Labor and Employment Law Commons^™

The Defense Case For Rico Reform, Terrance G. Reed

Vanderbilt Law Review

Frequent use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 (RICO)' by government and private litigants has prompted a chorus of criticism during the last five years. This criticism has not been restricted to the narrow confines of the legal profession;many respectable newspapers recently have issued calls for the outright repeal of RICO. Attorneys who regularly defend against criminal or civil RICO allegations cannot take credit for the increasing dissatisfaction with RICO. Rather, it is the successes, and indeed the excesses, of RICO's proponents that have tarnished the statute's image. RICO's revolutionary application to increasingly broad areas of …

A Conceptual, Practical, And Political Guide To Rico Reform, Gerard E. Lynch

Vanderbilt Law Review

RICO is nearing its twentieth birthday,' but it may not be a happy one. In fact, 'tis the season for critics of RICO to be, if not jolly, at least highly active. A House subcommittee and the Senate Judiciary Committee have held hearings on RICO reform, the popular and business press has published numerous debates and criticisms involving fairly arcane points of civil and criminal law, scholars and lawyers have filled law reviews and legal newspapers with articles often critical of the statute, and the pressure has been building for statutory changes.

As the pressure for change has intensified, and …

The Eeoc Is Meeting The Challenge: Response To David Rose R., R. Gaull Silberman

Vanderbilt Law Review

In his recent article, Twenty-Five Years Later: Where Do We Stand On Equal Employment Opportunity Law Enforcement?, David Rose declares, "The time is ripe for review." Mr. Rose argues that "effective enforcement of the equal employment opportunity law in the next decade is a necessary, if not sufficient, predicate for the social and economic well being of the Nation."' From my perspective as Vice Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission), I heartily agree with both points. I must take issue,however, with Mr. Rose's assessment of developments in federal equal employment opportunity law over the last twenty-five …

Reflections On The House Of Labor, Lee Modjeska

Vanderbilt Law Review

Much has been said of the deteriorating condition and possible fall of the house of labor.' This Essay contains some idiosyncratic reflections on certain aspects of the situation. Contrary to the mainstream of thought, my suspicion, to use Justice Frankfurter's words, is that those"economic and social concerns that are the raison d'etre of unions"remain dominant in our society, that unionism may be inevitable if not indispensable, and that our days of relative labor calm may be ending.National labor policy repeatedly has recognized the reality of modern society, viewed against a long history of industrial unrest, that a union is essential …

The Constitutional Exercise Of The Federal Police Power: A Functional Approach To Federalism, Alan N. Greenspan

Vanderbilt Law Review

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 19881 (Polygraph Act) prohibits the use of polygraph examinations by private employers actively participating in commerce or producing goods for interstate commerce. Prior to this federal action, forty-one states had addressed the issue of employer use of polygraph examinations. Twelve states and the District of Columbia prohibit employer use of polygraph tests altogether. Of the remaining states, some require licensing of examiners and others regulate the circumstances under which an employer may require polygraph examination of an employee. According to the legislative history, federal legislation is necessary because state regulations are ineffective: existing state …

Hybrid Employees: Defining And Protecting Employees Excluded From The Coverage Of The National Labor Relations Act, Patrick S. Bryant

Vanderbilt Law Review

Any discussion of labor-management relations naturally assumes two parties: labor and management. Fundamental to both the industrial philosophy and labor legislation of the United States has been the assumption of mutually exclusive and largely adversarial camps of "employers" and "employees." This rigid dichotomy, however, fails to recognize the existence of a third group of workers that fits neither the labor nor the management typology. These workers are best described as hybrid employees: workers who arguably deserve many of the statutory protections afforded to labor but who may be aligned too closely with the employer's interests to warrant the protection of …

The Future Of Labor-Management Cooperative Efforts Under Section 8(1)(2) Of The National Labor Relations Actfff, David H. Brody

Vanderbilt Law Review

Much of the current debate concerning labor-management cooperative efforts centers on section 8(a)(2) of the National Labor Relations Act (the Act), which makes dominating, interfering with, or contributing to the formation or administration of any labor organization an unfair labor practice. On its face, this section may inhibit cooperative efforts through a prohibition of management support for employee organizations. The effect of section 8(a)(2), however, need not be so restrictive because of the Act's underlying concern for the effectuation of employee freedom of choice. A concern for employee free choice provides a means for permitting positive cooperative efforts, consistent with …

Introduction: Special Project - Labor Management Cooperation, Journal Staff

Vanderbilt Law Review

In the midst of the industrial strife and upheaval of the 1930s, the United States Congress, with the passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), established the legal framework that regulates the rights and interests of both labor and management through an adversarial collective bargaining process.' As domestic businesses have expanded to serve a worldwide market, however, the modern labor-management relationship is experiencing intense pressure from foreign competition that is rattling the adversarial process' foundations. In an attempt to raise productivity and quality, many American businesses have participated in cooperative efforts with employees, focusing one employee participation in the …

