rate that does not treat future generations as less important than the current one. Models of how economies adjust to tighter environmental policies need to incorporate new evidence that actions such as increasing energy and resource efficiency can lead to larger win-win gains than were earlier thought possible; that smart policies combining carbon pricing and directed investment in research can lead to increased investment, growth, and competitiveness; and that investment can be raised by providing long-term policy confidence about the price of carbon and associated risks of stranded assets. A variety of policies—including removing subsidies on fossil fuels, pricing carbon, addressing other market failures, improving international cooperation, and facilitating citizen voice through the marketplace—will play an important role in putting economic processes on a more sustainable footing.

PB - Global Citizen Foundation CY - Geneva L2 - eng UR - http://www.gcf.ch/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/GCF_Steer-working-paper-5_6.20.13.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Rethinking Workplace Regulation: Beyond the Standard Contract of Employment Y1 - 2013 A1 - Stone, Katherine V.W. A1 - Harry Arthurs KW - labor legislation KW - pensions KW - standard employment contract KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace regulation AB -

During the middle third of the 20th century, workers in most industrialized countries secured a substantial measure of job security, whether through legislation, contract or social practice. This “standard employment contract,” as it was known, became the foundation of an impressive array of rights and entitlements, including social insurance and pensions, protection against unsociable working conditions, and the right to bargain collectively. Recent changes in technology and the global economy, however, have dramatically eroded this traditional form of employment. Employers now value flexibility over stability, and increasingly hire employees for short-term or temporary work. Many countries have also repealed labor laws, relaxed employee protections, and reduced state-provided benefits. As the old system of worker protection declines, how can labor regulation be improved to protect workers? In Rethinking Workplace Regulation, nineteen leading scholars from ten countries and half a dozen disciplines present a sweeping tour of the latest policy experiments across the world that attempt to balance worker security and the new flexible employment paradigm. Edited by noted socio-legal scholars Katherine V.W. Stone and Harry Arthurs, Rethinking Workplace Regulation presents case studies on new forms of dispute resolution, job training programs, social insurance and collective representation that could serve as policy models in the contemporary industrialized world. The volume leads with an intriguing set of essays on legal attempts to update the employment contract. For example, Bruno Caruso reports on efforts in the European Union to “constitutionalize” employment and other contracts to better preserve protective principles for workers and to extend their legal impact. The volume then turns to the field of labor relations, where promising regulatory strategies have emerged. Sociologist Jelle Visser offers a fresh assessment of the Dutch version of the ‘flexicurity’ model, which attempts to balance the rise in nonstandard employment with improved social protection by indexing the minimum wage and strengthening rights of access to health insurance, pensions, and training. Sociologist Ida Regalia provides an engaging account of experimental local and regional “pacts” in Italy and France that allow several employers to share temporary workers, thereby providing workers job security within the group rather than with an individual firm. The volume also illustrates the power of governments to influence labor market institutions. Legal scholars John Howe and Michael Rawling discuss Australia's innovative legislation on supply chains that holds companies at the top of the supply chain responsible for employment law violations of their subcontractors. Contributors also analyze ways in which more general social policy is being renegotiated in light of the changing nature of work. Kendra Strauss, a geographer, offers a wide-ranging comparative analysis of pension systems and calls for a new model that offers “flexible pensions for flexible workers.” With its ambitious scope and broad inquiry, Rethinking Workplace Regulation illustrates the diverse innovations countries have developed to confront the policy challenges created by the changing nature of work. The experiments evaluated in this volume will provide inspiration and instruction for policymakers and advocates seeking to improve worker’s lives in this latest era of global capitalism.

PB - Russell Sage Foundation CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Social Class Myopia: The Case of Psychology and Labor Unions JF - Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy Y1 - 2013 A1 - Lott, Bernice KW - American Psychological Association KW - civil rights KW - economic fairness KW - justice KW - labor unions KW - psychology KW - satisfaction KW - workers’ rights KW - working class KW - workplace environment AB -

This article explores the potential for a research agenda that includes scholarship on working class issues and organized labor. Such an agenda is consistent with the official mission of American Psychological Association—to advance knowledge that benefits society and improves people's lives. I focus on our paucity of interest in the institution that gives the American working class a voice—the labor union. We know that work is one of the central focuses in the lives of most people and that the work experience is deeply implicated in satisfaction with life. The efforts of organized labor to achieve economic fairness and justice, and a healthy workplace environment, are intertwined with multiple corollary consequences that constitute a wide and complex spectrum—from physical job safety and economic security on one end, to the psychological benefits of heightened self-esteem, respect, dignity, empowerment, and affiliation on the other—all related to satisfaction with life. In addition, by advancing and protecting the rights of workers, unions are part of the larger movement for civil rights.

L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Towards Joint Liability in Global Supply Chains: Addressing the Root Causes of Labor Violations in International Subcontracting Networks JF - Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal Y1 - 2013 A1 - Anner, M. A1 - Jennifer Bair A1 - Jeremy Blasi KW - activism KW - global supply chains KW - globalization KW - labor rights KW - subcontracting KW - sweatshops AB -

This article situates today’s campaign for “buyer responsibility agreements” with companies like Adidas in a much longer struggle against sweatshops. The downward pressure that pervasive subcontracting networks put on garment workers’ wages and working conditions is not a new problem unique to the era of economic globalization; indeed, it as old as industrial apparel production itself. Yet the scholarly debate about how to combat contemporary sweatshops has been peculiarly ahistorical. One of goals on this article is to remedy the amnestic tone of this debate by reflecting on how the sweatshop problem was effectively solved, albeit only for a time, in the United States. Our case for the contemporary relevance of jobbers agreements unfolds as a three-part answer to a straightforward question: Why are working conditions and labor practices in the apparel industry essentially unchanged despite the widespread implementation of codes of conduct and compliance auditing regimes at the factory level, and what alternative approaches might prove more effective in securing garment worker rights in global supply chains?

VL - 35 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Undeserving Rich: American Beliefs about Inequality, Opportunity, and Redistribution Y1 - 2013 A1 - McCall, Leslie KW - economic fairness KW - economic policy KW - income inequality KW - redistribution AB -

It is widely assumed that Americans care little about income inequality, believe opportunities abound, admire the rich, and dislike redistributive policies. Leslie McCall contends that such assumptions are based on both incomplete survey data and economic conditions of the past and not present. In fact, Americans have desired less inequality for decades, and McCall's book explains why. Americans become most concerned about inequality in times of inequitable growth, when they view the rich as prospering while opportunities for good jobs, fair pay and high quality education are restricted for everyone else. As a result, they favor policies to expand opportunity and redistribute earnings in the workplace, reducing inequality in the market rather than redistributing income after the fact with tax and spending policies. This book resolves the paradox of how Americans can express little enthusiasm for welfare state policies and still yearn for a more equitable society, and forwards a new model of preferences about income inequality rooted in labor market opportunities rather than welfare state policies.

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Commitment and Stakeholder Red Tape: How Union Values Shape Perceptions of Organizational Rules JF - Review of Public Personnel Administration Y1 - 2013 A1 - Davis, Randall S. KW - employee attitudes KW - labor relations KW - organizational behavior KW - public sector KW - union values KW - unionization KW - work environment KW - workers’ rights AB -

This study examines whether public sector unionization encourages members to perceive more red tape in the work organization. Using the concepts of union socialization, commitment to union values, and stakeholder red tape, I develop and test a theoretical model that accounts for the direct and indirect effects of union socialization on member perceptions of red tape. The results from a series of structural equation models suggest that more socialized members perceive more red tape and are more likely to commit to union values. However, more committed union members perceive less red tape within the work organization. As such, the increase in perceived red tape because of union socialization is partially mitigated by member commitment to union values. Although interaction between union members may alert employees to negative components of the work environment, commitment to union values encourages members to perceive organizational rules as necessary protections of employee rights.

VL - 33 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Unions Against Governments: Explaining General Strikes in Western Europe, 1980-2006 JF - Comparative Political Studies Y1 - 2013 A1 - Kelly, J. A1 - Hamann, K. A1 - Johnston, A. KW - general strikes KW - policy reforms KW - social pacts KW - unions KW - Western Europe AB -

Across Western Europe, unions have increasingly engaged in staging general strikes against governments since 1980. This increase in general strikes is puzzling as it has occurred at the same time as economic strikes have been on the decline. We posit that theories developed to explain economic strikes hold little explanatory power in accounting for variation in general strikes across countries and over time. Instead, we develop a framework based on political variables; in particular, whether governments have included or excluded unions in framing policy reforms; the party position of the government; and the type of government. Our empirical analysis, based on a conditional fixed-effects logit estimation of 84 general strikes between 1980 and 2006, shows that union exclusion from the process of reforming policies, government strength, and the party position of the government can provide an initial explanation for the occurrence of general strikes.

VL - 46 L2 - eng UR - http://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/4247/2/4247.pdf CP - 9 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - What Workers Want Depends: Legal Knowledge and the Desire for Workplace Change among Day Laborers JF - Law & Policy Y1 - 2013 A1 - Trautner, Mary Nell A1 - Erin Hatton A1 - Kelly E. Smith KW - day laborers KW - employment law KW - job satisfaction KW - labor law KW - unionization KW - workers’ rights AB -

In this article, we identify legal knowledge as a key difference between workers who desire workplace change and those who do not. Based on surveys with 121 day laborers, we find that not all day laborers are equally dissatisfied with their jobs, despite uniformly difficult working conditions. Some day laborers do not want to make any real changes to the day labor industry, while others desire a range of industry changes, from higher wages to greater government regulation and unionization. A key difference between these workers is their knowledge of employment law: Those who know the law are more likely to desire workplace change.

VL - 35 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - When Unionization Disappears: State-Level Unionization and Working Poverty in the United States JF - American Sociological Review Y1 - 2013 A1 - Brady, David A1 - Regina S. Baker A1 - Ryan Finnigan KW - institutions KW - labor markets KW - poverty KW - unionization KW - working poverty AB -

Although the working poor are a much larger population than the unemployed poor, U.S. poverty research devotes much more attention to joblessness than to working poverty. Research that does exist on working poverty concentrates on demographics and economic performance and neglects institutions. Building on literatures on comparative institutions, unionization, and states as polities, we examine the influence of a potentially important labor market institution for working poverty: the level of unionization in a state. Using the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) for the United States, we estimate (1) multi-level logit models of poverty among employed households in 2010; and (2) two-way fixed-effects models of working poverty across seven waves of data from 1991 to 2010. Further, we replicate the analyses with the Current Population Survey while controlling for household unionization, and assess unionization’s potential influence on selection into employment. Across all models, state-level unionization is robustly significantly negative for working poverty. The effects of unionization are larger than the effects of states’ economic performance and social policies. Unionization reduces working poverty for both unionized and non-union households and does not appear to discourage employment. We conclude that U.S. poverty research can advance by devoting greater attention to working poverty, and by incorporating insights from the comparative literature on institutions.

VL - 78 L2 - eng UR - http://asr.sagepub.com/content/78/5/872 CP - 5 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Workers Who Organize in the Public Square: A Comparison of Mexican and US Organizing Models – Presented at “Labor and Global Solidarity – The US, China and Beyond,” conf. org. by the Labor and Labor Movements Section of the Amer. Sociological Association Y1 - 2013 A1 - Sarmiento, Hugo A1 - Chris Tilly A1 - Enrique de la Garza Toledo A1 - José Luis Gayosso Ramíre KW - day laborers KW - domestic work KW - gardening KW - immigrants KW - informal workers KW - Latinos KW - Mexico KW - organizing KW - street vendors AB -

[Excerpt] Informal work, that which is unregulated by law or is beyond the reach of law, employs the majority of workers in Mexico and increasingly more workers in the United States. Although some informal workers earn high incomes, the majority suffer from inadequate compensation or from lack of economic security and basic rights. As a result, it is not a surprise that informal workers are organizing themselves to reclaim their rights in various economic sectors of the two countries. What is surprising, at least initially, is that in each of the two countries groups of workers in the public square organizing perhaps the most powerful informal worker organizations.We refer to street vendors in Mexico and day laborers (workers, mainly immigrant Latinos a majority of whom are from Mexico, who look for short-term work in construction, gardening and domestic work) in the United States. In some cases they work in open public space (public streets and sidewalks), in other cases they solicit work in the same environment (on street corners or parking lots). One would expect such workers would experience a lack of personal safety, abuse from law enforcement agencies, and ferocious competition from other workers who do not face any significant barriers to entering this labor market. All of these problems do exist, yet workers in these sectors have formed powerful and effective organizations. In this paper, we explore, and explain to the extent it is possible, the sources, forms, reach and limits of this unexpected power. We situate our analysis in the political economy of the two countries, the principal site for street vending in Mexico, Mexico City, and the principal city for day laborers in the United States, Los Angeles, California.

L2 - eng UR - https://mitsloan.mit.edu/group/docs/iwer/Sarmiento-et-al-Workers-who-organize-in-the-public-square-July-2013-rev2.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - 《清华社会学评论:社会转型与新生代农民工(第6辑)》 Y1 - 2013 A1 - 沈原主编 PB - 社会科学文献出版社 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - 99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality is Wrecking the World and What We Can Do About It Y1 - 2012 A1 - Collins, Chuck KW - disparities in wealth KW - economic policies KW - inequality KW - inequality gap KW - social values KW - Wall Street AB -

For over thirty years, we've lived through a radical redistribution of wealth—upward, to a tiny fraction of the population. It's as though we're undertaking a bizarre social experiment to see how much inequality a democratic society can tolerate. As a result "We are the 99%," the rallying cry of the Occupy movement, has spread far beyond its ranks. But who are the 99 percent? Who are the 1 percent? How extensive and systematic is inequality throughout society? What are its true causes and consequences? How is inequality changing our world? And what can be done about it? For many years, Chuck Collins has been a leading voice and activist on these questions. In this book he marshals wide-ranging data from a variety of sources to paint a graphic picture of how disparities in wealth and power play out in America and the world. For the first time, this book reveals the concrete meaning of "the 99% and the 1%," looking not just at individual households but at the business world, the media, and the earth as a whole. Collins identifies the shifts in social values, political power, and economic policy that have led to our current era of extreme inequality—particularly the way Wall Street has managed to rig the rules of the game in favor of the 1 percent—and surveys the havoc inequality has wreaked on virtually every aspect of society. But there is hope. Not only does he offer common-sense proposals for closing the inequality gap, but Collins provides a guide to many of the groups—including some made up of millionaires—that are working to bring about a society that works for everybody: for the 100 percent. This is a struggle that can be won. After all, the odd are 99 to 1 in our favor.(publisher's statement)

PB - Berrett-Koehler Publishers CY - San Francisco L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - American Labor and American Law: Exceptionalism and its Politics in the Decline of the American Labor Movement JF - Law, Culture and the Humanities Y1 - 2012 A1 - Friedman, Gerald KW - collective action KW - individual rights KW - labor law KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - unionism KW - values KW - workers’ rights AB -

Since Werner Sombart visited the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, scholars and activists have debated whether the American labor movement is “exceptionally” weak and conservative, and why. While some have accepted Exceptionalism and attributed it to the conservative values of American workers, others have attributed it instead to the power of business and the repressive posture of the American government. This article argues that the American legal tradition contributed to “exceptionalism” by privileging individual rights over collective action, and by limiting the power of organizations, including governments as well as unions, over individual choice. While this individualist bias was modified in the 1930s, the Supreme Court quickly restored the individual bias in American labor law, leading to the collapse of unions in the later 20th century.

L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - American Workplace Dispute Resolution in the Individual Rights Era JF - International Journal of Human Rights Management Y1 - 2012 A1 - A. J. Colvin KW - ADR KW - alternative dispute resolution KW - dispute resolution KW - employment relations KW - individual rights AB -

This article presents a theoretical conceptualization of the rise of alternative dispute resolution and its impact on American employment relations in the individual rights era. The idea of an industrial relations system advanced by Dunlop is no longer a plausible general approach for understanding American employment relations given the decline of organized labor. This article examines the question of whether a new individual employment rights-based system of employment relations has replaced it. The old New Deal industrial relations system was based on three pillars: labor contracts that provided a web of rules governing the workplace; economic strikes, actual or threatened, which provided the bargaining power for unions to negotiate these contracts; and labor arbitration, which provided the workplace dispute resolution mechanism for enforcing these contracts. The institutions of the new individual employment rights era can be seen as based on three parallel elements: individual employment rights provide the new web of rules; litigation, actual or threatened, provides the new source of bargaining power for employees; and alternative dispute resolution procedures provide the new workplace-based mechanism for enforcing individual rights. However, each of these elements contains substantial limitations, which makes the institutional structures of the new individual employment rights era something different from a new Dunlopian integrated system.

VL - 23 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/833/ CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Are Green Jobs Decent? International Journal of Labour Research, Vol. 4, Issue 2 Y1 - 2012 KW - Africa KW - Asia KW - Europe KW - gender KW - Global Union Research Network KW - green economy KW - green jobs KW - GURN KW - recyling KW - renewable energy AB - For all the talk about green jobs, there had been until recently a dearth of research on them, the analysis often remaining at the level of projections and generalizations about the job potential of the shift towards a green economy. There is even the need to have an agreed definition of green jobs for statistical purposes. In order to help fill this void, a workshop entitled “A Green Economy that Works for Social Progress” was convened under the auspices of the Global Union Research Network (GURN) in October 2011. The workshop gathered researchers from several countries, presenting their studies on a certain number of employment-related aspects of the green economy. This issue of the International Journal of Labour Research is essentially the product of that encounter. The articles cover a wide range of experiences in different regions, most notably in Asia but also in Africa and Europe. They examine the quality of jobs created in the renewable energy sector and also in the recycling sector. One piece also offers some perspective on whether the prospects of green jobs for women are materializing and how trade unions might help this process along. PB - International Labour Organization CY - Geneva L2 - eng UR - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---actrav/documents/publication/wcms_207887.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - At the Bottom of a Global Commodity Chain: How Different Really are Hourly Wage Rates and Piece Rates? JF - Industrial Relations Journal Y1 - 2012 A1 - Anand Chand KW - garment industry KW - garment workers KW - Marxism KW - piece rates KW - piece wage KW - wages AB -

Employers have a number of different ways in which they can pay their employees. Discussions of the forms of wage payment were once very fashionable and they still remain important in terms of practice, but in theoretical terms, they have disappeared from the radar and been less central to recent analysis of work. On the surface, without any theoretical analysis and primarily empirical evidence, it appears that there is a major difference between ‘time wage’ rate and ‘piece wage’ rate. This article via Marxist theoretical analysis and primarily empirical evidence from Australian, New Zealand, Chinese and Fiji garment firms argued that there is a high level of similarity between time rate and piece rate. The empirical research findings of the Fiji garment industry shows that a time rate is not really much different from a piece rate, and in fact, a time rate is a disguised form of piece rate because workers are required to meet their targets per hour via very close monitoring of output and performance. The article further argued that there exist greater work intensification and exploitation via strict management control systems such as close supervision and punitive factory rules. The article also highlighted some of the limitations of existing social science theories because they can not account for what is going on garment firms in Fiji (especially Chinese firms). The article argues that we must either expand the earlier social science theories or move beyond and developed new theories to fully capture the new emerging trends of contemporary capitalist global production system.

VL - 43 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Beyond 'Political Economism’: New Identities for Trade Unions in Western Europe? JF - Capital & Class Y1 - 2012 A1 - Graham Taylor A1 - Andrew Mathers A1 - Martin Upchurch KW - European integration KW - neoliberalism KW - regulation theory KW - social democracy KW - Union identity AB -

This article engages critically with Richard Hyman’s work on union identity and European integration. It includes a sympathetic review of Hyman’s contribution to the debate on these topics over the past two decades, alongside a critique of Hyman’s approach that highlights certain weaknesses and contradictions resulting from his uncritical use of a range of categories and concepts taken from regulation theory. The authors question Hyman’s argument that developments in European unionism can be conceptualised adequately through an analysis of the development and crisis of ‘political economism’: a dominant union identity that Hyman aligns with the development and crisis of Fordism. An alternative model for understanding the reorientation of European unions is presented based on a critical and dialectical conceptualisation of the relationship between unions and capitalist development. This is used to construct a model of contemporary union reorientation along the dimensions of ‘accommodation’ and ‘opposition’ to neoliberalism and to ‘national’ and ‘international’ modes of organisation and mobilisation.

VL - 36 L2 - eng UR - http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/8448/1/beyond_political_economism_final_with_revisions2%5B1%5D.pdf CP - 1 ER - TY - CONF T1 - The Changing Nature of Labor Unrest in China Y1 - 2012 A1 - Elfstrom, M. A1 - Kuruvilla, S. KW - China KW - labor unrest KW - protest KW - strikes AB -

The argument in the paper is that there is a seismic change in labor protest in China. Whereas strikes and protests were largely defensive in nature, focused on protecting current rights and benefits, we find that since 2008, the number of strikes have increased, and Chinese workers are striking for “bread and butter issues”, i.e. more money and more respect from employers. We demonstrate this change by examining strikes using new data that we have collected, and from interviews with employment relations stakeholders as well as two small case studies of strikes in manufacturing. We explain this change by arguing, consistent with McAdam’s political model, that economic and political opportunities such as the labor shortage, new labor laws, and new media openness in China creates responses by actors that serve as cognitive cues for workers to be more assertive in their demands.

PB - International Labor and Employment Relations Conference, July 2-5, 2012 CY - Philadelphia L2 - eng UR - http://ilera2012.wharton.upenn.edu/NonRefereedPapers/Kuruvilla,%20Sarosh%20and%20Elfstrom,%20Manfred.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Changing Relationship Between Labor and the State in Contemporary Capitalism JF - Law, Culture and the Humanities Y1 - 2012 A1 - Howell, Chris KW - industrial relations KW - legal regulation KW - state activism KW - state power KW - unionism AB -

Over the course of the past quarter century, paralleling the decline of organized labor, there has been a marked increase in the role of the state in the industrial relations of advanced capitalist societies. This has come both in the form of state activism in the reconstruction of institutions, and through the replacement of collective self-regulation by employer and labor organizations with legal regulation. Unsurprisingly, these developments have failed to encourage a renewal of trade union collective power, leaving workers increasingly insecure, dependent upon markets, and vulnerable to the vagaries of state power.

L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Chinese Worker After Socialism Y1 - 2012 A1 - Hurst, W. KW - China KW - labor KW - reemployment KW - social dislocation KW - socialism KW - unemployment KW - workers AB -

This book was first published in 2009. While millions in China have been advantaged by three decades of reform, impressive gains have also produced social dislocation. Groups that had been winners under socialism find themselves losers in the new order. Based on field research in nine cities across China, this fascinating study considers the fate of one such group - 35 million workers laid off from the state-owned sector. The book explains why these lay-offs occurred, how workers are coping with unemployment, what actions the state is taking to provide them with livelihoods and re-employment, and what happens when workers mobilize collectively to pursue redress of their substantial grievances. What happens to these people, the remnants of the socialist working class, will be critical in shaping post-socialist politics and society in China and beyond. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Collective Bargaining: Crisis and Its Consequences for American Society JF - Industrial Relations Journal Y1 - 2012 A1 - Thomas A. Kochan KW - collective bargaining KW - industrial relations KW - Willy Brown AB -

The term ‘collective bargaining’ was first used extensively and developed in full form by Sidney and Beatrice Webb. As the intellectual father and mother of British industrial relations and through their multiple contributions to research, government and policy making, and university affairs, the Webbs served as role models for multiple generations of British scholars. Willy Brown, scholar, educational leader and active public servant, stands as our generation's Webbs' equivalent. In all three domains he has carried on the Webbs' legacy with the highest distinction. So it is fitting that one essay in this collection honouring Willy be devoted to an examination of the current state of this institution the Webbs called collective bargaining. I am honoured to present an analysis of collective bargaining, albeit one limited to its effects, the consequences of its decline and its potential future in the United States.

VL - 43 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Crisis and Social Policy: The Role of Collective Agreements JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2012 A1 - Glassner, Vera A1 - Maarten Keune KW - collective agreement KW - collective bargaining KW - EU countries KW - Europe KW - private sector KW - public sector KW - social policy AB -

Based on an analysis of collective agreements concluded across the EU in 2008–11, the authors examine their contributions to social policy through provisions for short-time work, training, wage moderation, and flexibilization of wage setting and working time. They highlight the distinction between the public and private sectors in this respect, contrasting the former's very limited scope for integrative bargaining in the face of mounting budget deficits and austerity with the latter's (initially) more balanced trade-offs between cost competitiveness and maintenance of employment and wages, especially in countries with coordinated bargaining systems. Elsewhere, the authors argue, the outcomes look set to deteriorate further.

VL - 151 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Does the Impact of Union Experience on Job Satisfaction Differ by Gender JF - Industrial and Labor Relations Review Y1 - 2012 A1 - Artz, Benjamin KW - gender KW - job satisfaction KW - union leadership KW - union membership AB -

The author investigates gender differences in the impact of accumulated union experience on job satisfaction. Because there are fewer women than men in both public and private sector unions, and women are disproportionately underrepresented in union leadership, their collective bargaining power is not equivalent to that of men. As a result, women’s preferences for job characteristics and benefits may be overlooked, contributing to reduced job satisfaction as their tenure in the union increases. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) panel data from 1979–2004, the author demonstrates that the accumulation of union experience negatively affects women’s job satisfaction more severely than it does men’s. This is particularly the case in private sector unions, in which women are more likely to be under-represented in both union membership and leadership positions.

VL - 65 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/ilrreview/vol65/iss2/2/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Dynamics and Dilemma of Workplace Trade Union Reform in China: The Case of the Honda Workers’ Strike JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2012 A1 - Chris King-Chi Chan A1 - Elaine Sio-Ieng Hui KW - China KW - strike KW - trade union KW - workplace AB -

Based on a case study of the Honda workers’ strike and its impact on workplace industrial relations, this article explores the potential of and barriers to workplace trade union reform in China. A rise in workers’ collective actions has put political pressure on the All China Federation of Trade Unions to promote effective trade unionism and create a vital foundation for exercising democratic union representation in the workplace. The main barrier to effective workplace unionism, however, is the lack of external support for workers’ unionization efforts. On the one hand, the lower-level local trade unions fail to comply with their legal responsibility because of their bureaucratic nature and structural integration into the patron–client relationship between the local state and the global capital. On the other hand, support for workers from civil society is handicapped by the party-state’s opposition to independent labour organizing. This dilemma has forced the higher trade union federation to intervene directly in workplace trade union reform and promote state-led wage bargaining.

VL - 54 L2 - eng UR - http://chrischankc.com/sites/default/files/Chan%20and%20Hui--2012--JIR.pdf CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - East Asian Labor and Employment Law: International and Comparative Context Y1 - 2012 A1 - Brown, R. C. KW - Asia KW - China KW - employment law KW - globalization KW - Japan KW - labor law KW - South Korea AB -

This book deals with international labor and employment law in the East Asia Region (EA), particularly dealing with China, South Korea, and Japan. It explores and explains the effects of globalization and discusses the role of international lawyers, business personnel, and human resource directors who are knowledgeable, culturally sensitive, and understand the issues that can arise when dealing in EA trade and investment. The text and readings (from area experts) are organized and written to provide the reader with, first, a broad understanding and insight into the global dimensions of the fast-emerging area of labor and employment issues (e.g., global legal standards and their interplay with domestic and foreign laws); and second, to show how these laws and approaches play out in specific EA countries (comparing global approaches with the specific laws of each country on four common agenda items: regulatory administration, workers' rights, trade unions, and dispute resolution). The book should be of interest not only to lawyers, students, human resource personnel, and government officials, but also to business investors, managers, and members of the public interested in the growing phenomenon of changing labor laws and societies in China, South Korea, and Japan. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Employment Protection and Industrial Relations: Recent Trends and Labour Market Impacts T2 - World of Work Report 2012: Better Jobs For a Better Economy Y1 - 2012 A1 - Cazes, S. A1 - Sameer Khatiwada A1 - Miguel Angel Malo KW - employment levels KW - employment protection KW - employment protection regulation KW - labor market reform AB -

[Excerpt] Countries faced with the twin challenges of low employment growth and limited fiscal space have turned increasingly towards labour market reform as a tool for reassuring financial markets and in the hope of boosting economic growth. Indeed, the most recent evidence gathered in this chapter indicates that, in the post-crisis period, reforms that promote lighter employment protection regulations and decentralized collective bargaining have gathered momentum….While there are grounds for modifying inadequate provisions, some of the recent labour market reforms may reduce job stability and exacerbate inequalities while failing to boost employment levels. And, in countries in recession, the weakening of regulations and institutions may leave the labour market with no protection floor or a very low one – thereby hampering overall job recovery prospects. The policy debate should therefore focus on the efficient design of regulations and institutions, rather than on “less regulation versus more regulation”. This chapter provides recent examples of such efficient regulation.

JA - World of Work Report 2012: Better Jobs For a Better Economy PB - International Labour Organization CY - Geneva, Switzerland L2 - eng UR - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/@publ/documents/publication/wcms_179453.pdf ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Facts About Worker Safety and Health - 2012 Y1 - 2012 A1 - CIO AFL- KW - health regulation KW - health standards KW - job safety KW - legislation KW - Mine Safety and Health Act KW - MSHA KW - Occupational Safety and Health Act KW - OSHA KW - public policy AB -

[Excerpt] This year marks the 41st anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the effective date of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The Act – which guarantees every American worker a safe and healthful working environment – created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to set and enforce standards and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to conduct research and investigations. This year also marks the 43rd anniversary of the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, and 35th anniversary of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act.

PB - AFL-CIO CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/laborunions/70/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - From First Contact to First Contract: A Union Organizer's Handbook Y1 - 2012 A1 - Bill Barry KW - organizing KW - organizing campaign KW - union organizing KW - unionization AB -

Veteran labor organizer and educator Bill Barry looks to his own vast experience to document and help organizers through all the stages of a unionization campaign, from how to get it off the ground to how to bring it home with a signed contract and a strong bargaining unit. In 19 chapters he discusses everything from the culture of organizing to how to strategize, various approaches to campaigns, whether to go through formal (i.e., NLRB) procedures or work from outside established law, what to expect from employers, and a whole lot more. Several appendices offer useful tips and tools. (publisher's statement)

PB - Free State Press CY - Annapolis, MD L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Gendered Projects of Solidarity: Workplace Organizing among Immigrant Women and Men JF - Gender, Work & Organization Y1 - 2012 A1 - Cranford, C. J. KW - gender KW - immigrants KW - labor organizing KW - solidarity KW - union organizing AB -

Drawing on an ethnography of organizing among Latina/o immigrant janitors in Los Angeles, I argue that constructing workplace solidarity between women and men is a dynamic, gendered project. I demonstrate both how this project unfolds and how it can be halted, with varying implications for gender and class inequality at work. Organizational restructuring upsets gender-segregated divisions of labour making solidarity between women and men possible but restructuring also allows workers to reinforce gendered divisions and cultural distinctions. The mechanism pushing workers one way or the other is the degree to which the process of organizing recognizes gender inequalities.

VL - 19 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Global Workplace: International and Comparative Employment Law: Cases and Materials Y1 - 2012 A1 - Corbett, William A1 - Roger Blanpain A1 - Susan Bisom-Rapp A1 - Josephs, Hilary K A1 - Zimmer, Michael J., KW - casebook KW - employment law KW - international labor law KW - labor law AB -

With the forces of globalization as a backdrop, this casebook addresses the comparative study of the labor and employment law of the nine countries that are the major players in the global economy within the overall framework of international labor and employment law.

PB - Wolters Kluwer CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Grievance Guide (13th Edition) Y1 - 2012 A1 - Bureau, NationalAffairs KW - arbitration KW - conflict KW - conflict management system KW - conflict resolution KW - dispute resolution KW - grievance arbitration AB -

Practical guidance for tracking patterns in grievance arbitration.

PB - Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) Books CY - Edison, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Just Cause: A Union Guide to Winning Disciplinary Cases Y1 - 2012 A1 - Robert M. Schwartz KW - arbitration KW - discipline KW - grievances KW - infractions AB -

The first new look at union discipline principles since “the seven tests of just cause” propounded by labor arbitrator Carroll Daugherty in 1965. Just Cause brings the seven tests up to date by discarding tests that have not been accepted by other prominent labor arbitrators and adding the established principles of progressive discipline and mitigating circumstances. (publisher's statement)

PB - Work Rights Press CY - Cambridge, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining: Private and Public Sectors (10th Edition) Y1 - 2012 A1 - Carrell, M. R. A1 - Heavrin, C. KW - collective bargaining KW - labor relations KW - unions AB -

An introductory text to collective bargaining and labor relations. This text is concerned with application, as well as coverage of labor history, laws, and practices. For undergraduate and graduate courses in labor relations and collective bargaining.

PB - Prentice Hall CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour Law Y1 - 2012 A1 - Collins, Hugh A1 - Keith Ewing A1 - Aileen McColgan KW - employment law KW - labor law KW - textbook AB - Building on their successful cases and materials book, Collins, Ewing and McColgan present an entirely restructured and freshly written new textbook on employment law. Comprehensive and engaging, it combines detailed analysis and commentary on the law with short contextual extracts to fully equip the labour law student. Carefully balancing clear exposition of legal principles with critical and scholarly analysis, this is the definitive textbook on the subject written by the UK's foremost employment law scholars. The book's 20-part structure maps logically onto either a full or half module employment law course. Chapter introductions and conclusions and an uncluttered text design carefully guide the student through the material. Innovative case studies show the law 'in action' and discussion of the globalized workplace gives the work a contemporary feel. Put simply, this is required reading for all students of the subject.(publisher's statement) PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Low-Wage Work: A Global Perspective JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2012 A1 - Lee, Sangheon A1 - Kristen Sobeck KW - collective bargaining KW - developed countries KW - developing countries KW - low wages; KW - minimum wages KW - wage policy KW - wages AB -

This article provides a global overview of trends in low pay and policies for reducing its incidence. The special issue it introduces follows up on “Low-wage work in Europe and the United States” (Vol. 148 (2009), No. 4), the focus here being on Brazil, China, India, the Republic of Korea and South Africa. After examining the definition and estimation of low pay, the authors give particular attention to two policies accounting for variations in cross-country trends: collective bargaining and minimum wages. To address low pay effectively, they argue, minimum wages must be set within a certain range on account of threshold effects.

VL - 151 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Making Mediation Work for You: A Practical Handbook Y1 - 2012 A1 - Kate Aubrey-Johnson A1 - Helen Curtis KW - civil mediation KW - community mediation KW - family mediation KW - mediation KW - mediation strategies KW - workplace mediation AB -

An accessible guide to how mediation works, providing an introduction for anyone considering mediation as an alternative to going to court. It offers guidance to parties and legal advisers on how to set up and prepare for a mediation, highlighting the strategies, skills and techniques mediators can employ to achieve the best possible outcome for the parties involved. There is detailed coverage of civil, family, workplace and community mediation and information on professional standards, ethics and training.(publisher's statement)

PB - Legal Action Group CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - A New Deal for China's Workers? Labor Law Reform in the Wake of Rising Labor Unrest (Public Law Research Paper No. 11-58) Y1 - 2012 A1 - Cynthia L. Estlund A1 - Gurgel, S. KW - China KW - Honda KW - labor law KW - labor relations KW - labor standards KW - labor unrest KW - strikes KW - workers’ rights AB -

The 2010 Honda strikes in China marked a turning point in its labor relations regime, not because they were unprecedented but because they followed several years of rising labor unrest. In some ways reminiscent of New Deal labor law reforms in the U.S., rising collective labor protest has spurred government efforts both to improve labor standards through direct regulation and to institute more participatory and democratic structures for the resolution of labor disputes. Yet China's leaders generally regard collective activity that is outside of and independent of the state as a threat to political stability and Communist Party control, and as a civic wrong rather than a civic right. So for now there is little prospect of China's recognizing workers' own independent labor organizations. Rather, reform efforts focus on reshaping some features of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), China’s only lawful labor union structure.The main reform proposals call for democratic elections of union officers at the enterprise level and a more robust framework for collective negotiations. These democratizing reforms would represent major steps forward for China’s workers; yet they face serious challenges, for they challenge entrenched habits and traditional functions of the ACFTU. If the reforms come to fruition, they seem more likely to stimulate than to satisfy grassroots demands for democratization, and to channel workers' discontent more squarely toward the party-state. The reforms aim to shore up the dominant role of the party-state in directing major social forces and the current system for official representation and control of labor; yet their implementation would likely sharpen the contradictions between that system and China’s modernizing market economy. A more promising (but more radical) response to its labor troubles would be for China to transform the role of the state, on the labor front as it largely has on the capital front, from one of directing collective activity to one of regulating otherwise autonomous collective actors.

PB - NYU School of Law CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Non-Standard Workers: Good Practices Of Social Dialogue And Collective Bargaining Y1 - 2012 A1 - Minawa Ebisui KW - collective bargaining KW - globalization KW - informal employment KW - precarious employment KW - self employment KW - social dialogue KW - temporary employment KW - trade unions AB -

This paper provides a comparative synthesis analysis of a series of national studies on non-standard work, collective bargaining and social dialogue in selected countries (Argentina,Colombia, India, Indonesia, Hungary, Japan and South Africa), which the Industrial and Employment Relations Department (DIALOGUE) of the ILO has conducted as a pilot project under the ILO’s Global Product on “Supporting collective bargaining and sound industrial relations”. The national studies aimed at identifying current and emerging non-standard forms of work arrangements within which workers are in need of protection; examining good practices in which people in non-standard forms of work are organized; analysing the role that collective bargaining and other forms of social dialogue play in improving the terms and conditions as well as the status of non-standard workers; and identifying good practices in this regard.

PB - International Labour Office Working Paper No. 36 CY - Geneva L2 - eng UR - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---dialogue/documents/publication/wcms_179448.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Non-Union Employee Representation, Union Avoidance and the Managerial Agenda JF - Economic and Industrial Democracy Y1 - 2012 A1 - Donaghey, Jimmy A1 - Niall Cullinane A1 - Tony Dundon A1 - Tony Dobbins KW - case study KW - managerial intent KW - non-union representation KW - union avoidance KW - worker participation AB -

Non-union employee representation is an area which has attracted much interest in the voice literature. Much of the literature has been shaped by a dialogue which considers NERs as a means of union avoidance. More recently however scholars have suggested that for NERs to work in such contexts, they may need to be imbued with a higher set of functionalities to remain viable entities. Using a critical case study of a union recognition drive and managerial response in the form of an NER, this article contributes to a more nuanced interpretation of the literature dialogue than hitherto exists. A core component of the findings directly challenge existing interpretations within the field; namely that NERs are shaped by a paradox of managerial action. It is argued that the NER failed to satisfy for employees because of a structural remit, rather than through any paradox in managerial intent.

VL - 33 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Offensive Bargaining: Negotiating Aggressively in Contract Campaigns Y1 - 2012 A1 - Rosenfeld, D. KW - bargaining KW - bargaining power KW - contract KW - negotiation AB -

Union negotiators are offered techniques to meet particularly harsh or outrageous employer proposals and tactics, prevent impasse, force employers to withdraw concessionary demands, bargain for a first contract, and more.

PB - UCS Inc. CY - Annapolis, MD L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Profile of Workplace Safety and Health in the United States Y1 - 2012 A1 - CIO AFL- KW - AFL-CIO KW - health KW - labor movement KW - organizing KW - representation KW - safety KW - unions AB -

Prepared by the AFL-CIO Safety and Health Department, this report breaks down workplace fatalities, injuries/illnesses, penalties, number of inspectors, years to inspect each workplace, and program, by state for 2010.

PB - AFL-CIO CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/laborunions/74/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Public Perceptions of Trade Unions in Countries of the European Union: A Causal Analysis JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2012 A1 - Turner, Thomas A1 - Daryl D’Art KW - Europe KW - institutional regimes KW - public perceptions KW - trade unions AB -

Given the ideological, political, and economic structural changes in the latter part of the twentieth century it might be expected that the demand for trade unions has significantly declined. Using a European-wide survey, this article addressed the extent to which European citizens perceive a need for trade unions. Our results indicate that contrary to expectations, a substantial majority of respondents perceived a need for strong trade unions to protect their pay and working conditions. Attitudinal formation appears to be more influenced by individual characteristics than either structural or institutional regimes, at least in a European context. Conversely the institutional measures of union presence and country of origin substantially account for the factors that determine why employees with favorable perceptions of trade unions become a union member. Among employees the extent to which positive attitudes converts into actual union membership appears to be critically dependent on a union-friendly institutional regime.

