Labor and Employment Law Commons^™

The Limitation On Undocumented Workers’ Lost Earnings After Balbuena And Sanango: Crafting A Fair And Principled Balance Of Immigration Policy And New York State Labor Law § 240 Safety Goals, Meredith R. Miller

Scholarly Works

In December 2004, in a pair of cases, the Appellate

Division, First Department, held that under state labor

and tort laws, injured workers who are not legally permitted

to be present or employed in the United States

are only entitled to receive lost earnings reflecting what

they could have earned in their country of origin. This

article explores these First Department decisions by first

discussing the federal statutory and decisional backdrop

against which the cases arose. This article then

provides a discussion of the First Department cases and

the competing economic incentives they implicate.

Finally, this article posits that a …

Regulation Of The Work Performance Relationship: Independent Contractors, Labor Subcontractors, And Joint Control Over An Employment-Like Relationship, Marley S. Weiss

Faculty Scholarship

I. Introduction. II. Who is covered and who is excluded from the protective scope of labor law, and the legal consequences for those excluded as independent contractors or owners. III. Benefits and burdens of the “employment relationship” characterization compared to a contract for services. IV. Speculations about solutions to the work relationship problem.

Upon Further Review: Why The Nfl May Not Be Free After Clarett, And Why Professional Sports May Be Free From Antitrust Law, Darren W. Dummit

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This note begins by reviewing the Jewel Tea line of cases that theoretically serve as the starting point for any non-statutory exemption discussion, followed by brief overviews of the contrasting Wood and Mackey lines of cases. The background section then turns to a summary of Brown--the latest Supreme Court decision relating to the collective bargaining process in professional sports--followed by a brief discussion of the NFL eligibility rule and how it differs from the recently-enacted NBA eligibility rule, which is of unquestioned legality. Finally, both the District Court and Court of Appeals decisions in Clarett are summarized.

The analysis begins …

Developing A Course On The Rights Of Low-Wage Workers, Shirley Lung

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

The Needle And The Damage Done: How Hoffman Plastics Promotes Sweatshops And Illegal Immigration And What To Do About It , Jennifer S. Berman

ExpressO

This paper examines the intersection of immigration and labor law as developed in federal law, culminating in the recent Supreme Court case, Hoffman Plastics. Arguing that Hoffman was wrongly decided, the paper further demonstrates that stronger penalties are necessary under the NLRA to deter employer wrongdoing, protect workers’ rights, and slow the proliferation of sweatshops.

Labor Standards On Cypriot Ships: Myth And Reality, Iliana Christodoulou-Varotsi, Dmitri A. Pentsov

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of labor and social security standards on Cypriot and Greek ships. Potential cost savings for shipowners who register their ships in one country rather than the other may result from the absence of a given standard in the country of registration, or a lower or more flexible standard in that country than in the other. The authors conclude that the registration of ships in Cyprus does not provide overall advantages (in terms of "inferior" labor standards) over registration in Greece. Broadly speaking, shipowners may gain certain advantages by registering their ships in Cyprus …

A Different Kind Of Labor Law: Vagrancy Law And The Regulation Of Harvest Labor, 1913-1924, Ahmed A. White

Publications

No abstract provided.

Global Economic Forces And Individual Labor Rights: An Uneasy Coexistence, Alice De Jonge

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Workers’ Rights as Human Rights edited by James A. Gross. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2003. 272pp.

and

International Labor Standards: Globalization, Trade, and Public Policy edited by Robert J. Flanagan and William B. Gould IV. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 2003. 275pp.

The Supreme Court's Labor And Employment Decisions: 2002-2003 Term, Maria O'Brien

Faculty Scholarship

This article summarizes U.S. Supreme Court cases from the October 2002 term that related directly or indirectly to labor or employment law or have implications for labor and employment practitioners. Of particular interest are the University of Michigan affirmative action cases' and the Texas criminal sodomy case. ² Although not nominally "labor and employment" cases, these cases will profoundly affect labor and employment issues. Lawrence v. Texas has already altered the lenses through which society views homosexuality and altered public discourse related to homosexuality and same-sex relationships. ³ The reasoning of the Court shows how far issues of sexuality have …

Law And The Future Of Organized Labor In America, Keith N. Hylton

Faculty Scholarship

This paper, prepared for "The Future of Organized Labor in America" symposium at Wayne State University Law School, examines two questions: 1) what are the implications of the decline of unions for the future of labor law, and 2) what are the implications of labor law for the decline of unions? After documenting the recent trends (decline in the private sector coupled with slight growth in the public sector), I argue that the change in the public-versus-private composition will lead unions to pursue legislative strategies that will further reduce the share of the private sector workforce in unions. A law …

