Law Commons^™

A More Perfect Pickering Test: Janus V. Afscme Council 31 And The Problem Of Public Employee Speech, Alexandra J. Gilewicz

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

In June 2018, the Supreme Court issued its long-awaited—and, for the American labor movement, long-feared—decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. The decision is expected to have a major impact on public sector employee union membership, but could have further impact on public employees’ speech rights in the workplace. Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito’s broad interpretation of whether work-related speech constitutes a “matter of public concern” may have opened the floodgates to substantially more litigation by employees asserting that their employers have violated their First Amendment rights. Claims that would have previously been unequivocally foreclosed may now …

What The Awards Tell Us About Labor Arbitration Of Employment Discrimination Claims, Ariana R. Levinson

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article contributes to the debate over mandatory arbitration of employment-discrimination claims in the unionized sector. In light of the proposed prohibition on union waivers in the Arbitration Fairness Act, this debate has significant practical implications. Fundamentally, the Article is about access to justice. It examines 160 labor arbitration opinions and awards in employment-discrimination cases. The author concludes that labor arbitration is a forum in which employment-discrimination claims can be-and, in some cases, are-successfully resolved. Based upon close examination of the opinions and awards, the Article recommends legislative improvements in certain cases targeting statutes of limitations, compulsory process, remedies, class …

Employee Free Choice: Amplifying Employee Voice Without Silencing Employers - A Proposal For Reforming The National Labor Relations Act, Amy Livingston

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Note investigates the effectiveness of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in balancing unions, employers', and employees' rights during the course of union organizing drives. After reviewing case law and commentary, it concludes that the NLRA's certification regime is ineffective and permits pressures that inhibit employees from expressing their real desires about whether or not to be represented by a union. This Note then examines proposed alternatives for certifying unions, and takes note of Canada's federal and ten provincial certification regimes. Finally, it concludes that the NLRA must be amended to protect worker free choice, and proposes reforms including …

Duty Of Fair Representation Jurisprudential Reform: The Need To Adjudicate Disputes In Internal Union Review Tribunals And The Forgotten Remedy Of Re-Arbitration, Mitchell H. Rubinstein

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

One of the best kept secrets in American labor law is that duty of fair representation jurisprudence simply does not work. It does not work for plaintiff union members because they must satisfy a close-to-impossible burden of proof and have a short statute of limitations window in which to assert their claim. It does not work for defendant unions because they are often forced to file pointless grievances in order to avoid the cost of litigation. It does not work for defendant employers because they are often brought into these lawsuits because they have the "deep pockets."

This Article makes …

Ghost Workers In An Interconnected World: Going Beyond The Dichotomies Of Domestic Immigration And Labor Laws, Ruben J. Garcia

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Beginning with the September 11, 2001 ("9/11 ") terrorist attacks, the labor movement's plans to organize immigrant workers and achieve immigration reform have met serious challenges. After 9/11, the political climate surrounding immigrants put the AFL-CIO s hopes for legislative reform on hold, because of socially perceived connections between immigrants and terrorism. Then, in a March 2002 decision titled Hoffman Plastic Compounds, Inc. v. NLRB, the U.S. Supreme Court held that undocumented immigrant workers could not collect back pay under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) when their rights to join unions are violated. According to the Court, back pay …

Reclaiming The Labor Movement Through Union Dues? A Postmodern Perspective In The Mirror Of Public Choice Theory, Harry G. Hutchison

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) seeming powerlessness to process dues objector cases has led to a proliferation of state sponsored "paycheck protection" laws and popular referenda devised to ensure that workers will not be obliged to pay dues for non-germane purposes. Recently, California captured national attention as the site of a richly contested paycheck protection referendum. Such proposals have electrified union advocates and have enlivened the debate over the proper use of union dues. In addition, recent attempts to reform campaign finance have run aground on the thorny issue of union political contributions (both in-kind and in cash). Concurrently, …