VL - 37 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Public Perceptions of Union Efficacy: A Twenty-Four Country Study JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2012 A1 - Rebecca Kolins Givan A1 - Lena Hipp KW - job satisfaction KW - perceived job security KW - public opinion KW - union membership KW - union revitalization KW - unions KW - working conditions AB -

Since the perceived efficacy of unions is one of the best predictors of an individual’s willingness to vote for or join a union, this article examines the relationship between union membership and perceptions of unions. In particular, we ask: How do union members feel about unions in comparison to nonunion members? How do former union members feel about unions in comparison with those who were never members? How do different groups of workers perceive unions? We answer these questions by analyzing large-scale, cross-national survey data on perceptions of unions. The data contain 14,733 observations in twenty-four countries and are taken from the 2005 wave of the International Social Survey Program (ISSP). The survey asks how respondents feel about the effects of unions on both job security and working conditions. From our analysis, we can conclude that union-membership status (both current and past) and gender matter in determining perceptions of the efficacy of unions. In particular, we find that union members feel more positive about the ability of unions to improve working conditions and job security than nonunion members and that former members tend to be more positive than never union members in these views. We also find that among nonunion members, women tend to hold a more positive view than men of the effect of unions on job security.

VL - 37 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Rediscovering Collective Bargaining: Australia's Fair Work Act in International Perspective Y1 - 2012 A1 - Breen Creighton A1 - Anthony Forsyth KW - Australia KW - collective bargaining KW - Fair Work Act KW - good faith bargaining KW - human resource management KW - labor law AB -

This book examines countries that have tried, with varying degrees of success, to use legislative strategies to encourage and support collective bargaining, including Australia’s Fair Work Act. It is the first major study of the operation and impact of the new collective bargaining framework introduced under the Fair Work Act, combining theoretical and practical perspectives. In addition, a number of comparative pieces provide rich insights into the Australian legislation’s adaptation of concepts from overseas collective bargaining systems – including good faith bargaining, and majority employee support as the basis for establishing bargaining rights. Contributors to this volume are all leading labor law, industrial relations, and human resource management scholars from Australia, and from Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. (publisher's statement)

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Representation of Non-Standard Workers: Theory and Culture of Collective Bargaining JF - Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research Y1 - 2012 A1 - Cella, Gian Primo KW - collective bargaining KW - collective bargaining theory KW - non-standard workers KW - representation KW - trade union cultures KW - unionism AB -

This article starts by looking at the intriguing similarities between the ends of the 19th and 20th centuries as far as the relationships between work and systems or structures of production are concerned. It considers the possible options for representing non-standard (or atypical) workers that can be usefully drawn from the past. Work is termed atypical as compared to the institutionalized forms dominant in the era of Taylorist-Fordist industrial production, although atypical work today has significant precedents in the 19th century. With regard to trade union cultures and policies, the thesis is that only by changing the logic and the practice of bargaining action, drawing inspiration from the theory of the Webbs, can suitable forms of representation be found for those components of non-standard labour more distant from the well-defined, stylized figure of the worker of the industrial age. This is a perspective that can represent both extremes of workers that offer their labour on the market: the highly skilled semi-independent worker, and the contingent worker with generic skills, who is possibly a member of the working poor. This could open the way for a unionism under which few would be excluded from collective representation, even if not ‘collective’ in the way understood in the past.

VL - 18 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Rise and Fall of Industrial Unionism JF - Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research Y1 - 2012 A1 - Jelle Visser KW - industrial decline KW - industrial unionism KW - industrial unions KW - sector organization KW - sectoral bargaining KW - trade union structure KW - trade unionism KW - union organizing AB -

Measured by its achievements, industrial unionism represented the high point in the history of 20th century trade unions. This article analyses the defining characteristics and organizing model of industrial unions and argues that changes both in the labor market, in particular the decline of industry, and in union organizing and sectoral bargaining have led to the ‘fall’ of the industrial union. The article ends with some suggestions with regard to the spirit and agenda of the post-industrial union.

VL - 18 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Shopping for Voice: Do Pre-Existing Non-Union Representation Plans Matter When Employees Unionize? JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2012 A1 - A. T. Timur A1 - Daphne Taras A1 - Allen Ponak KW - non-union KW - non-union employee representation plan KW - organizing KW - unionization AB -

The transition to unionization in three workplaces with pre-existing non-union employee representation plans (NERPs) is contrasted to three matched sites, which had only individual representation. Pre-existing collective voice arrangements had substantial effects on the process and outcomes of unionization. While the individual representation sites presented a conventional process of mobilization and attachment to the union, the NERP sites revealed a more equivocal outcome. The union was used in an instrumental manner to increase NERP power and to achieve worker demands already articulated by the NERP. NERP leaders became union leaders. There remained significant attachment to the NERP and a reluctance to fully embrace unionization.

VL - 50 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Smart Stewardship for Nonprofits: Making the Right Decision in Good Times and Bad Y1 - 2012 A1 - Brinckerhoff, P. C. KW - Decision making KW - Electronic books KW - Nonprofit organizations KW - Problem solving AB -

A practical guide to effective decision-making frameworks and tools for nonprofits that ensure successful stewardship. The basic tenets of decision making for nonprofits are similar, whether you're growing, shrinking, or trying to think your way out of a box. Smart Stewardship for Nonprofits provides the tools to make the best stewardship decisions in these varied, but common, situations. Coverage includes the keys to smart stewardship for your nonprofit, the smart stewardship decision tree, understanding capability and capacity, making innovation the norm, understanding the true cost of growth, going to scale, and smart stewardship in bad times. Features tools to make the best stewardship decisions in every kind of situation; written for executive directors of nonprofit organizations, nonprofit board members, CPAs, and other financial counsel for nonprofits, development directors; provides a website hosting a variety of online tools and materials. With innovative organizational change initiatives to foster new growth and effectiveness, Smart Stewardship for Nonprofits offers your nonprofit the critical guidance it needs to get there. (from Amazon.com)

PB - Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons L2 - eng N1 - ID: nyu_aleph003763672; Includes bibliographical references and index. ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Teaching About Labor Through Union Worker–University Student Dialogues JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2012 A1 - Ericka Wills KW - CHAT KW - critical pedagogy KW - dialoguing KW - labor education KW - perceptions AB -

This article offers a pedagogical model for facilitating union worker–university student dialogues on labor issues. Most university students in this study initially held neutral opinions of organized labor. However, the beliefs of the few students with strong attitudes about unions were often shaped by close interactions with family members who belonged to unions. Taking these attitudes and factors into considerations when designing classroom activities and approaches, a dialoguing process was developed that encouraged participants to articulate their viewpoints, engage in reciprocal written and verbal exchanges, and reflect on others’ perceptions in order to enhance their own labor perspectives.

VL - 37 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Trade Unions and Workplace Training: Issues and International Perspectives Y1 - 2012 A1 - Cooney, Richard A1 - Mark Stuart KW - continuing professional development KW - employment relations KW - human resource development KW - skill development KW - trade unions KW - vocational education KW - workplace training AB - Examines the changing role of trade unions in the provision of vocational education, workplace training and skill development. It reflects upon: the role that unions have played in the reform of vocational education and training systems; the nature of union involvement in consultative mechanisms at a national and industry level; the nature of union involvement in skill formation at the workplace; and the development of mechanisms for the articulation of employee voice in the design, delivery and assessment of vocational training. The book provides a collection of studies of Canada, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Norway by leading researchers in the field. Distinctive, accessible and original, all the chapters are written in a style that illustrates the relevance of academic debates and research data to practice and the book includes a number of the chapters written by trade union practitioners.(publisher's statement) PB - Routledge CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Organizing and Membership Growth: Why Don’t They Organize? JF - Journal of Labor Research Y1 - 2012 A1 - Fiorito, Jack A1 - Paul Jarley KW - membership KW - organizing KW - union membership KW - union organizing KW - unions AB -

This study analyzes U.S. union organizing activity and membership growth from 1990 to 2004, a period in which an overall pattern of union decline continued and in which organizing achieved renewed prominence as both a union policy and public policy issue. Models for organizing activity and membership growth were proposed and tested. Union decentralization and employer opposition were found to be key predictors of organizing activity differences among unions. These same factors, along with organizing activity, helped explain union differences in membership growth, as did a “Sweeney era” effect.

VL - 33 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Unions and Collective Bargaining in 2011 JF - Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2012 A1 - Brigden, Cathy KW - Australia KW - collective bargaining KW - Fair Work Act KW - industrial disputes KW - Qantas KW - trade unions AB -

In 2011, Australian unions successfully extended collective bargaining in some quarters while, in others, they engaged in lengthy industrial campaigns. At the heart of a number of these campaigns lay the issue of job security and controls over staffing. The challenge to managerial prerogative prompted some unforeseen actions, including lockouts, by employers, the most dramatic example being seen at Qantas. Unexpectedly, this also included an employer preference for arbitration not previously seen under the Fair Work Act 2009. Union activity to increase union density remained a challenge, with the Australian Council of Trade Unions shifting to a campaigning focus in an attempt to identify salient issues confronting members. Relations with the federal government were overall fairly positive, in particular, with some advances made in the area of occupational health and safety. This was in contrast to relations with a number of state governments as a result of their bargaining tactics and strategies.

VL - 54 L2 - eng CP - 3 J1 - Journal of Industrial Relations ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Unions Facing and Suffering Neo-liberalism in the United States JF - The International Handbook Of Labour Unions: Responses to Neo-Liberalism Y1 - 2012 A1 - Bruno, Bob ED - Gregor Gall ED - Adrian Wilkinson ED - Richard Hurd KW - air traffic controllers KW - anti-unionism KW - labor movement KW - neo-liberalism KW - Ronald Reagan KW - workers’ rights AB -

[Excerpt] In the 1980s, neo-liberalism washed over the American political landscape and nearly drowned the labour movement. The first sign of high water is debatable. Maybe, it was the firing of striking unionised air traffic controllers by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 that signalled the advance of an unfettered ‘free market’ in America. Symbolically, the strong-armed action of the nation’s chief executive to punish federal employees waging an illegal strike was a watershed moment for the deteriorating relationship between capital and labour. Corporate leaders and right-wing conservative political forces interpreted Reagan’s executive order as an unconditional withdrawal of state protections for worker rights. McCarten (2006: 215, 216) called the strike of Professional Air Traffic Controllers (PATCO) ‘one of the most significant events in 20th century US labor history’ (2006, 215) symbolising ‘the declining power of the labor movement’. But as dramatic as it was in turning labour’s fortunes the air traffic control firings were more a confirmation of a neo-liberal turn than the first rip in the postwar social-contract fabric. In the late 1970s, administrative deregulation had already been imposed on the trucking industry reducing incomes and eliminating union drivers. Foreign cars had driven unimpeded into American show rooms while American auto manufactures and government officials ignored the realities of the emerging global markets for durable goods. Trade policy shaped principally by cold war foreign policy concerns had invited steel imports into industrial centers of the Midwest and Northeast.

PB - Edward Elgar Publishing CY - Northampton, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Unions for Beginners Y1 - 2012 A1 - Cogswell, D. KW - collective bargaining KW - labor history KW - labor unions KW - organizing AB -

It is a time when unions have returned to the front pages of newspapers and blogs and demonstrators are in the streets of America every day. It is a time when the right wing has tried to strike the final blow against what remains of the right to collective bargaining. It is a time when millions of members of the middle class are falling through the cracks in a downward economic trend that parallels the decline of unions. It is this time when people are turning again to the history of unions. Unions For Beginners provides an introduction to that essential history.

Written and profusely illustrated in the user-friendly, accessible style of the For Beginners series, Unions For Beginners lays down a simple presentation of the colorful epic story of the struggle of working people to rise from lives dominated by toil and underpaid work to becoming full-fledged participants in the American dream they helped to build. Unions For Beginners presents the history of unions and the labor movement, the principles underlying union organizing, the decline of unions in the shadow of the rising corporate state, and the resurgence in the 21st century of union activism. (publisher’s statement)

PB - Steerforth Press CY - Hanover, NH L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Wage and Hour Violations in Urban Labour Markets: A Comparison of Los Angeles, New York and Chicago JF - Industrial Relations Journal Y1 - 2012 A1 - Ruth Milkman A1 - Ana Luz González A1 - Peter Ikeler KW - hour violations KW - labor standards KW - minimum wage KW - wage violations AB -

This article compares violations of minimum wage laws and other labor standards in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Los Angeles has the highest violation rates, due to such factors as its industrial composition and disproportionately large number of small establishments, as well as its vast unauthorized immigrant population. In addition, Los Angeles’ higher rates reflect the stricter legal standards in California. We conclude that, although stronger workplace laws and regulations are crucial, in the absence of effective enforcement, they may fail to prevent workplace violations.

VL - 43 L2 - eng UR - http://media.wix.com/ugd/90d188_c4e7dd7665ae0e79b71f26181e3efe40.pdf CP - 5 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - An Empirical Study of Employment Arbitration: Case Outcomes and Processes JF - Journal of Empirical Legal Studies Y1 - 2011 A1 - A. J. Colvin KW - AAA KW - American Arbitration Association KW - arbitration KW - dispute resolution AB -

Using data from reports filed by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) pursuant to California Code requirements, this article examines outcomes of employment arbitration. The study analyzes 3,945 arbitration cases, of which 1,213 were decided by an award after a hearing, filed and reaching disposition between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2007. This includes all the employment arbitration cases administered nationally by the AAA during this time period that derived from employer-promulgated arbitration procedures. Key findings include: (1) the employee win rate amongst the cases was 21.4%, which is lower than employee win rates reported in employment litigation trials; (2) in cases won by employees, the median award amount was $36,500 and the mean was $109,858, both of which are substantially lower than award amounts reported in employment litigation; (3) mean time to disposition in arbitration was 284.4 days for cases that settled and 361.5 days for cases decided after a hearing, which is substantially shorter than times to disposition in litigation; (4) mean arbitration fees were $6,340 per case overall, $11,070 for cases disposed of by an award following a hearing, and in 97 percent of these cases the employer paid 100 percent of the arbitration fees beyond a small filing fee, pursuant to AAA procedures; (5) in 82.4 percent of the cases, the employees involved made less than $100,000 per year; and (6) the mean amount claimed was $844,814 and 75 percent of all claims were greater than $36,000. The study also analyzes whether there is a repeat player effect in employer arbitration. The results provide strong evidence of a repeat employer effect in which employee win rates and award amounts are significantly lower where the employer is involved in multiple arbitration cases, which could be explained by various advantages accruing to larger organizations with greater resources and expertise in dispute resolution procedures. The results also indicate the existence of a significant repeat employer-arbitrator pairing effect in which employees on average have lower win rates and receive smaller damage awards where the same arbitrator is involved in more than one case with the same employer, a finding supporting some of the fairness criticisms directed at mandatory employment arbitration.

VL - 8 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/577/ CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - An Employment Systems Approach to Turnover: Human Resources Practices, Quits, Dismissals, and Performance JF - Academy of Management Journal Y1 - 2011 A1 - Ball, R. A1 - A. J. Colvin KW - call center KW - employment systems KW - human resources KW - performance KW - turnover AB -

This study examines the relationship between alternative approaches to employment systems and quits, dismissals and customer service, based on cross-sectional and longitudinal data from nationally representative surveys of call center establishments. Contrary to prior literature, the antecedents and consequences of quits and dismissals are quite similar. Comparing three dimensions of employment systems, we find that high involvement work organization and long-term investments and inducements are associated with significantly lower quit and dismissal rates, while short term performance-enhancing expectations are related to significantly higher quit and dismissal rates. Establishments with higher quit and dismissal rates have significantly lower customer service, as reported by managers.

VL - 54 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/576 CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Foreign Direct Investment, Regime Type, and Labor Protest in Developing Countries JF - American Journal of Political Science Y1 - 2011 A1 - Robertson, Graeme B. A1 - Emmanuel Teitelbaum KW - developing countries KW - foreign direct investment KW - industrial conflict KW - labor strikes AB -

We explore the relationship between FDI, regime type, and strikes in low- and middle-income countries. We argue that FDI produces social tensions and opportunities for protest that can result in higher levels of industrial conflict. However, the effect of FDI is moderated by regime type. While democracies tend to have higher levels of protest overall, they are better able than authoritarian regimes to cope with the strains arising from FDI. We cite two reasons. First, political competition forces regimes to incorporate workers, which shifts conflict from industrial relations to the political arena. Second, democracies provide workers with freedom of association rights, which facilitate institutionalized grievance resolution. We test the argument using a new dataset of labor protest in low- and middle-income countries for the period 1980–2005.

VL - 55 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Greening Hotels and Fair Labor Practices Y1 - 2011 A1 - Steven Tufts A1 - Simon Milne KW - accommodation services sector KW - corporate responsibility KW - environmental sustainability KW - hotels KW - labor friendly practices KW - socially responsible behavior AB -

In recent years, a number of labour union strategic initiatives have been developed which seek to leverage consumer preference against employers in the accommodation services sector. These programs largely focus on rating and certifying hotels based upon environmentally and socially responsible behavior and labour friendly practices. In part, the campaigns are a response to the perceived 'green-washing' of hotels through voluntary, self-reporting rating systems. This paper examines three union campaigns that recommend hotels according to social and environmental criteria: The Fair Hotels campaign (Ireland); the First Star program (Australia); and INMEX (United States and Canada). We find that these emerging campaigns differ in orientation, but all face challenges in their ability to meet their strategic goals. Specifically we find limitations related to the geographic scale of the campaigns and their inability to advocate for any significant shift toward a more socially and environmentally sustainable accommodation services sector.

PB - Work in a Warming World Project CY - Toronto, Canada L2 - eng UR - http://warming.apps01.yorku.ca/wp-content/uploads/WP_2011-05_Tufts_Milne_Greening-Hotels.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour Law in China Y1 - 2011 A1 - Chen, K. KW - China KW - collective bargaining KW - contracts KW - labor law KW - labor relations KW - workers’ rights AB -

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this monograph on labour law in China not only describes and analyses the legal aspects of labour relations, but also examines labour relations practices and developing trends. It provides a survey of the subject that is both usefully brief and sufficiently detailed to answer most questions likely to arise in any pertinent legal setting. Both individual and collective labour relations are covered in ample detail, with attention to such underlying and pervasive factors employment contracts, suspension of the contracts, dismissal laws and covenant of non-competition, as well as international private law. The author describes all important details of the law governing hours and wages, benefits, intellectual property implications, trade union activity, employers’ associations, workers’ participation, collective bargaining, industrial disputes, and much more. Building on a clear overview of labour law and labour relations, the book offers practical guidance on which sound preliminary decisions may be based. It will find a ready readership among lawyers representing parties with interests in China , and academics and researchers will appreciate its value in the study of comparative trends in laws affecting labour and labour relations. (publisher's statement)

PB - Kluwer Law International CY - The Netherlands L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour Law in Japan Y1 - 2011 A1 - Kumiya, F. A1 - Hanami, T. KW - dismissal laws KW - employment contracts KW - Japan KW - labor law KW - labor relations AB -

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this monograph on labour law in Japan not only describes and analyses the legal aspects of labour relations, but also examines labour relations practices and developing trends. It provides a survey of the subject that is both usefully brief and sufficiently detailed to answer most questions likely to arise in any pertinent legal setting. Both individual and collective labour relations are covered in ample detail, with attention to such underlying and pervasive factors employment contracts, suspension of the contracts, dismissal laws and covenant of non-competition, as well as international private law.

The author describes all important details of the law governing hours and wages, benefits, intellectual property implications, trade union activity, employers’ associations, workers’ participation, collective bargaining, industrial disputes, and much more. Building on a clear overview of labour law and labour relations, the book offers practical guidance on which sound preliminary decisions may be based. It will find a ready readership among lawyers representing parties with interests in Japan, and academics and researchers will appreciate its value in the study of comparative trends in laws affecting labour and labour relations. (publisher's statement)

PB - Kluwer Law International CY - The Netherlands L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour Law in the USA Y1 - 2011 A1 - Goldman, A. L. A1 - Corrada, R. KW - benefits KW - collective bargaining KW - industrial disputes KW - intellectual property KW - labor law KW - labor relations KW - wages KW - workers’ rights AB -

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this monograph on labour law in the USA not only describes and analyses the legal aspects of labour relations, but also examines labour relations practices and developing trends. It provides a survey of the subject that is both usefully brief and sufficiently detailed to answer most questions likely to arise in any pertinent legal setting. Both individual and collective labour relations are covered in ample detail, with attention to such underlying and pervasive factors employment contracts, suspension of the contracts, dismissal laws and covenant of non-competition, as well as international private law. The author describes all important details of the law governing hours and wages, benefits, intellectual property implications, trade union activity, employers’ associations, workers’ participation, collective bargaining, industrial disputes, and much more. Building on a clear overview of labour law and labour relations, the book offers practical guidance on which sound preliminary decisions may be based. It will find a ready readership among lawyers representing parties with interests in the USA, and academics and researchers will appreciate its value in the study of comparative trends in laws affecting labour and labour relations. (publisher's statement)

PB - Kluwer Law International CY - The Netherlands L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Providing Worker Education and Building the Labor Movement: The Joseph S. Murphy Institute of City University of New York JF - Adult Learning Y1 - 2011 A1 - D'Amico, Deborah KW - access to education KW - adult education KW - City University of New York KW - CUNY KW - Joseph S. Murphy Institute KW - labor force development KW - labor studies KW - partnerships in education KW - social justice KW - union members KW - worker education AB -

To provide equitable access to formal, nonformal and workplace learning, experts urge community, business, education and government partnerships. While membership in unions continues to decline and "opportunities for entry-level workers to become skilled workers is lessening," the partnership described in this article shows that it is possible to increase access for transit workers, health care workers, construction workers, paraprofessionals, and others to career-enhancing growth through labor-management and university collaboration. This article describes an Institute within the City University of New York (CUNY), dedicated to education for union members, the growth and development of organized labor, and the struggle for social justice. The Joseph S. Murphy Institute is named after a former CUNY Chancellor who was a lifelong champion of worker education and workers' rights. The Worker Education Center of the Institute works with labor-management joint funds to meet the workforce development needs of local industries and their workers by fostering partnerships between these Funds and CUNY academic departments that have the requisite expertise. The Institute's Center for Labor, Community and Policy Studies works with unions and their allies to convene forums and conferences that debate issues key to the labor movement, conduct labor-focused research, and produce a critically acclaimed journal--New Labor Forum. This article looks at recent research on adult degree completion, and examines what is working with labor management funds--in the context of a labor-focused Institute at a major public, urban University--which adds to strategies for supporting success in college for adult workers.

VL - 22 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Role of Collective Bargaining in the Global Economy: Negotiating for Social Justice Y1 - 2011 A1 - Hayter, Susan KW - collective bargaining KW - global economy KW - globalization KW - social justice KW - workers’ rights AB -

Participation in the global economy can contribute to growth and development, but as the recent financial crisis demonstrated, such participation can also threaten employment, wages and labour standards. This volume examines the role that collective bargaining plays in ensuring that participation in the global economy is balanced, fair and just. Collective bargaining is often seen as either an impediment to the smooth functioning of markets, or as ineffective. This volume focuses on the other side of the story and demonstrates the positive contribution that collective bargaining can make to both economic and social goals. No one size fits all and the various contributions examine how this fundamental principle and right at work is realized in different country settings and how its practice can be reinforced across borders. The volume also highlights the numerous challenges in this regard and the critically important role that governments play in rebalancing bargaining power in a global economy. The chapters are written in an accessible style and deal with practical subjects (e.g. employment security, workplace change and productivity and working time). (publisher's statement) Co-published with Edward Elgar.

PB - International Labor Office CY - Geneva, Switzerland L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations : A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement (4th Edition) Y1 - 2011 A1 - John M. Bryson KW - management KW - Nonprofit organizations KW - nonprofits KW - Public administration KW - Strategic planning AB -

[Excerpt] How can the leaders and managers of public and nonprofit organizations cope with the challenges that confront their organizations, now and in the years ahead? How should they respond to the increasingly uncertain and interconnected environments in which their organizations operate? How should they respond to dwindling or unpredictable resources; new public expectations or formal mandates; demographic changes; deregulation or reregulation; upheavals in international, national, state, and local economies and polities; and new roles for public, nonprofit, and business organizations, including calls for them to collaborate more often? What should their organizations' missions be? How can they create greater and more enduring public value? How can they build on organizational strengths and take advantage of opportunities while minimizing organizational weaknesses and overcoming challenges to their organizations? How can they formulate desirable strategies and implement them effectively? These are the questions this book addresses.

PB - Jossey-Bass Publishers CY - San Francisco L2 - eng N1 - ID: nyu_aleph002324897; Includes bibliographical references (p. 297-311) and indexes.  syllabus calls for pgs 123-223 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Trade Unions and Climate Change: The Jobs Versus Environment Dilemma JF - Global Environmental Change Y1 - 2011 A1 - Nora Räthzel A1 - David Uzzell KW - climate change KW - environmental degradation KW - jobs versus environment KW - movement unionism KW - social movement unionism KW - tion; jobs versus environment; social KW - trade unions; climate change; environmental degrada AB -

Trade unions are actively engaging with the climate change agenda and formulating climate change policies. Although governments are placing considerable effort on changing consumer behavior, arguably the most significant impacts on climate change will be through changes in production. Even changes in consumption will have consequences for production. Changes in production will affect workers through the loss of jobs, the changing of jobs, and the creation of new jobs. The jobs versus environment dilemma is a significant issue affecting workers worldwide. In this paper we focus on the ways in which international trade unions are conceptualizing the relationship between jobs and the environment, which provide the point of departure from which climate change policies can be formulated. Extended interviews were conducted with senior policy makers in national and international trade unions. On the basis of their responses, four discourses of trade union engagement with climate change are discussed: ‘technological fix’, ‘social transformation’, ‘mutual interests’ and ‘social movement’ discourses, which were theorized in the context of the different international histories and models of trade unionism. All discourses imply a re- invention of unions as social movements but do not see nature as a partner in human development.

VL - 21 L2 - eng UR - http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/7307/2/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20GEC_Jobs-Environment.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Trade Unions and Climate Change: The Jobs Versus Environment Dilemma JF - Global Environmental Change Y1 - 2011 A1 - Nora Räthzel A1 - David Uzzell KW - climate change KW - environmental degradation KW - jobs versus environment KW - social movement unionism KW - trade unions AB -

Trade unions are actively engaging with the climate change agenda and formulating climate change policies. Although governments are placing considerable effort on changing consumer behavior, arguably the most significant impacts on climate change will be through changes in production. Even changes in consumption will have consequences for production. Changes in production will affect workers through the loss of jobs, the changing of jobs, and the creation of new jobs. The jobs versus environment dilemma is a significant issue affecting workers worldwide. In this paper we focus on the ways in which international trade unions are conceptualizing the relationship between jobs and the environment, which provide the point of departure from which climate change policies can be formulated. Extended interviews were conducted with senior policy makers in national and international trade unions. On the basis of their responses, four discourses of trade union engagement with climate change are discussed: ‘technological fix’, ‘social transformation’, ‘mutual interests’ and ‘social movement’ discourses, which were theorized in the context of the different international histories and models of trade unionism. All discourses imply a re- invention of unions as social movements but do not see nature as a partner in human development.

VL - 21 L2 - eng UR - http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/7307/2/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20GEC_Jobs-Environment.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - What Can We Learn from NLRA to Create Labor Law for the 21st Century? (Presented at SYMPOSIUM: The National Labor Relations Act at 75: Its Legacy and its Future) JF - American Bar Association Journal of Labor & Employment Law Y1 - 2011 A1 - R. Freeman KW - Congress KW - labor law KW - legislation KW - NLRA L2 - eng UR - http://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/10060081/88348381.doc?sequence=1 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Workers and Communities Versus Walmart: A Comparison of Organized Resistance in the United Stated and China T2 - Walmart in China Y1 - 2011 A1 - Quan, K. ED - A. Chan KW - community-based campaigns KW - labor rights KW - organized resistance KW - organizing KW - Walmart AB -

Assesses resistance to Walmart in China in comparison to the United States. This chapter reviews more recent protest and growing awareness of labour rights in China and uses the US case of community-based campaigns around Walmart to argue for the importance of building US-Chinese union relations.
 

JA - Walmart in China PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Workers, Unions, and Global Capitalism: Lessons From India Y1 - 2011 A1 - Hensman, R. KW - employees’ unionism KW - global capitalism KW - globalization KW - India KW - labor movement KW - workers’ rights AB -

While it's easy to blame globalization for shrinking job opportunities, dangerous declines in labor standards, and a host of related discontents, the "flattening" of the world has also created unprecedented opportunities for worker organization. By expanding employment in developing countries, especially for women, globalization has formed a basis for stronger workers' rights, even in remote sites of production.

Using India's labor movement as a model, Rohini Hensman charts the successes and failures, strengths and weaknesses, of the struggle for workers' rights and organization in a rich and varied nation. As Indian products gain wider acceptance in global markets, the disparities in employment conditions and union rights between such regions as the European Union and India's vast informal sector are exposed, raising the issue of globalization's implications for labor.

Hensman's study examines the unique pattern of "employees' unionism," which emerged in Bombay in the 1950s, before considering union responses to recent developments, especially the drive to form a national federation of independent unions. A key issue is how far unions can resist protectionist impulses and press for stronger global standards, along with the mechanisms to enforce them. After thoroughly unpacking this example, Hensman zooms out to trace the parameters of a global labor agenda, calling for a revival of trade unionism, the elimination of informal labor, and reductions in military spending to favor funding for comprehensive welfare and social security systems. (publisher's statement)

PB - Columbia University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Assessment of the Progress of Nations on Core Labor Standards: Measures of Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining Y1 - 2010 A1 - S. Kuruvilla A1 - Hossain, J. A1 - Berger, S. KW - codes of conduct KW - collective bargaining KW - core labor standards KW - freedom of association KW - labor standards KW - trade agreements AB -

The linkage between labor standards and trade agreements pursued by the US, and the burgeoning corporate codes of conduct that seek to strengthen core labor standards in global supply chains, has resulted in interest in the development of measures (or indicators) of core labor standards by a variety of organizations, such as the US dept of Labor, the ILO and several NGOs. We argue in this paper that measures of freedom of association and collective bargaining that are in use currently are incomplete and flawed, partly because they focus almost exclusively on whether the rights exist, without regard to practice, and partly because they tend to focus on easily available quantitative indicators that are necessary but insufficient indicators of the freedom of association and collective bargaining process. We develop new measures that draw on decades of comparative industrial relations research and which are based on the existing cross-national variation in industrial relations practice. Our suggested measures require national experts to use both quantitative data and qualitative research and judgment in their evaluation, and report it in consistent and transparent ways. Given that the connection between trade and labor standards makes the consequences of violation quite severe for developing countries, reliance on imperfect measures to make decisions about country performance on core labor standards is problematic. The measures advanced in this paper reduce that risk.

PB - Cornell University, ILR School CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/310/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - China Since Tiananmen: The Labor Movement JF - Journal of Democracy Y1 - 2010 A1 - C. Kwan Lee A1 - E. Friedman KW - China KW - labor relations KW - points of production KW - worker rights AB -

[Excerpt] The twenty years since 1989 have brought two major developments in worker activism. First, whereas workers were part of the mass uprising in the Tiananmen movement, albeit as subordinate partners to the students, labor activism since then has been almost entirely confined to the working class. While the ranks of aggrieved workers have proliferated (expanding from workers in the state-owned sector to include migrant workers) and the forms and incidents of labor activism have multiplied, there is hardly any sign of mobilization that transcends class or regional lines.

Second, we observe that a long-term decline in worker power at the point of production – power that was previously institutionalized in skill hierarchies, union representation, democratic management, permanent or long-term employment, and other conditions of service constitutive of the socialist social contract - is going on even as workers gain more power (at least on paper) outside the workplace. New labor laws have broadened workers' rights and expanded administrative and judicial channels for resolving labor conflicts. These legal and bureaucratic procedures have atomized and depoliticized labor activism even as they have engendered and intensified mobilization outside official limits.

VL - 20 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/837/ CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The China Watch (Book Review of 'New Masters, New Servants: Migration, Development, and Women Workers in China,' By Yan Hairong) JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2010 A1 - Quan, K. KW - China KW - domestic workers KW - gender KW - labor policy KW - labor relations AB -

[Excerpt] Yan Hairong's New Masters, New Servants is an important contribution to academic literature on labor in China. As its provocative title suggests, the book describes a new kind of labor relations—between domestic workers and their household employers—in contemporary China. Though domestic work was practically eliminated after the 1949 revolution as a bitter symbol of feudal exploitation, it re-emerged after 1978 as the country turned toward a market economy, primarily as a support for professional women who work outside the home. Professor Yan brings together history, politics, economics, gender, and China studies—as well as cultural/anthropology studies—into a fascinating book, using domestic workers as a "trope" for critiquing "postsocialist" labor policies in today's China.

VL - 19 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations in Industrialized Market Economies (10th Edition) Y1 - 2010 A1 - Roger Blanpain KW - globalization KW - industrial relations KW - industrialized market economies KW - labor law AB -

Comparativism is no longer a purely academic exercise but has increasingly become an urgent necessity for industrial relations and legal practitioners due to the growth of multinational enterprises and the impact of international and regional organizations aspiring to harmonize rules. The growing need for comprehensive, up-to-date and readily available information on labour law and industrial relations in different countries led to the publication of the International Encyclopaedia for Labour Law and Industrial Relations, in which more than 70 international and national monographs have thus far been published.

This book, Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations in Industrialized Market Economies, goes a step further than the Encyclopaedia in as much as most of the chapters provide comparative and integrated thematic treatment. The aim is to describe the salient characteristics and trends in labour law and industrial relations in the contemporary world. This book is obviously not exhaustive, with respect to the coverage of countries and topics. The authors limit themselves mainly to the industrialized market economies. The book is divided in four main parts: an introduction relating to methodology and documentation, including the use of Internet. The second part concerns international actors, like the International Employer’s Organisations and the International Trade Union Movement, as well as Human Resources Management. The third concerns the sources of regulation, concentrating on International and European Labour Law, as well as on Codes of Conduct for Multinational Enterprises and describes also the rules in case of conflict of laws. The last part deals with international developments and comparative studies in not less than 15 chapters.

The Xth edition, will like the previous editions, serve as a textbook and reference work to facilitate the task of teachers and students of comparative labour law and industrial relations. It will also provide labour lawyers with the necessary insights to cope with a world which is increasingly international. (publisher's statement)

PB - Kluwer Law International CY - The Netherlands L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Conflict Over Conflict Management JF - Dispute Resolution Journal Y1 - 2010 A1 - D. B. Lipsky A1 - Avgar, A. C. KW - ADR KW - alternative dispute resolution KW - conflict KW - conflict management system KW - dispute resolution KW - industrial relations AB -

[Excerpt] In this article we look at the traditional approach to workplace conflict, the evolution of conflict management, criticism of this process by progressive and traditional critics, and then consider whether they can be reconciled by taking what we call a strategic view of conflict management in the workplace. This view calls for an alignment between the goals of the conflict management system and the overarching nature of the organization in which that system is implemented. The management of conflict, according to this approach, should complement the organization’s strategic posture and existing structures. We maintain that the level of fit between an organization’s conflict management philosophy and its strategic goals and objectives dictates whether the conflict management system will enhance or hinder key stakeholder outcomes.

VL - 65 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/775/ CP - 2-3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Developing Standards of Workplace Justice Within International Organizations JF - American Society of International Law International Organizations Interest Group Review Y1 - 2010 A1 - A. M. Zack KW - globalization KW - human rights KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace justice AB -

[Excerpt] A little explored aspect of our growing global interdependence has been the proliferation of international access to the workplace protections ...The expansion of such international organizations from the fledgling focus of the League of Nations on inter‐government regulation of health, post, telegraph, labor standards and the like to the broader role of the United Nations ... has occurred in the context of negotiated privileges and immunities treaties with member states.

VL - Summer 2010 L2 - eng UR - http://www.globalcitizen.net/topic_1236_work-environment/knowledge_papers_40658_developing-standards-of-workplace-justice-within-international-organizations/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Enabling Employee Choice: A Structural Approach to the Rules of Union Organizing JF - Harvard Law Review Y1 - 2010 A1 - B. Sachs KW - card check method KW - NLRA KW - organizing KW - preference eliciting default theory KW - rapid elections KW - reversible default theory AB -

The proposed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) has led to fierce debate over how best to ensure employees a choice on the question of unionization. The debate goes to the core of our federal system of labor law. Each of the potential legislative designs under consideration — including both “card check” and “rapid elections” — aims to enhance employee choice by minimizing or eliminating managerial involvement in the unionization process. The central question raised by EFCA, therefore, is whether enabling employees to limit or avoid managerial intervention in union campaigns is an appropriate goal for federal law. This Article answers this foundational question in the affirmative. It reaches this conclusion by conceptualizing federal labor law in terms of legal default rules, drawing in particular on the preference-eliciting default theory of statutory interpretation and the reversible default theory from corporate law. Doing so leads to the argument that card check, rapid elections, and similar mechanisms are best understood as “asymmetry-correcting altering rules” — means of mitigating the impediments that block departure from the nonunion default. Understanding EFCA in this way also requires that we ask how such an altering rule should be constructed. This Article addresses this institutional design question by arguing that card check’s open decisionmaking process is flawed and that rapid elections, while an improvement over the status quo, are an insufficient method of mitigating the relevant impediments to employee choice. Accordingly, this Article offers two new designs — alternatives to both card check and rapid elections — that would accomplish the legitimate function of minimizing managerial intervention while at the same time preserving secrecy in decisionmaking.

VL - 123 L2 - eng UR - http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/people/staffPapers/sachs/Sachs%20Enabling%20Employee%20Choice%202010.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Governing Climate Change Y1 - 2010 A1 - Harriet Bulkeley A1 - Peter Newell KW - climate change KW - development studies KW - environment KW - geography KW - international relations KW - politics AB -

Governing Climate Change provides a short and accessible introduction to how climate change is governed by an increasingly diverse range of actors, from civil society and market actors to multilateral development banks, donors and cities. The issue of global climate change has risen to the top of the international political agenda. Despite ongoing contestation about the science informing policy, the economic costs of action, and the allocation of responsibility for addressing the issue within and between nations, it is clear that climate change will continue to be one of the most pressing and challenging issues facing humanity for many years to come.

PB - Routledge CY - London L2 - eng UR - http://atibook.ir/dl/en/Siences/Natural%20sciences/Geology/9780415467698_governing_climate_change.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Human Rights at Work: Perspectives on Law and Regulation Y1 - 2010 A1 - Fenwick, C. A1 - Novitz, T. KW - globalization KW - human rights KW - labor standards KW - workers’ rights AB -

Concerns associated with globalisation of markets, exacerbated by the 'credit crunch', have placed pressure on many nation states to make their labour markets more 'flexible'. In so doing, many states have sought to reduce labour standards and to diminish the influence of trade unions as the advocates of such standards. One response to this development, both nationally and internationally, has been to emphasise that workers' rights are fundamental human rights. This collection of essays examines whether this is an appropriate or effective strategy.