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 …

The United Student-Athletes Of America: Should College Athletes Organize In Order To Protect Their Rights And Address The Ills Of Intercollgiate Athletics?, Marc Jenkins

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This note will focus on the legal feasibility and practicality of forming a student-athlete players association or union. It assumes that a strike is a possible avenue the CAC may take in the future. Unlike the professional sports unions, the make-up of athletes on college campuses is in constant flux. This will obviously make it harder to initiate a strike. Part I of the note will concentrate on the realities of major college sports and the athletes that play them. This background will establish why student-athletes may want to form a players association. Part II will analyze the NCAA governing …

Labor And Employment Law, Thomas M. Winn Iii

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

After "Hiding The Ball" Is Over: How The Nlrb Must Change Its Approach To Decision-Making, Michael Hayes

All Faculty Scholarship

Is the National Labor Relations Board (the NLRB or the Board), the agency that oversees federal labor law, still relevant? When this question is considered, as it frequently is by scholars, lawyers and officials of the NLRB itself, the focus typically is on whether changes in the workplace, the economy and society are diminishing the relevance of the Board. But there is a new and more immediate threat to the relevance of the Board that so far has been mostly ignored - that the Board is in danger of being rendered a superfluous legal institution in the scheme of American …

The Disenfranchisement Of Federal Employee: Why The Federal Government Does Not Follow The Fair Labor Standards Act, D Aaron Lacy

St. Thomas Law Review

The largest employer in the nation is violating the bedrock of employment law. Although several laws govern the regulation of overtime in the federal sector, federal employees are often unaware of them. The Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA" or "Act") regulates overtime provisions in employment in the private and public sectors. The FLSA provides for overtime to be paid at a rate of time and one-half of the employee's normal hourly rate. Federal statutes regulate overtime pay with regard to federal employees. These statutes call for an overtime rate for certain employees that is less than the required time and …

Good Faith: Balancing The Right To Manage With The Right To Represent, Suzanne Darrow-Kleinhaus

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Extending Weingarten To The Nonunion Setting: A History Of Oscillation, Sarah C. Flannery

Cleveland State Law Review

Passed in response to the nineteenth century hostility towards union activity, the NLRA traditionally was viewed as a pro-union statute. However, as much as the Act contains provisions clearly aimed at protecting union activity, the Act explicitly applies to non-union employees as well as union employees. Nevertheless, many nonunion employers and employees are unaware of the existence of the NLRA despite it being the only law governing the relationship between an employer and its employees as a group in most private sector establishments in this country. This Note analyzes the conflicting history surrounding this issue and asserts that the necessary …

Designated Diffidence: District Court Judges On The Courts Of Appeals Papers Of General Interest, James J. Brudney, Corey Distlear

Faculty Scholarship

Since 1980, District CourtJudges, designated pursuant to federal statute, have helped decide over 75,000 court of appeals cases-nearly one of every five merits decisions. Although scholars and judges have warned that the presence of these visitors on appellate panels may undermine consistency, legitimacy, or collegiality, little empirical evidence exists related to such concerns. Working with an especially complete data set of labor law opinions, the authors found that district court visitors perform in a much more diffident fashion than their appellate colleagues. They contribute notably fewer majority opinions and dissents. In addition, their participations do not reflect their professional or …

A Framework For The Rejuvenation Of The American Labor Movement, Michael C. Harper

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Right To Strike In Essential Services Under United States Labor Law, Marley S. Weiss

Faculty Scholarship

SUMMARY: I. Introduction. II. A Brief History of U.S. Collective Labor Relations Laws. III. The Structure of Labor-Management Relations in The U.S. IV. The Right to Strike. V. Private Sector “Essential Services” Provisions: LMRA National. VI. Conclusion.

Negligent Retention And Arbitration: The Effect Of A Developing Tort On Traditional Labor Law, Terry A. Bethel

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Labor Law And Industrial Peace: A Comparative Analysis Of The United States, The United Kingdom, Germany, And Japan Under The Bargaining Model, Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In this Article, Professor Dau-Schmidt provides a comparative analysis of the labor laws of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan for the purposes of identifying which characteristics of a country's labor laws are likely to reduce strike incidence and intensity and promote industrial peace. To identify which characteristics of a country's law are likely to encourage industrial peace, Professor Dau-Schmidt presents game theory arguments based on his analysis of unions and collective bargaining. Dau-Schmidt then provides a simple empirical test as to the relative success of different countries' laws in advancing industrial peace by comparing data on …

