Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Law
The Workers' Constitution, Luke Norris
The Workers' Constitution, Luke Norris
Law Faculty Publications
This Article argues that the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, Social Security Act of 1935, and Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 should be understood as a “workers’ constitution.” The Article tells the history of how a connected wave of social movements responded to the insecurity that wage earners faced after the Industrial Revolution and Great Depression by working with government officials to bring about federal collective bargaining rights, wage and hour legislation, and social security legislation. It argues that the statutes are tied together as a set of “small c” constitutional commitments in both their histories and theory. …
Trilogy Redux: Using Arbitration To Rebuild The Labor Movement, Ann C. Hodges
Trilogy Redux: Using Arbitration To Rebuild The Labor Movement, Ann C. Hodges
Law Faculty Publications
This Article analyzes the possibility of creating a program to provide representation to workers bound to arbitrate their legal disputes with their employers, while at the same time building a movement to challenge the practice of compulsory arbitration and its impact on workers' rights. First, I briefly review the Supreme Court's recent arbitration jurisprudence and its impact on workers, with a particular focus on the limitations on class actions. Then I move to a discussion of the advantages and challenges to the creation of such a program. Finally, I examine some alternative visions of what such a program might look …
Lessons From The Laboratory: The Polar Opposites On The Public Sector Labor Law Spectrum, Ann C. Hodges
Lessons From The Laboratory: The Polar Opposites On The Public Sector Labor Law Spectrum, Ann C. Hodges
Law Faculty Publications
Section I analyzes the legal framework and history of collective bargaining in Illinois, and Section II follows with a similar analysis for Virginia. Each section includes current data about public sector employees and union activity in the two states. Section III follows with a discussion of possible explanations for the differences in the law of the two states. Section IV looks at the lessons from this analysis for state and federal lawmakers, unions, employers, and labor relations advocacy groups.
Can Compulsory Arbitration Be Reconciled With Section 7 Rights?, Ann C. Hodges
Can Compulsory Arbitration Be Reconciled With Section 7 Rights?, Ann C. Hodges
Law Faculty Publications
Employers are increasingly imposing arbitration agreements on their employees as a condition of employment. These agreements force the employees to arbitrate, rather than litigate, any legal claims arising out of their employment. For employees covered by the National Labor Relations Act, such agreements may impair their rights to engage in concerted activity, since litigation of employment claims is protected by Section 7. Employee rights to file class actions, consolidate claims, and seek broad injunctive relief are concerted actions that are particularly threatened by the move to compelled arbitration. The Article analyzes the impact of arbitration agreements on various forms of …