The book begins by considering the translation of human rights discourse into labour standards, namely how theory might be put into practice. The remainder of the book tests hypotheses posited in the first chapter and is divided into three parts. The first part investigates, through a number of national case studies, how, in practice, workers' rights are treated as human rights in the domestic legal context. These ten chapters cover African, American, Asian, European, and Pacific countries. The second part consists of essays which analyse the operation of regional or international systems for human rights promotion, and their particular relevance to the treatment of workers' rights as human rights. The final part consists of chapters which explore regulatory alternatives to the traditional use of human rights law. The book concludes by considering the merits of various regulatory approaches. (publisher's statement)

PB - Hart Publishing CY - Portland, OR L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership and Management (3rd Edition) Y1 - 2010 A1 - Renz, D. O. A1 - Herman, R. D. KW - capital structure KW - fundraising KW - leadership KW - lobbying KW - management KW - marketing KW - nonprofit management KW - Nonprofit organizations KW - social entrepreneurship AB -

This is the third edition of the bestselling nonprofit management reference and text called the "big green book." Based on updated research, theory, and experience, this comprehensive edition offers practical advice on managing nonprofit organizations and addresses key aspects such as board development, strategic planning, lobbying, marketing, fundraising, volunteer management, financial management, risk management, and compensation and benefits. New chapters cover developments in such areas as social entrepreneurship, financial leadership and capital structure, accountability and transparency, and the changing political-legal climate. (publisher's statement)

PB - Jossey-Bass CY - San Francisco L2 - eng N1 - ID: nyu_aleph002202431; Includes bibliographical references and index. ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Rights and Multinational Production Y1 - 2010 A1 - Mosley, Layna KW - global supply chains KW - globalization KW - labor rights KW - labor standards KW - multinational production KW - supply chains KW - wages KW - workers’ rights KW - working conditions AB -

Labor Rights and Multinational Production investigates the relationship between workers’ rights and multinational production. Mosley argues that some types of multinational production, embodied in directly owned foreign investment, positively affect labor rights. But other types of international production, particularly subcontracting, can engender competitive races to the bottom in labor rights. To test these claims, Mosley presents newly generated measures of collective labor rights, covering a wide range of low- and middle-income nations for the 1985–2002 period. This book suggests that the consequences of economic openness for developing countries are highly dependent on foreign firms’ modes of entry and, more generally, on the precise way in which each developing country engages the global economy. The book contributes to academic literature in comparative and international political economy, and to public policy debates regarding the effects of globalization.(publisher's statement)

PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Legal Protection of Workers’ Human Rights: Regulatory Changes and Challenges in the United States T2 - Human Rights at Work: Perspectives on Law and Regulation Y1 - 2010 A1 - L. Compa ED - Fenwick, C. ED - Novitz, T. KW - human rights KW - labor law KW - labor movement KW - trade unions KW - union organizing KW - United States KW - worker rights AB -

[Excerpt] In a 2002 study, the US Government Accountability Office reported that more than 32 million workers in the United States lack protection of the right to organise and to bargain collectively. But since then, the situation has worsened. A series of decisions by the federal authorities under President George Bush has stripped many more workers of organising and bargaining rights. The administration took away bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of employees in the new Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department.18 In the years before the 2009 change of administration, a controlling majority of the five-member National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), appointed by President Bush, denied protection to graduate student employees, disabled employees, temporary employees and other categories of workers.

An October 2006, a NLRB decision was especially alarming for labour advocates. The NLRB set out a new, expanded definition of 'supervisor' under the section of US labour law that excludes supervisors from protection of the right to organise and bargain collectively. This exclusion has enormous repercussions for millions of workers who might now become 'supervisors' and lose protection of their organising and bargaining rights.21 This case is discussed in more detail below in connection with a complaint to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Committee on Freedom of Association.

JA - Human Rights at Work: Perspectives on Law and Regulation PB - Hart Publishing CY - Portland, OR L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/391/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Migrants for Export: How the Philippine State Brokers Labor to the World Y1 - 2010 A1 - Rodriguez, R. M. KW - global capitalism KW - global labor market KW - globalization KW - labor brokerage KW - Philippines AB -

Robyn Magalit Rodriguez investigates how and why the Philippine government transformed itself into what she calls a labor brokerage state, which actively prepares, mobilizes, and regulates its citizens for migrant work abroad. Drawing on ethnographic research of the Philippine government’s migration bureaucracy, interviews, and archival work, Rodriguez presents a new analysis of neoliberal globalization and its consequences for nation-state formation. (publisher's statement)

PB - University of Minnesota Press CY - Minneapolis L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - New Approaches to Organizing Women and Young Workers Y1 - 2010 A1 - N. Firestein A1 - D. King A1 - Quan, K. KW - family KW - gender KW - labor movement KW - organizing KW - social media KW - unionization KW - women AB -

[Excerpt] Perhaps the most significant demographic change in the workforce in the past 50 years is the presence of women, who very soon will outnumber men among those who work outside the home. Another significant demographic change in the workforce is the presence of young workers. Over 70 percent of those ages 16-34 are part of the civilian labor force, but only 8.2 percent of them belong to unions. The future of the labor movement depends upon fresh approaches to organizing, and some of the most exciting and innovative strategies and tools are being developed by young organizers using new technology and social media. We interviewed 23 young organizers to understand how they use social media to organize, and whether they have focused on work and family issues in these efforts.

PB - Labor Project for Working Families, Cornell ILR Labor Programs, and the UC Berkeley Labor Center L2 - eng UR - http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/workingwomen/newapproaches10.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Organizational Culture and Leadership (4th Edition) Y1 - 2010 A1 - E.H. Schein KW - leadership KW - management KW - organizational culture AB -

Regarded as one of the most influential management books of all time, this fourth edition of Leadership and Organizational Culture transforms the abstract concept of culture into a tool that can be used to better shape the dynamics of organization and change. This updated edition focuses on today's business realities. Edgar Schein draws on a wide range of contemporary research to redefine culture and demonstrate the crucial role leaders play in successfully applying the principles of culture to achieve their organizational goals. (publisher's statement)

PB - Jossey-Bass CY - San Francisco SN - 9780470185865 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Organizing for Social Change (4th Edition) Y1 - 2010 A1 - Bobo, A. A1 - Max, S. A1 - Bobo, K. A1 - Kendall, J. KW - direct action KW - grassroots KW - human rights KW - organizing KW - social justice KW - workers’ rights AB -

Now in its fourth edition, here is the comprehensive manual for grassroots organizers working for social, racial, environmental and economic justice at the local, state and national levels. Since 1973 the Midwest Academy has trained more than 30,000 activists in progressive organizations, unions, and faith-based groups. This Midwest Academy Manual for Activists is central to its training programs and seminars, and it provides an invaluable reference source for organizers throughout their careers. Also included are anecdotes about a wide variety of real organizations working on issues concerning labor, the environment, health care, racism, immigration, peace, religion, energy, public campaign financing and more. (publisher's statement)

PB - The Forum Press CY - Santa Ana, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Power in Coalition: Strategies for Strong Unions and Social Change Y1 - 2010 A1 - Tattersall, A. KW - Chicago KW - coalition building KW - labor unions KW - organizing KW - Sydney KW - Toronto AB -

[Excerpt] For decades, unions around the world, like the teachers' union in Australia, have been struggling. Across advanced English-speaking economies, we have seen the rising power of capital and its increasing influence over government. This has created a hostile environment for unions, characterized by aggressive employers, unfriendly governments, and declining union membership. Unions have been forced to reevaluate their role and objectives. Debates have considered how unions could advance the conditions of their members and whether achieving this goal also requires a more fundamental confrontation with the political and economic logic that underpins this crisis for unions (Hyman 2007).

This book is about the promise of successful coalitions. I consider why coalitions have re-surfaced as a strategy and the various ways in which coalitions can successfully achieve social change and rebuild the organizational strength of civil society. To do this, I identify three elements of coalitions using case studies based in Australia, the United States, and Canada. I draw out key principles about how to build strong coalitions and the circumstances under which coalitions succeed. I apply these lessons directly to unions, distinguishing the ways in which coalitions support union revitalization and enable unions to win on issues and build political agendas that they have struggled with on their own.

 

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/books/59/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Regoverning the Workplace: From Self-Regulation to Co-Regulation Y1 - 2010 A1 - Cynthia L. Estlund KW - collective bargaining KW - employment law KW - labor law KW - workplace governance AB -

This original book seeks to shape current trends toward employer self-regulation into a new paradigm of workplace governance in which workers participate. The decline of collective bargaining and the parallel rise of employment law have left workers with an abundance of legal rights but no representation at work. Without representation, even workers’ legal rights are often under-enforced. At the same time, however, many legal and social forces have pushed firms to self-regulate—to take on the task of realizing public norms through internal compliance structures.

Cynthia Estlund argues that the trend toward self-regulation is here to stay, and that worker-friendly reformers should seek not to stop that trend but to steer it by securing for workers an effective voice within self-regulatory processes. If the law can be retooled to encourage forms of self-regulation in which workers participate, it can help both to promote public values and to revive workplace self-governance. (publisher's statement)

PB - Yale University Press CY - New Haven, CT L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Remaking the World of Chinese Labour: A 30-Year Retrospective JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2010 A1 - E. Friedman A1 - C. Kwan Lee KW - China KW - conflict resolution KW - economic reform KW - labor relations AB -

Over the past 30 years, labour relations, and, indeed, the entirety of working class politics in China, have been dramatically altered by economic reforms. In this review, we focus on the two key processes of commodification and casualization and their implications for workers. On the one hand, these processes have resulted in the destruction of the old social contract and the emergence of marketized employment relations. This has implied a loss of the job security and generous benefits enjoyed by workers in the planned economy. On the other hand, commodification and casualization have produced significant but localized resistance from the Chinese working class. Up until now, the activities of labour nongovernmental organizations and of the official trade unions have contributed to the state's effort of individualizing and institutionalizing labour conflict resolution through labour law and arbitration mechanisms. Finally, we provide a brief discussion of the impact of 2008's Labour Contract Law and the outbreak of the economic crisis on labour relations. We conclude that the continual imbalance of power at the point of production presents a real dilemma for the Chinese state as it attempts to shift away from a model of development dependent on exports.

VL - 48 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/835/ CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Review of the Book 'The Chinese Worker After Socialism' JF - Enterprise and Society Y1 - 2010 A1 - E. Friedman KW - China KW - employment KW - labor relations KW - layoffs KW - political economy AB -

In The Chinese Worker after Socialism, William Hurst employs subnational comparison to explain different outcomes for workers in the process of reform of state-owned industry in China. In particular, Hurst provides in-depth analysis of regional variation of the sequencing and volume of layoffs, how the local state attempted to handle unemployment, actual outcomes in re-employment, and the dynamics of worker protest. By taking subnational regions as the unit of analysis, we see that the process of "smashing the iron rice bowl" has not been a unified and coherent project but rather one that has been messy, uneven, and subject to great variation in timing and outcomes. This variation is explained by differences in the political economy of each region.

VL - 11 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/836/ CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Review of the Book 'What Do Unions Do? A Twenty-Year Perspective' JF - Industrial and Labor Relations Review Y1 - 2010 A1 - A. J. Colvin KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - research KW - unionism AB -

[Excerpt] The 1984 publication of Richard Freeman and James Medoff’s What Do Unions Do? was a landmark event in research on labor unions. It challenged existing negative economic conceptions of the role of unions by presenting a two-faced model of unionism in which the negative monopoly face of unions was counter-balanced by a positive collective voice face. For those in the labor movement, this book became a powerful source of academic support for their value to society and the economy. Among academics, WDUD was equally influential, as it encouraged a renewed, more data-intensive and methodologically sophisticated approach to research on unions.

In the present volume, James Bennett and Bruce Kaufman have brought together an impressive set of scholars to review the progress in research on unions in the two decades since the publication of WDUD. The volume, which originated as a series of special issues in the Journal of Labor Research, serves both as an evaluation of the arguments presented in WDUD in light of subsequent research and more generally as an overview of the current state of research on unions. On both of these levels, the book is a tremendous success, albeit with certain limitations. It will be useful for anyone wanting a sourcebook on recent research on unions. Although not quite as accessible to non-specialist readers as WDUD itself, the volume should be particularly useful to academic researchers and to public policy and practitioner experts in the labor area. It will also provide a useful set of readings for graduate courses on labor unions, particularly those focusing on the economic effects of unions.

VL - 63 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/573/ CP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - A Strange Case: Violations of Workers’ Freedom of Association in the United States by European Multinational Corporations Y1 - 2010 A1 - L. Compa KW - anti-unionism KW - Europe KW - freedom of association KW - labor law KW - multinational corporations KW - organizing KW - unions KW - United States KW - workers rights AB -

[Excerpt] A central conclusion of this report is that firms’ voluntary principles and policies are not enough to safeguard workers’ freedom of association. They can be important initiatives, but only when they contain effective due diligence, oversight, and control mechanisms. Otherwise, as shown here, shortcomings in US labor law create enormous temptation - especially among US managers not sufficiently overseen by European parent company officials - to take advantage of them by acts inconsistent with international norms. The pattern that emerges in the examples presented here suggests inadequate due diligence and internal performance controls to prevent and correct US management actions that run afoul of international standards.

Building on prior research by Human Rights Watch and others, this report also gives additional examples of flaws in US labor law that give management the power, in a context of severe disparity in workers’ access to information and the power imbalance inherent in the employment relationship, to use captive-audience meetings, one-on-one anti-union meetings between supervisors and employees, threats of permanent replacement, and other methods permitted by US law to thwart workers’ organizing efforts. In many cases studied here, moreover, the European firms did violate US law. But even if employers cross the line and commit unfair labor practices, US labor law does not provide for penalties or other sanctions sufficient to dissuade repeat violations.

At the end of this report, we offer recommendations to European companies to improve their monitoring of US operations to ensure respect for labor rights, to European governments and institutions to improve their oversight of European company labor practices in the United States, and to US lawmakers to bring US law into closer conformity with international freedom of association standards.

PB - Human Rights Watch CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/332/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Understanding Union Power: Resources and Capabilities for Renewing Union Capacity JF - Transfer Y1 - 2010 A1 - Christian Lévesque A1 - Gregor Murray KW - deliberative vitality KW - framing KW - globalization KW - learning KW - power resources KW - strategic capabilities KW - union power KW - union renewal AB -

Power is at the core of current debates over the future of trade unionism. This article provides a framework to assess the power resources and strategic capabilities central to union capacity building. We identify four key power resources: internal solidarity; network embeddedness; narrative resources that frame understandings and union actions; and infrastructural resources (material, human, processes, policies and programmes). Resources alone are not enough; unions must also be capable of using them. We identify four strategic capabilities: intermediating between contending interests to foster collaborative action and to activate networks; framing; articulating actions over time and space; and learning. Much experimentation and research on the interactions between these resources and capabilities in particular contexts is required to advance our understanding of the renewal of union power.

VL - 16 L2 - eng UR - http://trs.sagepub.com/content/16/3/333.full.pdf+html CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Organizing in China: Still a Monolithic Labor Movement? JF - Industrial and Labor Relations Review Y1 - 2010 A1 - Liu, M. KW - ACFTU KW - All-China Federation of Trade Unions KW - China KW - collective bargaining KW - organizing KW - organizing strategies KW - trade unions AB -

In contrast to much of the research that treats the official All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) as a monolithic organization, the author argues that there is considerable variation within the ACFTU in terms of local union organizing strategies. Using extensive field research and interviews with regional union officials, grassroots union cadres, shop floor workers, and employers and managers in China during the period 2005–2007, the author contributes to an understanding of contemporary trade union strategies in China. Moreover, his analysis of regional union strategies suggests three patterns of union organizing: the ACFTU pattern, the union association pattern, and the regional, industry-based bargaining pattern, each with vastly different consequences for the future of trade unions and bargaining in China.

VL - 64 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/ilrreview/vol64/iss1/2/ CP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Women and Union Leadership in the UK and USA: First Findings From a Cross-National Research Project Y1 - 2010 A1 - Gill Kirton A1 - Geraldine Healy A1 - Alvarez, S. A1 - Lieberwitz, R. A1 - Gatta, M. KW - gender KW - Great Britain KW - labor movement KW - labor rights KW - union leadership KW - unions KW - United States KW - women AB -

This is a report prepared for Cornell Conference on Women and Union Leadership held at Cornell University, New York City on May 8th 2010 and for Queen Mary/SERTUC Workshop on Women and Union Leadership held at Congress House, London on 11th September 2010. The project was funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

[Excerpt] This report offers the first findings of a unique comparative research project on women in union leadership in the UK and the USA. It is the first study that seeks to systematically investigate the experiences of women in union leadership in two countries using the same research methodologies and carried out by an American/British research team.

PB - Queen Mary University of London CY - London L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/reports/28/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Your Rights in the Workplace (9th edition) Y1 - 2010 A1 - Repa, B. K. KW - employee rights KW - legislation KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace laws AB -

A guide that discusses employees’ rights at work, including wages and hours, family and medical leave (including the FMLA), and harassment and discrimination.

PB - Nolo Publishers CY - Berkeley, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - 劳动关系国际比较 Y1 - 2010 A1 - 宋玥 PB - 中国劳动和社会保障出版社 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - 《工会学:当代中国工会理论》 Y1 - 2010 A1 - 同庆编著 冯 PB - 中国劳动社会保障出版社 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Building More Effective Unions (2nd Edition) Y1 - 2009 A1 - P. Clark KW - behavioral science KW - industrial relations KW - labor unions KW - union leaders AB -

Paul F. Clark believes union leaders should take advantage of the valuable discoveries made in behavioral science, and, in Building More Effective Unions, he offers a straightforward account of how they can do so. The second edition provides an updated discussion of important lessons behavioral science holds for labor organizations. It also provides new examples of how unions and their leaders have benefited from putting the principles outlined in the first edition into practice. (publisher's statement)

PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY SN - 9780801475191 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - China and the Transformation of Global Capitalism Y1 - 2009 A1 - Hung, H. KW - China KW - economy KW - globalization KW - income distribution KW - international market system KW - labor KW - market economy AB -

With one of the world's fastest-growing economies and a population quickly approaching two billion, China holds substantial sway over global financial, social, and cultural networks. This volume explains China's economic rise and liberalization and assesses how this growth is reshaping the structure and dynamics of global capitalism in the twenty-first century.

China has historically been the center of Asian trade, economic, and financial networks, and its global influence continues to expand in the twenty-first century. In exploring the causes for and effects of China's resurging power, this volume takes a broad, long-term view that reaches well beyond economics for answers. Contributors explore the vast web of complex issues raised by China's ascendancy.

The first three chapters discuss the global and historical origins of China's shift to a market economy and that transformation's impact on the international market system. Subsequent essays explore the ability of large Chinese manufacturers to counter the might of transnational retailers, the effect of China's rise on world income distribution and labor, and the consequences of a stronger China for its two most powerful neighbors, Russia and Japan. The concluding chapter questions whether China's growth is sustainable and if it will ultimately shift the center of global capitalism from the West to the East.

This cutting-edge collection of works by leading global political economists links current events to long-term trends in global capitalist development to provide a comprehensive analysis of China's impact on the world. Scholars of China, world systems and globalization, international relations, and political economy will find this assessment worthy of study and an important starting point for further research.

Contributors: Richard P. Appelbaum, Giovanni Arrighi, Edna Bonacich, József Böröcz, Paul S. Ciccantell, John Gulick, Ho-Fung Hung, Stephanie Luce, Beverly J. Silver, Alvin Y. So, and Lu Zhang. (publisher's statement)

PB - The Johns Hopkins University Press CY - Baltimore L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - China’s New Labour Contract Law: Is China Moving Toward Increased Power for Workers? JF - Third World Quarterly Y1 - 2009 A1 - Wang, H. A1 - Appelbaum, R. A1 - Deguili, F. A1 - Lichtenstein, N. KW - China KW - contract law KW - human rights KW - workers’ rights AB -

China's new labour law is a significant reform that offers workers greater employment security and income protection. It is a product of both unprecedented industrial unrest as well as the Chinese government's decision to move its economy to a higher-wage, higher-technology future. The law has energised many workers, who are now using the courts and the Communist Party-controlled trade unions to press their claims. But the law has also evoked a sharp reaction from many employers, who have sought to circumvent its purposes in two ways. First, they coerce many employees to resign their posts—thereby forfeiting important seniority claims—and then rehire them as new employees. Second, many labour-intensive manufacturers have begun to shutter their factories and shift production to even lower-wage regions of China or Southeast Asia. Although long an instrument of labour control and intimidation, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions has sought to use the new labour law to win for itself a measure of institutional and ideological legitimacy.

VL - 30 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Coal Mine Safety Regulation in China and the USA JF - Journal of Contemporary Asia Y1 - 2009 A1 - Homer, A. W. KW - China KW - coal KW - coal mine KW - mine safety KW - mining KW - safety AB -


The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the USA are, by long measure, the world’s largest producers and consumers of coal. Coal production is inherently risky, and fatalities are unavoidable in these large coal economies. Both countries have developed complex systems of law to regulate coal mine safety. These systems share many attributes. Despite similarities between the separate systems of mining law, the PRC significantly trails the USA in terms of coal mine safety. Due to large disparity in economic development, it may be inappropriate to compare these two countries. However, the PRC’s mine safety record is significantly worse than that of other large producers who are similarly underdeveloped. It appears that the PRC has failed to effectively implement its mining safety laws. Several arguments have been made as to the cause of this failure, including lack of judicial review of agency actions, lack of meaningful trade unions, government corruption and geographical difficulties of controlling rural mines with a central government. This article explores similarities and differences between the coal economies of the USA and PRC, and introduces some of the arguments used to explain the gap in safety.

VL - 39 L2 - eng UR - http://content.csbs.utah.edu/~mli/Economies%205430-6430/Homer-Coal%20Mine%20regulation%20in%20China%20and%20USA.pdf CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Community Unionism: A Comparative Analysis of Concepts and Contexts Y1 - 2009 A1 - McBride, J. A1 - Greenwood, I. KW - community KW - community unionism KW - faith KW - faith-based organizations KW - industrial relations KW - labor movement KW - local labor markets AB -

Discussion of what has been termed "community unionism" (CU) traverses a range of disciplines, including geography, sociology and industrial relations. While the term is being used more extensively, it tends to be loosely deployed and often in such a variety of ways as to generate as much confusion as clarity. This book draws out the different meanings, including a range of the variations, of the term CU. The case studies presented in this book raise a number of issues important to the process of CU and its potential for success, including the nature of CU; the impact of geography; the sustainability of CU initiatives; the role played by activists in building trust between trade unions, community and faith groups; the potential problems presented to traditional trade unionism in acting beyond the workplace; the diversity of CU initiatives and whether CU offers the prospect of an alternative form of trade unionism. (publisher's statement)

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Direction of Union Mergers in the United States: The Rise of Conglomerate Unionism JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2009 A1 - Moody, K. KW - collective bargaining KW - conglomerate unions KW - trade unions KW - union mergers AB -

Trade union mergers have become common throughout the industrial world. In the United States, since the late 1970s, these have become increasingly multi-jurisdictional. Beginning in the 1990s, the trend has been dominated by five ‘conglomerate’ unions, who have embraced this as a strategy for growth and increased effectiveness. This article will examine the roots of this ‘conglomerate’ direction and quantitatively assess the claims for greater effectiveness in finances, organizing, and collective bargaining. The tentative conclusion is that while resources and policy matter, the conglomerate merger strategy of these unions has not improved any of these functions either over time or in comparison to other unions that have put less emphasis on multi-jurisdictional mergers. (publisher's statement)

VL - 47 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Embedded With Organized Labor: Journalistic Reflections on the Class War at Home Y1 - 2009 A1 - Early, S. KW - human rights KW - organizing KW - union activism KW - workers’ rights AB -

Describes how union members have organized successfully, on the job and in the community, in the face of employer opposition now and in the past. The author has produced a provocative series of essays—an unusual exercise in “participatory labor journalism” useful to any reader concerned about social and economic justice. As workers struggle to survive and the labor movement tries to revive during the current economic crisis, this book provides ideas and inspiration for union activists and friends of labor alike. (publisher’s statement)

PB - Monthly Review Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - CONF T1 - The Emerging Anglo-American Model: Convergence in Industrial Relations Institutions? T2 - 15th World Congress of the International Industrial Relations Association Y1 - 2009 A1 - A. J. Colvin A1 - Darbishire, O. R. KW - Australia KW - Canada KW - dispute resolution KW - industrial relations KW - Ireland KW - labor rights KW - New Zealand KW - United Kingdom KW - United States AB -

The Thatcher and Reagan administrations led a shift towards more market oriented regulation of economies in the Anglo-American countries, including efforts to reduce the power of organized labor. In this paper, we examine the development of employment and labor law in six Anglo-American countries (the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand) from the Thatcher/Reagan era to the present. At the outset of the Thatcher/Reagan era, the employment and labor law systems in these countries could be divided into three pairings: the Wagner Act model based industrial relations systems of the United States and Canada; the voluntarist system of collective bargaining and strong unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland; and the highly centralized, legalistic Award systems of Australia and New Zealand. Indeed, such a historical perspective contradicts the idea that there has been a longstanding Anglo-American model of liberal market economic ordering as has sometimes been suggested, e.g. in the varieties of capitalism literature. However, looking at the current state of the employment relations systems in these six countries, we argue that there has been growing convergence in two major areas.

There has been a convergence in the area of labour rights toward private ordering of employment relations and away from the idea of work and employment being a matter subject to public ordering. By private ordering, we mean the idea that work and employment terms and conditions are primarily determined at the level of the individual organization, whether through collective bargaining between unions and employers at the organizational level, through individual negotiations, or through unilateral employer establishment of the terms and conditions of employment. The shift away from public ordering of work and employment is most dramatic in the cases of Australia and New Zealand, where the publicly established system of centralized Awards has given way to organizational level ordering of employment relations through workplace or individual level agreements. In the United Kingdom, the shift to greater private ordering is most evident in the breakdown of multi-employer collective bargaining, the weakening of industry wide standards enforced by strong unions, and the growth of nonunion representation at the enterprise level. By contrast, the much lesser degree of change in the labour rights area in North America reflects the historical situation that the Wagner Act model was from the outset a model built around the idea of private ordering. When we turn to the area of employment rights, we also see a convergence across the six Anglo-American countries toward a model in which the role of employment law is to establish a basket of minimum standards that are built into the employment relationship, which can then be improved upon by the parties.

Within these general trends, we do see some variation in the degree of convergence on these models of labour and employment rights regulation across the Anglo-American countries. The strongest degree of similarity in adoption of the private ordering in labour rights and the minimum standards basket in employment rights is found in four of the countries: Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and, with recent legislative changes, Australia. Each of these countries has adopted labour laws that favour organizational level economic ordering, but with reasonably substantial protections of trade union organizing and bargaining rights, and a set of minimum employment standards that includes similar sets of minimum wage, basic leave entitlements and unfair dismissal protections.

The first outlier in this study is Ireland. The Irish employment relations system stands out as the only one that has continued to have a significant degree of central coordination and public ordering of employment relations. Although there is substantial coordination at the central level, at the organizational level, the Irish system resembles the other Anglo-American countries much more closely, suggesting that it has the potential to evolve in a similar direction. The other outlier is the United States. Structurally its system is similar to the other Anglo-American countries in emphasizing private ordering in labour law and the role of employment law as being to establish a minimum basket of basic standards. However, where the United States diverges from the other countries is that its system has involved a general favouring of the interests of employers over those of employees and organized labour in the implementation of the model.

JA - 15th World Congress of the International Industrial Relations Association CY - Sydney, Australia L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/conference/32 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Employment Arbitration: Empirical Findings and Research Needs JF - Dispute Resolution Journal Y1 - 2009 A1 - A. J. Colvin KW - employment arbitration KW - employment relations KW - individual rights KW - mandatory arbitration KW - participation AB -

[Excerpt] There is vociferous opposition to employers forcing pre-dispute arbitration agreements on employees. Critics argue that employees are not voluntary participants in the process, which they say unfairly favors employers. Advocates of mandatory arbitration dispute these charges and argue that arbitration offers employees and employers significant advantages over litigation. For example, they argue, among other things, that that litigation is not as accessible as arbitration because lawyers will not take low value employment cases on a contingency basis.

Critics of mandatory employment arbitration have moved the debate into the legislative arena. Bills have been introduced in state legislatures and in Congress that would, if enacted, substantially change the current arbitration system. For example, the proposed “2009 Arbitration Fairness Act” would amend the FAA to largely overturn Gilmer and Circuit City by expressly invalidating mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements imposed on employees and consumers, and allowing only voluntarily signed, post-dispute arbitration agreements for these classes of claimants.

Empirical research has an important role to play in this debate. By shedding light on how employer-promulgated arbitration systems operate, researchers can inform the discussion of public policy and legislative decision making. This column will look at some recent empirical research to see what it can tell us about the current system of employment arbitration and then identify areas in need of additional research.

VL - 64 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/834/ CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Employment Discrimination in China: The Current Situation and Principle Challenges JF - Hamline Law Review Y1 - 2009 A1 - Lu, J. KW - anti-discrimination KW - China KW - discrimination law KW - employment discrimination KW - labor law AB -

China's legal system continues to struggle with the political and social complications of its rapid economic development. One of the more glaring tensions in the New China is the treatment of workers in a capitalist economy nested within a socialist political system. Employment Discrimination in China: Current Situations and Principle Challenges is the first paper in a series of papers I am writing on the issue of employment discrimination in China. Research on employment discrimination is quite a recent thing in China, yet as early as in 2002, I was involved in several high-profile anti-discrimination cases and served as a legal counsel for plaintiff in one of them. I was also a participant in the initial employment discrimination research program in west China directed by Professor Zhou Wei of Sichuan University law school in 2003-04.

This paper provides the most complete account to date of the current status of employment discrimination in China, how it affects job applicants and employees, and what the law is doing about it. Much of the data comes from empirical research projects this author conducted with Professor Zhou, and has never been presented in English before. The paper discusses the relevant Chinese laws from an analytical perspective. It then presents the obstacles China faces in tackling employment discrimination through its existing legal scheme. Like many contemporary Chinese stories, the discrimination story is about change. We do not know how this story will end, but it makes interesting reading for the international and comparative lawyer.

VL - 1 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1371075 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - External Pressure and Local Mobilization: Transnational Activism and the Emergence of the Chinese Labor Movement JF - Mobilization Y1 - 2009 A1 - E. Friedman KW - China KW - labor movement KW - social movements KW - transnational activism AB -

[Excerpt] This article elucidates connections between two strategies of transnational social movements—external pressure and local mobilization—and two potential outcomes—paternalism and psychological empowerment. Application of this theoretical framework to the nascent Chinese labor movement indicates that an overreliance on an external-pressure approach results in paternalism, thereby precluding psychological empowerment for aggrieved actors and potentially inhibiting movement growth. Conversely, strategies that relegate external support to a secondary role and privilege local mobilization are more likely to result in psychological empowerment. In this study, I argue that psychological empowerment is a prerequisite for the emergence of a worker-based movement in China. Many studies of cooperation between movement actors from the global North and South have seen this relationship as essentially unproblematic. I begin to problematize the inherent power inequalities between the two sets of actors and will theorize the implications for movement emergence in Southern countries.

VL - 14 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/754/ CP - 2 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - First Contract Arbitration: Issues and Design Y1 - 2009 A1 - A. M. Zack KW - arbitration KW - collective bargaining KW - Employee Free Choice Act KW - mediation KW - workplace disputes AB -

[Excerpt] The proposed Employee Free Choice Act calls for mediation and arbitration of first contracts if the parties do not reach a negotiated agreement within 90 days. By so ensuring an initial contract, the framers of the bill hope to successfully establish the beginnings of collective bargaining institutions and relationships in newly unionized workplaces. Although the bill draws on the experiences and practices of interest arbitration that have developed over many decades, as currently drafted, the bill does not spell out the particular design features of an arbitration system nor clarify how arbitration would relate to mediation, strikes, or lockouts. Addressing these issues and several others will help to show how the processes envisioned by this bill should operate. Such details could be made explicit either as part of the final bill or in the rules prepared by the agency (or agencies) Congress assigns to administer and enforce the law. In addition, many of these issues could be dealt with by agreement of the parties themselves, as they face the possibility of using the statutory arbitration system.

This paper lays out some of the issues that should be considered in this design process, drawing on years of experience and evidence with interest arbitration, mediation, and other features of dispute resolution in both the private and public sector settings. The paper seeks to show how many features of traditional arbitration and mediation practice would prove particularly well-suited to the context of first contract disputes envisioned by the proposed Act.

PB - Labor and Employment Relations Association L2 - eng UR - http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/people/staffPapers/zack/Arbitration_LERA_Blog_3_13_09.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Future of Union Organising: Building for Tomorrow Y1 - 2009 A1 - Gregor Gall KW - collective bargaining KW - labor unions KW - membership KW - organizing KW - union strategies AB -

While union organising has developed over time and in many different environments, it has become apparent that a number of key problems have developed. Evaluating its efficacy in terms of union strategies, tactics, styles and resources, this title outlines a number of strategies for improving these deficiences. (publisher's statement)

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Global Unions, Global Business: Global Union Federations and International Business Y1 - 2009 A1 - Croucher, R. A1 - Cotton, E. KW - global union federations KW - globalization KW - international employment relations KW - international industrial relations AB -

Global Unions, Global Business takes a unique approach to the topic of Global Unions. It looks at a little-understood aspect of globalization: the role of the Global Union Federations in international employment relations. The book outlines the way that trade unions at international level relate to multinational companies using detailed and up-to-date illustrations of their activities.

Importantly, the book includes an in-depth case study of one of the GUF’s dealings with a major multinational company. Throughout the book the authors also explore the previously unknown internal lives of the Global Union Federations and propose ideas about how they can strengthen their position internationally.

Global Unions, Global Business is a unique contribution to existing literature on globalization and international employment relations, throwing new light both on the international trade union movement and its relations with multinational companies. The book will be of interest to all those interested in the future of trade unionism, multinational companies and the future of international industrial relations. (publisher's statement)

PB - Middlesex University Press CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Helping Workers Online and Offline: Innovations in Union and Worker Organization Using the Internet T2 - Studies in Labor Market Intermediation Y1 - 2009 A1 - R. Freeman A1 - Rehavi, M. M. ED - D. H. Autor KW - AFL-CIO KW - England KW - Internet KW - on-line community KW - Trade Union Congress KW - UK KW - Working America AB -

This study examines two innovative efforts to provide union services to workers with the aid of low cost Internet communication: the AFL-CIO's Working America, a "community affiliate" that enrolled 2 million workers from 2004 to 2007 by canvassing them at their homes and over the Internet (www.workingamerica.org); and the UK'S Trade Union Congress's www.unionreps.org.uk, a discussion board for worker representatives to communicate about workplace issues. Working America demonstrates that workers without collective bargaining will join a union organization that communicates on-line and off-line and campaigns for worker interests in society. Unionreps.org shows that local worker representatives can form an on-line community that shares information to improve the services they give workers. Combining the two innovations could be a step toward a new "open source" union form that provides union services at low cost outside of collective bargaining.

JA - Studies in Labor Market Intermediation PB - University of Chicago Press CY - Chicago, IL L2 - eng UR - http://www.nber.org/papers/w13850 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Human Rights in Labor and Employment Relations: International and Domestic Perspectives Y1 - 2009 A1 - Gross, J. A. A1 - L. Compa KW - human rights KW - labor movement KW - labor rights KW - organization KW - public policy KW - union AB -

[Excerpt] This volume is intended to collect the best current scholarship in the new and growing field of labor rights and human rights. We hope it will serve as a resource for researchers and practitioners as well as for teachers and students in university-level labor and human rights courses. The animating idea for the volume is the proposition that workers' rights are human rights. But we recognize that this must be more than a slogan. Promoting labor rights as human rights requires drawing on theoretical work in labor studies and in human rights scholarship and developing closely reasoned arguments based on what is happening in the real world. Citing labor clauses in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one thing; relating them to the real world where workers seek to exercise their rights is something else. The contributors to this volume provide a firm theoretical foundation grounded in the reality of labor activism and advocacy in a market-driven global economy.

PB - Labor and Employment Relations Association CY - Champaign, IL L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/328/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Institutions and Activism: Crisis and Opportunity for a German Labor Movement in Decline JF - Industrial and Labor Relations Review Y1 - 2009 A1 - L. Turner KW - Germany KW - labor market KW - negotiation KW - organizing KW - unions AB -

In recent decades, German unions have rested on their institutional laurels even as the ground has slipped away. This article analyzes two recent innovative campaigns based on grassroots mobilization that, the author argues, offer possibilities for renewed union strength. A breakthrough campaign against a militantly anti-union firm in the retail industry demonstrates the potential for a German brand of social movement unionism. The story line and institution-building strategy of this campaign fall entirely outside the framework of traditional German industrial relations. A second, very different campaign, from deep inside that traditional framework, has mobilized union members in Nordrhein-Westfalen (IG Metall’s largest district) for active engagement in contract negotiations and membership growth. Together, these two stories challenge existing perspectives on once stable German industrial relations, point toward inadequacies of prominent contemporary theories of institutional stability and change, and suggest constraints and opportunities for a German labor movement in need of strategic reorientation.

VL - 62 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/327/ CP - 3 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - International Trends In ADR: An Asian View Y1 - 2009 A1 - A. M. Zack KW - ADR KW - alternative dispute resolution KW - Asia KW - dispute resolution KW - globalization KW - international law AB -

[Excerpt] In globalization we like to refer to trends in international law, or international trends in national law. But the reality is that in the international arena there is no legal recourse or workplace protection as there is in the national arena leaving ADR as the only forum for moving forward. Much as we would like to report on the sweeping and expanding success of labor and employment ADR in Asia, with two exceptions, the pickings are slim.

PB - Labor Employment Relations Association CY - San Francisco, California L2 - eng UR - http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/people/staffPapers/zack/INTernational_trends_in_ADR_SF_Jan_2009.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Measuring Progress Under China’s Labor Law: Goals, Processes, Outcomes JF - Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal Y1 - 2009 A1 - Josephs, H. K. KW - China KW - Employment Contract Law KW - labor law KW - labor rights KW - legislation KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace abuses AB -

In 2007 the PRC legislature approved a three-part package of statutes intended to improve on, and fill gaps left by, the Labor Law of 1994, which itself was the first major labor-related statute of the post-reform period. This article will focus on the first of the three laws to be passed, and the most significant, the Employment Contract Law (ECL). The ECL clearly demonstrates maturation of the legislative process, especially with respect to representation of various interest groups and an effort to gather input from a wide range of perspectives. The ECL further exemplifies the influence of prior law-making by the courts and by administrative agencies, in essence, codifying earlier subsidiary forms of law. In terms of responding to egregious workplace abuses, the ECL corrects in some ways for the inherent imbalance of economic power between employers and employees. However, the ECL does not provide a legal basis for the establishment of unions or quasi-unions independent of the control of the Chinese Communist Party. In that sense, the ECL still does not constitute that crucial breakthrough which international labor rights activists have eagerly awaited. The spread of "decent working conditions" in China will continue to depend on an overall improvement in living standards and the government's willingness to prioritize equity concerns ahead of growth.

VL - 30 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1294909 CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Memories of the 1982 ILGWU Strike in New York Chinatown JF - Amerasia Journal Y1 - 2009 A1 - Quan, K. KW - Chinatown KW - garment workers KW - negotiation KW - New York KW - strike AB -

[Excerpt] In June 1982, more than 20,000 immigrant women garment workers went on strike in New York Chinatown to demand a good contract. Their employers demanded deep cutbacks in wages and benefits, and threatened to withdraw from the union altogether if their demands weren’t met. However at the sight of thousands of immigrant women workers marching through the streets of Chinatown, the employers quickly withdrew their demands, and within hours the workers and their union had won the strike.

This is how I remember it.

VL - 35 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - More than Green Jobs: Time for a New Climate Policy for Labor JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2009 A1 - Sean Sweeney KW - climate change KW - environmental degradation KW - jobs versus environment KW - social movement unionism AB -

U.S. labor’s role in the fight against global warming is akin to MIT meteorologist Edward Lorenz’s “butterfly effect”—the concept that small events can have large, widespread consequences. The sometimes surgical interventions of key unions on Capitol Hill this past spring have helped shape and then pass—by a narrow margin—a major piece of clean energy and climate protection legislation. Adopted by the House in late June, the American Clean Energy Security Act (ACES) could decide how quickly and effectively the world responds to the threat of climate change. That unions were onthe progressive side of this critically important vote is remarkable given their troubled history with the issue. But labor still has some serious obstacles to negotiate before it can arrive at a truly forward-looking and movement-building climate and energy policy, one that brings the economic and social needs of workers into full alignment with a science-based climate protection program. Firstly, labor must fully accept the ideathat policy must actually be guided by science—and this is not negotiable. Secondly, unions need to reconsider their commitment to a future based on coal, because nothing is cooking the climate faster than coal use. Thirdly, more unions need to be fully engaged in the fight against global warming in order to develop and then mobilize around a bold approach that champions social justice both at home and internationally.

VL - 18 L2 - eng UR - https://author.ilr.cornell.edu/globallaborinstitute/research/upload/More-than-Green-Jobs-Sweeney.pdf CP - 3 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - No Holds Barred: The Intensification of Employer Opposition to Organizing (Economic Policy Institute Briefing Paper #235) Y1 - 2009 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner KW - elections KW - employer opposition KW - labor unions KW - National Labor Relations Board KW - NLRB KW - organizing AB -

[Excerpt] This study is a comprehensive analysis of employer behavior in representation elections supervised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The data for this study originate from a thorough review of primary NLRB documents for a random sample of 1,004 NLRB certification elections that took place between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2003 and from an in-depth survey of 562 campaigns conducted with that same sample. Employer behavior data from prior studies conducted over the last 20 years are used for purposes of comparison. The representativeness of the sample combined with the high response rate for both the survey (56%) and NLRB unfair labor practice (ULP) charge documents (98%) ensure that the findings provide unique and highly credible information. In combination, the results provide a detailed and well-documented portrait of the legal and illegal tactics used by employers in NLRB representational elections and of the ineffectiveness of current labor law policy to protect and enforce workers rights in the election process.

