Requirements: four brief response papers and one research paper
Prerequisite: Any class in labor relations or relevant experience
This seminar will have three thematic parts. First, it will look at the changing nature of the employment relationship and its implications for labor and employment law. In the past decade, there has been a marked increase in the use of flexible work practices and a corresponding abandonment of internal labor market job structures of the past. Because many features of current labor and employment law are built upon the assumption of long-term attachment between the worker and the firm, it is necessary to revisit many aspects of the regulatory framework, including collective bargaining law, employment discrimination, and social insurance. The seminar will examine what has changed and look at some of the ramifications.
The second theme concerns the problems posed by the globalization of production for labor standards. This section will study the prospects for transnational labor regulation and the barriers to achieving a mechanism for preserving domestic labor standards and promoting international labor standards.
The third theme is the extent to which the dynamics of flexibilization are affecting the regulatory regimes in other countries.
The seminar will meet weekly, with readings to be assigned. Students will be required to write brief response pieces to four of the weekly readings, and to prepare a research paper on a topic to be selected in consultation with the instructor.