Labor and Employment Law Commons^™

Envisioning Enforcement Of Freedom Of Association Standards In Corporate Codes: A Journey For Sinbad Or Sisyphus?, James J. Brudney

Faculty Scholarship

Since the 1970’s, multinational corporations (MNCs) in large numbers have adopted codes of conduct declaring their commitment to workers’ rights. These codes, however, do not require adherence to specific labor regulations or standards in a global setting. The MNC record on voluntary compliance has been discouraging, especially in labor-intensive industries like apparel, shoes, and toys, where a global supply chain of contractors effectively controls labor conditions. The persistent gap between aspiration and achievement regarding corporate codes has led to disagreement over their meaning and value. MNCs hope to be judged on the basis of the self-regulatory systems they have established. …

Introduction: Guaranteeing The Rights Of Public Employees, Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt, Ann. C. Mcginley

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Wal-Mart V. Dukes: Taking The Protection Out Of Protected Classes., Michael J. Zimmer

Faculty Publications & Other Works

No abstract provided.

North American Border Wars: The Role Of Canadian And American Scholarship In U.S. Labor Law Reform Debates, Susan Bisom-Rapp, Michael J. Zimmer

Faculty Publications & Other Works

No abstract provided.

The Second-Class Class Action: How Courts Thwart Wage Rights By Misapplying Class Action Rules, Scott A. Moss, Nantiya Ruan

Scholarly Works

Courts apply to wage rights cases an aggressive scrutiny that not only disadvantages low-wage workers, but is fundamentally incorrect on the law. Rule 23 class actions automatically cover all potential members if the court grants plaintiffs’ class certification motion. But for certain employment rights cases – mainly wage claims but also age discrimination and gender equal pay claims – 29 U.S.C. § 216(b) allows not class actions but “collective actions” covering just those opting in affirmatively. Courts in collective actions assume a gatekeeper role as they do in Rule 23 class action, disallowing many actions by requiring a certification motion …

Guaranteeing The Rights Of Public Employees, Ann C. Mcginley, Kenneth Dau-Schmidt

Scholarly Works

In this Essay, Professors Ann McGinley and Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt introduce the important issues to be examined in this Symposium Issue examining the erosion of rights guaranteed to public employees by recent state legislation.

Ten Years After Hoffman Plastic Compounds, Inc. V. Nlrb: The Power Of A Labor Law Symbol, Ruben J. Garcia

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Water Cooler: Speech And The Workplace In An Era Of Social Media, Ann C. Mcginley

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Tsunami: At&T Mobility Llc V. Concepcion Impedes Access To Justice, Jean R. Sternlight

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Federal Courts At The Boyd School Of Law, Anne R. Traum

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Trouble In Sin City: Protecting Sexy Workers' Civil Rights, Ann C. Mcginley

Scholarly Works

While Las Vegas has always been known for its libertarian attitudes toward gambling and sexually provocative shows, after a short, failed attempt during the 1990’s to characterize itself as a family destination, the City has turned up the heat. Las Vegas, which relies increasingly on selling sex appeal to promote its value to the public, has become the number one adult entertainment destination in the United States. There is, however, trouble in paradise. A number of the casino-based clubs (both day and night) have been sued; others have closed due to illegal prostitution; some have paid large fines to the …

Citizens, United And Citizens United: The Future Of Labor Speech Rights?, Charlotte Garden

Faculty Articles

Within hours of its announcement, the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC came under attack from progressive groups. Among these groups were some of America's largest labor unions-even though the decision applies equally to unions and for-profit corporations. The reason is clear: there exist both practical and structural impediments that will prevent unions from benefitting from Citizens United to the same extent as corporations. Therefore, Citizens United stands to unleash a torrent of corporate electioneering that could drown out the countervailing voice of organized labor.

This article, however, takes a broader view of Citizens United to explore a …

Teaching For America: Unions And Academic Freedom, Charlotte Garden

Faculty Articles

Much of the current controversy regarding the rights and responsibilities of public-sector employees and their unions has focused on elementary and secondary school teachers. On one side of that controversy, critics of teachers and teachers' unions argue that teachers are overpaid civil servants and that unions’ focus on wages and working conditions comes at the expense of students’ learning. On the other side, teachers’ unions and their supporters focus on the unique role educators play in forming the next generation of citizens and the need to adequately support teachers in fulfilling that role.