The Viability Of Distinguishing Between Mandatory And Permissive Subjects Of Bargaining In A Cooperative Setting: In Search Of Industrial Peace, Thomas T. Crouch

Vanderbilt Law Review

In July 1985 General Motors entered into an agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW) setting forth the terms and conditions of a future automobile facility, known as the Saturn Corporation, in Spring Hill, Tennessee. General Motors and the UAW view this project as an unprecedented achievement in "union-management partnership." The goal of the Saturn project is to maintain General Motors'viability as a domestic enterprise through an agreement to build a new subcompact car in the United States. This partnership between the corporation and the UAW will include employee participation and enhanced job security. Faced with mounting competition from overseas …

Alternatives To The United States System Of Labor Relations: A Comparative Analysis Of The Labor Relations Systems In The Federal Republic Of Germany, Japan, And Sweden, Linda L. Rippey, David H. Brody, Patrick S. Bryant, Thomas T. Crouch

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Special Project Note analyzes the labor relations systems of the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, and Sweden, focusing on the statutory developments as well as the social, political, and economic factors that shape those systems. Parts II through IV discuss the general structure and operation of each of these systems. Part V compares and contrasts these systems to the American system by applying them to a hypothetical corporate merger. Finally, Part VI discusses the feasibility of a partial or total adoption of any of the three foreign systems by the United States.

The Supreme Court Takes One Step Forward And The Nlrb Takes One Step Backward: Redefining Constructive Concerted Activities, Christina A. Karcher

Vanderbilt Law Review

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA or the Act) governs the relationship between employers and employees in the United States. Specifically, section 7 of the Act 3 defines the basic rights of employees and section 8(a)4 defines employer unfair labor practices. Section 8(a)(1) generally proscribes employers from interfering with employees in the exercise of section 7 rights.' Thus,many unfair labor practice cases turn on whether section 7 of the Act protects the employee activity. Section 7 protects "concerted activities" engaged in "for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection."' Courts frequently struggle to determine whether given …

Protecting A Union Member's Right To Resign-Resolution Of The Conflict Between Dalmo Victor And Rockford-Beloit, Laura A. Norman

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Recent Development contends that a union restriction on a member's right to resign constitutes an unfair labor practice under section 8(b)(1)(A). Part II of this Recent Development focuses on judicial and Board treatment of the inherent conflict between an employee's section 7 right to refrain from collective activity and a union's authority to regulate internal affairs.

Part III examines three recent decisions addressing a union's authority to restrict a member's right to resign. Finally, part IV suggests that the Supreme Court should apply the Scofield v. NLRB three-part test to union rules restricting resignation. Part IV also asserts that …

The National Labor Relations Act Does Not Preempt A Discharged Permanent Replacement Worker's State Cause Of Action, Stephanie L. Stromire

Vanderbilt Law Review

The purpose of this Recent Development is to examine the issues surrounding discharged permanent replacement workers and to discuss problems confronting state courts that try to implement the Belknap decision. Part II of this Recent Development analyzes the legal background leading up to Belknap. Part III examines the Belknap opinion. Part IV criticizes the decision on three fronts and suggests possible ways of addressing the problems that Belknap presents.

Working Class Hero: A New Strategy For Labor, David L. Gregory

Vanderbilt Law Review

It is very rare to find a worthwhile book so fraught with fundamental weaknesses. Fortunately, Aronowitz' flawed conclusions readily can be separated from his fine historical and political analysis of the American labor movement. The first two sections of the book are a legitimate contribution to historical progressive labor scholarship. The broader perspective posited by Aronowitz, the union organizer, may enhance future labor scholarship. The crucial task, however, remains: Progressive labor scholars must move from criticism of conventional labor relations modalities to a formulation of realistic plans for the achievement of full human dignity in the employment environment. Working Class …

The First Amendment And Nonpicketing Labor Publicity Under Section 8(B)(4)(Ii)(B) Of The National Labor Relations Act, Lee Goldman

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Article attempts to provide the appropriate constitutional analysis of restrictions on nonpicketing labor publicity. Part II describes the relevant statute and illustrative cases, including the Supreme Court's DeBartolo decision, that have raised but not resolved the first amendment issues concerning nonpicketing labor publicity. The cases focus attention on two restrictions the courts have imposed on nonpicketing labor publicity-the "producer-distributor" and the "for the purpose of" requirements. Part III analyzes the protected status of the nonpicketing labor speech by comparing nonpicketing labor publicity with labor picketing and commercial speech-two areas that bear superficial similarity to nonpicketing labor publicity and that …

