Labor and Employment Law Commons^™

Managing Workplace Grief--Vision And Necessity , Jan Jung-Min Sunoo, Brenda Paik Sunoo

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In the course of offering workplace expertise, the FMCS has also presented its workshop "Managing Grief in the Workplace." The trainings have been given at local, regional, national and international labor relations and mediation conferences, and in college settings. We have found great receptivity to this cutting edge topic. Support in this area can greatly help unions and companies work through the conflicting expectations of a bereaved employee's job performance. Workshops in "Managing Grief in the Workplace" can initiate needed discussions and helping the partners to set up compassionate and realistic bereavement policies in the workplace. Finally, many participants expressed …

Essential Collaborative Technology Tools For The 21st Century: Fmcs Tags System , Michael J. Wolf, Jon Numair, Jack Yoedt

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Mediators employed by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service ("FMCS") utilize a powerful set of technology tools that helps groups more effectively solve problems, make decisions and implement those decisions more successfully. FMCS mediators use these tools to help customers conduct collective bargaining negotiations, strategic planning sessions, grievance meetings, internal elections, large conferences, as well as remote meetings and online surveys via the Internet. Known as the FMCS TAGS System, this network of Internet servers, mobile computers, electronic conferencing facilities, customized software and external partners has demonstrated significant achievements during its first two years of operation. FMCS customers report that …

Fmcs On The Cutting Edge, Richard Barnes

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

As a national organization with a proud and distinguished history in conflict resolution, FMCS has always felt a particular obligation to promote professionalism and public confidence in the mediation process. In light of the growing number of individuals who identify themselves as "mediators", and the lack of any uniform standards for the practice of mediation, FMCS is the first national organization to credential outside private and public sector mediators. We are focusing on three specific dispute resolution disciplines: labor, employment, and regulatory negotiations. Credentialing does not restrict mediation practitioners to the extent that licensure and certification would. Rather, credentialing distinguishes …

Are Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives Exempted From The Overtime-Pay Requirements Of The Fair Labor Standards Act?, Anne M. Lofaso

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Eliminating The Mandatory Trade-Off: Should Employees Have The Right To Choose Arbitration ?, Michael Peabody

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

As more employers include mandatory arbitration provisions in their employment contracts, policy-makers are becoming concerned that employees are being forced to trade their civil and statutory rights for their jobs. The California Legislature is considering legislation designed to combat this tendency and to provide legal protection for employees who might otherwise be forced to waive the right for redress of grievances, legal protections against discrimination, and other rights. Although the legislation was designed to protect the constitutional rights of employees, there are legal considerations and policy concerns that challenge the viability of this type of legislation. The primary question is …

Making It Work At Work: Mediation's Impact On Employee/Employer Relationships And Mediator Neutrality , Allison Balc

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This Comment discusses the ADR process of mediation in the employment setting, specifically addressing its benefits and effects on the employer/employee relationship and the potential for a non-neutral mediator who is paid by, or has some previous tie to, one of the parties. Section IA examines judicial and legislative views of ADR and mediation. IB discusses mediation's effectiveness in the workplace. Section II discusses the mediation process in an employment dispute. Section III discusses the effects of mediation on the employer and employee, empirical studies, the neutrality of mediators, and potential remedies. Section IV discusses neutrality in the mediation process. …

Will Eeoc V. Waffle House, Inc. Signal The Beginning Of The End For Mandatory Arbitration Agreements In The Employment Context? , Marc A. Altenbernt

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Since the inception of several employment and discrimination statutes, arbitration has grown exponentially as an alternative for the adjudication of employment disputes. The Supreme Court has traditionally held that statutory claims are indeed arbitrable pursuant to a valid arbitration agreement under the Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA"). In an effort to end employment discrimination based on "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin," Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VII"). In order to adequately effect this calling, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") was created as the Act's primary enforcement mechanism. While arbitration agreements under the FAA and …

Summary Of Holiday Retirement Corp. V. State, Dir, 128 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 13, Jason L. Deforest

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

The Court considered an appeal from a district court order denying a petition for judicial review in a worker’s compensation action.

