Labor Law (Burke)
Meeting Times/Location
MW 9:00AM - 10:20AM
Silverman Hall 245A
Category
Upper-Level
Credits
3.0
This course will survey the legal relationship between employers and employee unions, as well as employees engaged in collective activity. Our focus will be on U.S. labor law, at the center of which is the National Labor Relations Act and the unique administrative structure and process that law created. We will study the various encounters and problems labor law purports to address, including union campaigns and elections, collective bargaining, strikes and picketing, and employee grievances. Along the way we will analyze labor law as a social institution and market intervention, discussing not only how it has developed in historical context, but also why parties on all sides presently seem to believe it to be significantly flawed. Students interested in employment are encouraged to enroll, as this course complements coursework in employment law. Classroom sessions will include lecture and discussion of topics and readings, as well as occasional exercises; regular attendance is required. Assessment will be by means of a midterm exercise (30%) and final exam (60%) as well as class participation (10%). Students completing the JD degree may seek permission to use this course in fulfillment of the senior writing requirement in lieu of the midterm and final exam.