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
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