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LBS 4654 Comparative and International Labor Studies

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Instructor: Dr. Judith Bernier Email: [email protected] Office: 305-348-2513 Office Hours: By Appointment, LC REQUIRED COURSE TEXT BOOK Greg Bamber, Russell Lansbury, and Nick Wailes, International and Comparative Employment Relations: Globalization and Change (5th edition, 2011).

COURSE DESCRIPTION This course examines alternative approaches to labor relations and working-class activism in the selected major economic powers of the world: Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, China, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The course will emphasize the different ways in which workers are organized, the relative success workers and unions have achieved in their respective nations, the different roles played by the state, and the reasons why particular union revitalization strategies and national models of employment relations develop.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the globalization and interrelatedness of employment relations systems, labor movements, and social justice of selected countries that impact on the rest of the world. (Global Awareness)

Conduct a multi-perspective analysis of labor relations, labor movements, and national models of employment in the selected major economic powers/nations, as well as cultural, social and historical events. (Global Perspective)

Demonstrate a willingness to analyze contemporary issues of social justice across the selected nations and inside the United States and to suggest solutions. (Global Engagement)

Use comparative strategies and research methods in order to critically analyze employment relations, labor movements, and social justice in countries not covered in the course.

Analyze the degree to which forms of human difference shape actors’ experiences and perspectives in the employment relationship across nations.

Besides these specific goals, this course also aims to improve a number of broader skills that will be useful to you in all professional settings. These skills include critical thinking and problem solving, verbal and written communication, and leadership and teamwork.

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COURSE POLICIES

Instructor’s Expectations

In order to be successful in this course, you will be expected to:

Purchase the book within the first week of class. Follow instructions and ask questions when you are uncertain of the course material. Create a calendar consisting of the assignments and their respective due dates. Access the course daily to check for messages from your instructor

Academic Integrity

This Code of Academic Integrity was adopted by the Student Government Association on November 28, 2001 and reflects the values articulated in the Student Code of Standards. Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas, and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly to demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of Florida International University. As a student of this university:

I will be honest in my academic endeavors. I will not represent someone else's work as my own. I will not cheat, nor will I aid in another's cheating.

All students are deemed by the university to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook. By taking this course I promise to adhere to FIU's Student Code of Academic Integrity. For details on the policy and procedure go to ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT(http://online.fiu.edu/currentstudents/academicmisconduct).

Assistance for Students The Learning Center is available to assist you in the organization and writing of your papers. The website for the Learning Center is: http://learningcenter.fiu.edu Students with special needs: I understand that there is Office of Disability Services (http://drc.fiu.edu/) available to me should I need it. It is my responsibility to contact them to process my request to have my needs met. I need to follow their procedures as to proper notification to the instructor.

Religious Holidays The University's policy on religious holy days as stated in the University Catalog and Student Handbook will be followed in this class. Any student may request to be excused from class to observe a religious holy day of his or her faith.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS Attendance and Participation (10 points) Your attendance in this course is critical. Students are expected to complete the assigned readings (60-90 pages per week) prior to each class and be prepared to discuss them critically. Regular class attendance and participation in weekly discussions is mandatory for students to be successful in this course. Group Study on Employment Relations (Global Awareness Assignment) In small groups, students will compile and present specific nations’ data on: labor standards, unions, dispute resolution methods, collective bargaining processes, and current labor and social issues. The purpose of this assignment is to increase students’ awareness of the different employment relations within our globalized marketplace and to provide them the political, cultural, and/or historical context for these differences.