National Labor Relations Act: The Roles Of The Nlrb And The Courts Of Appeals After Pullman-Standard In Determining Employer Motivation In Section 8 (A)(3) Dual Motive Cases, William E. Anderson

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Note advocates use of the Pullman-Standard Title VII model to define the proper roles of the Board and the courts of appeals in determining discriminatory intent in section 8 (a)(3) dual motive cases. Part II of this Note discusses the current confusion concerning the amount of discretion a court of appeals owes the Board's finding of discriminatory intent in dual motive cases. Part II also traces the Supreme Court's failure to define clearly the proper roles of the Board and the courts of appeals in finding discriminatory intent, the confusion this failure has caused, and the Board's unsuccessful attempt …

The Deductibility Of Daily Transportation Expenses To And From Distant Temporary Work Sites, Michael D. Rose

Vanderbilt Law Review

In the Article Professor Rose addresses the uncertainty that has characterized judicial application of Internal Revenue Code provisions to daily transportation expenses to and from distant temporary work sites. Although the Internal Revenue Code disallows deductions for commuting expenses to and from work, transportation expenses between work sites are deductible. The courts have had some difficulty applying these principles to distant temporary work sites. Professor Rose argues that the United States Tax Court in Turner v. Commissioner has fomented much of this confusion. Although the court reached the correct determination on the facts, its rationale is flawed. According to Professor …

Rule 10b-5-The Equivalent Scope Of Liability Under Respondeat Superior And Section 20(A)-Imposing A Benefit Requirement On Apparent Authority, Carol M. Lynch

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Note demonstrates that the scope of employer liability for employees' rule 10b-5 violations is no broader under a proper application of respondeat superior than under section 20(a). This Note does not address the question whether respondeat superior applies under rule 10b-5, but rather how courts should apply it.

Part II examines the majority, minority, and Third Circuit decisions on employer liability. Part III discusses the traditional analysis under both respondeat superior and section 20(a) and compares the scope of liability under each one. Part III concludes that except for an employer's liability for acts that are within an employee's …

Baseball's Third Strike: The Triumph Of Collective Bargaining In Professional Baseball, Robert A. Mccormick

Vanderbilt Law Review

Since the inception of professional baseball, team owners have imposed limits on the freedom of players to negotiate contract terms. In this article Professor McCormick traces the history of attempts by professional baseball players to obtain contractual freedoms through the use of the antitrust and labor relations laws, attempts that culminated with the players' strike of 1981. Although players in other team sports successfully have utilized antitrust laws to increase player bargaining power, Professor McCormick argues that labor law has provided baseball players the only effective means to gain increased contractual freedoms. Professor McCormick concludes that player-owner disputes over the …

Back Pay In Employment Discrimination Cases, James L. Hughes, David R. Jennings, Charles D. Maguire, Jr., Betsy G. Shain, Jay L. Tobin, Jay F. Whittle, Jr.

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Special Project examines the back pay decisions and analyzes the problems that have confronted the courts dealing with this remedy for employment discrimination in the context of Title VII and section 1981. Because of the enormity of the issues that have arisen in Stage I of the proceedings, however, and the extensive coverage given those problems by the courts and commentators, the Special Project will deal only with the recovery stage, or Stage II, of the litigation. Consequently, the reader should assume that liability for employment discrimination has already been established in each of the cases discussed below. Before …

Limiting The Right To Terminate At Will -Have The Courts Forgotten The Employer?, Charles A. Brake, Jr.

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Note examines the extent to which courts should apply the public policy exception to abrogate the common-law right of an employer to terminate at will. Although some limits must be placed upon employers in order to protect those employees who lack adequate bargaining power, this Note proposes that the courts should strike a balance among the interests of the employer, the employee, and society. This balance can be achieved by limiting the public policy exception to those instances in which an employee is discharged in contravention of a legislatively articulated public policy. This approach would achieve equitable results since …

Discharge Of Supervisors For Union-Related Activity: An Examination Of "Pattern Of Conduct" Analysis, Michael L. Dagley

Vanderbilt Law Review

Recent Board decisions such as Brothers Three Cabinets suggest that the Board has frequently contravened congressional intent by extending the protection of the Act to cover supervisors. This Note begins with an examination of the legislative history of the Taft-Hartley Amendments, focusing upon the congressional intent behind the exclusion of supervisory personnel from the protection normally afforded employees under the Act. The Note then traces the historical development of supervisory discharge law and analyzes the development of the "pattern of conduct" standard. Finally, the Note investigates the inherent analytical problems with the "pattern of conduct" standard, examines the inconsistent application …

Congress, The Courts, And Sex-Based Employment Discrimination In Higher Education: A Tale Of Two Titles, Joel W. Friedman

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Article will examine the manner in which the federal courts have handled sex-based employment discrimination claims against colleges and universities. Specifically, the Article will suggest that most such judicial opinions have construed and applied the applicable federal laws in a manner inconsistent with Congress' articulated desire to promote equal employment opportunity in, and to remove the taint of sex-biased decisionmaking from, the academic profession. In light of this judicial misconstruction of the remedial statutes, the Article proposes a different framework for analyzing Title VII and Title IX claims that will more adequately promote Congress' twin objectives.