PB - Economic Policy Institute CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/reports/38/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Organizing at the Margins: The Symbolic Politics of Labor in South Korea and the United States Y1 - 2009 A1 - Chun, J. J. KW - globablization KW - labor movement KW - organizing KW - South Korea KW - union KW - United States AB -

The realities of globalization have produced a surprising reversal in the focus and strategies of labor movements around the world. After years of neglect and exclusion, labor organizers are recognizing both the needs and the importance of immigrants and women employed in the growing ranks of low-paid and insecure service jobs. In Organizing at the Margins, Jennifer Jihye Chun focuses on this shift as it takes place in two countries: South Korea and the United States.

Using comparative historical inquiry and in-depth case studies, she shows how labor movements in countries with different histories and structures of economic development, class formation, and cultural politics embark on similar trajectories of change. Chun shows that as the base of worker power shifts from those who hold high-paying, industrial jobs to the formerly "unorganizable," labor movements in both countries are employing new strategies and vocabularies to challenge the assault of neoliberal globalization on workers' rights and livelihoods.

Deftly combining theory and ethnography, she argues that by cultivating alternative sources of "symbolic leverage" that root workers' demands in the collective morality of broad-based communities, as opposed to the narrow confines of workplace disputes, workers in the lowest tiers are transforming the power relations that sustain downgraded forms of work. Her case studies of janitors and personal service workers in the United States and South Korea offer a surprising comparison between converging labor movements in two very different countries as they refashion their relation to historically disadvantaged sectors of the workforce and expand the moral and material boundaries of union membership in a globalizing world.

Cowinner of the 2012 Distinguished Book Award given by the Race, Gender, and Class Section of the American Sociological Association. (publisher's statement)

 

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Organizing on Separate Shores: Vietnamese and Vietnamese American Union Organizers Y1 - 2009 A1 - Wong, K. A1 - Le, A. KW - organizing KW - union organizing KW - Vietnam KW - workers’ rights AB -

Five union organizers from Vietnam and five Vietnamese American union organizers share their stories of war, sorrow, loss, displacement, and migration. But their stories also capture their hope, determination, and perseverance against the formidable obstacles they face in organizing workers to improve their jobs and their lives. (publisher's statement)

PB - UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education CY - Los Angeles L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Political Protest and Labor Solidarity in Korea: White-Collar Labor Movements after Democratization (1987–1995) Y1 - 2009 A1 - Suh, D. KW - East Asia KW - industrial relations KW - Korea KW - labor movement KW - social movements KW - trade unions AB -

East Asia has undergone an intense period of economic development and accompanying social change in recent years and among the unforeseen social phenomena that have emerged are new forms of trade unions. This book analyzes the importance of such a new union movement in Korea by focusing on the promotion of social reforms by, and the intensification of interunion solidarity between the white-collar movement factions.

Three sectors of the white-collar movement are examined—financial, hospital, and research unions. In comparing their success in raising social reforms and fortifying interunion solidarity, Doowon Suh considers diverse macro and micro social relations, such as the structure of political opportunities, organization leadership, and the effects of internal labor markets. (publisher's statement)

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Should Labor Defend Worker Rights as Human Rights? A Debate JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2009 A1 - J. Youngdahl A1 - L. Compa KW - human rights KW - labor movement KW - unions KW - worker rights AB -

The authors debate the relative merits and drawbacks of defining the labor movement under the umbrella of human rights, and the virtues of the rights of the individual versus the solidarity of the community.

VL - 18 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/240/ CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Still Unjaded: Jim Atleson’s Twenty-First Century Turn to International Labor Law JF - Buffalo Law Review Y1 - 2009 A1 - L. Compa KW - international labor law KW - Jim Atelson KW - labor law KW - organizing KW - Values and Assumptions AB -

[Excerpt] I came late to the academy and am still more of a trade unionist than a scholar, so I am going to start my remarks from this perspective. When Jim wrote Values and Assumptions I was in my earlier life as a union staffer with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), a great, democratic, independent left-wing union. Like everyone else on the union staff, I was a generalist and an itinerant. I received organizing and bargaining assignments in New England, the Carolinas, and Baltimore, corporate campaign assignments in South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and California, political and legislative assignments in Washington, and a dozen other projects. It was nonstop action from the time I started working for the UE after finishing law school in 1973.

VL - 57 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/255/ CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Studies of Labor Market Intermediation (National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Report) Y1 - 2009 A1 - D. H. Autor KW - globalization KW - hiring KW - job market KW - labor market intermediaries KW - LMIs AB -

From the traditional craft hiring hall to the Web site Monster.com, a multitude of institutions exist to facilitate the matching of workers with firms. The diversity of such Labor Market Intermediaries (LMIs) encompasses criminal records providers, public employment offices, labor unions, temporary help agencies, and centralized medical residency matches. Studies of Labor Market Intermediation analyzes how these third-party actors intercede where workers and firms meet, thereby aiding, impeding, and, in some cases, exploiting the matching process.

By building a conceptual foundation for analyzing the roles that these understudied economic actors serve in the labor market, this volume develops both a qualitative and quantitative sense of their significance to market operation and worker welfare. Cross-national in scope, Studies of Labor Market Intermediation is distinctive in coalescing research on a set of market institutions that are typically treated as isolated entities, thus setting a research agenda for analyzing the changing shape of employment in an era of rapid globalization and technological change. (publisher's statement)

PB - University of Chicago Press CY - Chicago L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Think Global, Act Local: Employee Representation in a World of Global Labor and Product Market Competition JF - The Labor Lawyer Y1 - 2009 A1 - Estreicher, S. KW - collective bargaining KW - competition KW - global labor KW - global labor markets KW - global product markets KW - globalization KW - integrative bargaining KW - labor law KW - product market competition KW - public policy KW - redistributive bargaining KW - unionization AB -

The decline of unionization rates in private companies, while at an especially low point below 10% in the U.S., is a worldwide phenomenon, hastened by the emergence of global labor and product market competition. The dilemma for public policy is that while strong unions can promote worker voice and economic participation, they do so in a manner that harms firm performance where all companies competing in the same product market are not subject to the same union standards. Global markets make it increasingly difficult for unions to pursue traditional redistributive goals, bringing to the fore an alternative model of workplace representation that emphasizes pursuit of objectives that do not undermine firm profits. Although global labor standards are often suggested as a means of improving the ability of U.S. workers to compete on a "level playing field" with workers in other countries, this approach is not likely to succeed if developing countries are to pursue their competitive advantage as lower-cost producers. Rather, the path for U.S. public policy should be two-pronged: (1) strengthening the protections for workers seeking collective representation, while (2) removing disincentives in current institutional arrangements that retard the evolution of unions as integrative bargaining agents.

VL - 24 L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1292369 CP - 3 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Transforming Power: From the Personal to the Political Y1 - 2009 A1 - Rebick, J. KW - globalization KW - grassroots activism KW - mass communication technology KW - social justice AB -

Veteran activist Judy Rebick explains how globalization and mass communication technology are revolutionizing our understanding of power and producing profound new ideas about social and political life. Whether it’s the election of President Obama, the rise of democracy in Bolivia, or the success of Wikipedia, it’s the process that’s key: bringing communities of people together to produce something new; building a movement from the bottom up; sharing experience, knowledge and wisdom; emphasizing co-operation and consensus over confrontation and political partisanship.

Meaningful response to the environmental crisis and social injustice requires substantial, sustainable change at every level, which can only come through building power from the grass roots, from the people most impacted. In Transforming Power we discover the ideas, the people and the practices that can provide the paths to the change we need. (publisher's statement)

PB - Penguin Canada CY - Toronto L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Union Revitalization in Advanced Economies: Assessing the Contribution of Union Organising Y1 - 2009 A1 - Gregor Gall KW - Great Britain KW - New Zealand KW - organizing tactics KW - union organizing KW - union strategies AB -

After a decade of "union organizing" in Britain, the time has come to make a thoroughgoing assessment of it. This book evaluates the efficacy of the union organizing in terms of union strategies, tactics, styles and resources, and assesses the impact of differing regulatory regimes on union organizing. (publisher's statement)

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Wal-Mart Imports From China, Exports Ohio Jobs Y1 - 2009 A1 - CIO AFL- KW - China KW - labor laws KW - labor market KW - Ohio KW - outsourcing KW - Wal-Mart AB -

[Excerpt] This report tells the stories of four Ohio companies that sell to Wal-Mart. The loss of jobs at the Huffy Corp., Rubbermaid, Mr. Coffee and Thomson factories in Ohio demonstrates how Wal-Mart pressures suppliers to send Ohio jobs overseas. These jobs exported by Wal-Mart suppliers represent just a handful of the hundreds of thousands of good jobs Ohio has lost in the new Wal-Mart economy. Other such Wal-Mart suppliers as Hasbro, Ohio Art, Texas Instruments Inc., Hoover, World Kitchen Inc. and Philips also have closed plants in Ohio.

PB - AFL-CIO Wal-Mart Campaign CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/laborunions/24/ ER - TY - NEWS T1 - A War Against Organizing T2 - The Washington Post Y1 - 2009 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner KW - labor law KW - labor movement KW - organizing KW - unions KW - worker rights AB -

[Excerpt] Unless Congress passes serious labor law reform with real penalties, only a small fraction of the workers who seek union representation will succeed. If recent trends continue, there will no longer be a functioning legal mechanism to effectively protect the right of private-sector workers to organize and collectively bargain. Our country cannot afford to make workers defer their rights and aspirations for union representation any longer.

JA - The Washington Post L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/563/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Why David Sometimes Wins: Leadership, Organization, and Strategy in the California Farm Worker Movement Y1 - 2009 A1 - Ganz, M. KW - AFL-CIO KW - agriculture KW - Cesar Chavez KW - civil disobedience KW - civil rights KW - farming KW - La Causa KW - migrant labor KW - United Farm Workers KW - workers' rights AB -

Why David Sometimes Wins tells the story of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers' groundbreaking victory, drawing important lessons from this dramatic tale. Since the 1900s, large-scale agricultural enterprises relied on migrant labor-a cheap, unorganized, and powerless workforce. In 1965, when some 800 Filipino grape workers began to strike under the aegis of the AFL-CIO, the UFW soon joined the action with 2,000 Mexican workers and turned the strike into a civil rights struggle. They engaged in civil disobedience, mobilized support from churches and students, boycotted growers, and transformed their struggle into La Causa, a farm workers' movement that eventually triumphed over the grape industry's Goliath. Why did they succeed? How can the powerless challenge the powerful successfully? Offering insight from a longtime movement organizer and scholar, Ganz illustrates how they had the ability and resourcefulness to devise good strategy and turn short-term advantages into long-term gains. (from Amazon.com)

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York SN - 9780195162011 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Why Unions Matter Y1 - 2009 A1 - Yates, M. KW - AFL-CIO KW - American labor movement KW - bargaining power KW - benefits KW - Change to Win KW - collective bargaining KW - elections AB -

Unions mean better pay, benefits, and working conditions for their members; they force employers to treat employees with dignity and respect; and at their best, they provide a way for workers to make society both more democratic and egalitarian. Yates uses simple language, clear data, and engaging examples to show why workers need unions, how unions are formed, how they operate, how collective bargaining works, the role of unions in politics, and what unions have done to bring workers together across the divides of race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. (publisher’s statement)

PB - Monthly Review Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Workers’ Democracy in China’s Transition from State Socialism Y1 - 2009 A1 - Philion, S. E. KW - China KW - Chinese state enterprise workers KW - Chinese state socialism KW - privatization KW - workers democracy AB -

This book is among the first to examine state workers’ protests against privatization in China. Philion discusses how Chinese state enterprise workers have engaged a discourse of ‘workers democracy’ in the process of struggle with the new social relations of work that are engendered by privatization oriented policies in China today. By the 1990s, this discourse was being deployed by the state in an effort to minimize the social obligations of the Party and enterprise to state workers and to win the latter over to faith in markets. Philion reveals that Chinese workers have recently engaged this discourse in order to do something they never envisioned having to do: fight for what Chinese state socialism had always promised them as the ‘masters of the factory’, namely the right to a job and basic social security. (publisher's statement)

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - 《中国劳动关系报告》 Y1 - 2009 A1 - 常凯、乔健主编 PB - 中国劳动社会保障出版社 L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Collective Bargaining Remains the Linchpin of Worker Representation (Impact Brief #29) Y1 - 2008 A1 - Rebecca Kolins Givan KW - collective bargaining KW - union density KW - unionization KW - wage inequality AB -

[Excerpt] The decline in union density and collective bargaining coverage has created a representation gap that civil society organizations only partially bridge. Their offer of mutual insurance and political and legal advocacy on issues of concern to workers is no substitute for collective bargaining, a function that resides entirely within the union portfolio. Growing wage inequality is the clearest indication that representation without bargaining provides workers little protection against the power of employers and “the state.” Alliances between unions and civil society organizations may help labor reach potential members and advance workers’ non-bargaining interests.

PB - School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/briefs/44/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Corporate Social Responsibility and Workers’ Rights JF - Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal Y1 - 2008 A1 - L. Compa KW - corporations KW - human rights KW - labor movement KW - labor rights KW - social responsibility KW - workers’ rights AB -

[Excerpt] Corporate social responsibility (CSR) brings an important dimension to the global economy. CSR can enhance human rights, labor rights, and labor standards in the workplace by joining consumer power and socially responsible business leadership—not just leadership in Nike headquarters in Oregon or Levi Strauss headquarters in California, but leadership in trading house headquarters in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and leadership at the factory level in Dongguan and Shenzhen. Ten years ago, I would not have said this. I viewed corporate social responsibility and corporate codes of conduct as public relations maneuvers to pacify concerned consumers. Behind a facade of social responsibility, profits always trumped social concerns. CSR was only a fig leaf hiding abusive treatment of workers. But in recent years some concrete, positive results from effectively applied CSR programs convinced me of their value. In Mexico in 2001, workers at the Korean-owned KukDong sportswear factory succeeded in replacing a management and government dominated trade union with a democratic union of the workers' choice. Compliance officials from Nike and Reebok, two of the largest buyers, joined forces with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) enforcing their codes of conduct to achieve this result.

VL - 30 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/183/ CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Cross-Border Social Dialogue and Agreements: An Emerging Global Industrial Relations Framework? Y1 - 2008 A1 - Papadakis, K. KW - codes of conduct KW - employment conditions KW - globalization KW - IFAs KW - industrial relations KW - international framework agreements KW - workers’ rights AB -

The book examines various facets of international framework agreements (IFAs), as one of numerous private initiatives that have emerged in the absence of a state-driven multilateral framework, in view of organising a common labour relations framework at cross-border level. It also addresses relevant issues such as the possibility of cross-border solidarity action as a complement to cross-border dialogue.

PB - International Institute for Labour Studies CY - Geneva L2 - eng UR - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_093423.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Employment Law as Labor Law JF - Cardozo Law Review Y1 - 2008 A1 - B. Sachs KW - labor law KW - labor relations KW - legislation KW - NLRA AB -

Seventy years after Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the scholarly consensus is that American labor law has become ossified. As I have argued elsewhere, however, while the NLRA is undoubtedly dysfunctional, the blockage of this traditional channel for collective action has led not to ossification, but to a hydraulic effect: unable to find an outlet through the NLRA, the continuing demand for collective action has forced open alternative legal channels.

This article explores the first of these new channels, which I name employment law as labor law. The article presents detailed accounts of collective campaigns in which workers turn to employment law, in particular the Fair Labor Standards Act and Title VII, as the legal architecture that facilitates and protects their collective activity. This legal architecture, provided here by employment statutes, is one we conventionally call labor law.

Drawing upon and moving beyond these descriptive accounts, the article offers a theoretical model that explains how employment law's individual rights regime can galvanize, insulate, and generate workers' collective action. By revealing employment law's capacity to foster collective action, moreover, the article provides a new way of understanding the relationship between labor law and employment law. The model developed here disputes the claim that labor and employment law constitute distinct - and inimical - regulatory regimes.

Finally, the article contends that employment law's ability to foster collective action invites future inquiry into the possibility for a great trade in labor law reform: a new regime that provides strong safeguards for the early stages of collective action but retreats from the cradle-to-grave regulation that has defined, and ultimately undermined, the NLRA.

VL - 29 L2 - eng UR - http://cardozolawreview.com/Joomla1.5/content/29-6/SACHS.29.6.pdf CP - 6 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Evolving Labor Relations in the Women's Apparel Industry T2 - New Directions in the Study of Work and Employment Y1 - 2008 A1 - Quan, K. ED - C. J. Whalen KW - child labor KW - collective bargaining KW - garment workers KW - health and safety regulations KW - ILGWU KW - International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union KW - labor relations KW - outsourcing KW - sweatshops KW - women's apparel industry KW - women’s suffrage AB -

[Excerpt] Labor relations are in essence the power relationships between labor and capital. Various labor market institutions serve that power relationship, and in the twentieth century labor unions arose as the most important institution for workers to organize and bargain collectively for power. Among these unions, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) was an early champion of issues such as the eight-hour workday, the abolition of child labor, health and safety regulations, and women’s suffrage. For tens of thousands of immigrant women and men, the union became the ticket to the American dream – raising penniless sweatshop workers to proud middle-class citizens. The key to the ILGWU’s success was its ability to parlay public outrage over nineteenth-century-sweatshop conditions into a unique, triangular collective bargaining relationship between jobbers, contractors, and the union. As a result, by the 1950s garment workers were the second-highest-paid production workers in the country. In spite of these achievements, in the 1960s we began to hear the ILGWU protest outsourcing of apparel jobs to foreign countries where workers toiled under conditions similar to the sweatshops that the union had helped eradicate. In 1995 we even heard of Los Angeles garment workers who had been enslaved – smuggled in from Thailand under false pretenses, held under armed guard behind razor-wire fences, and paid less than 50 cents per hour. What happened to the power that led to such impressive union victories only a few decades earlier?

JA - New Directions in the Study of Work and Employment PB - Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc. CY - Northampton, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Globalization and Labor: Democratizing Global Governance Y1 - 2008 A1 - Stevis, D. A1 - Boswell, T. KW - global capitalism KW - global governance KW - global union politics KW - globalization KW - labor movement KW - social movements AB -

Unions have long been a central force in the democratization of national and global governance, and this timely book examines the role of labor in fighting for a more democratic and equitable world. In a clear and compelling narrative, Dimitris Stevis and Terry Boswell explore the past accomplishments and the formidable challenges still facing global union politics. Outlining the contradictions of globalization and global governance, they assess the implications for global union politics since its inception in the nineteenth century. The authors place this key social movement in a political economy framework as they argue that social movements can be fruitfully compared based on their emphases on egalitarianism and internationalism. Applying these concepts to global union politics across time, the authors consider whether global union politics has become more active and more influential or has failed to rise to the challenge of global capitalism. All readers interested in global organizations, governance, and social movements will find this deeply informed work an essential resource. (publisher's statement)

PB - Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. CY - Plymouth, UK L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact of National Culture and Economic Ideology on Managerial Work Values: A Study of the United States, Russia, Japan, and China JF - Journal of International Business Studies Y1 - 2008 A1 - Ralston, D. A1 - Holt, D. H. A1 - Terpstra, R. H. A1 - Kai-Cheng, Y. KW - China KW - corporate culture KW - culture KW - economic ideology KW - Japan KW - management KW - managers KW - Russia AB -

This study assesses the impact of economic ideology and national culture on the individual work values of managers in the United States, Russia, Japan, and China. The convergence-divergence-crossvergence (CDC) framework was used as a theoretical framework for the study, while the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) was used to operationalize our investigation of managerial work values across these four countries. The findings largely support the crossvergence perspective, while also confirming the role of national culture. Implications from the findings are drawn for the convergence-divergence-crossvergence of values, as well as for the feasibility of multidomestic or global strategies for a corporate culture.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan VL - 39 L2 - eng UR - http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jibs/journal/v39/n1/abs/8400330a.html CP - Jan/Feb ER - TY - RPRT T1 - International Legal Standards for Labor and Employment Law Y1 - 2008 A1 - A. M. Zack KW - China KW - dispute resolution KW - employment law KW - labor law KW - mediation KW - workers’ rights AB -

[Excerpt] Whatever our background and traditions in approaching this topic, and wherever we have developed our understanding of what conditions and laws should govern those at work, I think we all share an innate sense that although employers are entitled to a fair profit from their investment, workers are also entitled to be free of exploitation. The mutual dependence of labor and management was recognized by President Abraham Lincoln in his first State of the Union Address in 1861. He declared that “labor came first and can exist without capital, but... capital could never have existed without labor."

JA - Workplace Fairness Disputes in a Global Economy: Hong Kong and PCR Perspectives PB - Hong Kong International Arbitration Center CY - Hong Kong L2 - eng UR - http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/people/staffPapers/zack/Intl_Legal_Labor_Standards,_Hong_Kong_May_30,2008.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor’s New Opening to International Human Rights Standards JF - WorkingUSA: The Journal of Labor and Society Y1 - 2008 A1 - L. Compa KW - human rights KW - labor law KW - labor movement KW - trade unions KW - worker rights AB -

Most trade unionists were oblivious to international human rights movement in the last half of the twentieth century. For their part, human rights advocates did not include workers’ rights on their agenda. But in the late 1990s, labor and human rights advocates came together to reframe workers’ collective action as a human rights mission rather than a self-interested syndical action. A new labor–human rights alliance built a wide-ranging discourse of workers’ rights as human rights. The expertise and knowledge attributable to human rights actors gave their critique of workers’ rights violations in the U.S. a high measure of authoritativeness compared with trade unionists making the same claims. Critics suggest that a human rights frame moves away from a class analysis, de-emphasizing principles of industrial democracy and mass action in favor of individual rights. This article argues that a human rights argument can help win needed labor law reform to protect workers’ rights.

VL - 11 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/373/ CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Laboring of Communications: Will Knowledge Workers of the World Unite? Y1 - 2008 A1 - Mosco, V. A1 - McKercher, C. KW - communication workers KW - globalization KW - information society KW - new media KW - organized labor KW - outsourcing AB -

Examines the transformation of work and of worker organizations in today's Information Society. The book focuses on how traditional trade unions and new worker associations growing out of social movements are coming together to address the crisis of organized labor. It concentrates on the creative responses of the technical and cultural workers in the mass media, telecommunications, and information technology industries.

Concentrating on political economy, labor process, and feminist theory, it proceeds to offer several ways of thinking about communication workers and the nature of the society in which they work. Drawing on interviews and the documentary record, the book offers case studies of successful and unsuccessful efforts among both traditional and alternative worker organizations in the United States and Canada. It concludes by addressing the thorny issue of outsourcing, describing how global labor federations and nascent worker organizations in the developing world are coming together to develop creative solutions. (publisher's statement)

PB - Lexington Books CY - Lanham, MD L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour and the Challenges of Globalization: What Prospects for Transnational Solidarity? Y1 - 2008 A1 - Bieler, A. A1 - Lindberg, I. A1 - Pillay, D. KW - Argentina KW - Brazil KW - Canada KW - China KW - Germany KW - globalization KW - India KW - Japan KW - South Africa KW - South Korea KW - Sweden KW - trade unions AB -

This book critically examines the responses of the working classes of the world to the challenges posed by the neoliberal restructuring of the global economy. Neoliberal globalisation, the book argues, has created new forms of polarisation in the world. A renewal of working class internationalism must address the situation of both the more privileged segments of the working class and the more impoverished ones. The study identifies new or renewed labour responses among formalised core workers as well as those on the periphery, including street-traders, homeworkers and other 'informal sector' workers. The book contains ten country studies, including India, China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Canada, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil. It argues that workers and trade unions, through intensive collaboration with other social forces across the world, can challenge the logic of neoliberal globalization. (publisher’s statement)

PB - Pluto Press CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - A Modest Proposal for Mediating Code of Conduct Challenges Y1 - 2008 A1 - A. M. Zack KW - code of conduct KW - globalization KW - job protection KW - mediation KW - worker’s rights AB -

[Excerpt] Globalization has brought many changes in workplace job protection. One has been increased attention paid to the fact that many jobs which had been performed by workers with statutory and collective bargaining protections in industrialized nations are now being performed by workers in countries which fail to provide comparable levels of workplace protection. The urge of local factories to maximize their profits has often outpaced their willingness to adhere to generally accepted levels of workplace fairness. This is facilitated in many countries by the unwillingness, disinterest, or incompetence of the officials of such host countries to fully implement their own laws or even the international labor standards accepted as norms by promulgation of ILO conventions.

Many of the brand name companies which have taken advantage of the subcontracting and outsourcing opportunities in developing countries have developed Codes of Conduct as commitments to investors and consumers that they will assure compliance with fair labor conditions in the factories which produce for their markets. Most of these Codes provide internal or external monitoring to assure compliance with their proclaimed standards.

This paper suggests the adoption of a complaint procedure culminating in mediation as a preferred procedure for
1. Enhancing factory adherence to codes
2. Increasing consumer and investor confidence in the Brands’ pursuit of code compliance
3. Reassuring local workers that the factories in which they work will be held to compliance with Code standards
4. Assuring local communities of the sincerity of the brand providers in protecting local workers
5. Encouraging a sense within the local communities of the importance of fair working conditions, even in the absence of diligent local law enforcement
6. Initiating the local development of a team of respected mediators to resolve disputes over code compliance
7. Empowering local universities and NGOs charged with the establishment of such a mediation facility
8. Promoting local rule of law by providing a greater measurement of enforcement for standards of workplace fairness.
9. Furthering the development of private voluntary dispute resolution in localities and countries where existing statutes and legal process are suspect, corrupt or ineffective
10. Setting an example of private dispute resolution machinery with potential applicability to other arenas of conflict such as statutory enforcement or resolution of commercial disputes

PB - NYU School of Law CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/people/staffPapers/zack/A_Modest_Proposal_for_Mediating_Code_of_Conduct_Challenges.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond Y1 - 2008 A1 - Malhotra, Deepak A1 - Max Bazerman KW - bargaining KW - Harvard Business School KW - negotiating KW - negotiation strategies AB -

From two leaders in executive education at Harvard Business School, here are the mental habits and proven strategies you need to achieve outstanding results in any negotiation. Whether you’ve “seen it all” or are just starting out, Negotiation Genius will dramatically improve your negotiating skills and confidence. Drawing on decades of behavioral research plus the experience of thousands of business clients, the authors take the mystery out of preparing for and executing negotiations—whether they involve multimillion-dollar deals or improving your next salary offer.

PB - Bantam Books CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Neutrality Agreements: Innovative, Controversial, and Labor’s Hope for the Future JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2008 A1 - Richard Hurd KW - labor movement KW - labor rights KW - neutrality agreements KW - organization KW - unions KW - UNITE-HERE AB -

[Excerpt] In spite of the criticisms, there can be little doubt that labor’s campaigns to achieve and enforce neutrality agreements offer hope that the long-term decline in union density actually can be reversed. A high-profile example of a strategic blend of bargaining and organizing demonstrates the potential of this approach.

VL - 17 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/302/ CP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - New Developments in China’s Labor Dispute Resolution System: Better Protection for Workers’ Rights? JF - Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal Y1 - 2008 A1 - Lu, H. KW - China KW - Labor Dispute Resolution System KW - labor disputes KW - labor relations KW - LDR KW - management KW - workers’ rights AB -

The main legal sources of China’s Labor Dispute Resolution System (LDR system) are the 1995 Labor Law and the 1993 PRC Regulations for the Handling of Enterprise Labor Disputes (HELDR).Nevertheless, since the LDR system was established, China’s labor relationship has been constantly undergoing deep changes as its economy has become increasingly market-oriented. Consequently, labor disputes are more complicated than a decade ago. Numerous administrative regulations and judicial interpretations have been issued at the national level to tackle the new problems that the Labor Law and HELDR did not expect when they were promulgated.

VL - 29 L2 - eng UR - http://apirnet.ilo.org/resources/new-developments-in-chinas-labor-dispute-resolution-system-better-protection-for-workers-rights CP - 3 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - A Potential Roadmap Toward Workplace Fairness in China Y1 - 2008 A1 - A. M. Zack KW - China KW - human rights KW - worker’s rights AB -

[Excerpt] We all expect that workers of the world will be treated fairly. We do not easily define fairly, and tend to define fairness through the egocentric experience of our own societies and national laws.
 

PB - Council on Foreign Relations L2 - eng UR - http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/people/staffPapers/zack/Council_on_Foreign_Relations_Presentation.pdf?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186783095&sr=8- ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Trade Unions and Human Rights T2 - Bringing Human Rights Home: A History of Human Rights in the United States Y1 - 2008 A1 - L. Compa ED - Soohoo, C. ED - Albisa, C. ED - Davis, M. F. KW - human rights KW - labor movement KW - trade unions KW - United States KW - worker rights AB -

[Excerpt] In the 1990s the parallel but separate tracks of the labor movement and the human rights movement began to converge. This chapter examines how trade union advocates adopted human rights analyses and arguments in their work, and human rights organizations began including workers' rights in their mandates.

The first section, "Looking In," reviews the U.S. labor movement's traditional domestic focus and the historical absence of a rights-based foundation for American workers' collective action. The second section, "Looking Out," covers a corresponding deficit in labor's international perspective and action. The third section, "Labor Rights Through the Side Door," deals with the emergence of international human rights standards and their application in other countries as a key labor concern in trade regimes and in corporate social responsibility schemes. The fourth section, "Opening the Front Door to Workers' Rights," relates trade unionists' new turn to human rights and international solidarity and the reciprocal opening among human rights advocates to labor concerns. The conclusion of the chapter discusses criticisms by some analysts about possible overreliance on human rights arguments, and offers thoughts for strengthening and advancing the new labor-human rights alliance.

JA - Bringing Human Rights Home: A History of Human Rights in the United States PB - Praeger Publishing CY - Westport, CT L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/390/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Trade Unions in Asia: An Economic and Sociological Analysis Y1 - 2008 A1 - Zhu, Y. A1 - Benson, J. KW - Asia KW - Asian business KW - economics KW - gender KW - human resource development KW - trade unions KW - workers’ rights KW - working conditions AB -

Offering a comprehensive account of the role of trade unions in Asia today, this book, put together by two editors who have published extensively in the areas of business and economics in Asia, covers all the important Asian economies: both developed and developing.

Making a vital contribution to the very small amount of literature that has been published on this topic, this book focuses, in particular on how trade unions have organized to represent workers and the strategies they have adopted. It discusses the issues surrounding wages and working conditions, health and safety, women’s employment opportunities and human resource development, in the context of the major regional economies, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. (publisher's statement)

PB - Routledge Press CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - The U.S. Experience of Organising in the Context of the Global Economy T2 - The State of the Unions: Challenges Facing Organized Labour in Ireland Y1 - 2008 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner ED - Hastings, T. KW - globalization KW - labor movement KW - labor rights KW - organizing KW - unions AB -

[Excerpt] There is no question that some unions, such as the UAW in auto-transplants and auto-parts, CWA/IUE in high tech and electronics, USWA in metal production and fabrication or the UFCW in food processing, face much greater challenges organising in their primary jurisdictions because they are confronted with more mobile, more global, and more powerful and effective employer opposition, and, in some cases, a workforce less predisposed to unionisation. Yet, as we have seen, even in the most adverse organising environments, union organising success can dramatically improve when unions utilise a comprehensive campaign strategy. Given these differences, what is perhaps most striking about our findings is how few unions are actually running comprehensive campaigns, or even consistently using any of the ten elements of our comprehensive campaign model. Most significant of all, only a smattering of unions today see themselves as global unions taking on global employers. They are not doing the strategic corporate research necessary to develop the kind of critique of the company needed to launch a truly multifaceted comprehensive campaign. They are not developing lasting labour and community networks, locally, nationally and internationally to help them build and leverage their power in the company and the industry. And they are not getting out in front on the issues that resonate with workers and the public ranging from universal health care, to the war in Iraq, global outsourcing, to affordable higher education.

JA - The State of the Unions: Challenges Facing Organized Labour in Ireland PB - The Liffey Press CY - Dublin, Ireland L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/247/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Use of Global Value Chains by Labor Organizers JF - Competition and Change Y1 - 2008 A1 - Quan, K. KW - apparel supply chain KW - global value chains KW - labor organizing KW - sweatshop KW - textile supply chain AB -

Understanding global value chains is important for labor as well as business. However, to be useful for labor organizers, workers must first be located as entities in global value chains. Further modification can reveal possible strengths and weaknesses in the chain, identify worker allies and reveal necessary steps in the organizing process. This paper examines ways that labor educators have modified global value chains to teach workers about their industries, and uses two case studies to illustrate the application that global value chains have to comprehensive organizing campaigns. The paper argues that labor organizers should go one step further by using global value chains to conceptualize global plans to stabilize employment for workers after the end of the Multi-Fiber Arrangement, and to raise wages in this context.

VL - 12 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Using Mediation to Resolve Workplace Disputes in China Y1 - 2008 A1 - A. M. Zack KW - China KW - Corporate Codes of Conduct KW - dispute resolution KW - mediation AB -

[Excerpt] Newspapers are filled with reports from China of exploitative workplace conditions and tens of thousands of wildcat strikes in an ever expanding private sector, with reports on restrictions imposed on the work of NGOs, and the development of independent trade unions that in other countries would help to remedy or overcome such unfair practices. Even though the government has made strides in promulgating new labor legislation, there is still room for a private system helping to achieve compliance with the standards set forth in many Corporate Codes of Conduct. It is appropriate that the consuming and investing public, the transnational corporations purchasing from Chinese factories and the world at large intensify their efforts to establish fair workplace conditions among factories producing for the Foreign Investment Enterprises and the conscientious brands by exposing worker exploitation and thus hopefully avoid or forestall a race to the bottom. Herein are some thoughts on how such an undertaking might proceed within existing Chinese law, and hopefully with the participation and encouragement of Chinese institutions.

PB - University of Hong Kong Law School CY - Hong Kong L2 - eng UR - http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/people/staffPapers/zack/Using_Mediation_to_resolve_workplace_Disputes_in_China(Draft_6].pdf?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186783095&sr=8-1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - 《劳动法》 Y1 - 2008 A1 - 全兴 王 PB - 法律出版社 L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Adjusting to Globalization Through Skills Development Strategies T2 - Globalization and Change in Asia Y1 - 2007 A1 - S. Kuruvilla ED - D. A. Rondinelli ED - Heffron, J. M. KW - developing countries KW - labor KW - national human resource policy KW - national skills development KW - Singapore KW - skill formation AB -

[Excerpt] The aim of this chapter is to describe and analyze the efforts at skills development in Singapore and in India's booming outsourcing sector. Singapore is an important case because it started its skills development efforts in the early 1980s at a time when outsourcing of manufacturing was just beginning, and it has become one of the best-known examples of a nation that has successfully and continuously upskilled its workforce over the past twenty-five years. India, on the other hand, is just beginning to focus on skills development, stimulated by the growth in outsourcing of high-end services such as software development and business process outsourcing (BPO) of financial and medical research and low-end services such as call centers.

JA - Globalization and Change in Asia PB - Lynne Rienner Publishers CY - Boulder, CO L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/216/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - America Works: Critical Thoughts on the Exceptional US Labor Market Y1 - 2007 A1 - R. Freeman KW - Europe KW - government regulation KW - labor market KW - legislation AB -

The U.S. labor market is the most laissez faire of any developed nation, with a weak social safety net and little government regulation compared to Europe or Japan. Some economists point to this hands-off approach as the source of America’s low unemployment and high per-capita income. But the stagnant living standards and rising economic insecurity many Americans now face take some of the luster off the U.S. model. In America Works, noted economist Richard Freeman reveals how U.S. policies have created a labor market remarkable both for its dynamism and its disparities.

America Works takes readers on a grand tour of America’s exceptional labor market, comparing the economic institutions and performance of the United States to the economies of Europe and other wealthy countries. The U.S. economy has an impressive track record when it comes to job creation and productivity growth, but it isn’t so good at reducing poverty or raising the wages of the average worker. Despite huge gains in productivity, most Americans are hardly better off than they were a generation ago. The median wage is actually lower now than in the early 1970s, and the poverty rate in 2005 was higher than in 1969. So why have the benefits of productivity growth been distributed so unevenly? One reason is that unions have been steadily declining in membership. In Europe, labor laws extend collective bargaining settlements to non-unionized firms. Because wage agreements in America only apply to firms where workers are unionized, American managers have discouraged unionization drives more aggressively. In addition, globalization and immigration have placed growing competitive pressure on American workers. And boards of directors appointed by CEOs have raised executive pay to astronomical levels. Freeman addresses these problems with a variety of proposals designed to maintain the vigor of the U.S. economy while spreading more of its benefits to working Americans. To maintain America’s global competitive edge, Freeman calls for increased R&D spending and financial incentives for students pursuing graduate studies in science and engineering. To improve corporate governance, he advocates licensing individuals who serve on corporate boards. Freeman also makes the case for fostering worker associations outside of the confines of traditional unions and for establishing a federal agency to promote profit-sharing and employee ownership.

Assessing the performance of the U.S. job market in light of other developed countries’ recent history highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the free market model. Written with authoritative knowledge and incisive wit, America Works provides a compelling plan for how we can make markets work better for all Americans. (publisher's statement)

PB - Russell Sage Foundation CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Bending Cross: A Biography of Eugene V. Debs Y1 - 2007 A1 - Ginger, R. KW - biography KW - Eugene Debs KW - labor movement KW - socialism KW - socialist AB -

Orator, organizer, self-taught scholar, presidential candidate, and prisoner, Eugene Debs’ lifelong commitment to the fight for a better world is chronicled in this unparalleled biography by historian Ray Ginger. This moving story presents the definitive account of the life and legacy of the most eloquent spokesperson and leader of the U.S. labor and socialist movements. (publisher’s statement)

PB - Haymarket Books CY - Chicago, IL L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Break or Weld? Trade Union Responses to Global Value Chain Restructuring Y1 - 2007 A1 - Huws, U. KW - global value chain restructuring KW - globalization KW - organizing KW - representation KW - trade unions AB -

How should trade union respond to globalisation?

This book addresses questions of strategy and organisation: What should be the balance between protecting jobs on existing sites and developing solidarity with workers in other parts of the world up or down the value chain? Are new forms of organisation emerging and, if so, how effective are they?

How can workers build on past traditions of organising in changed circumstances? How can traditional European national social dialogue models adapt to globalisation? How can trade unions organise across value chains in a context where, increasingly, the terms and conditions of employment of workers around the world are set not by their direct employers but by the terms of contracts agreed between their employers and their employers' clients.

Can initiatives to establish labour standards and good corporate governance at a global level provide answers? How can trade union work with campaigns and community-based organisations? (publisher's statement)

PB - Merlin Press Ltd CY - Monmouth, United Kingdom L2 - eng ER - TY - MGZN T1 - China: Banking Reform and Economic Development Revisited Y1 - 2007 A1 - Trumpbour, J. KW - banking KW - capitalism KW - China KW - Chinese economy KW - finance KW - financial systems AB -

While China has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth, its banking industry is frequently derided as being unwieldy, slow and ineffective. This article gives a detailed study of the banking sector of China and the specific role that it plays in the Chinese economy today. The article argues that while the capitalist system criticizes the Chinese banking system as archaic, it is actually much more effective in its functioning than many of the so called developed financial systems of its western counterparts.

