Labor and Employment Law Commons^™

United Auto Workers V. Johnson Controls, Inc.: One Small Step For Womankind, A. L. Cherry

Akron Law Review

In United Auto Workers v. Johnson Controls, Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court was faced with the task of deciding whether women's childbearing capacity could be used to limit women's job choices and opportunities within certain industrial/ manufacturing fields. The Court decided that the ability to bear children could be used to so limit women, but only if the employer met a high standard. In Johnson Controls, employees who worked in a toxic work environment sought a determination that their employer's fetal protection policy discriminated on the basis of sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act …

Pre-Employment Inquiries: Drug Testing, Alcohol Screening, Physical Exams, Honesty Testing, Genetics Screening - Do They Discriminate? An Empirical Study, Donald H. Stone

Akron Law Review

Statistics serve as a reminder that many disabled people continue to face obstacles in gaining access into the employment arena. This Article will reveal how disabled persons are at greater risk when employers increase their screening and testing arsenal in the job selection area.

Beyond Crosby V. Beam: Ohio Courts Extend Protection Of Minority Stockholders Of Close Corporations, Kathleen L. Kuhlman

Akron Law Review

This Comment explores the possible ramifications of viewing working minority shareholders as term employees on both close corporation law and at-will-employment law in Ohio. Part I discusses the background and emergence of the heightened fiduciary duty owed by the majority stockholders to the minority stockholders in closely held corporations and the resultant protection of the minority. Part II discusses the current standing of the employment at-will doctrine and what protections exist for at-will employees in Ohio. Part III examines recent Ohio case law that compares close corporation employment with at-will-employment and analyzes the courts' reasoning behind creating a new exception …

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace: A Primer, Barry S. Roberts, Richard A. Mann

Akron Law Review

This Article is a primer for attorneys to use when advising their clients on how to address sexual harassment in the workplace. We will begin by describing the scope and severity of the sexual harassment problem. Then we will examine the recently strengthened federal law governing sexual harassment in the workplace. Finally, we will suggest policies and procedures for establishing and implementing a sexual harassment policy.

College Athletes Should Be Entitled To Workers' Compensation For Sports-Related Injuries: A Request To Broaden The Definition Of Employee Under Ohio Revised Code Section 4123.01, David W. Woodburn

Akron Law Review

This Comment examines the Ohio Workers' Compensation Act 25 and its applicability to scholarship-athletes. Part I discusses the failure of the NCAA and its universities to adopt an insurance program capable of providing effective coverage to scholarship-athletes. Part II provides a general overview of workers' compensation and discusses the major cases which either support or negate the applicability of workers' compensation to scholarship-athletes. Part III examines Ohio Revised Code section 4123.01 and how it can be interpreted to include scholarship-athletes within its scope, as well as discussing the public policy implications of incorporating scholarship students with this section.

Of Taxes And Duties: Taxing The System With Public Employees' Tax Obligations, Kenneth H. Ryesky

Akron Law Review

Governmental agencies, including and especially those involved in the taxation function, have compelling reasons to insist that individuals in their employ comply with the laws of the land, including the personal tax requirements. As tax law complexity increases, so does the general propensity for noncompliance. The governmental agencies are thus confronted with increasing volumes of disciplinary issues relating to employee tax obligations. This article will explore how the various types of governmental agencies deal with enforcing compliance by their employees with personal taxation obligations, and will discuss how fallout from thetax law arena affects the efficiency of government as compliance …

Five Hundred Years Of English Poor Laws, 1349-1834: Regulating The Working And Nonworking Poor, William P. Quigley

Akron Law Review

This article will review how the working and the nonworking poor were regulated by 500 years of English poor laws. It will conclude with ideas about the principles which have since evolved to regulate the working and nonworking poor.

Chandler V. Miller: Redefining "Special Needs" For Suspicionless Drug Testing Under The Fourth Amendment, Joy L. Ames

Akron Law Review

This Note will discuss the three Supreme Court cases that, up to now, have defined Fourth Amendment doctrine regarding suspicionless drug testing in the public sector: National Treasury Employees Union v. Von Raab, Skinner v. Railway Labor Executives’ Association, and Vernonia School District v. Acton. Specifically, this Note will focus on the "special needs" analysis as it was articulated in these cases, as well as how that analysis was altered in Chandler. This Note will then thoroughly analyze the Chandler decision, pointing out its strengths in eliminating some of the subjectivity of Fourth Amendment doctrine. It will also explain the …

A Square Peg Trying To Fit Into A Round Hole: The Federal Communication Commission's Equal Employment Opportunity Regulations In Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod V. Federal Communications Commission, Pamela J. Holder

Akron Law Review

The purpose of this Note is to examine the judicial review of the FCC’s quasi-judicial powers. Part II explores the FCC’s EEO regulations and the appropriate standard of review for racial classifications. Part III reviews the particular facts of this case and the holding of the court. Finally, Part IV analyzes the court’s decision as a protection of the separation of powers doctrine.