Some Keys To The Nba Lockout, Grant M. Hayden

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

This article addresses two central issues regarding the 1998-99 National Basketball Association (“NBA”) lockout: 1) its impact on labor law doctrine and 2) what it reveals about the state of labor relations in the United States. The author concludes that, while the use of the traditional lockout weapon did not break any new ground in the area of labor law, the unique attributes of the NBA labor dispute provide insight into the condition of the American labor movement and public perceptions of unions. In particular, the author notes that the NBA lockout highlights both the dramatic differences in the power …

The Indentured Servants Of Academia: The Adjunct Faculty Dilemma And Their Limited Legal Remedies, John C. Duncan, Jr.

Journal Publications

In this half of the twentieth century, the academic equivalent of the indentured servant is the adjunct faculty member in higher education. Adjuncts cannot say or do much about their plight. The dilemma of adjunct faculty leads to what should be considered a violation of due process rights. This Article first examines who are the adjunct faculty, what are their dilemmas, and how are they viewed in the academic world. The heart of the paper then explores the limited legal remedies available. The essential problems of lack of due process and minimal protection through collective bargaining and contractual agreements are …

The Shore Line Status Quo Requirement, Daniel R. Elliott Iii

Cleveland State Law Review

This article examines the Supreme Court’s 1969 decision in Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Railroad v. United Transportation Union. It discusses the decisions following 1969 that weakened the Shore Line holding and thus undermined one of the principal purposes behind the Railway Labor Act. Part I lays out the background of the Railway Labor Act status quo requirements. Part II delves into the Shore Line decision. Part III explains the effect subsequent status quo decisions have had on the Shore Line holding. Part IV discusses related case law that also impacted the Shore Line holding. And finally, Part V points …

Political Power Of Nuisance Law: Labor Picketing And The Courts In Modern England, 1871-Present, The , Rachel Vorspan

Faculty Scholarship

This inquiry, a comprehensive historical study of the impact of nuisance law on labor picketing in England, comprises six sections. Part I introduces general principles of labor law and nuisance law in the nineteenth century, particularly the legislative scheme of "collective laissezfaire" that emerged after 1871 and remained relatively intact until 1980. Part II examines the use of nuisance doctrines against picketers in the first phase of confrontational picketing from 1889 to 1906, when the appearance of militant unions representing unskilled workers stimulated inventive judicial responses in both private and public nuisance. Part III investigates the much heralded judicial and …

God, Labor, And The Law: The Pursuit Of Religious Equality In Northern Ireland's Workforce, Jane H. Thorpe

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In Northern Ireland, a Catholic man is twice as likely to be unemployed as his Protestant counterpart. This employment differential can be attributed directly to the religious sectarianism that has plagued Northern Ireland for almost 400 years. Traditionally, the Protestant community has used economic rights and employment opportunities to maintain its power and authority over the Catholic community. Resolution of this employment differential would be a key step toward achieving peace and unity in Northern Ireland; however, no progress can be made toward this goal until both communities share economic benefits and hardships. In 1989, the British Parliament passed the …

A Practical Guide To Employment-Based Immigration The State Of Employment-Based Immigration In The Wake Of The Illegal Immigration Reform And Immigrant Responsibility Act Of 1996, Helen L. Konrad, Mark B. Rhoads, Eliot Norman

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

A Simulation Of Union Organizing In A Labor Law Class, Roberto L. Corrada

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

Since I started teaching, in 1990, I have realized that the vast majority (probably more than 95 percent) of the students in my class on labor relations law have never worked in a unionized environment. Indeed, a great many have not worked in what has sometimes been termed an "industrial" or "blue collar" environment. As a result, I have found it difficult in class to contextualize cases and inculcate an appreciation for the collective consciousness that characterizes the union experience, especially in the industrial setting.

From my point of view, there were three substantial benefits to the simulation that I …

Striker Replacements: A Law, Economics, And Negotiations Approach, Rafael Gely, Leonard Bierman

Faculty Publications

In this article, we directly attack Professors Wachter and Cohen's assertion regarding the economic efficiency of the Mackay doctrine. Applying internal and external labor market analysis, we argue that the Mackay doctrine is economically inefficient because it allows employers to behave “opportunistically” with respect to employees that have made “firm-specific” investments in their employing firms. To remedy this problem we propose a new “negotiations approach,” the components of which are: (1) the statutory overruling of Mackay, and (2) the concomitant amendment of the NLRA to make the striker replacement issue a “mandatory” subject of collective bargaining.