JA - gtnews L2 - eng UR - http://www.networkideas.org/featart/oct2008/China.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Cinema of Globalization: A Guide to Films About the New Economic Order Y1 - 2007 A1 - Zaniello, T. KW - cinema KW - human rights KW - industrial relations KW - labor relations AB -

Tom Zaniello's guide to films about globalization--its origins, its relationship with colonialism, neocolonialism, the growth of migratory labor, and movements to counter or protest its adverse effects--offers readers and viewers the opportunity to both discover new films and see well-known works in a new way. Zaniello discusses 201 films, including features such as The Constant Gardener, Dirty Pretty Things, and Syriana; documentaries and other nonfiction films such as Blue Vinyl, Darwin's Nightmare, and Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price; online films; and television productions. Zaniello casts a wide net to provide cinematic representations of globalization from all angles: -films about global labor and labor unions affected by globalization; -films about global capital and multinational corporations; -films about the transnational organizations (WB, IMF, WTO) most closely identified with globalization and global capital; -films about labor history and the daily life of working-class people as they relate to the development of globalization; -films about the environment directly related to changes in labor or capital; and -films about changes in both the workplace and the corporate office in the era of multinational corporations. Each entry in The Cinema of Globalization offers a summary of the main issues in the film and their relationship to globalization, sometimes a reference to the film's place in a director's work or tradition of cinema, and an often-opinionated assessment of the film's strengths and weaknesses. Like the best film guides, this book is an addictive reading experience full of ideas for future viewing. At the same time, it serves as an inviting and accessible introduction to a difficult topic-the central themes and aspects of globalization. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - CONF T1 - Conflict Resolution and the Transformation of the Social Contract T2 - Fifty-Ninth Annual Meeting of the Labor and Employment Relations Association Y1 - 2007 A1 - D. B. Lipsky KW - ADR KW - alternative dispute resolution KW - dispute resolution KW - industrial relations KW - social contract KW - workplace conflict AB -

[Excerpt] Here is my argument in a nutshell. Beginning more than thirty years ago, the social contract that had governed relations between workers and employers in the United States for the period following World War II began to unravel. Other scholars, most notably Tom Kochan, Harry Katz, and Bob McKersie, have charted the transformation of American industrial relations that began in the 1970s and to a great extent continues today (Kochan et al. 1986). Seeber and I have argued that the emerging social contract that had been produced by the transformation of U.S. industrial relations has had particularly profound consequences for the handling of workplace conflict. To a degree, the rise of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) has been the most obvious manifestation of how workplace conflict is handled under the new social contract. But our research has led us to believe that there is a much deeper, systemic shift that is occurring in the management of workplace conflict. We have focused on a development that moves conflict resolution significantly beyond ADR—we have emphasized the significance of the emergence of so-called integrated conflict management systems (Lipsky et al. 2003, Lipsky and Seeber 2003).

JA - Fifty-Ninth Annual Meeting of the Labor and Employment Relations Association L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/conference/25/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Convergence and/or Divergence in Labor Law Systems? A European Perspective JF - Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal Y1 - 2007 A1 - Weiss, M. KW - European Community KW - globalization KW - labor law KW - labor legislation KW - labor standards KW - neo-liberal ideology KW - workers’ rights AB -

This article engages an ongoing debate among labor law scholars over whether the spread of globalization and neo-liberal ideology necessarily lead to a "convergence" or homogenization of labor standards whether that convergence is accomplished by a "race to the bottom," i.e., a general decrease in workers' rights. The author argues that European Community labor legislation has in fact contributed to a "convergence" among member States, but that it has often done so by setting minimum standards whose overall effect is to increase workers' rights with respect to workplace discrimination, health and safety standards, wage and hour laws and alternative forms of employment. The article also points out how EC legislation has promoted worker "voice" by requiring employers to provide information and consult with designated workers' representatives. On balance, the author sees these developments as contributing at least as much to the creation and expansion of workers' rights as to a downward spiraling "convergence" of labor standards.

VL - 28 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Global Unions: Challenging Transnational Capital Through Cross-Border Campaigns Y1 - 2007 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner KW - collective bargaining KW - globalization KW - labor movement KW - organizing AB -

To meet the challenges of globalization, unions must improve their understanding of the changing nature of corporate ownership structures and practices, and they must develop alliances and strategies appropriate to the new environment. Global Unions includes original research from scholars around the world on the range of innovative strategies that unions use to adapt to different circumstances, industries, countries, and corporations in taking on the challenge of mounting cross-border campaigns against global firms.

This collection emerges from a landmark conference where unionists, academics, and representatives of nongovernmental organizations from the Global South and the Global North met to devise strategies for labor to use when confronting the most powerful corporations such as Wal-Mart and Exxon Mobil. The workplaces discussed here include agriculture (bananas), maritime labor (dock workers), manufacturing (apparel, automobiles, medical supplies), food processing, and services (school bus drivers).

Kate Bronfenbrenner's introduction sets the stage, followed by contributions describing specific examples from Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Bronfenbrenner's conclusion focuses on the key lessons for strengthening union power in relation to global capital.

Contributors: Terry Boswell, Emory University; Kate Bronfenbrenner, Cornell University; Henry Frundt, Ramapo College; Samanthi Gunawardana, University of Melbourne; Tom Juravich, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Kevin Kolben, Rutgers Business School; Valeria Pulignano, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium; Darryn Snell, Monash University; Dimitris Stevis, Colorado State University; Ashwini Sukthankar, International Commission for Labor Rights; Amanda Tattersall, University of Sydney; Peter Turnbull, Cardiff University; Peter Wad, Copenhagen Business School. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/books/33/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Globalization and Change in Asia Y1 - 2007 A1 - D. A. Rondinelli A1 - Heffron, J. M. KW - Asia KW - economics KW - globalization KW - inclusive governance KW - information technology AB -

Explores three decades of adjustment on the part of governments, civil society, and the private sector to the complex new forces of international competition.

Recognizing that the benefits of globalization have not accrued equally to all Asian countries, nor to all stratums of society, the authors seek lessons that can help shape development policy to effect the greatest good. Thus, they focus on the essential ingredients of the most broadly successful globalization strategies—strategies that can most optimally respond to the economic, social, and technological challenges that lay ahead. (publisher's statement)

PB - Lynne Rienner Publishers CY - Boulder, CO L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - I Just Got Elected – Now What? A New Union Officer’s Handbook Y1 - 2007 A1 - Bill Barry KW - leadership KW - union leadership KW - union organizing KW - unionism AB -

This is an aggressive guide to building a strong and effective local union. Don’t buy this book if your goal is simply to be a local union officer like "Old Joe" was before you, doing things the way they’ve always been done and skating by as things just bump along. That, the author says, is what has weakened unions and made them less the force than they once were, and can be again. Rather than one or maybe a handful of officers running your local from the top, Barry says, you’ve got to educate and involve your members at every level, using the organizing model of unionism – and he shows you how to do it.

In straightforward language the author explains how to create a union that can be strong, grow and thrive in any environment. Chapters explain the organizing model (vs. the servicing model) of unionism; how to do the kind of strategic planning needed to build your union; analyze the various functions of the union and its finances, and build a communications network that involves and rallies the members. It explains the laws you have to look out for, how to deal with other officers and union staff, and how to organize yourself to do what needs to be done to pull it together and make it all work.

Bill Barry is a veteran union activist and labor studies program director at the Community College of Baltimore County’s Dundalk campus, where he teaches leadership skills, organizing, labor law, political action and other core subjects. If you’re a local officer who seriously wants to see your union become more effective, this book is a good place to start. (publisher’s statement)

PB - UCS Inc. CY - Annapolis, MD L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Images of Organization Y1 - 2007 A1 - Morgan, G. KW - organization theory KW - organizational behavior KW - organizational culture KW - organizational structure AB -

Based on a very simple premise—that all theories of organization and management are based on implicit images or metaphors that stretch our imagination in a way that can create powerful insights, but at the risk of distortion. Gareth Morgan provides a rich and comprehensive resource for exploring the complexity of modern organizations internationally, translating leading-edge theory into leading-edge practice. (publisher's statement)

PB - Sage Publications CY - Thousand Oaks, Calif. SN - 0761906312 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Improved Metrics for Workplace Dispute Resolution Procedures: Efficiency, Equity, and Voice JF - Industrial Relations Y1 - 2007 A1 - Budd, J. W. A1 - A. J. Colvin KW - dispute resolution KW - employment law KW - grievance procedures KW - metrics KW - nonunion KW - union AB -

Many debates surround systems for resolving workplace disputes. In the United States, traditional unionized grievance procedures, emerging nonunion dispute resolution systems, and the court-based system for resolving employment law disputes have all been criticized. What is missing from these debates are rich metrics beyond speed and satisfaction for comparing and evaluating dispute resolutions systems. In this paper, we develop efficiency, equity, and voice as these standards. Unionized, nonunion, and employment law procedures are then qualitatively evaluated against these three metrics.

VL - 47 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/578/ CP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Improving Work Conditions in a Global Supply Chain JF - MIT Sloan Management Review Y1 - 2007 A1 - Locke, Richard M. A1 - Monica Romis KW - child labor KW - developing countries KW - global brands KW - globalization KW - labor standards KW - Nike KW - supply chain KW - wages KW - workers’ rights KW - working conditions AB -

[Excerpt] Globalization and the diffusion of industry supply chains to developing countries have provoked a fierce debate over how best to improve labor standards in these emerging centers of production. Child labor, hazardous working conditions, excessive working hours and poor wages continue to be a problem at many factories in developing countries, creating scandal and embarrassment for the global brands that source from those factories. Given the limited capacity of many developing-country governments to enforce their own labor laws, multinational corporations have developed their own “codes of conduct” for suppliers, as well as a variety of monitoring mechanisms aimed at enforcing compliance with these codes. Monitoring for compliance with codes of conduct is currently the principal way that both global corporations and labor rights nongovernmental organizations address poor working conditions in global supply chain factories.Corporate codes of conduct and various efforts aimed at monitoring compliance with these codes have been around for decades. While initially these efforts focused primarily on corporate or supplier compliance with national regulations and laws, over time they have become increasingly concerned with compliance with private, voluntary codes of conduct, especially as they apply to labor and environmental standards. Information is central to this model of private, voluntary regulation. The underlying assumption is that information collected through factory audits will be used by labor rights NGOs to exert pressure on global brands to reform their sourcing practices and by the brands themselves, which rely on this information to police and pressure their suppliers to improve standards within their factories. Should these factories fail to remediate workplace problems, brands are expected to switch their orders to other producers. This model of workplace change has provoked debate over not only the particularities of the codes of conduct and compliance efforts but also their relation to other forms of regulation, especially government regulation. Critics of corporate codes of conduct argue that they displace more thorough government and union intervention and are not designed to protect labor rights or improve working conditions but to limit the legal liability of global brands and prevent damage to their reputations. Others, however, argue that private codes and monitoring are not attempts to undermine the state but rather are appropriately flexible responses to the reality of global production networks and the low capacity of developing-country governments to enforce labor laws and regulations fully. How well do corporate monitoring systems measure actual workplace conditions? And how effective is this system of private, voluntary regulation at improving labor standards? To gain more insights into these questions, we conducted a structured comparison of two factories in Mexico that supply the same global brand — NIKE Inc. (See “About the Research.”) Although these factories had very similar scores on one of Nike’s principal monitoring tools, the two factories in some ways had quite different working conditions. One plant paid higher wages, limited workers’ overtime and gave them greater discretion over their work on the shop floor, and the other plant paid workers less, worked them longer hours and employed more traditional, hierarchical work systems. Our findings suggest that interventions aimed at reorganizing work and empowering labor on the shop floor in global supply chain factories can lead to significant improvements in working conditions.

VL - 48 L2 - eng UR - http://iis-db.stanford.edu/docs/182/Locke,Romis.pdf CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Industrial Relations in Korea: Diversity and Dynamism of Korean Enterprise Unions from a Comparative Perspective Y1 - 2007 A1 - Jeong, J. KW - collective bargaining KW - industrial relations KW - Korea KW - Korean enterprise unions KW - union membership AB -

A key factor in Korea's economic success is the nature of industrial relations in Korean business and industry. Joo-Yeon Jeong presents a comprehensive survey of the current state of industrial relations in Korea. He shows how union membership has changed over recent decades, and how the focus of bargaining has widened from purely financial considerations to include a much wider range of issues including, principally, issues related to job security. In addition, the book considers the role of government in shaping the legal and institutional environment, and of employers, who have taken a more aggressive role towards unions since the mid-1990s. (publisher's statement)

PB - Routledge CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor in the New Urban Battlegrounds: Local Solidarity in a Global Economy Y1 - 2007 A1 - L. Turner A1 - D. B. Cornfield KW - community groups KW - faith-based organizations KW - labor movement KW - social movements KW - urban social context AB -

By using the contemporary metropolis as a comparative laboratory to see what contexts and strategies contribute best to labor revitalization, Lowell Turner, Daniel Cornfield, and their collaborators generate a fresh sense of positive possibilities for labor and new insights as to how creative actors can best take advantage of those possibilities.

Energizing optimism should not be confused with seeing things through rose-colored glasses. The book fully acknowledges the odds against labor revitalization and the structural obstacles to a more equitable society. Optimism is generated by pairing obstacles with possibilities, often brought to light by another city in which similar obstacles have been overcome with innovative strategies. This book builds on a new tradition of recent analyses of U.S. labor that compellingly contests previous premature obituaries of the labor movement while making a distinctive contribution. Its power is rooted in the "comparative metropolis" analytical theme and the editors' skill in bringing a diverse baker's dozen of substantive studies to bear on it.

The individual chapters are empirically diverse, complementing a gamut of metropolitan areas in the United States with comparative cases from Europe. They employ varied methodological approaches to look at the "social infrastructure" and strategic choices that underlie urban successes and failures. Many chapters are in-depth case studies of individual cities, while others (e.g., Greer, Byrd, and Fleron; Hauptmeier and Turner) are paired comparisons. Still others (Applegate; Luce; Reynolds) draw their evidence from larger numbers of cities. One (Sellers) employs an ingenious analysis of cross-national data to draw inferences about differences in urban strategic possibilities. The result is much more powerful analytically than it would have been had the editors collected thirteen metropolitan case studies and then tried to figure out their comparative implications.

Empirical range and methodological diversity augment the power of the volume, but the overarching focus on comparative metropolitan analysis is what gives the book its distinctive analytical punch. Even though a variety of organizations and social actors populate the stage—campaigns, nongovernmental organizations, individual unions, and ethnic communities—defining the urban area as the stage on which the dramas occur was a critical decision. From this decision flows the book's special contribution to refocusing contemporary labor debates. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cornell University/ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/books/32/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour Law and Industrial Relations in Great Britain Y1 - 2007 A1 - Hardy, S. T. A1 - Hepple, B. A. KW - England KW - Great Britain KW - industrial relations KW - labor law AB -

Historically, Great Britain was the 'workshop of the world', as an exporter of labour. As liberal capitalism grew from the 1850s, the great British regulatory frameworks also began in the workplace. Consequently, since the 1960s employers, employees and their representatives alike have sought to understand, clarify and utilize the principles which make up labour law in the British workplace. This monograph, part of the renowned "International Encyclopaedia on Industrial Relations and Labour Law" series, provides an analysis of the facets of laws governing the workplace in Great Britain. Whilst examining both UK Governmental employment initiatives and the EU's pervasive social policies, a pathway guiding the reader towards the underlying notions, concepts and principles will be given. More significantly, an explanation of the phases of labour law from the laissez-faire to the regulatory, to the decentralized and towards more recently, Blair's vision of 'third way' solutions, including new dispute resolution regimes, shall be provided. However, more importantly during this journey, the reader will be exposed to the contemporary key issues in British labour: Who is an employee?

What contractual rights/obligations exist? What forms of discrimination prevail? How are employees safeguard from dismissal? What collective rights are permitted? and, what forms of legal redress apply? To that end, this edition covers the reforms brought about by the Dispute Resolution Regulations 2004 (brought in compliance with the Employment Act 2002), the Disability Discrimination (Amendment) Act 2006, the Children and Families Act 2006, the revised Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, and the Employment Equality (Age Discrimination) Regulations 2006. Above all, what will be demonstrated is that in terms of labour law, Great Britain stands apart in its approach, principles and common law system handling strife in the workplace. (publisher's statement)

PB - Kluwer Law International CY - The Netherlands L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Race, Gender and the Rebirth of Trade Unionism JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2007 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner A1 - Warren, D. T. KW - gender KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - organizing KW - race KW - trade unionism AB -

[Excerpt] Diversity is not the enemy of solidarity. We contend that solidarity can, and must, be built among an ever-diversifying labor movement, nation, and world. The labor movement's very survival depends on it.

VL - 16 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/829/ CP - 3 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - A Shield Against Corporate Bullying T2 - The Washington Post Y1 - 2007 A1 - L. Compa KW - anti-unionism KW - labor movement KW - union organizing KW - unionization KW - workers rights AB -

[Excerpt] Workers should be able to organize without fear-mongering by bosses or, by the same token, pressure from union organizers. This is how the card-based system already works; safeguards against undue pressure from any side are built in. It includes rapid arbitration to resolve any disputes, compared with years of dragged-out NLRB proceedings and federal court appeals.

JA - The Washington Post L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/364/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Side by Side We Battle Onward? Representing Workers in Contemporary America JF - British Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2007 A1 - Rebecca Kolins Givan KW - collective bargaining KW - union enrollment KW - unions AB -

As collective bargaining in the United States declines, diverse forms of worker representation are proliferating. Strategic dilemmas of representation are central to the diverse organizations and coalitions representing disparate aspects of workers' interests. Unions continue to bargain collectively, while forming alliances with other groups and providing an array of services to members. Other organizations and loose associations represent specific aspects of workers' interests and advocate on their behalf while stopping short of collective bargaining. This article compares the scope, objectives and methods of worker representation by unions and non-bargaining actors. It argues that the key dilemmas of which workers to represent, over what issues and through which organizational forms, apply both to unions and to non-bargaining actors, such as community organizations, and advocacy groups, which represent select interests of particular workers. These non-bargaining actors are key strategic allies for unions. While these organizations do not take on collective bargaining, they are sometimes better positioned to represent other key needs and interests of workers. The legal-political and mutual insurance needs of workers are sometimes well met by these emergent groups. However, these organizations do not, and cannot, provide the advantages of traditional collective bargaining.

VL - 45 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Two Paths to the High Road: The Dynamics of Coalition Building in Seattle and Buffalo T2 - Labor in the New Urban Battlegrounds: Local Solidarity in a Global Economy Y1 - 2007 A1 - Greer, I. A1 - Byrd, B. A1 - Fleron, L. J. ED - L. Turner ED - D. B. Cornfield KW - Buffalo KW - coalition building KW - labor KW - New York KW - social infrastructure KW - trade unions KW - United States KW - worker representatives AB -

[Excerpt] Labor-community coalitions are not a new concept. Unions approach such coalitions now, as in the past, as one way to enhance their bargaining power with an employer. Such coalitions are temporary and often issue-based. In recent years, however, some local labor movements have begun to look at coalitions in a broader way – as a means of improving their public image and building power in the political arena. This broad-based approach requires the development of coalitions for the longer run, not just for temporary expediency. This paper develops the notion of a high road social infrastructure as a way to understand how union leaders develop and sustain coalitions over time and find the resources they need to succeed in shaping economic development priorities for the region.

JA - Labor in the New Urban Battlegrounds: Local Solidarity in a Global Economy PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/69/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - US Labor in Trouble and Transition: The Failure of Reform From Above, The Promise of Revival From Below Y1 - 2007 A1 - Moody, K. KW - immigrant labor KW - labor movement KW - management partnerships KW - union decline KW - union mergers AB -

Tells the story of union decline in America and of the split in the labor movement it led to, following the dismal tale of union mergers and management partnerships that accompanied the retreat from militancy since the 1980s. Looking to the future, Moody shows how the rise of immigrant labor and its efforts at self-organization can re-energize the unions from below. US Labor in Trouble and Transition is a major intervention in the on-going debate within the US labor movement. (publisher's statement)

PB - Verso CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - What Do Unions Do? A Twenty Year Perspective Y1 - 2007 A1 - Bennett, J. A1 - Kaufmann, B. KW - benefits KW - decline of unions KW - dispute resolution KW - economic theory KW - income inequality KW - job satisfaction KW - productivity KW - wages AB -

One of the best-known and most-quoted books ever written on labor unions is What Do Unions Do? by Richard Freeman and James Medoff. Published in 1984, the book proved to be a landmark because it provided the most comprehensive and statistically sophisticated empirical portrait of the economic and socio-political effects of unions, and a provocative conclusion that unions are on balance beneficial for the economy and society.

The present volume represents a twentieth-anniversary retrospective and evaluation of What Do Unions Do? The objectives are threefold: to evaluate and critique the theory, evidence, and conclusions of Freeman and Medoff; to provide a comprehensive update of the theoretical and empirical literature on unions since the publication of their book; and to offer a balanced assessment and critique of the effects of unions on the economy and society. Toward this end, internationally recognized representatives of labor and management cover the gamut of subjects related to unions.

Topics covered include the economic theory of unions; the history of economic thought on unions; the effect of unions on wages, benefits, capital investment, productivity, income inequality, dispute resolution, and job satisfaction; the performance of unions in an international perspective; the reasons for the decline of unions; and the future of unions. The volume concludes with a chapter by Richard Freeman in which he assesses the arguments and evidence presented in the other chapters and presents his evaluation of how What Do Unions Do? stands up in the light of twenty years of additional experience and research. This highly readable volume is a state-of-the-art survey by internationally recognized experts on the effects and future of labor unions. It will be the benchmark for years to come. (publisher's statement)

PB - Transaction Publishers CY - New Brunswick, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - What Workers Say: Employee Voice in the Anglo-American Workplace Y1 - 2007 A1 - Boxall, P. A1 - R. Freeman A1 - Haynes, P. KW - Australia KW - Canada KW - Ireland KW - New Zealand KW - United Kingdom KW - United States KW - workers AB -

[Excerpt] This book is about employee voice in the workplaces of the highly developed Anglo-American economies: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. These are among the most economically successful countries in the world. Despite being located in three different geographic areas, the Anglo-American countries have a common language and legal tradition, have close economic and political ties, and are linked by flows of people, goods, and capital. Many of the same firms operate in each country. The unions in each pay more attention to their counterparts within the group than to unions in other countries. The Anglo-American brand of capitalism – market oriented and open to competition, with modest welfare sates and income transfer systems – differentiates the countries from countries in the “social dialogue” model of the European Union (although the United Kingdom and Ireland are part of the Union) and from the highly unionized labor system in Scandinavia.

PB - Cornell University ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/books/36/ ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Women Crossing Borders to Organize T2 - The Sex of Class: Women and the Future of U.S. Labor Movements Y1 - 2007 A1 - Quan, K. ED - Cobble, D. S. KW - cross border organizing KW - gender KW - labor organizing KW - organizing KW - organizing strategies AB -

Chapter examines three campaigns involving women workers organizing across borders. The author analyzes why the workers decided to engage in cross border organizing, what benefits they gained from this, and what role their supporters played. The author then compares the three organizing strategies to note key differences among them and draw observations about gender issues in organizing, and finally discusses implications for future labor organizing.

JA - The Sex of Class: Women and the Future of U.S. Labor Movements PB - Cornell ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - 国际劳工标准 Y1 - 2007 A1 - 宋玥 PB - 中国劳动和社会保障出版社 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Between Rights and Contract: Arbitration Agreements and Non-Compete Covenants as a Hybrid Form of Employment Law JF - University of Pennsylvania Law Review Y1 - 2006 A1 - Cynthia L. Estlund KW - arbitration KW - arbitration agreements KW - employment law KW - labor law KW - non-compete KW - workers’ rights AB -

The employment relationship is governed largely by contract, but with a heavy overlay of rights: minimum terms and individual rights that are established by external law and typically non-waivable. But some terms of employment are governed neither by ordinary contract nor by ordinary rights, nor even by ordinary waivable rights. Consider the two most controversial instruments in employment law today: non-compete covenants (NCCs) and mandatory arbitration agreements (MAAs). Both take the form of written contracts that waive important employee rights (the right to compete post-employment, the right to litigate future claims); both are subject to substantive criteria of validity that are set by external law. Both bodies of law may be usefully described as recognizing conditionally waivable rights.

This paper aims first to show structural parallels between NCCs and MAAs that place them at a distinct intermediate point along the spectrum between non-waivable rights and ordinary contract that I call conditional waivability. Second, it seeks to uncover a common logic underlying the law's choice of this particular hybrid of rights and contract. The linchpin of that common logic lies in the threat that unregulated waiver of one right (the right to compete or to litigate future claims) poses to an adjacent employee right that the law deems non-waivable. Third, the paper deploys that underlying logic to offer a critical assessment of the law governing NCCs and MAAs. Finally, the paper tentatively explores the broader potential usefulness of conditional waivability as a way of regulating some terms of employment. The intriguing potential of conditional waivability lies in its injection of some of the virtues of contract - especially flexibility and variability in the face of widely divergent and changing circumstances - into the pursuit of public goals and the realization of rights in the workplace.

VL - 155 L2 - eng UR - https://www.law.upenn.edu/journals/lawreview/articles/volume155/issue2/Estlund155U.Pa.L.Rev.379(2006).pdf CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Cold War and the New Imperialism: A Global History, 1945–2005 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Heller, H. KW - cold war KW - economics KW - global order KW - global politics KW - imperialism AB -

The Cold War is an account of global history since 1945, which ties together the narrative of the Cold War to that of neoliberalism and the new imperialism in ways that illuminate and clarify the dilemmas of the present moment. Written for the general reader, it draws together scholarly research on a huge range of events, countries, and topics into an intelligible whole.

The sixty-year period since the end of World War II has seen the world remade. The war itself mobilized the political and social aspirations of hundreds of millions of people around the world. The contest between the United States and the Soviet Union for global dominance drew every country into its field of force. Struggles for national liberation in the Third World brought an end to colonial empires. Revolutions in China, Cuba, Vietnam and elsewhere shook the global order, as did uprisings in Paris and Prague. Since the end of the Cold War the forces of the capitalist market have overwhelmed social institutions that have given meaning to human existence for centuries.

But the end of the Cold War has created as many problems for the world’s remaining superpower, the United States, as it has solved. With its political, economic, and financial hegemony eroding, the United States has responded with military adventures abroad and increasing inequality and authoritarianism at home. The Cold War draws all these threads together and shows vividly that the end of history is not in sight. (publisher's statement)

PB - Monthly Review Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Comprehensive Strategy: The Key to Successful Organizing (The State of the Union Report for the Ohio Education Association) Y1 - 2006 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner KW - labor movement KW - organizing KW - unions AB -

[Excerpt] For the last two decades, organizing has continued to be the central focus of the U.S. labor movement. In the past year, the effectiveness of organizing has been influenced by the split in the AFL-CIO, by discussions of labor’s political leverage and strategy in the fall 2006 elections, and by the debate over which groups of workers should be targeted for organizing.

Nearly every top union leader talks about “changing to organize” – committing more resources to organizing and running campaigns more strategically. For the majority of unions, unfortunately, this talk has yet to turn into action. Indeed, most unions are continuing to organize much as they did twenty years ago (Bronfenbrenner and Hickey, 2004). In this article, we’ll look at what’s been happening to union organizing – in education and generally, in Ohio and nationally – and the reasons why these trends continue.

This article will also spotlight research that provides some answers for those looking for a model of successful union organizing.

It is now becoming clear that a new comprehensive model of union organizing is emerging – a model that can be adapted by the OEA and its locals to build membership and influence.

PB - Ohio Education Association CY - Columbus, OH L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/828/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Corporate Social Responsibility and Workers’ Rights (Chinese) JF - Peking University Law Journal Y1 - 2006 A1 - L. Compa KW - corporations KW - human rights KW - labor movement KW - labor rights KW - social responsibility KW - workers’ rights AB -

[Excerpt] Corporate social responsibility (CSR) brings an important dimension to the global economy. CSR can enhance human rights, labor rights, and labor standards in the workplace by joining consumer power and socially responsible business leadership—not just leadership in Nike headquarters in Oregon or Levi Strauss headquarters in California, but leadership in trading house headquarters in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and leadership at the factory level in Dongguan and Shenzhen. Ten years ago, I would not have said this. I viewed corporate social responsibility and corporate codes of conduct as public relations maneuvers to pacify concerned consumers. Behind a facade of social responsibility, profits always trumped social concerns. CSR was only a fig leaf hiding abusive treatment of workers. But in recent years some concrete, positive results from effectively applied CSR programs convinced me of their value. In Mexico in 2001, workers at the Korean-owned KukDong sportswear factory succeeded in replacing a management and government dominated trade union with a democratic union of the workers' choice. Compliance officials from Nike and Reebok, two of the largest buyers, joined forces with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) enforcing their codes of conduct to achieve this result.

VL - 18 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/382/ CP - 5 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Dueling Federations: U.S. Labor in 2006 JF - Fokus Amerika Y1 - 2006 A1 - Richard Hurd KW - AFL-CIO KW - Change to Win KW - Congress of Industrial Organizations KW - labor movement KW - organization KW - unions AB -

[Excerpt] Labor unity in the U.S. lasted exactly half a century. At the convention to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the 1955 merger of the American Federation of Labor with the Congress of Industrial Organizations, bitterness and rebellion swept away plans of celebration. On the eve of the August 2005 event in Chicago, seven major unions announced that they would break away from the AFL-CIO. Six weeks later they formally established the Change to Win federation, spawning both proclamations of labor’s rebirth and simultaneous warnings of the movement’s destruction.

VL - 6 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/306/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - A Global Union for Global Workers: Collective Bargaining and Regulatory Politics in Maritime Shipping Y1 - 2006 A1 - Lillie, N. KW - global collective bargaining KW - global unionism KW - globalization KW - maritime shipping KW - union bargaining strategy AB -

This is a book about how global unionism was born in the maritime shipping sector. It argues that the industrial structure of shipping, and specifically the interconnected nature of shipping production chains, facilitated the globalization of union bargaining strategy, and the transnationalization of union structures for mobilizing industrial action. This, in turn, led to global collective bargaining institutions and effective union participation in global regulatory politics. This study uses a variety of source and analytical techniques, relying heavily on interviews with union official and other maritime industry people in many countries. (publisher's statement)

PB - Routledge CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Human Rights and Workers’ Rights in the United States Y1 - 2006 A1 - L. Compa KW - Employee Free Choice Act KW - employment KW - human rights KW - KW- legislation KW - KW - public policy KW - labor law KW - rights KW - standards KW - ULP KW - unfair labor practices KW - unions KW - workers AB -

[Excerpt] Over the past 50 years, a comprehensive body of international law has affirmed human rights to which all workers are entitled, including the right to form unions and bargain collectively. Although the U.S. government has committed itself to protecting these rights, many American employers fail to live up to these international human rights standards for workers.

American workers routinely confront a shameful pattern of threats, harassment, spying, firings and other reprisals against worker activists and a labor law system that is failing to deter such violations.

PB - AFL-CIO CY - Washington, D.C. L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/laborunions/47/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Innovation and Adaption: Contrasting Efforts to Organize Home Care Workers in Four States JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 2006 A1 - Mareschal, Patrice M. KW - anti-unionism KW - home care workers KW - organizing KW - SEIU KW - union density AB -

This paper chronicles the SEIU's efforts to organize home care workers in California, Oregon, Washington, and New York. Drawing on interviews with union leaders and organizers as well as secondary source data, I compare the political strategies employed and the outcomes achieved in these states. Across the cases, the SEIU changed its organizing strategy to adapt to the unique environmental characteristics of each state. Despite the anti-union animus of federal labor law, the labor movement can still achieve important organizing successes, albeit at great expense in time and resources. Employees of private-sector companies that rely primarily on taxpayer funds may prove to be fertile sources of new union members, and unions with a track record of success in both the public and private sectors may be best positioned to stem the long-term decline in American union density.

VL - 31 L2 - eng CP - 1 J1 - Labor Studies Journal ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Justice on the Job: Perspectives on the Erosion of Collective Bargaining in the United States Y1 - 2006 A1 - Block, R. N. A1 - Friedman, S. A1 - Kaminski, M. A1 - Levin, A. KW - collective bargaining KW - human rights KW - labor law KW - workers’ rights AB -

This volume presents an influential group of researchers who examine the current state of workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain collectively. All of the researchers present empirical evidence to support their innovative ideas for advancing workers' rights. (publisher's statement)

PB - Upjohn Institute for Employment Research CY - Kalamazoo, MI L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Keys to Healthy Computing: An AFSCME Health and Safety Handbook Y1 - 2006 A1 - AF,SCME KW - AFSCME KW - computer operators KW - cumulative trauma disorders KW - ergonomics KW - injuries KW - repetitive strain injuries AB -

[Excerpt] The Information Age has certainly arrived. Tremendous energy and creativity have been unleashed to find new applications for computers. Unfortunately, much less attention has been paid to the effects these machines are having on those who work with computers.

The expanded use of computers has been accompanied by a staggering increase in the number of health complaints and injuries among computer users.

Ergonomics is the practice of adapting the job to fit the person, rather than the person to the job. Adapting the job can be done by designing equipment, tasks, pace and other job factors in such a way as to enhance the health and comfort of the workers. In addition to health concerns, people work more efficiently and are more productive if they are not nursing aches and pains.

Injuries resulting from poor ergonomic working conditions affect workers in manufacturing, construction, health care, government and other sectors of the economy. These injuries are called musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2005 there were 375,540 work-related MSDs, which accounted for 30 percent of all workplace injuries and illnesses with days away from work. Carpal tunnel syndrome, one type of MSD that affects computer operators, caused a median of 27 days away from work and tied with fractures for the highest type of injuries.

The signs of pain and discomfort can be seen in most offices. Computer operators are popping pain killers, applying heat, using eye drops and taking other medications to get rid of their aches and pains. A growing number of workers have had restrictions placed on their duties for medical reasons. Computer-related injuries cause many employees to miss substantial periods of work.

Most of the health problems faced by those who work with computers fall into two categories:

Computer operators also feel aches and pains in their back and legs when they do not have chairs and other equipment that fit their shape and size.

This booklet describes musculoskeletal disorders that affect computer operators. These disorders are sometimes also known at cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) or repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) or “wear and tear” injuries. These terms refer to injuries that are a result of continued wear and tear on muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints.

Are the aches, pains and injuries just the price workers have to pay for progress? Absolutely not! As with other occupational injuries and illnesses, the hazards of computer work are preventable. It is the employer’s responsibility to make the changes needed to prevent MSDs.

This booklet has been prepared to assist AFSCME members and staff in addressing the health problems that have accompanied the use of computers. If you need further information about ergonomics in your workplace, contact the Health and Safety Program in the AFSCME Department of Research and Collective Bargaining Services.

PB - AFSCME CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://www.afscme.org/news/publications/workplace-health-and-safety/the-keys-to-healthy-computing-a-health-and-safety-handbook ER - TY - BOOK T1 - L.A. Story: Immigrant Workers and the Future of the U.S. Labor Movement Y1 - 2006 A1 - Ruth Milkman KW - economics KW - immigrant workers KW - labor movement KW - Los Angeles KW - organizing KW - unionism AB -

Sharp decreases in union membership over the last fifty years have caused many to dismiss organized labor as irrelevant in today’s labor market. In the private sector, only 8 percent of workers today are union members, down from 24 percent as recently as 1973. Yet developments in Southern California—including the successful Justice for Janitors campaign—suggest that reports of organized labor’s demise may be exaggerated. In L.A. Story, sociologist and labor expert Ruth Milkman explains how Los Angeles, once known as a company town hostile to labor, became a hotbed of unionism, and how immigrant workers emerged as the unlikely leaders in the battle for workers’ rights.

L.A. Story shatters many of the myths about modern labor with a close look at workers in four industries in Los Angeles: building maintenance, trucking, construction, and garment production. Though many blame deunionization and deteriorating working conditions on immigrants, Milkman shows that this conventional wisdom is wrong. Her analysis reveals that worsening work environments preceded the influx of foreign-born workers, who filled the positions only after native-born workers fled these suddenly undesirable jobs. Ironically, L.A. Story shows that immigrant workers, who many union leaders feared were incapable of being organized because of language constraints and fear of deportation, instead proved highly responsive to organizing efforts. As Milkman demonstrates, these mostly Latino workers came to their service jobs in the United States with a more group-oriented mentality than the native-born workers they replaced. Some also drew on experience in their native countries with labor and political struggles. This stock of fresh minds and new ideas, along with a physical distance from the east-coast centers of labor’s old guard, made Los Angeles the center of a burgeoning workers’ rights movement.

L.A.’s recent history highlights some of the key ingredients of the labor movement’s resurgence—new leadership, latitude to experiment with organizing techniques, and a willingness to embrace both top-down and bottom-up strategies. L.A. Story’s clear and thorough assessment of these developments points to an alternative, high-road national economic agenda that could provide workers with a way out of poverty and into the middle class. (publisher's statement)

PB - Russell Sage Foundation CY - New York SN - 0871546353 L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Significant Victories: An Analysis of Union First Contracts T2 - Justice on the Job: Perspectives on the Erosion of Collective Bargaining in the United States Y1 - 2006 A1 - Juravich, T. A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner A1 - Robert S. Hickey ED - Block, R. N. ED - Friedman, S. ED - Kaminski, M. ED - Levin, A. KW - contract KW - labor movement KW - labor rights KW - negotiation KW - organizing KW - unions AB -

[Excerpt] After two decades of massive employment losses in heavily unionized sectors of the economy and exponential growth of the largely unorganized service sector, the U.S. labor movement is struggling to remain relevant. Despite new organizing initiatives and practices, union organizing today remains a tremendously arduous endeavor, particularly in the private sector, as workers and their unions are routinely confronted with an arsenal of aggressive legal and illegal antiunion employer tactics. This vigorous opposition to unions in the private sector does not stop once an election is won, but continues throughout bargaining for an initial union agreement, all too often turning organizing victories into devastating first-contract defeats.

Despite these overwhelming obstacles, workers still organize and win—through certification elections and voluntary recognition campaigns in both the private and public sectors. And each year unions successfully negotiate thousands of first contracts in the United States, providing union representation for the first time to hundreds of thousands of new workers. This research takes an in-depth look at what unions achieve in these initial union contracts. Why, when confronted with such powerful opposition, do unorganized workers continue to want to belong to unions and newly organized workers want to stay union? What do these first contracts provide that makes the struggle worthwhile?

To explore these questions, we analyze and evaluate union first contracts along four primary dimensions. First, we inventory the basic workers’ rights provided by these contracts, which go beyond the very limited rights provided by federal and state labor law under the “employment at will” system. Second, we evaluate how first contracts provide workers and their unions with the institutional power to shape work and the labor process on a day-to-day basis. Third, we explore how first contracts codify the presence and power of unions in daily work life, and we evaluate which institutional arrangements provide a meaningful role for workers and their unions in their workplaces. Fourth, we examine the kinds of workplace benefits that are codified and supplemented in first contracts, gaining important insights into the types of human resource practices that exist in newly unionized workplaces. Finally, by examining the interactions among these four dimensions, we explore the limitations of what first contracts have been able to achieve in the current organizing environment, and what it would take for unions to improve the quality of first contracts.

JA - Justice on the Job: Perspectives on the Erosion of Collective Bargaining in the United States PB - W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research CY - Kalamazoo, MI L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/248/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Strikes, Picketing and Inside Campaigns: A Legal Guide for Unions Y1 - 2006 A1 - Robert M. Schwartz KW - employer opposition KW - labor law KW - labor unions KW - strikes AB -

Explains the crush of rules regulating economic warfare in the U.S. This book includes examples, pointers, picketing instructions, sample letters, and answers to common questions. Guidance is provided on working without a contract, ambulatory picketing, residential picketing, pressuring secondaries, unemployment benefits, unfair-labor-practice strikes, offers to return, lockouts, and other related topics.

PB - Work Rights Press CY - Cambridge, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Tools of the Trade: A Health and Safety Handbook for Action Y1 - 2006 A1 - Lee, P. T. A1 - Regina S. Baker A1 - Darling, G. KW - worker health KW - worker safety KW - workers’ rights AB -

Health and safety campaigns can involve, educate, activate, and empower workers while attracting public support.

The book has practical suggestions for forming a worker health and safety committee in a union or non-union environment; training workers; using risk mapping, surveys, and workplace inspections to find hazards; using questionnaires and body mapping to identify worker health problems; requesting safety information from the employer under “right to know” regulations; filing OSHA complaints; negotiating safety in union contracts; and gaining community support for workplace health and safety campaigns. None of the tools require “experts” in health and safety; all can be learned and used by workers, union representatives, and other activists. (publisher’s statement)

PB - Labor Occupational Health Program, University of California CY - Berkeley, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - CONF T1 - Trade Liberalization and Labour Law T2 - XVIII World Congress, International Society for Labour & Social Security Law Y1 - 2006 A1 - L. Compa KW - Asia-Pacific KW - Central America KW - Europe KW - labor law KW - North America KW - social security KW - South America KW - trade liberalization AB -

[Excerpt] This general report considers 23 national reports from colleagues in North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean; in Western, Eastern, Northern and Southern Europe; and in the Asia-Pacific Region. Regrettably, we did not have reports from Africa or the Middle East, or from continental Asian nations.

