Basic Labor Law Tutorial

Author: Robert A. Golman
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: American labor law typically consists of two parts: labor law and employment law. I once took a course on American labor law while pursuing my Master of Laws degree in the United States, which mainly discussed employment issues, as well as racial discrimination, gender discrimination, age discrimination, and other problems in the workplace. Even now, I can vividly recall the lively image of my professor holding a signboard and walking back and forth while explaining "picketing." This book, written by Professor Robert A. Golman of the University of Pennsylvania, primarily discusses American labor-management relations, such as union organization and collective bargaining, and rarely touches on employment issues.
Initially, American labor-management relations were largely government regulation and were considered private matters, best resolved directly by employers and employees. However, in the latter half of the 19th century, this "government neutrality" perspective changed. Employee collective actions, such as strikes and picketing, in discussing work issues drew increasing attention from courts. Many early cases ruled such unified protests by employees as illegal. With the passage of the Sherman Act, Congress began to prohibit monopolistic practices, and under this broader context, labor and management engaged in a struggle over employment terms and conditions, a battle that has continued to this day.
The layout and design of this book differ from typical American law school casebooks. It does not collect complete cases, include footnotes, or pose questions for discussion. As the author explains, this approach greatly benefits readers. I believe such a layout may also be more suitable for Chinese readers' reading habits.