Osha After Ten Years: A Review And Some Proposed Reforms, Mark A. Rothstein

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Article reviews the first ten years of rulemaking, enforcement, and adjudication under the Act. The Article identifies various problem areas that have developed in these activities and for each area discusses whether past and present efforts to meet the problems have been adequate. In light of the Act's troubled history, the Article suggests several amendments to the Act, as well as administrative reforms, to facilitate the Act's implementation. The Article does not, however, attempt to address all of the myriad legal and policy issues or all of the Act's provisions that would benefit from congressional redrafting. Instead, the Article …

Doing Good The Wrong Way: The Case For Delimiting Presidential Power Under Executive Order No. 11,246, Andrie K. Blumstein

Vanderbilt Law Review

The Note has demonstrated that the concept of affirmative action as embodied in the Executive Order Program induces race-conscious employment programs by federal contractors in contrast to the norm of race-neutral decision making imposed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Note has also argued that a nexus analysis must define the parameters of executive authority to promulgate the Executive Order Program. In other words, there must be a close relationship between the alleged source of executive authority and the President's actual exercise of that authority...

This Note attempts to refine the Presidential power analysis of Youngstown Steel and …

Current State Action Theories, The Jackson Nexus Requirement, And Employee Discharges By Semi-Public And State-Aided Institutions, Thomas R. Mccoy

Vanderbilt Law Review

The purpose of this Article has been to reestablish the continued vitality of the several branches of the state action doctrine in the face of recent decisions that have strained noticeably to avoid implementation of one or more elements of the doctrine, often by an illogical insistence on the application of the Jackson nexus requirement. At least in the employment discharge cases, the regular findings of no state action should not be read as casting doubt upon the continued viability of the various elements of state action doctrine, much less as indications that all elements except state-action-by-state-regulation are so obviously …

A Comparative Review Of Public And Private Enforcement Of Title Vii Of The Civil Rights Act Of 1964, Robert Belton

Vanderbilt Law Review

The efforts of the EEOC, the Department of Justice, and other federal and state agencies during the first decade of enforcement have been the subject of a great deal of commentary and review. Much of this commentary has been critical. Private enforcement of Title VII has produced the major legal developments, but these efforts have received little attention in the literature. This Article therefore will present a comparative review of governmental and private enforcement efforts under Title VII. A brief overview of the historical efforts to eliminate employment discrimination prior to Title VII is necessary to place private enforcement efforts …

Is There Arbitration After Burns?: The Resurrection Of John Wiley & Sons, Sue J. Henry

Vanderbilt Law Review

The decisions of the United States Supreme Court in John Wiley & Sons, Inc. v. Livingston, NLRB v. Burns International Security Services, Inc.,' and Howard Johnson Co. v. Detroit Local Joint Executive Board' have raised, but left unanswered, two significant questions regarding the proper balancing of the parties' interests: (1) does the successor employer's duty to arbitrate with the union under the predecessor's contract survive a corporate change?;and (2) if so, does the arbitrator have the power to impose the substantive terms of the predecessor's labor agreement on the successor? To answer these questions, this Article initially will analyze in …

Title Vii - Seniority - The Relevant Scope Of Inquiry For Determining The Legality Of A Seniority System, James D. Spratt, Jr.

Vanderbilt Law Review

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which became effective on July 2, 1965, was enacted to eliminate artificial barriers to employment that historically have deprived minorities and women of employment opportunities. Section 703 of the Act thus makes discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin an unlawful employment practice. In order to obtain relief from a discriminatory employment practice, an aggrieved party must demonstrate that the defendant intentionally engaged in the unlawful practice. Because the broad language of sections 703(a), 703(c), and 706(g) fails to define the terms "discriminate" and"intentionally," the effectiveness …

Alternative Proposals For The Regulation Of An Emergency Strike In The Health Care Industry, Susan A. Jones

Vanderbilt Law Review

In order to give approximately 1,400,0001 health care employees the protection enjoyed by employees under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Congress amended the Act in 1974 to make health care institutions "employers. Recognizing the public's dependence upon the unique services provided by health care facilities, Congress was hesitant, however, to extend coverage under the Act to health care employees without providing additional safe-guards. These safeguards are embodied in the following special provisions: (1) the extension of the sixty-day notice requirement for modification of an expiring contract to ninety days; (2) the creation of a thirty-day notice requirement of a …