The national reports reflect complex realities that sometimes converge and sometimes diverge. Their diversity and rich detail make clear that, beyond broad generalizations like those in this general report, separate analyses are required to understand distinct developments in each major region and in each country. North America, Central America and South America each have different realities. So do Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Europe, and different regions of Asia.

Even finer distinctions flow from analysis of developments within these regions: in sub-regions, in individual countries, and in states and provinces within countries. Participants in this Congress should refer to the national reports for these details and nuances. The attempt here is to provide a broad overview of common themes and key differences that emerge in the national reports.

JA - XVIII World Congress, International Society for Labour & Social Security Law CY - Paris, France L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/conference/6/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - What Workers Want Y1 - 2006 A1 - R. Freeman A1 - Rogers, J. KW - Cornell University KW - government KW - labor KW - management KW - regulation KW - union KW - workplace AB -

How would a typical American workplace be structured if the employees could design it? According to Richard B. Freeman and Joel Rogers, it would be an organization run jointly by employees and their supervisors, one where disputes between labor and management would be resolved through independent arbitration. Their groundbreaking book provides a comprehensive account of employees' attitudes about participation, representation, and regulation on the job.

For the updated edition, the authors have added an introduction showing how recent data have confirmed and strengthened their basic argument. A new concluding chapter lays out the model of "open source unionism" that they propose for rebuilding unionism in the United States, making this updated edition essential for anyone thinking about what labor should be doing to move forward. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Embedded Corporation: Corporate Governance and Employment Relations in Japan and the United States Y1 - 2005 A1 - S. M. Jacoby KW - capitalism KW - Comparative management KW - corporate governance KW - employee participation KW - employment relations KW - Japan KW - management KW - personnel management AB -

Is there one best way to run the modern business corporation? What is the appropriate balance between shareholders, executives, and employees? These questions are being vigorously debated as layoffs, scandals, and restructurings rattle companies around the world. The common assumption is that globalization is merging the varieties of corporate capitalism. Yet, as this book shows, corporations in Japan and the United States are responding differently to the pressures unleashed by globalization. In America, shareholders have emerged as dominant while employment is more transitory and market-oriented. In Japan, shareholders are gaining influence but employees still play a key role in corporate strategy and governance. In The Embedded Corporation, Sanford Jacoby traces this enduring diversity to national differences in economic history and social norms, and, paradoxically, to global competition itself. The book's vantage point for exploring the varieties of capitalism is the headquarters of large corporations--in particular, their human resources departments, where changes in markets and technology turn into corporate labor policies affecting millions of workers. Jacoby reveals the inner workings of these departments. Despite some cross-fertilization, Japanese and American corporations maintain distinctive approaches to human resource management, with Japanese HR departments occupying a more central position within the corporation. As Jacoby shows, this has important consequences for how firms compete, for corporate governance, and even for the level of inequality in Japan and the United States. The Embedded Corporation is a major contribution to our understanding of comparative management and the relationship between business, society, and the global economy. (from Amazon.com)

PB - Princeton University Press CY - Princeton, N.J. L2 - eng N1 - ID: nyu_aleph001167810; Includes bibliographical references (p. 179]-209) and index. ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Feminism Confronts Homo Economicus: Gender, Law, and Society Y1 - 2005 A1 - Fineman, M. A1 - Dougherty, T. KW - critical legal studies KW - economics KW - feminism KW - feminist economics KW - feminist legal theory KW - gender KW - law AB -

The Law and Economics school has had a significant impact on the legal and governmental landscape in the United States. It posits a perfectly rational "economic man"—homo economicus—who is unconstrained by familial and communal ties and who can and should make decisions solely in light of considerations of economic value. Feminism Confronts Homo Economicus offers a major intervention in debates about how law has come under the influence of economic principles. Drawing on the latest thinking in the fields of feminist legal theory, critical legal studies, and feminist economics, the essays critique the notion that legal and policy decisions should be made solely through the lens of economics. While the contributors question the wholesale incorporation of the neoclassical economic model into legal analysis, they do not all discard economic analysis and theory.

Situated at the intersection of feminism, law, and economics, Feminism Confronts Homo Economicus will appeal to scholars and students of these disciplines as well as policy analysts and social theorists interested in family, education, labor, and welfare. (from Amazon.com)

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, N.Y. SN - 0801443113 9780801443114 0801489415 9780801489419 L2 - eng N1 - ID: 56755756 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Globalization and Industrial Relations of China, India and South Korea: An Argument for Divergence Y1 - 2005 A1 - Ali, M. A. KW - China KW - Dunlop’s model KW - globalization KW - India KW - industrial relations KW - South Korea AB -


Driven by technological advances, improved communications, economic liberalization, and increased international competition, globalization
has brought in an era of economic, institutional and cultural integration. Under globalization the workplace practices are under a constant state of flux. Academics are not only analyzing the benefits and the deleterious effects of this phenomenon on the employment relations of deve loped and under-developed nations. They have also stirred up the old controversy regarding the longer-run trajectory of employment relations systems under the pressures of globalization. The debate is on the question that whether the industrial relations systems of countries are converging or diverging. This paper analysis employment relation systems of three Asian countries-China, India, and Korea- and makes a case for diversion in employment relation systems.
 

PB - University of Rhode Island CY - Kingston, RI L2 - eng UR - http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/research/papers/Ali_Globalization.pdf ER - TY - CONF T1 - The Impacts of Alternative Dispute Resolution on Workplace Outcomes T2 - Fifty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the Labor and Employment Relations Association Y1 - 2005 A1 - D. B. Lipsky KW - ADR KW - alternative dispute resolution KW - dispute resolution KW - industrial relations KW - organizations KW - research AB -

[Excerpt] We maintain that there is an emerging generation of ADR researchers who are attempting to integrate societal concerns with macro- and micro-organizational perspectives. The newest generation of researchers is doing a better job of bridging the gap between practice and research and of building and testing empirical models based on sound theory. The papers we have heard at this session represent advances in ADR research that fulfill the hopes and expectations that Avgar and I expressed in our earlier paper.

JA - Fifty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the Labor and Employment Relations Association L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/conference/28/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Organizational Culture in Action: A Cultural Analysis Workbook Y1 - 2005 A1 - Driskill, G. W. A1 - Brenton, A. L. KW - culture KW - diversity KW - leadership KW - organizational culture KW - organizations KW - qualitative research KW - research AB -

This book is a practical guide to “reading” the culture of organizations and to understanding the implications of culture for organizational effectiveness. Sharing their experiences from over 25 years of consulting and teaching, the authors make the process of cultural analysis practical and applicable. Beginning with an explanation of the theories of organizational culture, the book provides guidance on collecting information, leading students through qualitative research methods of observation, interviewing, and analyzing written texts. Students come away equipped to apply cultural insights to fostering diversity, supporting organizational change, making leadership more dynamic, understanding the link between ethics and culture, and achieving personal growth. (publisher's statement)

PB - Sage Publications CY - Thousand Oaks, Calif. SN - 1412905605 9781412905602 L2 - eng N1 - ID: 56334030 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Standing at a Crossroads: The Building Trades in the Twenty-First Century JF - Labor History Y1 - 2005 A1 - Erlich, M. A1 - J. M. Grabelsky KW - benefits KW - building KW - construction KW - employment KW - unionization KW - wages AB -

American building trades unions have historically played a critical and stabilizing role in the nation’s construction industry, establishing uniform standards and leveling the competitive playing field. Union members have enjoyed better than average wages and benefits, excellent training opportunities, and decent jobsite conditions. But in the last thirty years the industry has undergone a dramatic transformation. This article describes the decline in union density, the drop in construction wages, the growth of anti-union forces, the changes in labor force demographics, the shift toward construction management, and the emergence of an underground economy. It also analyzes how building trades unions have responded to these changes, identifies structural impediments to union renewal, and proposes strategies for building trades unions to reassert their presence and power.

VL - 46 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/281/ CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - A Trade Union Guide to Globalisation Y1 - 2005 A1 - Ryder, G. KW - global trade unionism KW - globalization KW - international solidarity KW - international trade union movement KW - organizing KW - trade unions KW - workers’ rights AB -

[Excerpt] The impact of globalisation is ever more evident to trade unionists in all countries and in all sectors. The increasing integration of national economies in a single global market and the appearance of new world production systems are bringing about a convergence of national and international trade union agendas. Trade unions face the double challenge of representing workers effectively in the rapidly changing conditions of the global economy, and of bringing about fundamental change in the workings of globalisation so that it distributes its benefits more fairly and contributes to socially just and sustainable development. This “Trade Union Guide to Globalisation” aims to help trade unionists to participate actively in the urgent task of meeting these challenges. It sets out the meaning of globalisation for working people, describes the role and potential of the major actors in the global economy, and focuses in particular on the structures, campaigns, and policies of the international trade union movement and how international solidarity can make the difference.

PB - ICFTU CY - Brussels, Belgium L2 - eng UR - http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/report.complete.pdf ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Union Participation in Strategic Decisions of Corporations T2 - Emerging Labor Market Institutions for the Twenty First Century Y1 - 2005 A1 - Appelbaum, E. A1 - Hunter, L. W. ED - R. Freeman ED - Hersch, J. ED - Mishel, L. KW - corporate governance KW - labor relations KW - strategic partnerships AB -

This paper reviews workforce participation in strategic decisions - those that affect the basic direction of the company - when workforce interests are represented collectively through unions. We consider the problem of corporate governance and review the rationale for what we term strategic partnerships' between management and labor. The paper describes the prevalence of such partnerships in the U.S., focusing on two institutions through which unions have engaged in discussion of strategic issues: negotiated union-management partnership agreements, and union representation on corporate boards. We offer detailed accounts of specific strategic partnerships and of union involvement on corporate boards, showing that unions face a range of challenges in constructing partnerships that extend possibilities for effective representations of workers' interests.

JA - Emerging Labor Market Institutions for the Twenty First Century PB - University of Chicago Press CY - Chicago L2 - eng UR - http://www.nber.org/papers/w9590 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - What is Labor’s True Purpose? The Implications of SEIU’s Unite to Win Proposals for Organizing JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2005 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner KW - contract KW - labor movement KW - labor rights KW - negotiation KW - organizing KW - unions AB -

[Excerpt] That labor is in a crisis cannot be questioned. While there may be some labor leaders who are content to keep ministering to an ever less powerful, shrinking base, there were few in the room that day that would disagree with the words expressed by SEIU International Executive Vice President Gerry Hudson on the opening panel, that the U.S. "labor movement is becoming dangerously close to being too small to matter."

For the first time in decades, both organizing activity and union membership numbers have dropped precipitously. Where in past years unions had to organize 500,000 new workers just to keep union density stable, this year unions may have to organize as many as 800,000 new workers just to stand still. And they will not even come close. In fact, after a year when unions shifted enormous resources away from organizing towards electoral politics, it is likely that we will see the lowest organizing gains we have seen in more than two decades, possibly fewer than 200,000 new workers overall. Worse yet, this has occurred at a time when we are faced with the most labor unfriendly political and legal climate that we have seen in nearly a century. As Bill Fletcher noted in his opening remarks at the conference, this is indeed "the winter of our discontent."

VL - 14 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/246/ CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Adoption and Use of Dispute Resolution Procedures in the Nonunion Workplace JF - Advances in Industrial & Labor Relations Y1 - 2004 A1 - A. J. Colvin KW - dispute resolution KW - grievances KW - industrial relations KW - nonunion workplace AB -

[Excerpt] This paper investigates the adoption, structure, and function of dispute resolution procedures in the nonunion workplace. Whereas grievance procedures in unionized workplaces have been an important area of study in the field of industrial relations, research on dispute resolution procedures in nonunion workplaces has lagged behind. As a result, our knowledge of the development of nonunion procedures remains relatively limited. Similarly, with a few noteworthy exceptions (e.g. Lewin, 1987, 1990), our knowledge of workplace grievance activity is almost entirely based on research conducted in unionized settings. Given the major differences in the institutional contexts of union and nonunion workplaces in the United States, existing ideas about workplace dispute resolution developed in the unionized setting will likely require significant modification in order to understand dispute resolution procedures and activity in the nonunion workplace. Issues relating to dispute resolution in the nonunion workplace are of increasing importance to public policy given the combination of continued stagnation in levels of union representation and mounting concerns over rising levels of employment litigation in the courts. Knowing what nonunion dispute resolution procedures look like and how they function will help answer the question of what role these procedures may play in the future governance of the workplace.

VL - 13 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/582 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - The Changing Nature of Corporate Global Restructuring: The Impact of Production Shifts on Jobs in the US, China, and Around the Globe Y1 - 2004 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner A1 - Luce, S. KW - China KW - corporate KW - factory KW - global KW - job KW - jobs KW - production KW - restructuring KW - US AB -

Despite the increasing amount of trade between China and the US, and the increase in foreign direct investment from the US into China, there is no government body that collects information detailing the incidence of production shifts out of the US to China or any other country. In the fall of 2000, the predecessor to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) commissioned Cornell and the University of Massachusetts Amherst to study the extent and nature of production shifts out of the US and into China from October 2000 through April 2001. In order to conduct this research we developed a methodology that involves a combination of online media tracking and corporate research and the creation of a database including information on all production shifts announced or confirmed in the media during that period. In July 2004 the USCC asked us to update that research, starting with an initial period of January 1 through March 31, 2004. (authors' statement)

PB - US-China Economic and Security Review Commission CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cbpubs/16/ ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Conciliation of Disputes Over International Labor Standards Y1 - 2004 A1 - A. M. Zack KW - Asia KW - dispute resolution KW - globalization KW - international labor standards KW - labor relations KW - mediation AB -

[Excerpt] In the decades between the Second World War and the current era of globalization and free trade, those of us in the labor relations world functioned nationally within our borders working with a prescribed set of laws and practices, which we viewed as difficult enough without having to add an international dimension to that mix. Despite the fact that the International Labor Organization since 1919 has promulgated 184 International Conventions on a wide range of workplace inequities. most countries have operated with scant regard for, let alone adoption of those Conventions. In each of our countries we have applied our own domestic mix of law and practice to channel union, management, employment disputes into established procedures which were able to achieve resolution of those disputes whether through the use of law and the judicial system, or special labor courts, or through private dispute resolution systems. Even though none of our systems of dispute resolution has been perfect, they have usually been successful in forestalling greater conflict and unrest over unresolved claims of worker rights or workplace justice. We have had a distinct roster of players, a prescribed legal structure for resolving anticipated disputes and players who were usually committed to the resolution of their disputes and the continued operation of the economy in which they worked.

In the United States the dispute resolution system does not include works councils, industry councils, labor courts or multiple unionism. Rather we have a system, which provides trade union representation to a scant 12 % of the work force. The remainder of our 125,000,000 workers operates under the doctrine of termination at the employers’ option, with resort to the traditional legal and judicial system only on issues involving allegations of statutory violation. The parties traditionally use mediation and arbitration as the standard procedures for bringing resolution to collective bargaining disputes. Nonunionized employers often develop their own internal medition and arbitration structures for resolving employee complaints with or without employee option on access to the courts. Nevertheless, in our system as in yours, the established metes and bounds of our formal and informal structures have generally minimized industrial unrest and conflict, hopefully with an eye to protecting fairness in the workplace. Throughout this period we had little more than perhaps academic concern as to work practices in other nations.

PB - Fifth Asian Regional Congress of the International Industrial Relations Association L2 - eng UR - http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/people/staffPapers/zack/ArnoldZack_korean_paper.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Employing Bureaucracy: Managers, Unions, and the Transformation of Work in the 20th Century Y1 - 2004 A1 - S. M. Jacoby KW - business history KW - economics KW - human resource management KW - labor history KW - labor unions KW - management KW - personnel managers KW - sociology AB -

Deftly blending social and business history with economic analysis, Employing Bureaucracy shows how the American workplace shifted from a market-oriented system to a bureaucratic one over the course of the 20th century. Jacoby explains how an unstable, haphazard employment relationship evolved into one that was more enduring, equitable, and career-oriented. This revised edition presents a new analysis of recent efforts to re-establish a market orientation in the workplace.

This book is a definitive history of the human resource management profession in the United States, showing its diverse roots in engineering, welfare work, and vocational guidance. It explores the recurring tension between the new professional order and traditional line management. Using a variety of sources, Jacoby analyzes the complex relations between personnel managers, labor unions, and government from the late 19th century to the present. (from Amazon.com)

PB - Lawrence Erlbaum CY - Mahwah, N.J. SN - 0805844090 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Hard Work: Remaking the American Labor Movement Y1 - 2004 A1 - Fantasia, R. A1 - K. Voss KW - Europe KW - labor movement KW - organizing KW - United States AB -

This concise overview of the labor movement in the United States focuses on why American workers have failed to develop the powerful unions that exist in other industrialized countries. Packed with valuable analysis and information, Hard Work explores historical perspectives, examines social and political policies, and brings us inside today's unions, providing an excellent introduction to labor in America.

Hard Work begins with a comparison of the very different conditions that prevail for labor in the United States and in Europe. What emerges is a picture of an American labor movement forced to operate on terrain shaped by powerful corporations, a weak state, and an inhospitable judicial system. What also emerges is a picture of an American worker that has virtually disappeared from the American social imagination. Recently, however, the authors find that a new kind of unionism—one that more closely resembles a social movement—has begun to develop from the shell of the old labor movement. Looking at the cities of Los Angeles and Las Vegas they point to new practices that are being developed by innovative unions to fight corporate domination, practices that may well signal a revival of unionism and the emergence of a new social imagination in the United States. (publisher's statement)

PB - University of California Press CY - Berkeley, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour and Globalisation: Results and Prospects Y1 - 2004 A1 - Munck, R. KW - globalization KW - globalization of labor KW - labor movement KW - labor transnationalism KW - trade unionism AB -

Globalization is transforming the world in ways that we are only just beginning to understand. It is often assumed that social movements, such as that of labor, will simply be overwhelmed by these changes. This book carries out a wide-ranging examination of theoretical and practical dimensions of globalization and the responses of the labor movement to the challenges it poses. Contributors explore the trend towards the globalization of labor, the influences of globalization at the sub-global spatial level, and the effects of globalization in a social dimension. In different ways, from different angles and taking up different positions, all the chapters in Labour and Globalisation can be seen as contributions to the development of a labor-based challenge to the ravages of globalization. They are, on the whole, neither optimistic nor pessimistic but seek out possibilities as well as establishing limits to labor transnationalism in the era of globalization. (publisher's statement)

PB - Liverpool University Press CY - Liverpool, UK L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Making Unions More Accessible to Latino Workers JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2004 A1 - Lund, J. KW - discrimination KW - equal protection KW - equality KW - immigrants KW - Latinos KW - translations AB -

A variety of government agencies and social services feel the necessity to offer translated and other related services to Latinos, the fastest growing segment of the US labor movement. Unions should provide better outreach in order to build a stronger union having a voice, a participation right and equal protection under the contract.
 

VL - 7 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Offshoring: The Evolving Profile of Corporate Global Restructuring JF - Multinational Monitor Y1 - 2004 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner A1 - Luce, S. KW - globalization KW - off shoring KW - offshore AB -

For all of the increase in international trade and rising concern about shifting of manufacturing and service jobs away from the United States, there is remarkably little detailed data on the scope of outsourcing. In part that reflects corporation's reluctance to announce plans to shift production or office work overseas. Even more, it is a consequence of the U.S. government's failure to collect data on the phenomenon.

This article reports on the results of a study intended to fill this information gap. Our research involves a combination of online media tracking and corporate research and the creation of a database including information on all production shifts announced or confirmed in the media during a specified period. The study examines production shifts from January 1 through March 31, 2004. (authors' statement)

VL - 25 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cbpubs/18/ CP - 12 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Rebuilding Labor: Organizing and Organizers in the New Union Movement Y1 - 2004 A1 - Ruth Milkman A1 - K. Voss KW - labor movement KW - leadership KW - organizing KW - rank and file KW - SEIU KW - union AB -

Ruth Milkman and Kim Voss bring together established researchers and a new generation of labor scholars to assess the current state of labor organizing and its relationship to union revitalization. Throughout this collection, the focus is on the formidable challenges unions face today and on how they may be overcome. Rebuilding Labor begins with a comprehensive overview of recent union organizing in the United States; goes on to present a series of richly detailed case studies of such topics as union leadership, organizer recruitment and retention, union democracy, and the dynamics of anti-unionism among rank-and-file workers; and concludes with a quantitative chapter on the relationship between union victories and establishment survival. This interdisciplinary collection of original scholarship on New Labor offers a window into an otherwise invisible emergent social movement. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng N1 - ID: nyu_aleph001143110; Includes bibliographical references (p. 281]-293) and index. ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Trade Unions and Democracy: Strategies and Perspectives Y1 - 2004 A1 - Harcourt, M. A1 - Wood, G. KW - democracy KW - economics KW - neo-corporatism KW - policy KW - trade unions AB -

Available for the first time in paperback, this book explores the role of trade unions as products of, and agents for, democracy. The crisis facing established democratic institutions in the advanced societies has been widely noted. In response, there has been increasing interest in the role of civil society actors, ranging from established socio-political collectives to new grassroots organizations. On the one hand, conventional wisdom holds that organized labor in the advanced societies has remained locked in a cycle of political marginalization and decline. On the other hand, unions continue to represent a significant component of society within most industrialized countries. Indeed, in many cases, they have demonstrated a capacity for effective renewal and for co-ordinating their efforts with other civil society actors as part and parcel of the current groudswell of public opinion against the neo-liberal orthodoxy.

The book brings together a distinguished panel of leading and emerging scholars in the field, and provides a critical assessment of the current role of unions in society, their capacity to impact on state policies in such a manner as to ensure greater accountability and fairness, and the nature and extent of internal representative democracy within the labor movement.

This volume will be of interest to students and academics in the fields of industrial relations, critical management studies, political studies and sociology, as well as trade union and community activists. (publisher's statement)

PB - Manchester University Press CY - Manchester, England L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Mergers in the United State and Abroad JF - Journal of Labor Relations Y1 - 2004 A1 - Chaison, G. KW - industrial relations KW - labor movement KW - legislation KW - union mergers AB -

[Excerpt] It might seem to many that the study of union mergers is an esoteric speciality in industrial relations--the work of a small group of scholars who write mostly for each other in a common language and who work together for a better understanding of why and how unions merge. There is some truth to this--mergers are studied by a small, but active, group of researchers--but actually there is little communication among them and cross-fertilization in their work. Research on union mergers is seldom replicated or extended by anyone other than its originator. Theories of union mergers are rarely debated at conferences or in journals. The body of research on mergers expands but by moving in several directions at once without any sense of common purpose or method.

The idiosyncratic character of research on union mergers contrasts with the broad interest in the topic. Mergers have always fascinated academics, practitioners, and the public because they raise some fundamental questions about unions; Are bigger unions better unions? Is there a future for small, highly specialized unions? Are workers and the public best served by a streamlined labor movement consisting of only a few large, industry-based unions with very little competition between them?

....

The theme of this literature review is the need for a common foundation for research on union mergers. I demonstrate this need by reviewing the approaches to studying union mergers, asking what is known and not known about mergers, and suggesting an agenda that can draw together divergent streams of research.

VL - 25 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Varieties of Unionism: Strategies for Union Revitalization in a Globalizing Economy Y1 - 2004 A1 - Carola Frege A1 - John Kelly KW - coalition building KW - economics KW - globalization KW - organizational restructuring KW - political action KW - social partnership KW - union decline KW - union organizing KW - union politics KW - union strategy KW - union structure AB -

As unions face an ongoing crisis all over the industrialized world, they have often been portrayed as outmoded remnants of an old economic structure. This book argues that despite structural shifts in the economy and in politics, unions retain important functions for capitalist economies as well as for political democracy. Union revitalization in the face of their current difficulties is therefore of fundamental importance. This book charts the strategies unions use to respond to global union decline and to revive their fortunes in five countries — the liberal market economies of the US and the UK; the coordinated economy of Germany and the Mediterranean economies of Italy and Spain — thus providing a wide range of institutional settings, union structures, identities, and union responses. Each chapter provides a comparative analysis of a particular strategy, looking in turn at union organizing, social partnership, political action, organizational restructuring, coalition-building, and international action. It provides a rich source of documentation about union activity, but more importantly it goes beyond description to address two of the big questions in comparative research: How can we explain cross-country differences in union responses to global decline? And how effective are these actions in helping to revitalize national labour movements? (publisher's statement)

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Deauthorization and Decertification Elections: An Analysis and Comparison of Trends JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 2003 A1 - Scott, C. J. A1 - Arnold, E. W. KW - deauthorization KW - deauthorization elections KW - decertification KW - decertification elections KW - labor-management relations KW - Taft-Hartley Act AB -

An examination of the 48-year period of 1959 to 1998 reveals that labor unions won 42.2 percent of the deauthorization elections in the U.S. and only 28 percent of the decertification elections. Provisions for these elections are provided by the Taft-Hartley Act, Section 9(e) (1) and are seldom discussed in the literature of labor-management relations.

VL - Winter L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Experiments in Transforming the Global Workplace: Incentives for and Impediments to Improving Workplace Conditions in China JF - International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health Y1 - 2003 A1 - O’Rourke, D. A1 - Brown, G. D. KW - China KW - Corporate Codes of Conduct KW - health and safety KW - labor practices KW - multinationals KW - regulation KW - safety KW - worker representation KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace conditions KW - workplace protections AB -

This article highlights current economic conditions in China and analyzes existing obstacles to improving workplace conditions and labor practices. There are significant disincentives to strengthening workplace protections, and downward pressures are currently worsening conditions in a number of economic sectors. However, there are also potential strategies for motivating multinational corporations (MNCs) and Chinese government agencies to improve workplace conditions and to implement international and national laws and corporate codes of conduct. Four key principles are discussed that hold promise for creating incentives and sustainable mechanisms to improve factory conditions: transparency, verification, and accountability for MNCs and Chinese government agencies, and greatly strengthening worker participation.
 

VL - 9 L2 - eng UR - http://mhssn.igc.org/IJOEH_ORourke.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - International Handbook of Trade Unions Y1 - 2003 A1 - J. T. Addison A1 - Schnabel, C. KW - bargaining KW - England KW - membership KW - strikes KW - United Kingdom KW - wage structure AB -

This Handbook is an authoritative and invaluable reference tool, uniquely analysing the forces governing unionism, union behaviour and union impact from a variety of perspectives, both theoretical and empirical. The 14 chapters are written in an accessible style by acknowledged leading specialists from the fields of economics and industrial relations. They offer a truly international perspective on this important subject.

This superbly comprehensive Handbook examines the determinants of union membership, models of union behaviour and the economics of strikes, as well as the effects of unions on wages, pay inequality and firm performance (to include innovation). It also analyses trade unions as political actors and their impact on macroeconomic performance. Institutional detail is added in specific chapters documenting recent developments in the US and the UK, and prospects for a Europeanization of collective bargaining. A review of union density in more than 100 nations, is also provided.

The Handbook is suited to a range of courses and is aptly designed to meet the needs of students – from undergraduates upwards – and academics in the fields of economics, industrial relations, human resources management, as well as general labour scholars. (publisher's statement)

PB - Edward Elgar Publishing CY - Northampton, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour Politics in Small Open Democracies: Australia, Chile, Ireland, New Zealand and Uruguay Y1 - 2003 A1 - Buchanan, P. G. A1 - Nicholls, K. KW - Australia KW - Chile KW - Ireland KW - labor politics KW - labor relations KW - New Zealand KW - Uruguay AB -

Paul G. Buchanan and Kate Nicholls explore the political and economic fortunes of organized labor in five small open democracies between 1975 and 2000. Of particular interest is the role of labor market institutions, organizational histories, and trade union ideologies in shaping outcomes under conditions of economic liberalization. The book includes a theoretical and methodological introduction, followed by individual discussions of Australia and Chile, and New Zealand and Uruguay, grouped a cross-regional pairs, and Ireland as an extra-regional and atypical case. (publisher's statement)

PB - Palgrave MacMillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Out To Work: A History of Wage-Earning Women in the United States Y1 - 2003 A1 - Kessler-Harris, A. KW - class KW - economic equality KW - equality KW - gender KW - human rights KW - women AB -

First published in 1982, this pioneering work traces the transformation of "women's work" into wage labor in the United States, identifying the social, economic, and ideological forces that have shaped our expectations of what women do. Basing her observations upon the personal experience of individual American women set against the backdrop of American society, Alice Kessler-Harris examines the effects of class, ethnic and racial patterns, changing perceptions of wage work for women, and the relationship between wage-earning and family roles. (publisher's statement)

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Revitalization of the CWA: Integrating Collective Bargaining, Political Action, and Organizing JF - Industrial and Labor Relations Review Y1 - 2003 A1 - H. C. Katz A1 - Batt, R. A1 - Keefe, J. KW - collective bargaining KW - Communication Workers of America KW - contingency organizational theory KW - CWA KW - organization theory KW - organizing KW - resource dependence theory KW - unionism AB -

This case study of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) demonstrates the value of resource dependence and contingency organizational theories— two branches of organization theory, which has most commonly been used to interpret firm behavior—for analyzing union revitalization. Consistent with predictions of those theories, the CWA responded to a changed environment by abandoning strategies that no longer achieved organizational objectives, but retaining and bolstering strategies that continued to be effective. Furthermore, like the organizations analyzed in Jeffrey Pfeffer and Gerald Salancik's classic exposition of resource dependency theory, in the face of heightened environmental complexity and uncertainty the CWA used political action, growth strategies, and inter-organizational linkages to gain advantage. The CWA conformed to another prediction of contingency theory by using an integration strategy—specifically, by making simultaneous and interactive use of activities in collective bargaining, politics, and organizing—to spur innovation and respond to environmental complexity and uncertainty.

VL - 56 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/hrpubs/1/ CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Worker Rights and Global Trade: The U.S.-Cambodia Bilateral Textile Trade Agreement Y1 - 2003 A1 - R. Abrami KW - global trade KW - globalization KW - international trade agreements KW - labor standards KW - workers’ rights AB -

Examines the political and economic dimensions of the campaign to improve workers' rights around the world through the inclusion of labor standards in international trade agreements. The U.S.-Cambodia Textile Trade Agreement was the first agreement of its kind to link increased access to U.S. markets to improved working conditions in an exporting country. Some argue that labor standards are becoming a new form of protectionism. Others see them as necessary to preserve open markets and fair trade. How this debate is resolved will undoubtedly have great implications for investors in developing countries and ultimately for the economic development of the poorer countries themselves. (publisher's statement)

PB - Harvard Business Publishing CY - Boston L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - 《劳权论》 Y1 - 2003 A1 - 凯 常 PB - 中国劳动社会保障出版社 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - American Workers, American Unions: The 20th Century (3rd Edition) Y1 - 2002 A1 - Zieger, R. A1 - Gregor Gall KW - American workers KW - anti-unionism KW - labor movement KW - labor politics KW - labor unions KW - organizing KW - unionism AB -

Provides a concise and compelling history of American workers and their unions in twentieth-century America. This new edition features new chapters on the pre–1920 period, as well as an entirely new final chapter that covers developments of the 1980s and 1990s in detail. There the authors explore how economic change, union stagnation, and antilabor policies have combined to erode workers' standards and labor's influence in the political arena over the last two decades. They review current "alternatives to unionism" as means of achieving fair workplace representations but insist that strong unions remain essential in a democratic society. They argue that labor's new responsiveness to the concerns of women, minority groups, and low-wage workers, as well as its resurgent political activism, offer new hope for trade unionism. Also included in this third edition is new bibliographical material and a regularly updated on-line link to an extended bibliographical essay. (publisher's statement)

PB - Johns Hopkins University Press CY - Baltimore, MD L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life Y1 - 2002 A1 - Zander, R. S. A1 - Zander, B. KW - communication KW - creativity KW - leadership AB -

Presenting twelve breakthrough practices for bringing creativity into all human endeavors, this book is the dynamic product of an extraordinary partnership. It combines Benjamin Zander's experience as conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and his talent as a teacher and communicator with psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander's genius for designing innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment. The authors' harmoniously interwoven perspectives provide a deep sense of the powerful role that the notion of possibility can play in every aspect of life. Through uplifting stories, parables, and personal anecdotes, the Zanders invite readers to become passionate communicators, leaders, and performers whose lives radiate possibility into the world. (publisher's statement)

PB - Penguin Books CY - New York SN - 0142001104 9780142001103 L2 - eng N1 - ID: 50772134 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Ask a Working Woman Survey 2002 Y1 - 2002 A1 - CIO AFL- KW - equal pay KW - gender KW - working families KW - working women AB -

[Excerpt] On the job and in public policy, working women want changes that will strengthen families and build respect for work. Working women are deeply and increasingly concerned about health care and retirement security, as well as equal pay and equal opportunity. Concern about health care has surged in the past year. These are among the findings of the Ask a Working Woman Survey 2002, conducted for the AFL-CIO by Lake Snell Perry & Associates. This survey is the third in a series designed to examine the pressures faced by working women and the solutions they seek in their workplaces and through legislation. This report is part of a yearlong national project that included a field survey of nearly 20,000 working women across the country, from which the quotes appearing in this report are taken.

PB - AFL-CIO CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/laborunions/9/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Change and Transformation in Asian Industrial Relations JF - Industrial Relations Y1 - 2002 A1 - S. Kuruvilla A1 - Erickson, C. KW - China KW - India KW - industrial relations KW - industrialization KW - Japan KW - Malaysia KW - Philippines KW - Singapore KW - South Korea AB -

Authors argue that industrial relations systems change due to shifts in the constraints facing those systems, and that the most salient constraints facing IR systems in Asia have shifted from those of maintaining labor peace and stability in the early stages of industrialization, to those of increasing both numerical and functional flexibility in the 1980s and 1990s. The evidence to sustain the argument is drawn from seven “representative” Asian IR systems: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, and China. They also distinguish between systems that have smoothly adapted (Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines) and systems that have fundamentally transformed (China and South Korea), and hypothesize about the reasons for this difference.

VL - 41 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cbpubs/36/ CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Collective Bargaining in the Private Sector Y1 - 2002 A1 - P. Clark A1 - Delaney, J. A1 - Frost, A. KW - airlines KW - auto KW - casinos KW - collective bargaining KW - health care KW - hotels KW - labor leaders KW - newspapers KW - professional sports KW - telecommunications KW - trucking AB -

Private-sector collective bargaining in the United States is under siege. Many factors have contributed to this situation, including the development of global markets, a continuing antipathy toward unions by managers, and the declining effectiveness of strikes. This volume examines collective bargaining in eight major industries—airlines, automobile manufacturing, health care, hotels and casinos, newspaper publishing, professional sports, telecommunications, and trucking—to gain insight into the challenges the parties face and how they have responded to those challenges.

The authors suggest that collective bargaining is evolving differently across the industries studied. While the forces constraining bargaining have not abated, changes in the global environment, including new security considerations, may create opportunities for unions. Across the industries, one thing is clear—private-sector collective bargaining is rapidly changing. (publisher’s statement)

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Global Unions? Theory and Strategies of Organized Labour in the Global Political Economy Y1 - 2002 A1 - Harrod, J. A1 - O’Brien, R. KW - global economy KW - globalization KW - industrial relations KW - international relations KW - trade unions AB -

This edited collection examines the interaction between industrial relations and international relations in the global economy. The role of trade unions has changed significantly in the era of economic globalization and this book analyzes the key developments in union strategy on a local, national, regional and global level. (publisher's statement)

PB - Routledge CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Relations in China’s Socialist Market Economy: Adapting to the Global Market Y1 - 2002 A1 - Oakley, S. KW - China KW - economic conditions KW - global market KW - globalization KW - industrial relations KW - labor policy AB -

Ideological and cultural factors do not define or influence the way labor relations are conducted in China's workplace, as many suppose they do. Oakley shows that the impact of the global market has significantly altered the way labor relations are actually practiced in China, which follows what she calls a global market paradigm. Nevertheless, Maoism and Confucianism continue to influence labor relations in China, and the ideological and cultural remnants still to be found could affect China's relations with other nations for years to come. Instead of taking a macro-level, industrial-relations approach common to other studies of Chinese labor, Oakley provides an in-depth look at the problems emerging on the shop floor, in the wake of economic reform. She provides translations of actual case histories, each of which details the causes of disputes, the various methods that were found to resolve them, and their eventual outcomes. At a broader level of analysis, her book tends to support convergence theories, of which globalization is the latest, proving that there are other features in contemporary market labor relations that have emerged in China in direct response to the demands of global competition. The result is a superbly detailed examination of a topic too little covered and seldom well understood. Oakley begins by considering the features of market labor relations and the emergence of a globalization-friendly style, in both Western and Asian economics. She continues with an analysis of the ideological and cultural dimensions of the relationship between managers and managed. In the next three chapters, she discusses the causes, resolution methods, and labor dispute outcomes. In each case she refers to the evidence of market, Maoist, and Confucian influences. The conclusion she draws is that while Confucian ideas and traces of Maoism continue to have an impact on the development and resolution of labor disputes in post-reform China overall, Chinese labor relations conform to the demands of the global, not the provincial, marketplace. (publisher's statement)

PB - Quorum Books CY - Westport, CT L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labour Relations in the Global Fast-Food Industry Y1 - 2002 A1 - Royle, T. A1 - Towers, B. KW - employment practices KW - fast-food industry KW - industrial relations KW - labor relations KW - social justice KW - trade union exclusion KW - workers’ rights AB -

The fast-food industry is one of the few industries that can be described as truly global, not least in terms of employment, which is estimated at around ten million people worldwide. This edited volume is the first of its kind, providing an analysis of labour relations in this significant industry focusing on multinational corporations and large national companies in ten countries: the USA, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Russia.

The extent to which multinational enterprises impose or adapt their employment practices in differing national industrial relations systems is analysed, Results reveal that the global fast-food industry is typified by trade union exclusion, high labour turnover, unskilled work, paternalistic management regimes and work organization that allows little scope for developing workers' participation in decision-making, let alone advocating widely accepted concepts of social justice and workers' rights. (publisher's statement)

PB - Routledge CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America Y1 - 2002 A1 - Gorn, E. KW - biography KW - labor history KW - labor movement KW - Mother Jones KW - organizing AB -

Her rallying cry was famous: "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living." A century ago, Mother Jones was a celebrated organizer and agitator, the very soul of the modern American labor movement. At coal strikes, steel strikes, railroad, textile, and brewery strikes, Mother Jones was always there, stirring the workers to action and enraging the powerful. In this first biography of "the most dangerous woman in America," Elliott J. Gorn proves why, in the words of Eugene V. Debs, Mother Jones "has won her way into the hearts of the nation's toilers, and . . . will be lovingly remembered by their children and their children's children forever." (publisher’s statement)

PB - Hill and Wang CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Organizational Culture: Mapping the Terrain Y1 - 2002 A1 - Martin, J. KW - fragmentation KW - management KW - organizational culture KW - research KW - subculture AB -

Provides an interdisciplinary overview of the organizational culture literature, showing how and why researchers have disagreed about such fundamental questions as: What is organizational culture? What are the major theoretical perspectives used to understand cultures in organizations? How can a researcher decipher the political interests inherent in research that claims to be political neutral -- merely "descriptive"?

Joanne Martin examines a variety of conflicting ways to study cultures in organizations, including different theoretical orientations, political ideologies (managerial, critical, and apparently neutral); methods (qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid approaches), and styles of writing about culture (ranging from traditional to postmodern and experimental). In addition, she offers a guide for those who might want to study culture themselves, addressing such issues as: What qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid methods can be used to study culture? What standards are used when reviewers evaluate these various types of research? What innovative ways of writing about culture have been introduced? And finally, what are the most important unanswered questions for future organizational culture researchers?

