Labor Law

The Labor Law course focuses on workers' rights to engage in collective action, including through unionization and collective bargaining. In the private sector, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is the main statute that governs relationships between unions, employers, and employees; it is administered and enforced by the federal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Major topics to be covered include the union representation process, including recognition outside of NLRB elections; the regulation of campaign conduct during an organizing effort; workplace activities that are (and are not) protected by the NLRA; retaliation on the basis of union activities or support, or on the basis of other concerted activities for the purpose of mutual aid or protection; the legal framework surrounding the process of collective bargaining between employers and unions; the use of economic action (e.g., strikes and picketing); and the labor relations issues surrounding corporate transactions or other organizational transitions. To the extent time allows, we will also discuss issues related to public sector workers' rights to bargain collectively.