Umass Boston – Brazilian Immigrant Center Partnership, Tim Sieber, C. Eduardo Siqueira, Natalicia Tracy, Gaston Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Brazilian Immigrant Center (BIC) does organizing, advocacy and training to reduce marginalization of Brazilian immigrants, promoting their engagement as workers & civic participants. A worker’s center, BIC supports and defends workers’ rights under current state & US labor laws. BIC helps workers mediate complaints with employers, and refers others for class action suits, or intervention by the Mass. Attorney General or US Dept. of Labor. A special focus at present is organizing mostly women domestic workers, and BIC has a new Law and Policy Clinic, a Domestic Worker Mediation Program, and an Immigration Justice Project staffed by two full-time …

Vol. 29, No. 2, Mitchell Roth

The Illinois Public Employee Relations Report

SB7 A Union Perspective by Mitchell Roth

Recent Developments

West Virginia Courts Attempting To Equitably Distribute Defined Benefit Pension Plans During Divorce Proceedings: An Examination Of The Immediate Offset And Deferred Distribution Methods, Alex Greenberg

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Employment Law—The Elusive Enforceability Of Employment Covenants Not To Compete In Arkansas, Victoria J. Malony

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

Generally speaking, a covenant not to compete , or noncompete agreement, is a promise in an employment contract not to engage in the same type of business for a stated time in the same market as the employer. When these agreements are found by courts to be unenforceable, it leaves employers vulnerable to competitors. On the other hand, when they are enforced, employees may be unable to find work in the industry in which they are most experienced.

Because of the conflicts inherent in covenants not to compete, many courts have struggled to create a rule that can be fairly …

Institute Brief: Effective Training For Employment Consultants: Job Development And Support Strategies, Amy Gelb, Derek Nord, Alberto Migliore, John Butterworth

The Institute Brief Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This Institute Brief summarizes the key elements of a training and support approach designed to improve job development practices. Employment Consultants who participated supported more individuals to enter employment, and supported people to achieve higher-quality jobs with more hours and higher levels of pay, than a control group who had not yet received training.

Unemployed Veterans During A Recession: Factors Affecting The Completion Rate Of The Vocational Rehabilitation And Employment Program, Chris Witt

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The purpose of my research is to determine what factors affect the outcome of the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. Previous literature examines individuals from each state in various stages of the program to determine which factors cause their individual outcome. Although previous research covered a broad spectrum of factors there still remains a lack of significant evidence to determine the observed outcome. I added state expenditures to the previous data to attempt to determine whether or not there is a correlation between funding and the completion of the program. I used the Department of Veteran Affairs 2007 Veterans Employability …

Holding Teachers Accountable And Rewarding Those Who Perform: Evaluating A Performance-Based Pay System For West Virginia, Laura K. Omps

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Chill Of A Wintry Light? Borough Of Duryea V. Guarnieri And The Right Of Petition In Public Employment, William A. Herbert

Publications and Research

This article analyzes the Supreme Court’s decision in Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri, which held that in order for a petition, grievance or litigation by a public employee to be protected against retaliation under the Petition Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution it must satisfy the public concern test applicable in retaliation cases alleging a violation of the Speech Clause. The decision was issued in the midst of a renewed contemporary debate over public sector collective bargaining and other statutory rights in public employment. The article analyzes the decision in the context of American public sector …

The Eye-Roll Heard 'Round The World: Protecting Citizens' Free Speech And Petition Rights In Accessing Local Government, Sarah Klaper

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

The article argues that local governments should not restrict citizens' non-verbal expressions, such as eye-rolling, during public meetings unless there is a compelling reason. It emphasizes that such restrictions must be viewpoint-neutral and narrowly tailored to maintain the balance between order and First Amendment rights.

Negotiating Within A Shared Governance Format, Suzanne C. Wagner, C. Henrik Borgstrom

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

The act of unionization creates a sense of unity among faculty, however, it also creates an adversarial relationship with administration. Although both the administration and the faculty believe they have the university’s best interests in mind, contract negotiations are typically contentious and divisive. A unique process for negotiations is presented illustrating how working within a shared governance format can enable faculty and administration to work together in preparation, research and analysis, problem solving and mutual gains bargaining that results in success for both parties and, ultimately, the university.