West V. Gibson: Federal Employees Win The Battle, But Ultimately Lose The War For Compensatory Damages Under Title Vii, Christina M. Royer

Akron Law Review

This Note analyzes the Supreme Court's decision in West v. Gibson against the backdrop of the new damages provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the EEOC system for federal employees. Section II provides a brief legislative history of the 1991 CRA, outlines the EEOC complaint procedure specifically tailored to federal sector employees, and describes the cases leading up to West v. Gibson. Section III describes the Supreme Court's reasoning in Gibson, and Section IV analyzes the decision, concluding that, given the realities of congressional compromise and systemic constraints, the Supreme Court's decision actually does little to benefit …

Genaro V. Central Transport: A New Direction In Ohio Law Regarding Employment Discrimination, Karen Gaum

Akron Law Review

Part I of this Note will examine the Genaro decision in depth, focusing on the Ohio Supreme Court’s reasoning. The court looked at the language of Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4112, specifically the use of the word “agent” as support for its imposition of individual liability. In addition, Part II will also examine the the policy goals the Ohio Supreme Court has attempted to achieve. Finally, Part II will also demonstrate that the Genaro decision is a poor one, one which was not legislatively intended, one that imposes an undue burden on individuals without a corresponding increase in benefit to …

Brief Amicus Curiae For The National Employment Lawyers Association In Support Of Petitioner. Green V. Brennan, 136 S.Ct. 1769 (2016) (No. 14-613), 2015 Wl 4381189, Roberta L. Steele, Eric Schnapper

Court Briefs

No abstract provided.

Paradise Lost? State Employees' Rights In The Wake Of "New Federalism", Christina M. Royer

Akron Law Review

This Comment analyzes the resurgence of sovereign immunity under the Eleventh Amendment – what could be construed as a sort of “new federalism” – specifically in the context of federal employment statutes and state employees’ rights there under. The analysis focuses on the Fair Labor Standards Act (hereinafter FLSA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (hereinafter ADEA), and the Family and Medical Leave Act (hereinafter FMLA), because these statutes appear to be among those that are the most threatened by the Supreme Court’s recent actions. This Comment concludes that, because the scales are now tipped in favor of states' rights …

Covenants Not To Compete, John Dwight Ingram

Akron Law Review

This article will discuss the enforceability of covenants not to compete when they are used in commercial business settings. There will be no discussion of the forms of relief available if a court determines that a covenant is enforceable. Also omitted from this article are noncompetition agreements which accompany the sale of a business or dissolution of a partnership. Finally, a discussion concerning covenants not to compete between professionals (attorneys, physicians, etc.) will not be a part of this current article.

In most states today, courts will enforce a covenant not to compete if the covenant is found to be …

The End Of An Era: The Mounting Challenges To The Ncaa’S Model Of Amateurism, John Niemeyer

Pepperdine Law Review

In the six years between 2006 and 2012, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a nonprofit organization made up of universities, doubled its net assets to its current, unprecedented level of over $566 million. In 2012 alone, the organization retained a $71 million surplus after it disbursed a majority of its revenue to the NCAA member universities. It was able to make this much money largely because of the television revenue earned from the highly popular and entertaining sports of men’s football and men’s basketball. One would think that if a nonprofit organization could retain $71 million at the end …

Unionization At Justice Canada: A Case Study, Andrij Roman Kowalsky

PhD Dissertations

In April 2005, non-management lawyers working at the federal Department of Justice Canada (DOJ) were recognized by the Public Service Labour Relations Act (PSLRA) as employees. This dissertation explores DOJ lawyers unionizing by addressing two research questions: (1) what led DOJ lawyers to unionize with the Association of Justice Counsel (AJC)? and (2) what was the AJC’s experience in negotiating a first collective agreement?

The dissertation is organized using a conventional structure. The literature review presented in Chapter 2 maps the academic study of lawyer unionization. Chapter 3 elaborates on the dissertation’s research design as a case study. Chapter 4 …

Summary Of D&D Tire, Inc., V. Ouellette, 131 Nev. Adv. Op. 47 (Jul. 02, 2015), Jaymes Orr

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

The Court held that a subcontractor or independent contractor is not immune to liability for workplace injuries if the work being performed is a specialized repair. Ouellette was injured by an employee of Purcell while performing a task that would not be considered a specialized repair. The employee, however, was only present on the job site because of a specialized repair. The Court, however, held that the activity leading to the injury must be considered in context and the employee would not have been present but for the repair.

