THEFUTUREOFLABORDISPUTERESOLUTIONINTHEUSANDELSEWHERE

Aka:Ifwecan’tgoback,howdowegoforward?

ArnoldZackandTomKochanNovember3,2017

Overview:4Factsand1BigQuestion1. CollectiveBargainingandUnionGrievanceArbitrationhavebeenAmerica’sNational

laborpoliciesforworkervoiceanddisputeresolutionfornearlyacentury

2. Changesintheworkplaceandmanagementandcourtpressurehaveforcedtheirdeclineandthreatenfurtherweakeningofthestatutoryprotectionstheyprovide

3. But,workersstillwantavoiceatworkandcivilsocietyrequiresfairtreatmentatwork

4. Wecan’tgobacktotheworkplaceandindustrializedworldofthe50s;WemustconfrontourcurrentworldeconomyandadaptourAmericanlaborworldinthelightoftheinternationalscene.

SoourQuestion/Challenge:HowdoweinventabetterfuturefortheAmericanWorkplaceinthefaceofdomesticpressuresandwhat’sgoingonelsewhereintheworld

WHEREWE’VECOMEFROM• NationalLaborPolicy

• Nationalpolicytoencouragecollectivebargaining

• Interestv.RightsDisputes

• Steelworkers’TrilogyendorsesGrievanceArbitration

• SpreadofUnionizationtoPublicSector

• 1954:34%ofprivatesectorunionized;1980:37%ofpublicsector• AbsenceofstrikesinUSversuselsewhere

• IndividualreplacingCollectiveEmploymentContracts• Gilmer/ClassAction/SupremeCourt• 25,000,000inEmployerProvidedArbitration

ArewedifferentfromElsewhere?

• US: minimalstatutoryprotection;unions/CBnegotiatebenefits• Minimumstrikes• Majoritarianism/Confrontation• ManagementhostilitytounionizationortofirstCBA=Nounionatall• Decliningunionizationandcontractualprotection

• OtherIndustrializedCountries• MultipleUnions/CooperationWorksCouncils/IndustryCouncils• RobustStatutoryProtection/LaborCourts• Higherdensityunionizationpoliticalrole

• DevelopingCountries• WorkerexploitationGovernmentcontrolUnionsuppression

ButHere’swherewearetoday• CurrentUnionProfile:6.4%privateSector,34%PublicSector;10%TOTAL• LaborLawisatbest“Ossified”maybebrokenbeyondrepair• Lessthan10%organizingeffortsgetafirstcontractifmanagementresists

• SupremeCourtembracingFederalArbitrationAct• SEC301keepstatutoryrightscf ContractstoSurrenderofStatutoryRights• IndividualContractsofEmployment• ProhibitionofClassAction,losestatutoryprotection,norepresentation,managementselectsandpaysarbitrator

• Congressendorsesindividualconsumer“arbitration”• Norepresentation,noappeal,businessselects/paysarbitrator

Workplacesthatimplementacollectivebargainingagreementwithinayearafteremployeeshavevotedfor aunion.

1in5

Whenemployersdiscourageunionorganizingeffortsthroughunfairlaborpractices,theseoddsare: 1in11Source:Ferguson,John-Paul.(2008).Theeyesoftheneedles:Asequentialmodelofunionorganizingdrives,1999-2004.IndustrialandLaborRelationsReview,62(1):3-21.

Sowhatarerealisticexpectationstobringusworkplacetranquilityandjustice?• Increasingnumberswantunions!• Butnotrealistictoreturntothe1935modelofcollectivebargaining

• Workerswantmultipleoptionsbutfewareavailableoreffective(yet?)

HistoricalTrendsWhoWantstoJoinaUnion:1977-2017

30% 32%

46%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

1977 1995 2017

Percentnon-unionworkerswhowouldvoteforaunion

55millionworkers

Areworkerssatisfiedwiththeiruseofvoiceoptions?

2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3 3.1

SUPERVISOR

UNION

PEOPLELIKEYOU

OCCUPATIONASSOCIATION

STRIKE

DEMOGRAPHICASSOCIATION

JOINTCOMMITTEE

OMBUDSMAN

PROTEST/RALLY

ONLINERATING

PETITION

GRIEVANCE

3.08

3.07

3.05

2.97

2.97

2.92

2.88

2.75

2.75

2.74

2.72

2.68

SATISFACTIONWITHTHERESULTS(MEAN;1-5SCALE)

Effectivenessofdifferenttypeofvoiceoptions(5pointscale:1=noteffectiveatall….5=VeryEffective)

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

2.52 2.47 2.44 2.40 2.392.23 2.20

EffectivenssofExternalVoiceOptions

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

SUPERVISOR PEOPLELIKEYOU

GRIEVANCE JOINTCOMMITTEE

OMBUDSMAN

2.962.81 2.75 2.71

2.61

EffectivenessofInternalVoiceOptions

Areworkerssatisfiedwiththeiruseofvoiceoptions?

2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3 3.1

SUPERVISOR

UNION

PEOPLELIKEYOU

OCCUPATIONASSOCIATION

STRIKE

DEMOGRAPHICASSOCIATION

JOINTCOMMITTEE

OMBUDSMAN

PROTEST/RALLY

ONLINERATING

PETITION

GRIEVANCE

3.08

3.07

3.05

2.97

2.97

2.92

2.88

2.75

2.75

2.74

2.72

2.68

SATISFACTIONWITHTHERESULTS(MEAN;1-5SCALE)

WheretofromHere?• LooktotheEuropeanModelofMultipleUnions;EndRightofEmployertoNonUnionShopby50%-1orbyrefusingFirstAgreement• Openuplaborlawtomultipleoptions• Encourage/learnfromemergingmodelsofworkeradvocacy

• Fightfor$15• OURWalmart• Coworkers.org• CoalitionofImmokaleeWorkers• WorkingAmerica• Uber-IAMGuild(andLobsterworkers Guild)• FreelancersUnion• Others….yettobeinvented

• And,restoreconfidenceinnegotiatedarbitration,notcramdownarbitrationtheCongressjustendorsed