Examining The Decline In Bargaining Power In Faculty Labor Unions In The United States: The Effects Of Reduced Monopoly Power In Providing Public Higher Education, Lynn A. Smith, Robert S. Balough

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This study examines the decline in the economic power of faculty labor unions in public higher education in the United States in recent years. The authors assume the labor union is a utility maximizing entity and that income accrues to the “union family.” The union family attempts to maximize this income. By analyzing collective bargaining agreements and hiring practices between the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, the authors construct bargaining indices. Because this study is focused on the change in bargaining power of labor unions in public higher education …

Collective Bargaining In United Kingdom Higher Education, Helen Fairfoul, Laurence Hopkins, Geoff White

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This article provides an overview of the collective bargaining system in United Kingdom (UK) higher education and considers some of the current challenges. The arrangements for determining the pay of staff in UK higher education reflect both the historical context of the UK funding system and the unique nature of UK industrial relations law. From World War II, the funding of UK higher education has predominantly come from central government spending with a strong central framework of policy and governance. Since the 1960s, the higher education sector has grown dramatically, both in terms of student numbers and the number of …

Universities Must Continue To Bargain, Thomas J. Kriger

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Faculty with collective bargaining rights across the nation will—and should—agree with Daniel Julius’s conclusion that “College and university leaders should continue to honor collectively negotiated agreements maintaining relationships with faculty unions.” When implemented correctly, these agreements, as Julius points out, serve the interests of both faculty and administrators. Such agreements codify and protect due process rights for both sides. They also provide both faculty and administrators with a level of predictability and stability in labor relations that are necessary on today’s complex and hectic campuses. While I agree with almost everything Julius has written here, there are a number of …

It's Payback Time, Or Is It?: An Argument To Apply Universal Heightened Standards To All Employee Stock-Based Individual Account Programs In The Post-Enron Era And Why Sarbanes-Oxley's Preventive Measures Do Not Adequately Protect Employee Investor Interests, Sarah Y. Rifaat

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Roberts Court Gets Down To Business: The Business Cases, Kenneth W. Starr

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Aclu And The Propriety Of Dispute Resolution In Civil Rights Controversies, Amber Mckinney

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Section I examines the history, purpose, and methodology of the American Civil Liberties Union. Section II discusses the historical development and use of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Section III, Part A provides examples of its use in environmental controversies, Americans with Disabilities Act disputes, and employment conflicts. Section III, Part B explains the arguments for and against the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Civil Rights Controversies. Section IV, Part A looks at examples of the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution by the American Civil Liberties Union, while Part B provides insight into the interplay of Alternative Dispute Resolution and the …

Negotiating Part-Time Work: An Examination Of How Attorneys Negotiate Part-Time Arrangements At Elite Law Firms , Audrey J. Lee

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article first provides background information pertaining to recent research on gender in negotiation and prior studies on part-time work at law firms. The author then discusses the methodology and sample of the current study of part-time work arrangements of attorneys at elite law firms in one major metropolitan legal market. Next the article describes the current study's results with respect to whether attorneys viewed this situation as an opportunity to negotiate, measured by their preparation, and whether attorneys' approaches were impacted by the existence of objective criteria, viewed here as the firm's part-time policy. The author then provides prescriptive …

Negotiating The "Labor Of Love": How Resources, Time, And Gender Shape Parenting Agreements, Marlena Studer

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Law Firms As Defendants: Family Responsibilities Discrimination In Legal Workplaces, Joan C. Williams, Stephanie Bornstein, Diana Reddy, Betsy A. Williams

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Work-Family Legislation In The United States, Canada, And Western Europe: A Quantitative Comparison, Richard N. Block

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Keeping Discrimination Theory Front And Center In The Discourse Over Work And Family Conflict, Laura T. Kessler

Pepperdine Law Review

This essay is a contribution to a symposium on balancing career and family. It frames the problem of work/family conflict as a form of sex discrimination. It demonstrates that many of the constructs commonly used to illustrate an absence of employment discrimination - such as the accident, opt-out, time-lag theories - actually fit quite comfortably within various discrimination frameworks. It also contextualizes the problem of work/family conflict within the larger issue of gender bias in the workplace, demonstrating how each contributes to and works together to produce workplace inequality for women. This approach contrasts with the traditional bifurcation of gender …

‘They Won't Work!’ - Efficacy Of An Active Labor Market Policy From The Perspective Of Psychology, Marco Meissner

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

No abstract provided.