Vol. 32, Nos. 3 & 4, Robert Bruno, Thomas F. Sonneborn

The Illinois Public Employee Relations Report

The Changing Landscape and Future of Labor Relations: A View from Organization Labor, by Robert Bruno

Conducting Independent Research: Should an Arbitrator Look Beyond the Record for the Facts or the Laws?, by Thomas Sonneborn

Recent Developments

"Juuuussst A Bit Outside": A Look At Whether Mlb Owners Can Justify Paying Minor Leaguers Below Minimum Wage Without Violating The Fair Labor Standards Act, Mark Stanton

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Does Work Law Have A Future If The Labor Market Does Not?, Noah D. Zatz

Chicago-Kent Law Review

This Essay is based on the 37th Annual Kenneth M. Piper Lecture. It offers a new perspective on the much-discussed “future of work.” That discussion typically highlights changes within the labor market that undermine the employment relationship’s role as the bedrock for work regulation. But might something even deeper be afoot, namely the disintegration of “the labor market” itself? Several recent developments challenge the legal construction of employment as occurring wholly inside a distinctive, and distinctively economic, market sphere. This Essay considers Uber and the relationship between work and “sharing,” Hobby Lobby and the relationship between work and religion, the …

The Cat’S Paw Supervisor: Vance V. Ball State University’S Flexible Jurisprudence, Daniel Leigh

Northwestern University Law Review

It is easier to hold a company liable for workplace harassment perpetrated by a supervisor than by a coworker. In Vance v. Ball State University, the Supreme Court attempted to clarify the crucial yet enigmatic definition of “supervisor.” In doing so, the Court created a definition that early commentators criticized as too narrow and too inflexible to capture the varied structures of the modern workplace. In contrast to those commentators, this Note argues that Vance’s definition is flexible enough to encompass all workplaces. Vance’s definition does this by incorporating the tort concept of proximate causation into employment …

Preparing For Another Round Of Collective Bargaining In The National Basketball Association, Scott Bukstein

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Kicking Away Responsibility: Fifa's Role In Response To Migrant Worker Abuses In Qatar's 2022 World Cup, Azadeh Erfani

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Analysis Of The Protections Of Workers' Demands In The People's Republic Of China And The United States In The Global Economy -- The Costs And Benefits Of Collective Bargaining, Xiaohan Sun

Maurer Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Partnerships In Employment National Transition Systems Change Project: Building A Transition-To-Employment Agenda, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

The national Partnerships in Employment (PIE) National Transition Systems Change Project was established in 2011 by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. This five-year project focuses on improving, developing, and implementing policies and practices that raise community expectations and overall employment outcomes for youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD). Now in the last phase of the funding cycle, the eight state projects involved in the PIE initiative (Alaska, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin) are uniquely positioned to provide youth employment recommendations to federal, state, and local agencies. In this document, we share several of the findings …

Employment Discrimination, Peter Reed Corbin, John E. Duvall

Mercer Law Review

Perhaps the most significant cases during the 2014 survey period were those that were not handed down by United States Supreme Court, rather than the cases that were decided. Easily the most talked about case during the survey period was the case pending before the Supreme Court, Young v. United Parcel Service, Inc., in which the Court will decide whether the Pregnancy Discrimination Act requires employers to offer work place accommodations to pregnant employees in order to remain on the job. Another high profile case is Mach Mining, LLC v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in which the Supreme Court will …

Civil Disabilities In An Era Of Diminishing Privacy: A Disability Approach For The Use Of Criminal Records In Hiring, Andrew Elmore

Faculty Scholarship

An evaluation of normative and legal frameworks to encourage the employment of people with criminal convictions is in order. While current approaches are likely to eliminate overbroad initial hiring screens, there remains the unfinished project of reintegrating persons with criminal convictions into the workforce. For this, policy tools are needed to discourage the misuse of irrelevant criminal convictions and to encourage a contextualized evaluation of criminal convictions and the fair consideration of applicants’ qualifications separate from them.

This Article proposes a disability normative and legal framework as a useful approach to guide this analysis. Disability laws first consider the privacy …

The Nlrb As An Uberagency For The Evolving Workplace, Michael Z. Green

Faculty Scholarship

In addressing legal issues regarding the relationships between employers and employees, one must navigate a complex maze of rights and remedies that govern the workplace. This Essay details several recent and important workplace disputes addressed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) pursuant to Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Section 7 protects a worker's right to pursue an activity for mutual aid or protection regarding wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The NLRB, a unique agency with its ultimate decisions determined by five members who primarily establish rules through adjudication rather than rule …

Labour Law And Transnational Law: The Fate Of Legal Fields / The Trajectory Of Legal Scholarship, Harry Arthurs

Conference Papers

In this lecture, I’m going to explain how and why I came to write my article, The Law of Economic Subordination and Resistance. I hope that by doing so, I will be able to shed some light not only on my own field of labour law, but on the larger problem of how legal fields or domains of legal knowledge, come into existence, change or become obsolete, and in the end are either transformed or superseded altogether. I will be talking about labour law, but I hope you will be thinking about transnational law. I’m going to try to persuade …

Relevance Is Irrelevant: A Plain Meaning Approach To Title Vii Retaliation Claims, Eric Ledger

Akron Law Review

This article is a case note on the Sixth Circuit’s decision in Niswander. The position of this note is that for the purpose of establishing a retaliation claim under Title VII, 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000e3(a), courts should consider the good-faith production of confidential documents in response to a formal request for discovery as participation activity, not opposition activity. Whether the produced documents are relevant to a formal discovery request should not factor into the participation analysis. The determining question should be whether the employee acted in good faith.

This note will first describe the factual background of the Niswander …