Current Issues in Collective Bargaining

Catalog description

This advanced level mini-course examines several key issues in today's collective bargaining between US private sector employers and unions. Through extensive pre-class readings and podcasts, and during four 3 hour classes, we will trace key developments that have set the table for today's bargaining environment, eg., the deindustrialization of the American economy, the decline of union workforce density, and the rise of defensive collective bargaining; examine resultant wage stagnation and troubled health care and defined benefit pension plans; investigate the effects and intersection of employment law and legislation on collective bargaining and dispute resolution; and consider the emerging arena of unionization in higher education.