Reforming Accretion Analysis Under The Nlra: Supplementing A Borrowed Analysis With Meaningful Policy Considerations, Matthew S. Miner

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Current accretion analysis utilizes a variety of factors to determine whether to merge a non-unionized group of employees with a unionized group of employees within the same firm. The present construction of the analysis; however, ignores employee views and potential manipulation of the doctrine. By failing to account for these two important factors, current accretion analysis neglects two key concerns of the National Labor Relations Act - preventing employer discrimination and fostering uncoerced employee action and choice. This Note advocates a better approach, which gives proper weight to employee views and considers employer motive to control against the possibility of …

Deferral To The Intraunion Appellate Process: A Response, Paul Alan Levy

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

In their recent Article on the deferral policy of the National Labor Relations Board (Board or NLRB), two attorneys for the United Auto Workers (UAW), Leonard Page and Daniel W. Sherrick, argue that the Board has adopted "an indefensible double standard" by applying its policy of "deferral to arbitration" only to contractual dispute resolution processes but not to intraunion review procedures. By deferring to intraunion procedures, they contend, the Board would further many of the same policy objectives it now achieves by deferring to arbitration, with the added benefit of advancing the interest in democratic union self-government. Moreover, by drawing …

Further Thoughts On Deferral To Private Dispute Resolution Procedures: A Response, Leonard Page, Daniel W. Sherrick

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

We would first like to respond to one aspect of Levy's Article before discussing our proposal. Levy seems to argue as a general matter that "joint committee" determinations should not receive the same deference as arbitral resolutions. After establishing some of the basic analytic parameters in Part I of this Response, we argue in Part II that Levy's distinction between joint committees and arbitral resolutions has no relevance to disputes concerning contractual rights, and is useful only in the context of disputes concerning statutory rights. In Part III, we outline a framework for analyzing internal union review procedures that will …

Private Plaintiffs' Use Of Equitable Remedies Under The Rico Statute: A Means To Reform Corrupted Labor Unions, Randy M. Mastro, Steven C. Bennett, Mary P. Donlevy

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I of this Article outlines the government's approach to civil RICO actions involving labor unions, including an overview of the government's prior civil RICO actions and a summary of the types of issues that often arise in such actions. Part II examines the unique issues involved in a civil RICO action brought by a private plaintiff. The principal issue addressed in this Part is whether a private plaintiff can bring an action under the equitable remedies provisions of the RICO statute. This Part also addresses the issues of how a private plaintiff can gain access to information that may …

Introduction, Theodore J. St. Antoine

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

An introduction to a 1991 Symposium covering the topic of union democracy.

The Nlrb's Deferral Policy And Union Reform: A Union Perspective, Leonard Page, Daniel W. Sherrick

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I of this Article outlines the government's approach to civil RICO actions involving labor unions, including an overview of the government's prior civil RICO actions and a summary of the types of issues that often arise in such actions. Part II examines the unique issues involved in a civil RICO action brought by a private plaintiff. The principal issue addressed in this Part is whether a private plaintiff can bring an action under the equitable remedies provisions of the RICO statute. This Part also addresses the issues of how a private plaintiff can gain access to information that may …

Deferral And The Dissident, Paul Alan Levy

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

I discuss two examples involving a dissident group, Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU), that vividly illustrate the problems with NLRB deferral. I then examine the development and evolution of the NLRB's policies concerning deferral to arbitration. Next, I review the statutory- and policy-based arguments advanced for and against deferral. I attempt to assess the best reasons given for the deferral doctrine, while showing why, at least in its current incarnation, NLRB deferral doctrine is contrary to the requirements of the NLRA. More specifically, I show that, to the extent that deferral has some legitimate basis, it is founded on …

Union Trusteeships And Union Democracy, Clyde W. Summers

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

I start from the fundamental premise that unions should be democratic. They must be democratic if they are to serve the union movement's own mission and if they are to serve our society's democratic values.