Implicit in this discourse are two distinct …

Diversity And The Virtual Workplace: Performance Identity And Shifting Boundaries Of Workplace Engagement, Natasha T. Martin

Faculty Articles

This article explores the meaning of workplace discrimination where reality meets the imaginary world in virtual work settings. Using a more recent development in the realm of virtual work--workplace avatars--the article considers the impact on law of virtual performance identity by workers where appearances can be altered in virtual reality.

Current protected-class approaches to antidiscrimination law have not served as the antidote to workplace bias and exclusion. Thus, the article investigates whether avatar technology holds promise for facilitating greater inclusion of marginalized workers in the contemporary workplace. Does this mode of virtual work serve as a platform for diversity or …

The Sheathed Sword: Union Efficacy In Nonbargaining States, Ann C. Hodges

Law Faculty Publications

Section I of this article briefly reviews the law in Virginia and North Carolina. Section II examines, in detail, many of the strategies and tactics unions have utilized, both successfully and unsuccessfully, in Virginia and North Carolina. Section III discusses the overwhelming challenges that public-sector unions, despite their success, still face under the laws and political climate in hostile states. Finally, section IV offers a brief analysis of how unions in other states that prohibit or severely limit collective bargaining can emulate their successes and learn from their failures.

The Sheathed Sword: Public-Sector Union Efficacy In Non-Bargaining States, William Warwick

Law Student Publications

Section I of this article briefly reviews the law in Virginia and North Carolina. Section II examines, in detail, many of the strategies and tactics unions have utilized, both successfully and unsuccessfully, in Virginia and North Carolina. Section III discusses the overwhelming challenges that public-sector unions, despite their success, still face under the laws and political climate in hostile states. Finally, *277 section IV offers a brief analysis of how unions in other states that prohibit or severely limit collective bargaining can emulate their successes and learn from their failures.

Social Networking And The Employment Relationship: Is Your Boss Creeping Up On You?, Michael Keliher

LLM Theses

There are currently over 900 million Facebook users worldwide (and counting). With increased use of social networking comes new concerns for personal privacy and control of social networking information. More and more, Facebook activity trickles its way into offline contexts, perhaps none more so than the employment context. A new trend in the hiring process is social networking background checks, where some employers go so far as to request a candidate's Facebook password. Not only this, but the frequency of Facebook activity resulting in employment law disputes is increasing, and has even been found to constitute sufficient grounds for discipline …

Protected By Association? The Supreme Court’S Incomplete Approach To Defining The Scope Of The Third-Party Retaliation Doctrine, Jessica Fink

Faculty Scholarship

For decades, courts have struggled with how to treat claims of "third-party retaliation"- situations where one employee engages in some protected activity for purposes of Title VII but where the employer retaliates not against that employee, but rather against one of her coworkers-her spouse, or sibling, or mere workplace acquaintance. With its January 2011 decision in Thompson v. North American Stainless, LP, the U.S. Supreme Court finally has weighed in on this issue, deeming employees protected against third-party retaliation under Title VII.

This Article stands as one of the first in-depth examinations of Thompson and its potential impact on both …

Tenure Reform Amidst Economic Uncertainty: A New Jersey Model For Retaining Quality Teachers, Alisha Howell

Public Interest Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

North American Border Wars: The Role Of Canadian And American Scholarship In U.S. Labor Law Reform Debates, Michael J. Zimmer, Susan Bisom-Rapp

Faculty Scholarship

The economies of Canada and the United States and the organization of their societies are deeply interrelated but significant differences exist. This article briefly traces the interaction between the two countries in the development of labor relations laws with a particular emphasis on the impact of scholarly work on U.S. labor law reform debates in the last two decades. Instructive for that purpose is the work of Professor Paul Weiler, a prominent figure in labor law policy discussions in both countries. A significant architect of labor law in Canada, Professor Weiler came to Harvard Law School in 1978 and brought …

Labor Policy And The Great Recession, Robert J. Flanagan

Indiana Law Journal

Labor and Employment Law Under the Obama Administration: A Time for Hope and Change? Symposium held November 12-13, 2010, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington, Indiana.