Intended for graduate students and established scholars who need to understand, value, and utilize highly divergent approaches to the study of culture. The book will also be useful for researchers who do not study culture, but who are interested in the ways political interests affect scholarly writing, the ways critical and managerial approaches to theory differ, the use and justification of qualitative methods in domains where quantitative methods are the norm. (publisher's statement)

PB - Sage Publications CY - Thousand Oaks SN - 0803972946 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Trade Unions and Global Governance: The Debate on a Social Clause Y1 - 2002 A1 - van Roozendaal, G. KW - economic internationalization KW - global governance KW - globalization KW - ICFTU KW - International Confederation of Free Trade Unions KW - labor standards KW - social clause KW - trade sanctions KW - trade unions AB -

As the world economy is liberalized, and national economies become more intertwined, the national decision making of states is also increasingly interdependent, and it has become vital for non-governmental organizations to create an international agenda. This title is an important study of what makes such organizations successful on an international level. The focus is on trade unions, as a key international group of NGOs. It asks whether a global system can be designed to stimulate countries to observe a set of minimum or core standards. It explores three important questions: how have unions attempted to influence the debate on the inclusion of minumum labour standards in the WTO agreement?; what accounts for their success or lack of success?; and what conclusions, with respect to the effective behaviour of trade unions in the construction of international policy, can be drawn from these experiences? In exploring these questions the text looks at social clause debates within a number of international bodies: the ILO, OECD and the EU, and within two countries: the USA and India. (publisher's statement)

PB - Continuum CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Unions in a Globalized Environment: Changing Borders, Organizational Boundaries, and Social Roles Y1 - 2002 A1 - Nissen, B. KW - AFL-CIO KW - globalization KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - Mexico KW - NAFTA KW - TNCs KW - transnational corporations AB -

How can American unions survive in our increasingly globalized business environment? With the trend toward multinational corporations, free trade pacts, and dismantling import barriers, organized labor has been steadily losing ground in the United States. To reverse this trend, this book argues that U.S. unions must create ties with workers and unions in other countries, and include the ever-increasing number of immigrant workers in their ranks. And it calls for a shift toward "social movement unionism," which would change unions' orientation from exclusively market-focused and more toward social issues and rights. The first two parts of the book examine union attempts at cross-border solidarity with workers and unions abroad, and unions' relations with immigrants. Expanding on these ideas, the third section explores the types of internal transformations needed to revitalize the flagging U.S. labor movement. (publisher's statement)

PB - M. E. Sharpe CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - China’s Workers Under Assault: The Exploitation of Labor in a Globalizing Economy Y1 - 2001 A1 - A. Chan KW - China KW - globalization KW - human rights KW - salary KW - worker abuse KW - workers’ rights KW - working conditions AB -

This important book contains case studies with substantive analysis of Chinese workers in a variety of settings: state enterprises, urban collectives, township and village enterprises, domestic private enterprises, and foreign funded enterprises. The cases include urban workers, migrant workers from the countryside, and workers who are sent to work outside of China.

The analytical framework for these case studies lays out why labor rights violations have been occurring in China and highlights the context in which these violations operate and the extent to which these selected cases are not isolated incidents. Moreover, the dilemma of Chinese workers is put into international perspective: the context of the international labor market, the setting of competitive minimum wages in Asia, and the concern for Chinese workers' rights taken up by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

This book debunks the conventional wisdom that Chinese workers are thriving because the Chinese economy is booming. Indeed the wage structures of these enterprises of different ownership types contribute to widening income disparities in China. The book uncovers what exactly the overseas Chinese entrepreneurship (Taiwan and Hong Kong), means at the factory level. And it calls for a new approach to scrutinizing the phenomena of the so-called Chinese economic "miracle" and its repercussions on other economies and labor markets. (publisher's statement)

PB - M. E. Sharpe, Inc. CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - In Praise of Middle Managers JF - Harvard Business Review Y1 - 2001 A1 - Huy, Q. N. KW - middle managers KW - workers KW - workplace KW - workplace sociology AB -

[Excerpt] The very phrase “middle managers” evokes mediocrity: a person who stubbornly defends the status quo because he’s too unimaginative to dream up anything better—or, worse, someone who sabotages others’ attempts to change the organization for the better.

The popular press and a couple generations’ worth of change-management consultants have reinforced this stereotype. Introducing a major change initiative? Watch out for the middle managers—that’s where you’ll find the most resistance. Reengineering your business processes? Start by sweeping out the middle managers—they’re just intermediaries; they don’t add value. Until very recently, anyone who spent time reading about management practices, as opposed to watching real managers at work, might have concluded that middle managers are doomed to extinction or should be.

But don’t pull out the pink slips just yet. I recently completed a six-year study of middle managers—in particular, their role during periods of radical organizational change. For the purposes of the study, I defined middle managers as any managers two levels below the CEO and one level above line workers and professionals. The research involved extensive on-site observations, in-depth interviews with more than 200 middle and senior managers, and a review of case research. My findings may surprise you.

L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Labor Rights in the Generalized System of Preferences: A 20-Year Review JF - Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal Y1 - 2001 A1 - L. Compa KW - generalized system of preferences KW - GSP KW - labor rights KW - trade AB -

[Excerpt] In the fall of 1982, a small group of labor, religious, and human rights activists began charting a new course for human rights and workers' rights in American trade policy. The principles of these labor rights advocates were straightforward:

1. No country should attract investment or gain an edge in international trade by violating workers' rights;

2. No company operating in global trade should gain a competitive edge by violating workers' rights; and,

3. Workers have a right to demand protection for labor rights in the international trade system, and to have laws to accomplish it.

The coalition that took shape 20 years ago made a labor rights amendment to the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), the chief policy vehicle in U.S. law to promote these principles. This article reviews 20 years' experience with the GSP labor rights clause.

VL - 22 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/171/ ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Out of Labor's Dark Age: Sexual Politics Comes to the Workplace T2 - Out at Work: Building a Gay-Labor Alliance Y1 - 2001 A1 - Krupat, K. ED - Krupat, K. ED - McCreery, P. KW - discrimination KW - gender KW - sexual politics KW - women’s movement KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace AB -

Kitty Krupat builds on historian Robin Kelly’s eloquent rhetorical contention, “class is lived through race and gender.” Yet Krupat concludes, “Class is lived through race, gender, and sexual identity.”

JA - Out at Work: Building a Gay-Labor Alliance PB - University of Minnesota Press CY - Minneapolis, MN L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Radical Change, The Quiet Way JF - Harvard Business Review Y1 - 2001 A1 - Meyerson, D. E. KW - cultural change KW - leadership KW - management KW - organizational change KW - organizational restructuring AB -

At some point, many managers yearn to confront assumptions, practices, or values in their organizations that they feel are counterproductive or even downright wrong. Yet, they can face an uncomfortable dilemma: If they speak out too loudly, resentment may build toward them; if they remain silent, resentment will build inside them. Is there any way, then, to rock the boat without falling out of it? In 15 years of research, professor Debra Meyerson has observed hundreds of professionals who have dealt with this problem by working behind the scenes, engaging in a subtle form of grassroots leadership. She calls them "tempered radicals" because they effect significant changes in moderate ways. Meyerson has identified four incremental approaches that managers can quietly use to create lasting cultural change. Most subtle is "disruptive self-expression" in dress, office decor, or behavior, which can slowly change an unproductive atmosphere as people increasingly notice and emulate it. By using "verbal jujitsu," an individual can redirect the force of an insensitive statement or action to improve the situation. "Variable-term opportunists" spot, create, and capitalize on short- and long-term chances for change. And through "strategic alliance building," an individual can join with others to promote change with more force. By adjusting these approaches to time and circumstance, tempered radicals work subtly but effectively to alter the status quo. In so doing, they exercise a form of leadership that is more modest and less visible than traditional forms--yet no less significant. Top managers who want to create cultural or organizational change--perhaps they're moving tradition-bound businesses down new roads--should seek out these tempered radicals, for they are masters at transforming organizations from the grass roots. (publisher's statement)

PB - Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University. CY - Boston [etc. VL - 79 SN - 0017-8012 L2 - eng CP - 9 N1 - ID: 95627252 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Trade Union Research and Cross-National Comparison JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2001 A1 - Richard Hyman KW - analysis KW - comparative research KW - cross-national comparison KW - industrial relations KW - trade union rearch AB -

This article is concerned with problems of comparative research and analysis in industrial relations, and in particular with cross-national comparison of trade unions. Comparison is of both practical and theoretical importance, but is fraught with difficulties, in part because of the paradox involved in attempting to generalize concerning national instances which are in so many respects unique. The author considers three different approaches to analysis, in terms respectively of institutions, functions and issues. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the iterative nature of research and analysis and insists that even if the goal of satisfactory cross-national comparison may be unattainable, its pursuit is both necessary and valuable.

VL - 7 L2 - eng UR - http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/757/1/IRES.pdf CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Understanding European Trade Unionism: Between Market, Class and Society Y1 - 2001 A1 - Richard Hyman KW - Europe KW - globalization KW - trade unionism KW - trade unions KW - unionism AB -

In this comprehensive overview of trade unionism in Europe and beyond, Richard Hyman offers a fresh perspective on trade union identity, ideology and strategy. He shows how the varied forms and impact of different national movements reflect historical choices on whether to emphasize a role as market bargainers, mobilizers of class opposition or partners in social integration. The book demonstrates how these inherited traditions can serve as both resources and constraints in responding to the challenges which confront trade unions in today's working world.

PB - Sage Publications CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Union Member’s Complete Guide: Everything You Want – And Need – To Know About Working Union Y1 - 2001 A1 - Mauer, M. KW - benefits KW - labor laws KW - union dues KW - worker representatives KW - workers’ rights AB -

An easy-to-read, comprehensive guide to how you can get the most out of your job in a unionized workplace -- from understanding what a union is and how it operates to how you can get the most value out of your union card and what you can do to make your union more successful.

* Understanding how unions operate
* Getting your say in contract demands
* The full story on union dues
* A union's responsibility to its members
* Getting help with workplace problems
* Your union card's bonus benefits
* A member's rights and responsibilities
* Labor laws that affect you
* How to file a grievance
* Your union steward's role
* Contact info for every union (publisher’s statement)

PB - UCS Inc. CY - Annapolis, MD L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage Y1 - 2001 A1 - Hall, P. A. A1 - Soskice, D. KW - comparative political economy KW - economic policy KW - economics KW - globalization KW - social policy AB -

Applying the new economics of organization and relational theories of the firm to the problem of understanding cross-national variation in the political economy, this volume elaborates a new understanding of the institutional differences that characterize the 'varieties of capitalism' found among the developed economies. Building on a distinction between 'liberal market economies' and 'coordinated market economies', it explores the impact of these variations on economic performance and many spheres of policy-making, including macroeconomic policy, social policy, vocational training, legal decision-making, and international economic negotiations. The volume examines the institutional complementarities across spheres of the political economy, including labour markets, markets for corporate finance, the system of skill formation, and inter-firm collaboration on research and development that reinforce national equilibria and give rise to comparative institutional advantages, notably in the sphere of innovation where LMEs are better placed to sponsor radical innovation and CMEs to sponsor incremental innovation. By linking managerial strategy to national institutions, the volume builds a firm-centered comparative political economy that can be used to assess the response of firms and governments to the pressures associated with globalization. Its new perspectives on the welfare state emphasize the role of business interests and of economic systems built on general or specific skills in the development of social policy. It explores the relationship between national legal systems, as well as systems of standards setting, and the political economy. The analysis has many implications for economic policy-making, at national and international levels, in the global age. (publisher's statement)

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Breaking the Iron Law of Oligarchy: Union Revitalization in the American Labor Movement JF - American Journal of Sociology Y1 - 2000 A1 - K. Voss A1 - Sherman, R. KW - bureaucratic conservatism KW - international unions KW - labor leaders KW - labor movement KW - local unions AB -

This article addresses the question of how social movement organizations are able to break out of bureaucratic conservatism. In-depth interviews with union organizers and other data are used to identify the sources of radical transformation in labor organizations by comparing local unions that have substantially altered their goals and tactics with those that have changed little. This analysis highlights three factors: the occurrence of a political crisis in the local leading to new leadership, the presence of leaders with activist experience outside the labor movement who interpret the decline of labor’s power as a mandate to change, and the influence of the international union in favor of innovation. The article concludes by drawing out the theoretical implications of the finding that bureaucratic conservatism can sometimes be overcome in mature social movements.

VL - 106 L2 - eng UR - http://sociology.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/faculty/voss/Voss%20and%20Sherman.pdf CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Comparative Employee Relations: An Introduction Y1 - 2000 A1 - Eaton, J. KW - employment relations KW - globalization KW - human resource management KW - industrial relations AB -

Provides a concise introduction to employment and industrial relations. Unlike many other textbooks, this adopts a comparative approach, examining the changing nature of employment practices in relation to the processes of globalization, and engaging critically with the literature on Human Resource Management. By taking account of the international dimension of employment relations, this book is at the forefront of new developments in the field.

The thematic approach of Comparative Employment Relations makes it distinctive from the country-by-country studies of this topic. Jack Eaton synthesizes recent work in the field to establish a basis for further study in the most important areas of industrial relations, including Japanese-style employment practices; comparative collective bargaining; the rules of employment and routes to skill formation; collective labour law; globalization and transnational companies. He concludes by examining the prospects for comparative employment relations. By equipping students with a set of useful concepts and perspectives, this book will give them the confidence to explore the now extensive international literature on employment management, and to utilize the methods of comparative analysis in their own work. Essential reading for second- and third-year undergraduates studying business, management, economics and the sociology of work and industry. (publisher's statement)

PB - Polity Press CY - Cambridge, UK L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Negotiation Handbook Y1 - 2000 A1 - Cleary, P. J. KW - conflict resolution KW - mediation KW - negotiation AB -

Whether you're involved in a labor-management dispute or a landlord-tenant disagreement, considering a major purchase or overseeing a large commercial transaction, there are certain elements that are common to the process of all negotiations. This book walks the reader through the world of negotiating in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step fashion, covering the macro and micro-process of negotiations, the importance of adequate preparation, knowledge of the rules, and the role and usefulness of a mediator.

Written by a senior business policy analyst and former labor mediator for the U.S. government, the book focuses on labor-management negotiations. However, the concepts, skils, and insight it offers go well beyond labor-management disputes. The book is as useful for a first-time homebuyer or a business student as it is for a veteran union arbitrator or a busy executive. (publisher's statement)

PB - M.E. Sharpe CY - Armonk, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Is Organizing Enough? Race, Gender, and Union Culture JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 2000 A1 - Fletcher, B. A1 - Richard Hurd KW - AFL-CIO KW - gender KW - labor movement KW - labor rights KW - organization KW - race KW - revitalization KW - unions AB -

[Excerpt] We argue that the quantitative interpretation of Changing to Organize is self-limiting, if not self-defeating. If unions hope to attract a mass influx of new members, they must first address seriously the internal transformation required to build a labor movement of all working people. The highest priority should be on creating a culture of inclusion. We envision a movement that embraces, attracts, and promotes women, people of color, immigrants, and lesbians and gays. We reach this conclusion in large part based on work with local unions that have endorsed the change to organizing. Although national unions play a central role in establishing the organizing priority and coordinating the organizing efforts, the changes that affect the day-to-day life of unionism occur at the local level. And the reality is that locals engaged in organizing face a host of substantial internal challenges. To the extent that these challenges relate to the organizing itself, they are well understood and are receiving attention at the national level (for example, the shortage of trained organizers and experienced lead organizers is widely recognized).

VL - 6 SN - 1095-7960 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/316/ N1 - ID: 4897155989 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Trade Unions in Western Europe Since 1945 Y1 - 2000 A1 - Ebbinghaus, B. A1 - Jelle Visser KW - collective bargaining KW - Europe KW - globalization KW - organizing KW - trade unions AB -

This comparative data handbook offers an empirical base to a long-term and comparative understanding of changes and variations in European union movements. It provides information on the context and history of union development, the changes in the structure of post-war unionism until today, the long-term trends in union membership and union density, and the shifts in the cross-sectional composition of union membership.
 
Introduction and references are included, as well as standardised tables for each country and comparative indicators.This book is the result of many years of research by the authors in collaboration with an international research team, and provides an original source for comparative and national studies or individual enquiries. It offers cross-checked and often newly-calculated statistics from the project's unique comprehensive database on national union organisations and their membership series.
 
An original, comprehensive and up-to-date data collection on postwar union movements, Trade Unions in Western Europe since 1945 will act as an indispensable tool for anyone comparing labour relations across Europe. (publisher's statement)

PB - Macmillan CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Transnational Cooperation Among Labor Unions Y1 - 2000 A1 - Gordon, M. E. A1 - L. Turner KW - globalization KW - multinational corporations KW - organized labor KW - transnational collaboration AB -

Organized labor faces enormous challenges in the increasingly global economy. The effect of multinational corporations, the portability of technology and capital, and lowered trade barriers in international commerce have all sparked widespread prophecies of trade union demise. This book, however, presents compelling evidence that unions can survive and grow if labor is willing to cooperate across national borders. Transnational Cooperation among Labor Unions is a seminal study of such cooperation as an effective weapon against the exploitation of workers in today's world.

After assessing the challenges confronting organized labor, the authors turn their attention to specifics. They describe and evaluate the most important transnational labor associations, campaigns, and transnational cooperatives in a variety of industries. Contributors include academics who have assessed the status of union-management relations and international labor organizations as well as participants in union campaigns organized across national boundaries. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Unfair Advantage: Workers’ Freedom of Association in the United States Under International Human Rights Standards Y1 - 2000 A1 - L. Compa KW - enforcement KW - freedom of association KW - labor law KW - labor movement KW - organizing KW - unions KW - United States KW - workers’ rights AB -

[Excerpt] Human Rights Watch selected case studies for this report on workers’ freedom of association in the United States with several objectives in mind. One was to include a range of sectors - services, industry, transport, agriculture, high tech – to assess the scope of the problem across the economy, rather than to focus on a single sector. Another objective was geographic diversity, to analyze the issues in different parts of the country. The cases studied here arose in cities, suburbs and rural areas around the United States.

Another important goal was to look at the range of workers seeking to exercise their right to freedom of association - high skill and low skill, blue collar and white collar, resident and migrant, women and men, of different racial, ethnic and national origins. Many of the cases involved the most vulnerable parts of the labor force. These include migrant farmworkers, sweatshop workers, household domestic workers, undocumented immigrants, and welfare-to-work employees. But the report also examines the rights of U.S. workers with many years of employment at stable, profitable employers. These include packaging factory workers, steel workers, shipyard workers, food processing workers, nursing home workers, and computer programmers.

The cases studied here offer a cross-section of workers’ attempts to form and join trade unions, to bargain collectively, and to strike. The cases reflect violations and obstacles workers met in the exercise of these rights. In many cases, workers’ voices recount their experiences. Human Rights Watch also made written requests for responses and comments from employers identified in the report. Most of them declined. Of those who did respond, most did not want to be identified by name. In several cases, the names of individual managers are known to Human Rights Watch, but they are omitted so as not to profile them unduly in a human rights report with wide distribution to the public. This report is intended to illuminate systemic problems in U.S. labor law and practice, not conduct of individuals.

PB - Human Rights Watch CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/330/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - 新建企业工会工作实用教材 Y1 - 2000 A1 - 常凯 PB - 中国工人出版社 CY - 北京 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building Bridges: The Challenges of Organized Labor in Communities of Color JF - New Labor Forum Y1 - 1999 A1 - Kelley, R. D. G. KW - anti-unionism KW - inner cities KW - labor unions KW - organizing KW - working class communities KW - working people of color AB -

History offers labor some important insights into contemporary efforts at building alliances with communities of color. For starters, these communities are often far more organized than is implied by labor's call to "organize the unorganized."

L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor Guide to Labor Law (4th Edition) Y1 - 1999 A1 - Feldacker, B. KW - antitrust laws KW - arbitration KW - bargaining KW - collective bargaining KW - election campaigns KW - equal employment opportunity KW - fair representation KW - labor law KW - labor relations. KW - labor-management relations KW - lockouts KW - organizing rights KW - strikers' rights KW - strikes AB -

This authoritative guide to labor law in the private sector is written from a union perspective and emphasizes the issues of greatest importance to unions. It covers the essential information needed to acquire a basic understanding of labor law and how it pertains to the workplace. Federal Regulations of Labor-Management Relations. The Collective Bargaining Unit. Union Organizing Rights and Election Campaigns. The Duty to Bargain. Strikes, Striker Rights, and Lockouts. Union Regulation of Work and the Antitrust Laws. Enforcement of Collective Bargaining Agreements and the Duty to Arbitrate. Rights and Responsibilities of Union Members. The Duty of Fair Representation. Equal Employment Opportunity. Federal-State Relationships in Labor Relations. For union officers and representatives or anyone else who needs to review or learn the basics of labor law. (publisher's statement)

PB - Prentice Hall CY - Upper Saddle River, NJ SN - 0130165239 9780130165237 L2 - eng N1 - ID: 806474114 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Leadership Development and Organizing: For What Kind of Union? JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 1999 A1 - Eisenscher, M. A1 - Saltzman, G. M. A1 - LaPorte, P. KW - labor movement KW - leaders KW - leadership KW - organizing AB -

This essay examines the circumstances that have elevated rebuilding the labor movement to the highest priority and yet most difficult challenge confronting organized labor today. It is the basis on which "organizing the unorganized" has become the clarion call of the New Voice reform team that assumed leadership of the AFL-CIO in 1995. But organizing for what kind of union? The author describes the attributes of three organizational archetypes: the service model or business union, the mobilization or activist model union, and the participatory or social movement union. Obviously, few existing unions fit neatly into or can be accurately described by a single construct, but as prototypes they offer a framework for analyzing unions and to distinguish the strategies associated with and the forms, role, and development of leadership within each type. It is this latter point--the nature of leadership, its relationship to the form of union, and how it can be developed in the process of rebuilding the labor movement--that is the focal point of this discussion.

VL - 24 SN - 0160-449x L2 - eng CP - 2 N1 - ID: 42720849 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Locked Out But Holding Together in Ravenswood JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 1999 A1 - Juravich, T. A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - Ravenswood KW - strikes KW - United Steelworkers of America AB -

The first in a two-part series that details the Steelworkers' victory at Ravenswood Aluminum - one of labor's biggest wins in the '90s.

VL - 3 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/824/ CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Ravenswood: The Steelworkers’ Victory and the Revival of American Labor Y1 - 1999 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner A1 - Juravich, T. KW - lockout KW - Ravenswood Aluminum Company KW - steel industry KW - unions KW - United Steelworkers of America KW - worker rights AB -

[Excerpt] When the Ravenswood Aluminum Company locked out seventeen hundred workers on October 31, 1990, it hardly looked like a big opportunity for labor. In what had become standard operating procedure for employers during the 1980s, management broke off bargaining with the United Steelworkers of America, and then brought hundreds of replacement workers into a heavily fortified plant surrounded by barbed wire and security cameras. Injunctions prevented union members from doing little more than symbolic picketing, and the wheels of justice, as they had done for more than a decade, creaked ever so slowly. All the pieces were in place for another long, drawn-out defeat for labor.

This book chronicles the twenty-month battle between the Steelworkers and the Ravenswood Aluminum Company (RAC). It is the story of an international union already reeling from heavy losses in the steel industry and desperately needing some solid ground. It is the story of a tough and determined union membership, most of whom had spent their entire working lives at the local aluminum plant.

PB - Cornell University Press/ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/549/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Ravenswood: The steelworkers' victory and the revival of American labor Y1 - 1999 A1 - Juravich, T. A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner KW - lockout KW - Ravenswood Aluminum Company KW - steel industry KW - unions KW - United Steelworkers of America KW - worker rights PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Steelworkers' Victory at Ravenswood: Picket Line Around the World JF - WorkingUSA Y1 - 1999 A1 - Juravich, T. A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - Ravenswood KW - strikes KW - United Steelworkers of America AB -

The second in a two-part series details the sophisticated international campaign and grass-roots activism that gave labor one of its biggest wins in the '90s.

VL - 3 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/823/ CP - 2 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Unfinished Struggle: Turning Points in American Labor, 1877-Present Y1 - 1999 A1 - Babson, S. KW - American labor movement KW - history KW - organizing KW - strikes AB -

Labor scholar and activist Steve Babson's narrative examines the numerous attempts to organize workers from the Great Uprising of 1877 to the "sitdown" strikes of the 1930s to the present day. Babson illuminates the tumultuous past, evolving agenda, and continuing conflicts of the labor movement. He identifies the causes of labor's decline in recent decades and explains union leaders' attempts to revive their organizations. Most important, Babson shows readers how the fortunes of organized labor are tied to larger trends in American history. (publisher's statement)

PB - Rowman & Littlefield Publishers CY - Lanham, Md. L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Working Together: The Workplace in Civil Society (Public Law and Legal Theory Working Paper No. 3) Y1 - 1999 A1 - Cynthia L. Estlund KW - antidiscrimination law KW - civic engagement KW - intergroup attitudes KW - race KW - workplace AB -

The burgeoning literature on democratic civil society, civic engagement, and associational life has focused largely on voluntary civic organizations in which citizens choose to associate on the basis of what they already share. Those groups serve important functions in a democratic society. But those groups, by definition voluntary and largely beyond the scope of antidiscrimination law, cannot be relied upon to bring individuals together across social cleavages of ethnicity and identity. In a diverse but still-too-divided society, that is an important mediating function, and it is one that the workplace is uniquely situated to serve. The antidiscrimination laws have had a significant impact on the workplace; for most adults, it is likely to be the most racially diverse place in which they spend much time. At work, individuals cooperate and converse day after day, and form ties of familiarity and empathy with individuals from different groups. Social science research confirms the tendency of this kind of cooperative interaction to foster more positive intergroup attitudes and relations. The workplace is thus a uniquely important locus of associational life in a diverse democratic society. This article makes the case for this proposition, links it to contemporary discussions of social capital, public discourse, and social integration, and contends with the problems of hierarchy and economic compulsion that might seem to disqualify the workplace from the domain of civil society, but that prove to be more ambiguous in their significance for the distinct mediating function of the workplace.

PB - Columbia Law School CY - New York L2 - eng UR - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract-id=198823 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - The Collective Bargaining System in the United States: The Legacy and the Lessons T2 - Industrial Relations at the Dawn of the New Millenium Y1 - 1998 A1 - H. C. Katz A1 - D. B. Lipsky ED - Neufeld, M. ED - McKelvey, J. T. KW - collective bargaining KW - industrial relations KW - macro-organizational disputes KW - macroeconomic disputes KW - workplace disputes AB -

[Excerpt] From World War II to the 1990s, the collective bargaining system in the United States evolved through two epochs. The first, which lasted from the end of war to the late 1970s, saw the construction and consolidation of what one of us (and his coauthors) has called "the New Deal system of industrial relations" (Kochan et al, 1994). During the second era the New Deal industrial relations system came under severe pressures and it began to be fundamentally transformed. The transformation is still occurring, and we cannot say if or when a new equilibrium will be established.

This essay examines and evaluates the evolution of collective bargaining in the United States between 1945 and 1997. We have a central theme - an hypothesis - that guides our examination. We believe American collective bargaining has been very adept at resolving workplace problems—what might be termed "micro" problems such as individuals' complaints (in unionized settings). On the other hand, collective bargaining in our society has never been adept at (or has been excluded from) dealing with "macro" problems. We have in mind two categories of macro problems. The first is "macro-organizational," by which we mean the issues and concerns associated with the management of the organization or enterprise. The second is “macroeconomic," and we have in mind especially the relationship between the industrial relations system and the macroeconomy.

JA - Industrial Relations at the Dawn of the New Millenium PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/794/ ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Construction Organizing: A Case Study of Success T2 - Organizing to Win: New Research on Union Strategies Y1 - 1998 A1 - Condit, B. A1 - Davis, T. A1 - J. M. Grabelsky A1 - Kotler, F. ED - K. Bronfenbrenner ED - Friedman, S. ED - Richard Hurd ED - Oswald, R. A. ED - Seeber, R. L. KW - construction KW - IBEW KW - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers KW - labor movement KW - organizing KW - trade unions AB -

[Excerpt] This chapter examines how IBEW Local 611, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, reversed its decline and between 1988 and 1994 reemerged as a dominant force in its jurisdiction. What the local did, how it did it, and what other building trade unions can learn from 611's success are the central points of the discussion.

JA - Organizing to Win: New Research on Union Strategies PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/294/ ER - TY - CHAP T1 - New York State AFL-CIO Organizing Education Program T2 - Working Together to Revitalize Labor in Our Communities: Case Studies of Labor Education-Central Labor Body Collaboration Y1 - 1998 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner ED - Kriesky, J. KW - AFL-CIO KW - labor movement KW - membership KW - New York KW - organizing AB -

New York State has long been hailed by the labor movement for its high union density and strong and active local labor unions. Yet, like their counterparts in other states, unions in New York State have watched their numbers and their power shrink precipitously in the last few decades under the onslaught of corporate "downsizing," plant closings, decertifications, broken strikes, and concession bargaining. At the same time, an increasingly hostile political climate, combined with rabidly anti-union employers and weak and poorly enforced labor laws, have made it more and more difficult for New York State unions to expand their membership through new organizing. In 1995, the New York State AFL-CIO began working with me, in my capacity as the Director of Labor Education Research at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations, to design an education program for affiliated unions to turn around the membership trend. (author's statement)

JA - Working Together to Revitalize Labor in Our Communities: Case Studies of Labor Education-Central Labor Body Collaboration PB - UCLEA/University of Maine CY - Orono, ME L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/562/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Organizing to Win: New Research on Union Strategies Y1 - 1998 A1 - K. Bronfenbrenner A1 - Friedman, S. A1 - Richard Hurd A1 - Oswald, R. A. A1 - Seeber, R. L. KW - clergy KW - labor movement KW - local labor councils KW - membership KW - union organizing KW - volunteer organizers AB -

[Excerpt] The American labor movement is at a watershed. For the first time since the early years of industrial unionism sixty years ago, there is near-universal agreement among union leaders that the future of the movement depends on massive new organizing. In October 1995, John Sweeney, Richard Trumka, and Linda Chavez-Thompson were swept into the top offices of the AFL-CIO, following a campaign that promised organizing "at an unprecedented pace and scale." Since taking office, the new AFL-CIO leadership team has created a separate organizing department and has committed $20 million to support coordinated large-scale industry-based organizing drives. In addition, in the summer of 1996, the AFL-CIO launched the "Union Summer" program, which placed more than a thousand college students and young workers in organizing campaigns across the country.

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/188/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Rethinking Industrial Relations: Mobilization, Collectivism and Long Waves Y1 - 1998 A1 - John Kelly KW - collective action KW - human resource management KW - industrial relations KW - labor movement KW - mobilization theory AB -

This book is a wide-ranging, radical and highly innovative critique of the prevailing orthodoxies within industrial relations and human resource management. It contains a detailed examination of the evolution of industrial relations, arguing that the area is often under-theorized and influenced by the policy agenda of the state or employers.

PB - Routledge CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Review of the Book ‘We Can’t Eat Prestige: The Women Who Organized Harvard’ JF - Industrial and Labor Relations Review Y1 - 1998 A1 - Richard Hurd KW - clerical workers KW - Harvard KW - labor movement KW - office workers KW - organizing KW - union AB -

[Excerpt] In 1988 the fifteen-year campaign to organize office and laboratory workers at Harvard University ended with an NLRB election win. We Can't Eat Prestige is the most comprehensive examination to date of this compelling story, offering new detail and sufficiently bold assertions to re-ignite a smoldering debate about what this victory means for the future of unions. The author is a highly regarded journalist with thirty years of experience reporting on labor issues. Predictably, the book is extraordinarily well written, weaving a fascinating story of the union's evolution.

VL - 51 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/323/ CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - San’ya Blues: Laboring Life in Contemporary Tokyo Y1 - 1998 A1 - Fowler, E. KW - day-labor KW - modernization KW - postindustrial KW - San’ya KW - Tokyo AB -

Over the years, Edward Fowler, an American academic, became a familiar presence in San'ya, a run-down neighborhood in northeastern Tokyo. The city's largest day-labor market, notorious for its population of casual laborers, drunks, gamblers, and vagrants, has been home for more than half a century to anywhere from five to fifteen thousand men who cluster in the mornings at a crossroads called Namidabashi (Bridge of Tears) in hopes of getting work. The day-labor market, along with gambling and prostitution, is run by Japan's organized crime syndicates, the yakuza. Working as a day laborer himself, Fowler kept a diary of his experiences. He also talked with day laborers and local merchants, union leaders and bureaucrats, gangsters and missionaries. The resulting oral histories, juxtaposed with Fowler's narrative and diary entries, bring to life a community on the margins of contemporary Japan.

Located near a former outcaste neighborhood, on what was once a public execution ground, San'ya shows a hidden face of Japan and contradicts the common assumption of economic and social homogeneity. Fowler argues that differences in ethnicity and class, normally suppressed in mainstream Japanese society, are conspicuous in San'ya and similar communities. San'ya's largely middle-aged, male day-laborer population contains many individuals displaced by Japan's economic success, including migrants from village communities, castoffs from restructuring industries, and foreign workers from Korea and China. The neighborhood and its inhabitants serve as an economic buffer zone—they are the last to feel the effects of a boom and the first to feel a recession. They come alive in this book, telling urgent stories that personify such abstractions as the costs of modernization and the meaning of physical labor in postindustrial society. (publisher's statement)

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Wages of Affluence: Labor and Management in Postwar Japan Y1 - 1998 A1 - Gordon, A. KW - iron KW - Japan KW - managerial hegemony KW - Nippon Kôkan KW - NKK KW - steel KW - workplace AB -

Andrew Gordon goes to the core of the Japanese enterprise system, the workplace, and reveals a complex history of contest and confrontation. The Japanese model produced a dynamic economy which owed as much to coercion as to happy consensus. Managerial hegemony was achieved only after a bitter struggle that undermined the democratic potential of postwar society. The book draws on examples across Japanese industry, but focuses in depth on iron and steel. This industry was at the center of the country’s economic recovery and high-speed growth, a primary site of corporate managerial strategy and important labor union initiatives.

Beginning with the Occupation reforms and their influence on the workplace, Gordon traces worker activism and protest in the 1950s and ’60s, and how they gave way to management victory in the 1960s and ’70s. He shows how working people had to compromise institutions of self-determination in pursuit of economic affluence. He illuminates the Japanese system with frequent references to other capitalist nations whose workplaces assumed very different shape, and looks to Japan’s future, rebutting hasty predictions that Japanese industrial relations are about to be dramatically transformed in the American free-market image. Gordon argues that it is more likely that Japan will only modestly adjust the status quo that emerged through the turbulent postwar decades he chronicles here. (publisher's statement)

PB - Harvard University Press CY - Cambridge, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Between Class and Market: Postwar Unionization in the Capitalist Democracies Y1 - 1997 A1 - Western, B. KW - collective bargaining KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - union power KW - unionization AB -

In the United States, less than one worker in five is currently in a labor union, while in Sweden, virtually the entire workforce is unionized. Despite compelling evidence for their positive effects, even the strongest European unions are now in retreat as some policymakers herald the U.S. model of market deregulation. These differences in union power significantly affect workers' living standards and the fortunes of national economies. What explains the enormous variation in unionization and why has the last decade been so hostile to organized labor? Bruce Western tackles these questions in an analysis of labor union organization in eighteen capitalist democracies from 1950 to 1990. Combining insights from sociology and economics in a novel way, Western views unions as the joint product of market forces and political and economic institutions.

The author argues that three institutional conditions are essential for union growth: strong working-class political parties, centralized collective bargaining, and union-run unemployment insurance. These conditions shaped the impact of market currents and explain variations across industries, across countries, and over time for the four decades since 1950. Between Class and Market traces the story of the postwar labor movements supported by a blend of historical investigation and sophisticated statistical analysis in an innovative framework for comparative research. Western tightly integrates institutional explanation and comparative method in a way that balances comparative generality with the unique historical experiences of specific cases. (publisher's statement)

PB - Princeton University Press CY - Princeton, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations (4th edition) Y1 - 1997 A1 - Herman, E. KW - collective bargaining KW - labor relations KW - labor-management relations AB -

This book develops a deep understanding of the theory and practice of collective bargaining and labor relations, providing students with the conceptual framework for grasping changes taking place in the field of labor relations and collective bargaining. The Fourth Edition has been significantly updated and revised—containing a number of totally new chapters and sections on the most relevant topics in the field today—yet it retains the rich institutional detail that puts current developments into perspective. (publisher’s statement)

PB - Prentice Hall CY - Upper Saddle River, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Mediation and Arbitration of Employment Disputes Y1 - 1997 A1 - Dunlop, J. T. A1 - A. M. Zack KW - ADR KW - alternative dispute resolution KW - dispute resolution KW - employment relations KW - individual rights AB -

For many employers and employees alike, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) offers clear advantage over recourse to a legal system compromised by staggering case loads, Andless appeals, and high litigation costs. Indeed, ADR may prove the best hope for the equitable, affordable, and expeditious adjudication of employment dispute claims. Now, two of the people most responsible for the adoption of due process arbitration standards--standards that finally gave ADR real teeth--take a comprehensive look at due process arbitration in practice and offer policy guidelines, as well as an action plan for establishing mediation and arbitration as the cornerstones of any dispute resolution system. (publisher's statement)

PB - Jossey-Bass Publishers CY - San Francisco L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Symposium on Employment Relations Reform in the World Auto Industry: Introduction JF - The Economic and Labour Relations Review Y1 - 1997 A1 - Lansbury, R. D. A1 - H. C. Katz A1 - Park, F. KW - automobile industry KW - collective bargaining KW - employment relations AB -

The international automobile industry provides a useful basis for examining the degree and nature of change in employment relations under a variety of external conditions. By studying auto firms in various economies, it can be observed how employee relations strategies related to overall governance of the firm, to industry-level structures and institutions, and to the macro-economic and political institutions. These broader institutional arrangements in industrial relations may have a significant effect on how well the industry operates in both the domestic and international marketplace.

VL - 8 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/11/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Turning the Tide: Strategic Planning for Labor Unions Y1 - 1997 A1 - Weill, D. KW - economics KW - labor leaders KW - labor relations AB -

The past two decades have witnessed marked decline in union membership, intense pressure in collective bargaining, and loss of political influence and public support for unions in the U.S. and around the world. Many of the academic and popular discussions of "what unions should do" in response to this decline assert that unions must adopt a single set of strategies to survive. David Weil, in his book Turning the Tide: Strategic Planning for Labor Unions, eschews blanket remedies. Instead, he provides tools for evaluating the environmental factors faced by labor unions, designing new strategies to respond to those factors, and then implementing those strategies by restructuring unions to adapt to new conditions. Turning the Tide remains the only text specifically focused on applying ideas and tools of strategic planning and management to the challenges facing labor unions. It provides labor leaders, staff, activists, and those interested in labor unions with detailed approaches to assessing the external factors that affect union leverage and strength. At the same time, it provides a framework for analyzing how a union's internal organizational structure-from the people it hires to how it allocates its resources-affect its ability to achieve key objectives. These ideas are illustrated throughout with a wide set of cases and examples. Ever since initial publication in 1994, Weil's unique approach to dealing with the dramatic challenges facing the labor movement has led labor leaders and educators around the world to draw on Turning the Tide as a basic reference for designing and implementing strategies. (publisher’s statement)

PB - XanEdu Publishing Services CY - Ann Arbor, Michigan L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - We Can't Eat Prestige: The Women Who Organized Harvard Y1 - 1997 A1 - Hoerr, J. KW - Harvard KW - organizing KW - unionism KW - unionization KW - women KW - workers’ rights AB -

This story explodes the popular belief that women white-collar workers tend to reject unionization and accept a passive role in the workplace. On the contrary, the women workers of Harvard University created a powerful and unique union - one that emphasizes their own values and priorities as working women and rejects unwanted aspects of traditional unionism. The workers involved comprise Harvard's 3,600-member "support staff," which includes secretaries, library and laboratory assistants, dental hygienists, accounting clerks, and a myriad of other office workers who keep a great university functioning. Even at prestigious private universities like Harvard and Yale, these workers - mostly women - have had to put up with exploitive management policies that denied them respect and decent wages because they were women.But the women eventually rebelled, declaring that they could not live on "prestige" alone. Encouraged by the women's movement of the early 1970's, a group of women workers (and a few men) began what would become a 15-year struggle to organize staff employees at Harvard. The women persisted in the face of patronizing and sexist attitudes of university administrators and leaders of their own national unions. Unconscionably long legal delays foiled their efforts. But they developed innovative organizing methods, which merged feminist values with demands for union representation and a means of influencing workplace decisions. Out of adversity came an unorthodox form of unionism embodied in the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW). Its founding was marked by an absorbing human drama that pitted unknown workers, such as Kris Rondeau, a lab assistant who came to head the union, against famous educators such as Harvard President Derek Bok and a panoply of prestigious deans.Other characters caught up in the drama included Harvard's John T. Dunlop, the nation's foremost industrial relations scholar and former U.S. Secretary of Labor. The drama was played out in innumerable hearings before the National Labor Relations Board, in the streets of Cambridge, and on the walks of historic Harvard Yard, where union members marched and sang and employed new tactics like "ballooning," designed to communicate a message of joy and liberation rather than the traditional "hate-the-boss" hostility.John Hoerr tells this story from the perspective of both Harvard administrators and union organizers. With unusual access to its meetings, leaders, and files, he examines the unique culture of a female-led union from the inside. Photographs add to the impact of this dramatic narrative. John Hoerr, a freelance writer, has been a journalist for more than thirty years at newspapers, magazines, public television, and United Press International. A specialist in labor reportage, he is the author of "And the Wolf Finally Came: The Decline of the American Steel Industry". (publisher's statement)

PB - Temple University Press CY - Philadelphia L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Workers in a Lean World: Unions in the International Economy Y1 - 1997 A1 - Moody, K. KW - downsizing KW - globalization KW - labor relations KW - national unions AB -

In this study of current labor relations worldwide, Kim Moody surveys both sides of the picket lines. He provides a measured assessment of multinational managements’ strategies to downsize, introduce flexible production and compel workers to accept less pay for more work. He emphasizes the need, in the face of these changes, for renewal and international coordination among national unions and provides examples, from North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia, of how this has been achieved. (publisher's statement)

PB - Verso CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Human Rights, Labor Rights, and International Trade Y1 - 1996 A1 - L. Compa A1 - Diamond, S. F. KW - human rights KW - international trade KW - labor rights KW - workers’ rights AB -

Labor rights have traditionally been a concern of labor law scholars and practitioners whose work concentrates exclusively on domestic developments. In the past decade, however, the globalization of investment and production has expanded the bounds of labor rights discourse.