A Primer On Power Balancing Under The National Labor Relations Act, James B. Zimarowski

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The focus of this Article is twofold. First, it addresses the substantive power control mechanisms established and regulated by the National Labor Relations Board (Board) and the courts. Second, it examines the power balancing methodology embraced by these dispute resolution forums. This Article takes the position that power balancing analysis designed to achieve the NLRA's multidimensional policies is a more fruitful endeavor than the analysis of economic efficiency or a partisan approach subject to political considerations.

Nonmajority Bargaining Orders: The Only Effective Remedy For Pervasive Employer Unfair Labor Practices During Union Organizing Campaigns, David S. Shillman

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Current Board policy forbids issuing a bargaining order in this situation, where there is no objective evidence of majority support for a union, even though the bargaining ·order may be the only effective remedy for extreme employer unfair labor practices. The Board's refusal to issue nonmajority bargaining orders (NMBOs), grounded in its fear of imposing a union on unwilling employees, has left it impotent to remedy the most severe employer unfair labor practices. This Note examines arguments for and against the Board's use of NMBOs and concludes that NMBOs are within the scope of the Board's remedial powers and should …

Alternatives To Seniority-Based Layoffs: Reconciling Teamsters, Weber, And The Goal Of Equal Employment Opportunity, Paul M. Hamburger

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Note advocates the use of legal incentives for adopting nonpreferential alternatives to seniority-based layoffs. Part I analyzes the impact of bona fide seniority systems on recently hired minorities and women. Part II discusses existing legal incentives for unions and employers to seek alternatives to strict seniority layoffs and for courts to enjoin such layoffs, thereby forcing the parties to negotiate over alternatives. Finally, part III examines two kinds of potential alternatives: racially preferential alternatives, which are prohibited under Title VII, and nonpreferential options, which are permissible and should be used increasingly.

Protecting The Free Speech Rights Of Insurgent Teachers' Unions: Evaluating The Constitutionality Of Exclusive Access To School Communications Facilities, Stephen E. Woodbury

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I examines the traditional and limited public forum doctrines designed to guarantee speakers a right of access to public places, and finds these theories inadequate in the school union setting. Part II explores a recent addition to the free speech/equal protection analysis: the content neutrality doctrine. This doctrine mandates that when a school board allows one union to express its viewpoints, a duty is created to provide equivalent access to all unions, absent a compelling state interest. Part III reviews several justifications for limiting non-EBA access, and finds most of them without merit and none of them adequate to …

Union Representatives As Corporate Directors: The Challenge To The Adversarial Model Of Labor Relations, Robert A. Mccormick

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article addresses these questions first by discussing the predominant philosophical approach adopted by unions in their dealings with management, and then describing several ways in which the labor laws reflect this traditional model of employment relations by showing, first, that the influence of unions has been limited to circumscribed categories of business decisions. The Article next examines decisions made by the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") and the courts that have carefully sought to separate employer from employee, assuming their interests to be inherently antagonistic. Then follows an evaluation of the NLRB's treatment of deviations from the traditional model …

A Proposal For Apportioning Damages In Fair Representation Suits, Kenneth B. Mcclain

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Apportionment of damages in fair representation suits represents one of the most unsettled issues in labor law today. Although the Supreme Court has attempted to establish a single "governing principle" for apportioning damages, lower courts have read this principle as authorizing two divergent standards for apportionments. Part I of this article traces the evolution from the Court's original standard presented in Vaca v. Sipes through two subsequent applications of that standard: the Czosek v. O'Mara standard, which interpreted Vaca as placing the bulk of damages on the employer, and Justice Stewart's standard taken from his concurrence in Hines v. Anchor …

Protecting Retired Workers From Inflation: Collective Bargaining For Retiree Benefits, Richard M. Bank, Thomas C. Woodruff

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The purpose of this article is to explore whether the collective bargaining process in its present form, or with certain modifications, can provide workers with meaningful protection against inflation. Part I evaluates the adequacy of the collective bargaining process by examining the internal dynamics of unions, the interests of employers and the application of the doctrine of fair representation to collective bargaining. After concluding that the current system inadequately protects retirees, Part II proposes alternative methods to strengthen the role of retirees in the collective bargaining process.