Changing Workforce Demographics And The Future Of The Protected Class Approach, Nancy Levit

Faculty Works

The composition and identity characteristics of the American workforce are changing. The population in this country is rising, aging, and becoming much more racially and ethnically diverse. Appearance norms are shifting too. These changes have enormous implications for constitutional and employment discrimination law. In both equal protection and employment discrimination cases, recovery usually depends on membership in a constitutionally or statutorily protected category. Yet the statutory approach to anti-discrimination law has stagnated. Part of the difficulty of the protected class approach is that it is based on something of a paradox — the paradox of exceptionalism. Class-based protection requires individuals …

Punishment And Work Law Compliance: Lessons From Chile, Cesar F. Rosado Marzan

Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal

Workplace law activists and reformers find it increasingly more difficult to obtain redress for violation of workers’ rights. Some of them are calling for stricter enforcement and tougher penalties to bring employers into compliance. However, after seven and half months of participant observation at the Labor Directorate and the labor courts of Chile, institutions that use punishment as their main tools of enforcement, I am skeptical about the likelihood of success of mere punishment for effective workplace law enforcement and compliance. I am skeptical even though Chile is a country recognized as the Latin American “jaguar” for its successful economy …

The Great Recession, The Resulting Budget Shortfalls, The 2010 Elections And The Attack On Public Sector Collective Bargaining In The United States, Kenneth Glenn Dau-Schmidt, Winston Lin

Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal

American public sector unions and collective bargaining have been subjected to a vicious attack under the auspices of balancing government budgets, promoting "equity" between private and public employees and limiting the impact of "special interests" on government policy. The American and world financial crisis of 2007 resulted in the Great Recession of 2008 and substantial budget shortfalls for local and national governments world-wide. This financial crisis and the resulting disintegration of aggregate demand and employment are eerily similar to the financial crisis and collapse that led to the Great Depression of the 1930’s. However, unlike the calamity of the 1930’s, …

The "Miscellaneous Employee": Exploring The Boundaries Of The Fair Labor Standards Act's Administrative Exemption, Blake R. Bertagna

Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Robbing A Barren Vault: The Implication Of Dukes V. Wal-Mart For Cases Challenging Subjective Employment Practices, Elizabeth Tippett

Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal

This article examines federal opinions from 2005-2011 challenging subjective employment practices under a 'disparate impact' or 'pattern or practice' theory to assess the likely impact of Dukes v. Wal-Mart on such cases. Although the Wal-Mart ruling favors employers, results suggest that the ruling’s effect on employer selection practices will be muted by the low prevalence of such claims. An average employer’s litigation risk in connection with such claims is so vanishingly small that I surmise they rarely examine or alter their subjective selection practices in response. However, the risk of a lawsuit challenging subjective employment practices was not homogenous across …

Bad Reputation?: The Potential Negative Impact Of Outsourcing On The Legal Profession, Jennifer Spellman, Jeannea Varrichio

Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Eastern Enterprises As The Canary In The Coalmine: Will The Supreme Court Hamper The Gulf Workforce By Continuing To Confuse The Constitutionality Of Retrograde Liability Provisions?, Jacob Claveloux

Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

North American Border Wars: The Role Of Canadian And American Scholarship In U.S. Labor Law Reform Debates, Michael J. Zimmer, Susan Bisom-Rapp

Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal

The economies of Canada and the United States and the organization of their societies are deeply interrelated but significant differences exist. This article briefly traces the interaction between the two countries in the development of labor relations laws with a particular emphasis on the impact of scholarly work on U.S. labor law reform debates in the last two decades. Instructive for that purpose is the work of Professor Paul Weiler, a prominent figure in labor law policy discussions in both countries. A significant architect of labor law in Canada, Professor Weiler came to Harvard Law School in 1978 and brought …

The Labor Law Jurisprudence Of Wilma Liebman, David L. Gregory, Ian Hayes, Amanda Jaret

Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal

No abstract provided.