Contributors to this volume provide the first comprehensive view of labor rights in the international system of commerce. They consider the avenues open to worker rights claims in the global economy under international human rights instruments, U.S. trade laws, free trade agreements, labor rights litigation, and corporate codes of conduct. They address worker rights from the standpoints of human rights concerns, trade and development policy, and labor law principles. (publisher's statement)

PB - University of Pennsylvania Press CY - Philadelphia, PA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Industrial and Labor Relations: Contemporary Research in Seven Countries Y1 - 1995 A1 - Stephen J. Frenkel A1 - Harrod, J. KW - Asia KW - Hong Kong KW - industrial relations KW - industrialization KW - South Africa KW - textile workers AB -

Examines how industrialization and associated features such as political democratization, penetration by multinational organizations, and state support for collective bargaining are impacting labor relations in South Africa and six East Asian countries. The ten papers, from a September 1992 conference in Sydney, Australia, cover changes at the national, industry, and workplace levels.

PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Role of Transformational Leadership in Shop Steward Effectiveness JF - Workplace Topics Y1 - 1995 A1 - Barling, J. A1 - Kelloway, E. K. A1 - Fullagar, C. KW - organizational psychology KW - shop steward KW - transformational leadership VL - 4 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Union Democracy, Radical Leadership and the Hegemony of Capital JF - American Sociological Review Y1 - 1995 A1 - Stepan-Norris, J. A1 - Zeitlin, M. KW - capitalism KW - CIO KW - cold war KW - communism KW - contract negotiation KW - democracy KW - imperialism KW - labor unions AB -

Are democratic or authoritarian unions more effective in defending and advancing workers' interests? Generally, the answers given are untheoretical, agnostic, or impressionistic-and unsupported by systematic empirical studies. The theory guiding our analysis is that a union with a democratic constitution, institutionalized opposition, and an active membership would tend to constitute a worker's immediate political community and sustain both class solidarity and a sense of identity between members and their leaders. As a result, such democratic unions would also defy the hegemony of capital in the sphere of production. Consistent with this theory, a contingency analysis of a sample of contracts won by CIO unions from 1938 to 1955 shows that those contracts won by stable highly democratic unions were more likely to be pro-labor than were those won by stable moderately democratic or stable oligarchical unions. The contracts won by unions with organized factions also were far more likely to be pro-labor than were those won by unions with sporadic factions or no factions. This pattern held both among the unions in the Communist camp and those in shifting or anti-Communist camps. Further OLS analysis shows that constitutional democracy, organized factions, and Communist leadership (which approached statistical significance) each had independent effects in limiting the power of capital in the immediate production process.

VL - 60 L2 - eng CP - 6 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Workers of Nations: Industrial Relations in a Global Economy Y1 - 1995 A1 - S. M. Jacoby KW - globalization KW - regional trading pacts KW - work organization KW - workplace KW - workplace policies AB -

The new international economy is today the single most important factor shaping relations between employers, unions, and governments in the world's advanced industrial societies. While companies compete in global markets with firms around the world, workers remain fixed in each country and are influenced by local customs and institutions. mores. This book explores how globalization affects the contemporary workplace and how workplace policies can make nations more internationally competitive. Unlike other country-by-country treatments of the subject, this analysis compares and contrasts the experiences of different nations around important developments, such as the labor market consequences of regional trading pacts, the international diffusion of new forms of work organization, and the strategies that nations are pursuing to keep their work systems competitive. The contributors come from a variety of disciplines but all bear expertise in international industrial relations. (publisher's statement)

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Comparative Industrial Relations: An Introduction to Cross-National Perspectives Y1 - 1994 A1 - Bean, R. KW - Eastern Europe KW - globalization KW - human resource management KW - industrial relations KW - macro-economics AB -

A well-established student text giving a thematic and analytical treatment to the comparative and international aspects of industrial relations. By surveying, integrating and reviewing the expanding body of literature and research findings relating to comparative studies in industrial relations, this volume examines the similarities and differences between countries and institutions around the world. New sections cover the 'individualising' of industrial relations through human resource management, the 1992 EC dimension in relation to multinationals, developments in Eastern European trade unions, and the economic democracy of financial participation by workers in their own companies. In addition a chapter on industrial relations systems and the macro-economic performance of countries has been added, and all the existing chapters have been updated to include findings of recent research studies. (from Amazon.com)

PB - Routledge CY - London L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Conflicting Agendas: Personal Morality in Institutional Settings Y1 - 1994 A1 - Welch, D. D. KW - corporate agendas KW - decision-making KW - ethical behavior KW - personal morality KW - personal responsibility AB -

All of us make decisions and act on those decisions as individuals - but we also do the same as parts of larger groups, whether in a work, family neighborhood, club, church, or other institutional setting. Those two, sometimes differing, decision-making settings can place us in extremely awkward positions. How should we behave when our personal morality conflicts with our role in a particular institution or when our personal "agenda" is not consistent with the "agenda" of the larger groups? Don Welch asserts that it is impossible to separate ourselves as social beings from the institutions of which we are a part. Using real-life examples and buildings his arguments from elements as diverse as H. Richard Niebuhr and Doonesbury, Welch defines the various roles of "agenda" and how various personalities react and respond to personal as well as corporate agendas.

Welch introduces us to the "Hermit," to the "Institutionalized Person," to the "Split Personality," to the "Reformer," to the "Accommodator," and to the "Convert" - among whom we discover aspects of ourselves. Finally, Welch maintains that an appropriate response to the institution involves an ethic of "responsibility," one that does not simply abide by rules or calculate consequences to determine behavior, but one that integrates the constancy of one's own personal integrity with concern for the larger group. (publisher's statement)

PB - The Pilgrim Press CY - Boston, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Coping With the Miracle: Japan's Unions Explore New International Relations Y1 - 1994 A1 - Williamson, H. KW - human rights KW - Japan KW - Japanese Trade Union Confederation KW - unionism KW - workers’ rights AB -

Assesses the Japanese Trade Union Confederation's actions since its 1991 commitment to promote human and trade union rights in Asia. Williamson argues that Japan's unions should and can do more to develop international solidarity and to support independent unionism, in Asia in particular.

PB - Pluto Press CY - Boulder, CO L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - From “Old Red Socks” to Modern Human Resource Managers? The Transformation of Employee Relations in Eastern Germany Y1 - 1994 A1 - L. Turner KW - East Germany KW - economy KW - employee relations KW - GDR KW - German Democratic Republic KW - government AB -

Excerpt] With the dramatic and unexpected opening of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, began a far-reaching process of transformation in every aspect of society within the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany). Indeed by October 1990, the GDR had been unified with and absorbed into the larger German Federal Republic (the former West Germany) and no longer existed as a separate political entity.1 The basic principle guiding German unification was the replacement of East German laws, institutions, and practices with West German laws, institutions, and practices -- in politics, the economy, and civil society.

JA - CAHRS Working Paper Series PB - Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cahrswp/253 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Restoring the Promise of American Labor Law Y1 - 1994 A1 - Friedman, S. A1 - Richard Hurd A1 - Oswald, R. A. A1 - Seeber, R. L. KW - employment law KW - labor law KW - labor rights KW - workers’ rights AB -

The product of an October 1993 conference on labor law reform jointly sponsored by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell U. and the Department of Economic Research at the AFL-CIO, this volume both argues the need for fundamental reform of the legal and institutional underpinnings of the US system of workplace representation and offers proposals for the content of that reform.

PB - Cornell University Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Revolution Deferred: The Painful Birth of Post-Apartheid South Africa Y1 - 1994 A1 - Murray, M. J. KW - African National Congress KW - ANC KW - apartheid KW - discrimination KW - race KW - South Africa KW - trade unions AB -

This volume continues the work of Martin Murray‘s book, South Africa: Time of Agony, Time of Destiny. It explores the social forces that are currently shaping the new South Africa and provides detail on the political and ideological rifts in the liberation movement, including analysis of the “homelands” parties, the trade unions and the ANC. The final chapter of this book surveys the results of the first multi-racial elections in South Africa and assesses their implications for the future of South Africa. (publisher's statement)

PB - Verso Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Transformation of American Industrial Relations (2nd Edition) Y1 - 1994 A1 - Thomas A. Kochan A1 - H. C. Katz A1 - McKersie, R. KW - economics KW - employment rules KW - industrial relations KW - John Dunlop KW - management KW - organizational structures KW - politics AB -

This book considers the level where bargaining takes place and who makes the key strategic decisions. It argues that decentralization in bargaining, management’s increased autonomy, and the switch to a bundle of workplace practices that included teams, contingent pay, employee participation, training, and employment security amounted to a transformation in the United States.
 

PB - Cornell ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Contact Bargaining Handbook for Local Union Leaders Y1 - 1993 A1 - Better, M. B. KW - bargaining KW - conditions of employment KW - mediation KW - negotiation KW - strike AB -

A step-by-step guide for bargaining, this handbook covers the tools and tactics, with specific instructions on bargaining for pay, fringes, and other terms and conditions of employment. Coverage includes both traditional and win-win negotiations in union-employer situations ranging from manufacturing to the retail, service, and local government sectors. Particular attention is given to efficient organization, planning, and negotiation.

PB - Bureau of National Affairs CY - Washington, D.C. L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Decentralization of Collective Bargaining: A Literature Review and Comparative Analysis JF - Industrial and Labor Relations Review Y1 - 1993 A1 - H. C. Katz KW - Australia KW - bargaining power KW - collective bargaining KW - decentralization KW - diversification KW - economic KW - industry KW - Italy KW - Sweden KW - union KW - United Kingdom KW - United States KW - West Germany AB -

The author reviews evidence that the bargaining structure is becoming more decentralized in Sweden, Australia, the former West Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, although In somewhat different degrees and ways from country to country. He then examines the various hypotheses that have been offered to explain the significant trend Shifts In bargaining power, as well as the diversification of corporate and worker Interests, have played a part in this change, he concludes, but work reorganization has been more influential still. He also explores how the roles of central unions and corporate industrial relations staffs are challenged by bargaining structure decentralization, and discusses the research gaps on this subject that need to be filled.

VL - 47 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cbpubs/29/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Industrial Relations Systems (Revised Edition) Y1 - 1993 A1 - Dunlop, J. T. KW - government KW - industrial relations KW - management KW - policy KW - workers AB -

In this revised edition, John T. Dunlop updates his general theory of industrial relations, describing it as a set of tools for practitioners that can be used to develop new industrial relations systems or to reform existing ones. He also discusses the transformation of the industrial relations systems of the former Soviet Union. Since the initial publication of this work in 1958, a substantial literature has grown up around Dunlop's theory, which provides a framework for analyzing and interpreting the vast and growing body of information about labour relations. (publisher's statement)

PB - Harvard Business School Press CY - Watertown, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Organized Labor in the Asian-Pacific Region: A Comparative Study of Trade Unionism in Nine Countries Y1 - 1993 A1 - Stephen J. Frenkel KW - Asia KW - labor movement KW - labor unions KW - organized labor KW - Pacific AB -

Table of Contents:
1. Theoretical Frameworks and Empirical Contexts of Trade Unionism / Stephen Frenkel
2. Chinese Trade Unions: Structure and Function in a Decade of Economic Reform, 1979-89 / Malcolm Warner
3. Union Unevenness and Insecurity in Thailand / Andrew Brown, Stephen Frenkel
4. State Regulation and Union Fragmentation in Malaysia / Ponniah Arudsothy, Craig R. Littler
5. The Korean Union Movement in Transition / Hwang-Joe Kim
6. The Resurgence and Fragility of Trade Unions in Taiwan / Stephen Frenkel, Jon-Chao Hong, Bih-Ling Lee
7. Dependent Capitalism, a Colonial State, and Marginal Unions: The Case of Hong Kong / David A. Levin, Stephen Chiu
8. Corporatist Trade Unionism in Singapore / Chris Leggett
9. Australian Trade Unionism and the New Social Structure of Accumulation / Stephen Frenkel
10. Unions in Crisis: Deregulation and Reform of the New Zealand Union Movement / Nigel Haworth
11. Variations in Patterns of Trade Unionism: A Synthesis / Stephen Frenkel
 

PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Steward Training in the Construction Industry: The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Faces the Challenge JF - Labor Studies Journal Y1 - 1993 A1 - J. M. Grabelsky KW - construction KW - Cornell University KW - organizing KW - training KW - union AB -

[Excerpt] This article examines the development and delivery of the Carpenters union national construction steward training program. It describes the collaboration of the union and Cornell University in the design of the curriculum and the use of a train-the-trainer model in the delivery of the steward program in construction locals throughout the United States and Canada. Finally, it evaluates the effectiveness of the program in relation to the transfer of knowledge to participating stewards.

VL - 17 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/289/ CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Workers in Industrial America: Essays on the 20th Century Struggle Y1 - 1993 A1 - Brody, D. KW - CIO KW - labor history KW - labor movement KW - management KW - workers AB -

This famous book, representing some of the finest thinking and writing about the history of American labor in the twentieth century, is now revised to incorporate two important recent essays, one surveying the historical study of the CIO from its founding to its fiftieth anniversary in 1985, another placing in historical and comparative perspective the declining fortunes of the labor movement from 1980 to the present. As always, Brody confronts central questions, both substantive and historiographical, focusing primarily on the efforts of laboring people to assert some control over their working lives, and on the equal determination of American business to conserve the prerogatives of management. Long a classic in the field of American labor history, valued by general readers and specialists alike for its brilliance of argument and clarity of style, Workers in Industrial America is now more timely than ever. (publisher's statement)

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Bargaining Power Y1 - 1992 A1 - Martin, R. KW - human resources management KW - industrial relations KW - labor relations KW - management KW - negotiations KW - trade unions AB -

Examines the balance of power between management and unions, showing why some managements and some trade unions are more powerful than others. Bargaining power has long been recognized as central to industrial relations, but no previous work has taken the issue as its central focus.

Using both sociological and economic evidence, the author shows how managements and unions approach negotiations and how they use power to achieve their bargaining objectives. In turn he analyses different perspectives on power, negotiations, the industrial relations context, and human resources management.

The book concludes with an examination of the changing position of trade unions in Britain in the 1980s, arguing that union bargaining power remains more significant than suggested by the decline in union membership.

Readership: Undergraduate and graduate students of industrial relations, industrial sociology, and business and management studies. Managers, especially those in personnel. (publisher's statement)

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Contract Servicing from an Organizing Model: Don't Bureaucratize, Organize! JF - Labor Research Review Y1 - 1991 A1 - Conrow, T. KW - contract servicing KW - negotiation KW - union organizing AB -

[Excerpt] It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. I looked again at the phone messages in front of me. Negotiations were to begin the following week, and copies of contract proposals covered my desk.

I looked at the walls for relief. There was a picket sign from the 1987 Red Cross nurses strike, a photo of a hundred women from the AFL-CIO Summer Institute, and a poster of a young woman, fist in the air, tearing the boards off a vacant house where our community group had moved in a homeless family. Just yesterday I had taped up a snapshot of health care workers from Los Angeles area unions jointly picketing a hospital.

These are some of the pictures I value from my work as a labor representative and organizer. Yet here I sat, feeling like the worst of bureaucrats, trying to figure out how to avoid some of the very people I represent.

 

VL - 17 L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1168&context=lrr ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Y1 - 1991 A1 - Kahn, S. KW - fundraising KW - grassroots organization KW - mobilization KW - multiracial organizing KW - organizing KW - power structures AB -

An activist details a method for community organizing and supplies practical advice on the best tactics to achieve your goals. (from Google Books)

PB - National Association of Social Workers CY - Washington, D.C. L2 - eng ER - TY - RPRT T1 - The Restructuring of Industrial Relations in the United States (CAHRS Working Paper #91-20) Y1 - 1991 A1 - H. C. Katz KW - American KW - collective bargaining KW - employee satisfaction KW - HRM KW - human resources KW - industrial relations KW - labor market KW - management training KW - U.S. KW - union KW - United States KW - workplace AB -

This paper discusses the extent to which a new industrial relations system including greater participation in decision making by workers and unions has diffused in the American economy. The paper uses the automobile as an illustrative case. The paper includes examination of the factors that have limited the diffusion of new industrial relations in the auto industry and elsewhere.

PB - Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cahrswp/352/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Robust Unionism: Innovations in the Labor Movement Y1 - 1991 A1 - Shostak, A. KW - anti-unionism KW - collective bargaining KW - grassroots activism KW - labor unions KW - organizing KW - unionism AB -

By examining labor union activities at the cutting edge, particularly at the grassroots level, Shostak provides a healthy corrective to the popular image that organized labor is all but moribund. Taking into account a wealth of novel experiments and innovative activities, he finds that organized labor is "robust," with a remarkable will to survive and the ability to flourish. Nevertheless, he cautions that trade unionism may still be overwhelmed by die-hard employer opposition, a hostile legal and legislative climate, lack of popular support, and internal conflicts over ends and means. This is a useful guide to how many unions function on a day-to-day basis in organizing workers and in collective bargaining. (from Library Journal)

PB - ILR Press CY - Ithaca, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Governing the Workplace: The Future of Labor and Employment Law Y1 - 1990 A1 - Weiler, P. C. KW - employment law KW - labor law KW - legislation KW - Reagan AB -

Labor lawyer Paul C. Weiler examines the social and economic changes that have profoundly altered the legal framework of the employment relationship. He not only discusses a wide range of issues, from wrongful dismissal to mandatory drug testing and pay equity, but he also develops a blueprint for the reconstruction of the law of the workplace, especially designed to give American workers more effective representation. (publisher's statement)

PB - Harvard University Press CY - Cambridge, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Beneath the Miracle: Labor Subordination in the New Asian Industrialism Y1 - 1989 A1 - Deyo, F. C. KW - Hong Kong KW - industrial relations KW - industrialism KW - Singapore KW - South Korea KW - Taiwan AB -

This important study examines the dynamics of the remarkable economic transformation of South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, which has been based in large measure on the production of manufactured goods for export. The competitive edge of these countries has in turn been rooted in the mobilization of a low-cost, disciplined, and productive workforce. This study seeks therefore to explain how East Asian governments and employers have attempted to manage this workforce. It also explores the extent to which workers are able to challenge management decisions and insert working-class agendas into public policy.


Beneath the Miracle moves beyond current explanations for the weakness of East Asian labor movements which emphasize Confucianist culture, material welfare gains, and political repression. It shows that the organizational capacity of workers has been more fundamentally undercut first by the nature of emergent East Asian employment systems, and second by the sequencing of developmental change, with political controls preceding rapid industrialization and preempting political and union organization of the growing industrial workforce. Deyo undertakes an incisive cross-national comparison of employment systems and explores anomalous situations, such as that in Hong Kong, where labor is politically weak even under minimal state controls, and that in South Korea, where labor is in a stronger position despite far stricter regulation.

Beneath the Miracle offers a fresh and compelling comparative analysis of Asian labor movements which could lead to a reassessment of many other developmental issues in East Asia. In his probing examination, Deyo provides an important and exciting contribution to the literature in this field. (publisher's statement)

PB - University of California Press CY - Berkeley, CA L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Organizational Theories: Some Criteria for Evaluation JF - Academy of Management Review Y1 - 1989 A1 - Bacharach, S. KW - industrial research KW - management KW - organizational sociology KW - organizational structure AB -

A set of ground rules and vocabulary to facilitate focused discussion about the structure of organization and management theories are proposed. The many previous efforts at defining and evaluating theory help establish criteria for theory construction and evaluation. In the establishment of these criteria, description is distinguished from theory, and a matrix of criteria for evaluating the variables, constructs, and relationships that together compose a theory is developed. The proposed matrix may be useful both for defining the necessary components of good theory and for evaluating and/or comparing the quality of alternative theories. Finally, a discussion of the way theories fit together to give a somewhat broader picture of empirical reality reveals the lines of tension between the two main criteria for evaluating theory.

VL - 14 L2 - eng UR - http://web.boun.edu.tr/muzaffer.bodur/AD600/Bacharach%20-%20Organizational%20Theories%20%281989%29.pdf CP - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic Y1 - 1989 A1 - Covey, S. R. KW - achievement KW - character KW - Problem solving KW - success AB -

A step-by-step pathway to the principles of fairness, integrity, and human dignity that defines a way of life and leads to success in business.
 

PB - Simon and Schuster CY - New York SN - 0671708635 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Theories and Concepts in Comparative Industrial Relations Y1 - 1989 A1 - Barbash, J. A1 - Barbash, K. KW - bargaining KW - corporatism KW - industrial relations KW - labor relations AB -

Written from an interdisciplinary standpoint by internationally known scholars & authorities on industrial relations, the essays are arranged in four categories: an introductory essay; national case studies; general theories & concepts; & industrial relations in theory & practice. (publisher's statement)

PB - University of South Carolina Press CY - Columbia, SC L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Riding the Waves of Change: Developing Managerial Competencies for a Turbulent World Y1 - 1988 A1 - Morgan, G. KW - human resources management KW - information technology KW - management KW - managers KW - organizational behavior KW - organizational change AB -

Argues that management competency in an increasingly turbulent world consists of adopting a critical new mindset--one that enables managers to develop needed management skills; anticipate and deal effectively with environmental trends; develop a proactive approach to the future; and position their organizations to stay at the leading edge of change. (publisher's statement)

PB - Jossey-Bass CY - San Francisco SN - 1555420931 L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Collective Bargaining in American Industry: A Synthesis T2 - Collective Bargaining in American Industry: Contemporary Perspectives and Future Directions Y1 - 1987 A1 - Donn, C. B. A1 - D. B. Lipsky ED - D. B. Lipsky ED - Donn, C. B. KW - collective bargaining KW - industry KW - labor KW - labor relations KW - management KW - United States AB -

[excerpt] The preceding eight chapters deal with the current status of collective bargaining in eight U.S. industries. The differences between collective bargaining for police officers and auto workers or between professional athletes and college professors are obvious and illustrate the richness and variety of contemporary collective bargaining. Despite that diversity, however, the eight industries exhibit important similarities in collective bargaining. The common themes that link most, if not all, of the industries examined in this volume are perhaps less obvious, but a careful reading of the preceding chapters reveals that there have been a number of common factors affecting collective bargaining in these industries even though the responses of the different labor-management pairs have varied.

This chapter identifies and discusses some of the most important of the common themes that emerge from the study of these eight industries. The same general framework used to organize each of the industry studies—a modification of Dunlop's systems model—is again used here to examine those themes. Although most of the topics discussed below will be illustrated with examples from at least two of the eight industries, some references will also be made to the experience in industries not covered in this book. We conclude by discussing the future of collective bargaining in American industry.

JA - Collective Bargaining in American Industry: Contemporary Perspectives and Future Directions PB - Lexington Books CY - Lexington, MA L2 - eng UR - http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/800/ ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Collective Bargaining in American Industry: Contemporary Perspectives and Future Directions Y1 - 1987 A1 - D. B. Lipsky A1 - Donn, C. B. KW - collective bargaining KW - labor KW - labor relations KW - management AB -

[Excerpt] Of course, collective bargaining in this country has always been an institution rich in diversity. The nature of each collective bargaining relationship came about through a variety of influences both internal and external to the bargaining process. The internal factors include such things as the ideology of labor and management, the way the unions and employers were organized, and the history of the relationship between the parties. The external factors include the state of the economy and the nature of the laws and court decisions that regulate bargaining practices.

Nonetheless, this diversity has never been more in evidence than in the 1980s. The environmental forces mentioned above placed such strains on labor and management that bargaining in many industries was jolted out of the path it had followed since World War II. Different unions and employers responded to these pressures in different ways, however, creating more diversity than had been apparent for most of the post-World War II period.

This volume was designed with the intent of capturing that diversity. The eight industry studies illustrate the variety of ways in which bargaining is practiced as well as the diversity of forces and industry adaptations that have been reshaping collective bargaining in the United States. Thus, we present studies of industries in which collective bargaining is a well-established process (automobiles and agricultural machinery, for example) and ones in which it is not (higher education and police). We have a representative selection of manufacturing and services, private sector and public sector, white-collar and blue-collar bargaining.

PB - Lexington Books CY - Lexington, MA L2 - eng ER - TY - CHAP T1 - The Concept of Formal Organization T2 - Classics of Organizational Theory Y1 - 1987 A1 - P. Blau A1 - Scott, R. ED - Shafritz, J. M. ED - Ott,S. J. ED - Jang, Y. S. KW - formal organization KW - negotiating KW - organizational behavior KW - organizational sociology KW - organizations AB -

[Excerpt] Social organization refers to the ways in which human conduct becomes socially organized, that is, to the observed regularities in the behavior of people that are due to the social conditions in which they find themselves rather than to their physiological or psychological characteristics as individuals....Since the distinctive characteristics of these organizations is that they have been formally established for the explicit purpose of achieving certain goals, the term ‘formal organization’ is used to designate them.
 

JA - Classics of Organizational Theory PB - Dorsey Press CY - Chicago L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Consensus and Conflict: Essays in Political Sociology Y1 - 1985 A1 - S. M. Lipset KW - consensus KW - Political sociology KW - Social conflict KW - value systems AB -

The first of two volumes of Seymour Martin Lipsit's major papers deals with social and political conflict and, to a lesser extent, the way in which value systems and political institutions maintain order and consensus. Together these papers expound Lipset's thesis that, although all complex societies are characterized by a high degree of internal tension and conflict, consensual institutions and values are necessary conditions for their persistence.

PB - New Brunswick, N.J. : Transaction Books SN - 0887380514 L2 - eng N1 - ID: nyu_aleph002729273; Includes bibliographies and index. ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Economic Institutions of Capitalism: Firms, Markets, Relational Contracting Y1 - 1985 A1 - Williamson, O. E. KW - antitrust KW - economic organization KW - economics KW - Institutional economics KW - labor policy KW - merger guidelines KW - public utility regulations KW - SEC KW - transaction cost economics AB -

This sequel to Markets and Hierarchies develops and extends Williamson's innovative use of transaction cost economics as an approach to studying economic organization by applying it to work and labor as well as the corporation itself. In addition, Williamson explores its growing implications for public policy, including its potential influence on antitrust and merger guidelines, labor policy, and SEC and public utility regulations. (publisher's statement)

PB - Free Press CY - New York SN - 0029348218 L2 - eng N1 - ID: nyu_aleph001243563; Bibliography: p. 409-436. ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Forces of Production: A Social History of Industrial Automation Y1 - 1984 A1 - Noble, D. KW - automation KW - industrial automation KW - industrial relations KW - labor relations KW - labor-management relations KW - metal-working industry AB -

Focusing on the postwar automation of the American metal-working industry--the heart of the modern industrial economy--this is a provocative study of how automation has assumed a critical role in America. David Noble argues that industrial automation--more than merely a technological advance--is a social process that reflects very real divisions and pressures within our society. The book explains how technology is often spurred and shaped by the military, corporations, universities, and other mighty institutions. Using detailed case studies, Noble also demonstrates how engineering design is influenced by political, economic, and sociological considerations, and how the deployment of equipment is frequently entangled with certain managerial concerns. (publisher's statement)

PB - Oxford University Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - What Do Unions Do? Y1 - 1984 A1 - R. Freeman A1 - J.L. Medoff KW - collective bargaining KW - economic inequality KW - organizing KW - productivity KW - unionization KW - work force KW - workplace AB -

Argues that unions play a beneficial role in improving the workplace, increasing productivity, reducing economic inequality, and stabilizing the work force

PB - Basic Books CY - New York SN - 0465091334 L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Can a Corporation Have a Conscience? JF - Harvard Business Review Y1 - 1982 A1 - Goodpaster, K. E. A1 - Matthews, J. B. KW - corporate accountability KW - corporate responsibility KW - moral imperialism AB -

In their Harvard Business Review article from 1982, Kenneth E. Goodpaster and John B. Mathews, Jr. ask a significant question which also serves as the title of the piece: Can a Corporation Have a Conscience? . The men let the cat out of the bag early when they say, “Organizational agents such as corporations should be no more and no less morally responsible (rational, self-interested, altruistic) than ordinary persons.”

L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Corporate Responsibility as the Decentralization of Conscience Y1 - 1982 A1 - Goodpaster, K. E. A1 - Matthews, J. B. KW - business ethics KW - business philosophy KW - moral conscience AB -

Forwards the constructive dialogue on a moral conscience for corporations. Offers a philosophical and practical approach to considering business ethics.

 

Issue 29 of Working paper (Harvard University. Graduate School of Business Administration. Division of Research). Length: 22 pages.

PB - Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University CY - Boston, Mass. L2 - eng N1 - ID: 503019469 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Origins of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 JF - Social Problems Y1 - 1982 A1 - Donnelly, P. KW - accidents KW - Occupational Safety and Health Act KW - OSHA KW - workers’ rights KW - workplace safety AB -

This paper analyzes the emergence of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and finds previous explanations of its origin inadequate. I trace the roots of this law to the protests of rank-and-file workers across the United States at at time when the support of these workers was particularly important to the two main political parties. The protest was directed not only at those employers who operated unsafe and unhealthy workplaces, but also at union officials who paid little or no attention to safety and health issues in negotiating new contracts.

VL - 30 L2 - eng CP - 1 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Corporate Power and Urban Crisis in Detroit Y1 - 1978 A1 - Ewen, Lynda Ann KW - capitalism KW - class relations KW - corporate power KW - Detroit AB -

Lynda Ann Ewen offers the first thoroughgoing Marxist-Leninist analysis, based on primary research, of the structure and dynamics of class relations and corporate power in a major U.S. metropolitan area. She contends that Detroit's urban crisis is not a temporary aberration in a good system run amuck, but the logical result of years of social planning and the use of human and natural resources for the benefit of the few. In general, analyses of the problems in American society have endorsed capitalist ideals and assumptions. Nevertheless, these analyses and the reform measures that have accompanied them in the past decade have done little to alleviate the plight of the cities. To determine what action should now be taken, Professor Ewen focuses on the development of class conflict in the United States and its manifestations in Detroit. The author analyzes kinship and also ownership and control of the major firms in Detroit. The contradictions that led to the urban crisis, she concludes, are inherent in the fundamental nature of a class society, in which the social means of production are privately owned by an elite group who must produce profits at all costs. She argues that to protect its interests and prepare the way for socialism, the working class requires a grasp of its historical and present opposition to the ruling class.

PB - Princeton University Press CY - Princeton, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Industrial Relations: A Marxist Introduction Y1 - 1975 A1 - Hyman, R. KW - Great Britain KW - industrial relations KW - labor unions KW - Marxism KW - Marxist AB -

A seminal work in the study of labour unions, the employment relationship and industrial relations within Britain and western capitalist societies, and extant radical and Marxist approaches to the analysis of those selfsame topics.

PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors Y1 - 1975 A1 - Hamermesh, Daniel S. KW - nonprofit sector KW - public sector labor market KW - wage determination AB -

Originally presented at a Conference on Labor in Nonprofit Industry and Government held at Princeton University, these studies are the first to provide an economic discussion of the public sector labor market. Melvin Reder examines the effect of the absence of the profit motive on employment and wage determination in the public sector. Orley Ashenfelter and Ronald Ehrenberg estimate the elasticities of demand for various types of labor employed by state and local governments. Theoretical ideas about behavior in nonprofit industries are employed by Richard Freeman to study the higher education industry. John Burton and Charles Krider try to predict the incidence of strikes in the public sector, while Donald Frey presents a model of the behavior of school boards in hiring faculty. The magnitude of the extra wage received by unionized public employees is compared by Daniel Hamermesh to that of private unionized workers in the same occupation.

PB - Princeton University Press CY - Princeton, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Theory of Union Bargaining Goals Y1 - 1973 A1 - Atherton, Wallace N. KW - bargaining objectives KW - collective bargaining KW - labor unions AB - Wallace N. Atherton is concerned with a single but very important facet of the behavior of labor unions—the ways in which their bargaining objectives are determined. He begins by reviewing the existing literature and briefly sketches the conceptual structure of the union.The analysis starts with a theory whose form and substance are close to existing theories, and then is altered by adding unfamiliar elements. An eclectic "economic" model is built with two provisional assumptions: complete internal homogeneity of preferences about bargaining objectives, and perfect knowledge and foresight of everything relevant to the attainment of these objectives. The main innovation at this stage is the inclusion of anticipated strike length as a variable which affects union preferences of goals to be pursued. In Chapter IV the first provisional assumption is dropped and the model becomes "politico-economic." Allowance is made for diversity of goals within the union and for the leaderships' concern to stay in office. The theory is then restated in axiomatic terms, enabling the author to dispense with the second assumption, that of the union's perfect knowledge and foresight. The theory is now adapted to deal with a union faced with probabilities rather than certainties, and additional adaptations deal with the effect of internal threats to the leaders' control of the organization. PB - Princeton University Press CY - Princeton, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups Y1 - 1971 A1 - Olson, M. KW - collective action KW - economics KW - labor unions KW - organizational behavior KW - organizations KW - public goods AB -

This book develops an original theory of group and organizational behavior that cuts across disciplinary lines and illustrates the theory with empirical and historical studies of particular organizations. Applying economic analysis to the subjects of the political scientist, sociologist, and economist, Mancur Olson examines the extent to which the individuals that share a common interest find it in their individual interest to bear the costs of the organizational effort.

The theory shows that most organizations produce what the economist calls “public goods”—goods or services that are available to every member, whether or not he has borne any of the costs of providing them. Economists have long understood that defense, law and order were public goods that could not be marketed to individuals, and that taxation was necessary. They have not, however, taken account of the fact that private as well as governmental organizations produce public goods.

The services the labor union provides for the worker it represents, or the benefits a lobby obtains for the group it represents, are public goods: they automatically go to every individual in the group, whether or not he helped bear the costs. It follows that, just as governments require compulsory taxation, many large private organizations require special (and sometimes coercive) devices to obtain the resources they need.

This is not true of smaller organizations for, as this book shows, small and large organizations support themselves in entirely different ways. The theory indicates that, though small groups can act to further their interest much more easily than large ones, they will tend to devote too few resources to the satisfaction of their common interests, and that there is a surprising tendency for the “lesser” members of the small group to exploit the “greater” members by making them bear a disproportionate share of the burden of any group action.

All of the theory in the book is in Chapter 1; the remaining chapters contain empirical and historical evidence of the theory’s relevance to labor unions, pressure groups, corporations, and Marxian class action. (from Amazon.com)

PB - Harvard University Press CY - Cambridge, Mass. SN - 0674537513 9780674537514 L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - The Imperfect Union: A History of Corruption in American Trade Unions Y1 - 1970 A1 - Hutchinson, J. KW - corruption KW - Jimmy Hoffa KW - labor-management relations KW - McClellan Committee KW - trade unions KW - union history KW - union power AB -

A study of corrupt practices in American trade unionism and labor-management relations from about 1890 to the early 1960's which goes beyond McClellan Committee revelations of individual corruption to apportion the blame more broadly and seek more relevant remedies than punitive legislation. Hutchinson views trade union corruption (narrowly defined in this volume as the use of union power for private enrichment) as a problem of the society in which it exists, a product not only of personal immorality but of inadequate union government, unscrupulous employers, widespread political and legal corruption, the Prohibition legacy of organized crime, the procedural tangle of American criminal law, the social conditions of the cities, and a public philosophy that condones means when the end is competitive success. The prologue demonstrates how the logic which created the AFL, its philosophy and structure, made it "vulnerable to dishonest servants and predatory enemies." For the historical record, Hutchinson focuses upon examples of corruption in the building trades and on industrial racketeering as representative of the major themes, "the heart and most of the scale of the problem." Over half of the book deals with Congressional scrutiny of the labor movement (from the first major investigation in 1885 to the celebrated encounter of Bobby Kennedy and Jimmy Hoffa), the posture on ethical practices of the AFL, the CIO, and the AFL-CIO, and the evolution of federal labor law. Hutchinson persuades ably within the limitations of available documentation, and his book is a balanced and informed examination of trade union culpability, self-expurgation, and long-range prospects within the context of the imperfections of American society. Mr. Hutchinson is chairman of the Industrial Labor Relations Department at UCLA. (from Kirkus Reviews)

PB - Dutton CY - New York L2 - eng N1 - ID: 66279 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Political Man: The Social Bases of Politics Y1 - 1959 A1 - S. M. Lipset KW - class struggle KW - democracy KW - economic development KW - elections KW - Social conflict KW - trade unions AB -

Uses statistical and historical data to demonstrate that social class is one of the chief determinants of political behaviour.

PB - Doubleday & Company, Inc. CY - Garden City, NY L2 - eng ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Science of Muddling Through JF - Public Administration Review Y1 - 1959 A1 - Lindblom,C. E. AB -

Looks at the rational models of the decisional processes of government. The author rejects the notion that most decisions are made by rational (total information) processes. Instead, he sees such decisions—indeed, the whole policy-making process—as dependent upon small incremental decisions that tend to be made in response to short-term political conditions. Lindblom’s thesis essentially holds that decision making is controlled infinitely more by events and circumstances than by the will of those in policy-making positions. Disjointed incrementalism as a policy course is in reality the only truly feasible route, since incrementalism “concentrated the policymaker’s analysis on familiar, better-known experiences, sharply reduced the number of different alternative policies to be explored, and sharply reduced the number and complexity of factors to be analyzed.” Moreover, Lindblom argues that incrementalism is more consistent with the pluralistic nature of American democracy where individuals are free to combine to pursue common interests, whose contention “often can assure a
more comprehensive regard for the values of the whole society than any attempt at intellectual comprehensiveness.”
 

VL - 19 L2 - eng CP - 2 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Codes of Ethical Practices Y1 - 1958 A1 - CIO AFL- KW - AFL-CIO KW - Codes of Ethics KW - communism KW - corruption KW - ethics KW - George Meany KW - infiltration AB -

Codes that govern the conduct, activities, affairs, finances and property of all area labor councils and central labor councils of the AFL-CIO and provide the procedures for the discipline, including suspension and expulsion, of such councils or their officers by the AFL-CIO.

PB - AFL-CIO CY - Washington, DC L2 - eng UR - http://www.150membersvoice.org/Resources/CodeofethicsAFLCIO.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Union Democracy: The Internal Politics of the International Typographical Union Y1 - 1956 A1 - S. M. Lipset A1 - Trow, M. A1 - J. S. Coleman KW - democracy KW - International Typographical Union KW - Iron Law of Oligarchy KW - organizational studies KW - organizations AB -

A study of the conditions affecting democracy and oligarchy in private organizations. It is based on the situation in the International Typographical Union, the most democratic labor organization in North America at the time of the research in the early 1950s. Survey results showed that the behavior of individuals could be related to the characteristics of groups and their leaders.
 

PB - Free Press CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Insights Into Labor Issues Y1 - 1948 A1 - Lester, R. A1 - Shister, J. KW - industrial relations KW - labor economics KW - labor relations KW - labor relations law KW - labor-management relations AB -

A volume of thirteen essays by leading authorities in the field of labor-management relations and labor economics.
 

PB - Henry Holt and Company CY - New York L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Hard Times Y1 - 0 A1 - Terkel, Studs L2 - eng ER -