Punitive Damages Under Section 102 Of The Labor-Management Reporting And Disclosure Act, S. Thomas Wienner

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

It is firmly established that in a suit brought under section 102, a union member may ordinarily recover compensatory damages for any injury proximately caused by a violation of Title I or section 609. The courts are divided, however, on the question of whether a plaintiff may be awarded punitive damages under section 102. This article will address that question by discussing the language and the legislative history of section 102, the conflicting decisions of the federal courts, and the relevant policy considerations.

Tort Liability Of Labor Unions For Picket Line Assaults, David R. Case

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article will discuss whether tort actions against unions for picket line assaults are preempted by the National Labor Relations Act, and if not preempted, what forums are available to hear such actions. This article will also examine the theories that have been used to hold unions liable for the assaults committed by their picketers. Included in this discussion will be an analysis of the policy considerations offered in support of the various theories of liability.

Reprisal Discharges Of Union Officials, Alan V. Reuther

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Usually union officers and employees are also members of their union. The dual status of officer-members and employee-members places them in a unique situation under the LMRDA. As union members, they are entitled to the rights enumerated in Title I. As union officers and employees, however, they serve at the pleasure of their superiors. This situation raises the question whether officer- and employee-members have a cause of action under the LMRDA when they are discharged in retaliation for exercising rights protected under Title 1. Resolution of this question depends upon whether or not such reprisal discharges violate the provisions of …

Protecting Employee Solicitation - Distribution Rights From Union Waiver, Alan V. Reuther

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act guarantees various fundamental rights to employees, including the right to self-organization. Recognizing the inherent superiority of the work place as a situs for organizational activities, the courts and the National Labor Relations Board (hereinafter NLRB or Board) have balanced the property interests of employers against the organizational interests of labor and concluded that employees have the right to distribute literature on the employer's premises in nonworking areas during nonworking time and to solicit support during nonworking time for purposes protected by Section 7, unless special circumstances of production, discipline, or safety are …

Michigan Compulsory Arbitration Act For Essential Services, William J. Rainey

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

When Public Act 312 became effective on October 1, 1969, Michigan joined Rhode Island and Pennsylvania in permitting compulsory arbitration of unresolved labor disputes involving municipal police and firemen. Wyoming similarly provides for compulsory arbitration in fire department disputes. Passage of the Act was prompted by a desire to avoid the dire consequences of strikes or work stoppages by firefighters and policemen, and to provide a method by which the bargaining power of public service unions could be maintained in the absence of the strike privilege. Since Michigan had barred strikes by public employees in 1947, the unions felt that …

Union Political Involvement And Reform Of Campaign Financing Regulation, George P. Macdonald

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The spiraling costs of political campaigns 5 and the continuing significant role played by unions and corporations in the financing of those campaigns call for an examination of section 610's efficacy as a prohibitory statute. This article will focus on the use of labor union funds in the financial aspects of national politics. It will first discuss the loopholes in section 610: those loopholes created through narrow judicial interpretation of the statute and those resulting from its imprecise drafting. Particular emphasis will be placed upon an analysis of the sources of funds available to unions for political activities and the …

The Nlrb And Arbitration: Is The Board's Expanding Jurisdiction Justified?, Richard I. Bloch

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article will view the functions of the arbitrator and the Labor Board, as well as the arguments for their respective jurisdictions. It will examine the history of the subject from Lincoln Mills through the most recent words on the subject. With a view of the history of the problem and an attempt to examine realistic solutions as well as pure legal logic, the attempt will be to demonstrate the glaring need today for more specifically enunciated standards on the part of the Board. The author shall propose certain aspects of the collective bargaining situation to which the Board must …