Forum Discussions (Global Engagement)

Using select articles, students will write a short position essay in blackboard forum. The purpose of this assignment is to foster a discussion that engages each student’s sensibility, enabling them to challenge and/or consider different positions and perspectives relating to employment relations. (There will be five forum discussions)

Multi-perspective Analysis (Global Perspective)

The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a multi-perspective analysis of labor relations, labor movements, and national models of employment in the selected major economic powers/nations, as well as cultural, social and historical events. The final assignment will be based on a two-part assignment due towards the end of the semester:

Group Presentation: The first part will be a group presentation describing the state of employment relations, labor relations, and social justice in a country not covered by the assigned readings. Each group of students will be responsible for preparing and delivering a 20 to 25 minute-long PowerPoint presentation on the country they have chosen. Each group will also identity the country’s member status with the International Standards Organization (ISO) http://www.iso.org/iso/home.html and present to the class.

Individual Essay: The second part of this assignment will be a 5 to 7 page individually written paper summarizing what you have learned about the country you researched and comparing its system of employment/labor relations to that of the United States. Aside from sharing notes gathered for the presentation, you are not to collaborate with group members on the written portion of this assignment—all ideas should be your own and written in your own words.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Written Work

1. You may choose to submit your written work in class (hard-copy) or electronically via email with an attachment on the due date.

2. Your writing must be word-processed and proofread; excessive typos, spelling errors, and/or non-standard English will not be accepted, and such assignments may be subject to a re-write.

3. Late written work will be penalized 20% of the possible points, and no late assignments will be accepted after one week beyond the due date.

4. Use APA writing style.

Extra Credits Extra credits will be available in the form of a fifth quiz to earn a maximum of 5points.

Evaluation

Participation 10 points

Forums (5): 100 points

Group Study: 35 points

Group Presentation: 60 points

Individual Final Paper: 45 points

Total Points 250 Grades Final grades will be assessed, according to the following scale:

225 - 250 points = A 150 - 174 points = D

200 - 224 points = B Below 150 points = F

175 - 199 points = C

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CLASS SCHEDULE

Session 1

Introduction

Reading n/a Handout n/a Due n/a

Session 2

United States: Exceptionalism and Union Decline

Reading Bamber, Chapter 3 Dan Clawson and Mary Ann Clawson, “U.S. Unions and Revitalisation Strategies in the Neo-Liberal Era,” in Craig Phelan, ed., Trade Union Revitalisation: Trends and Prospects in 34 Countries (online) Bruce E. Kaufman, “Prospects for Union Growth in the United States in the Early 21st Century,” in Anil Verma and Thomas A. Kochan, eds., Unions in the 21st Century: An International Perspective (online) Kim Moody, “The Direction of Union Mergers in the United States: The Rise of Conglomerate Unionism,” in British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 47, No. 4 (online)

Handout n/a Due n/a

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Session 3

Canada: United States Light?

Reading Bamber, Chapter 4 Pradeep Kumar and Gregor Murray, “Innovation in Canadian Unions: Patterns, Causes, and Consequences,” in Pradeep Kumar and Christopher Schenk, eds., Paths to Union Renewal: Canadian Experience (online) David Card and Richard B. Freeman, “Small Differences that Matter: Canada vs. the United States,” in Richard B. Freeman, ed., Working Under Different Rules (online) Jason Clemens, Niels Veldhouis, and Amela Karabegovic, “Explaining Canada’s High Unionization Rates,” Fraser Alert (online)

Handout Due Forum #1

Session 4

Mexico: Partisan Control and Social Conflict

Readings Chapters 2, 3, & 7, in Dan La Botz, Mask of Democracy: Labor Suppression in Mexico Today (online) Graciela Bensusán, “Trade Unionism in Mexico: Current Situation and Obstacles to Renewal,” in Craig Phelan, ed., Trade Union Revitalisation: Trends and Prospects in 34 Countries (online)

Handout Due

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Session 5

Britain: Social Partnership and Revitalization

Readings Bamber, Chapter 2 Michael Terry, “‘Partnership’: A Serious Strategy for UK Trade Unions?” in Anil Verma and Thomas A. Kochan, eds., Unions in the 21st Century: An International Perspective (online) Edmund Henry, John Kelly, and Jeremy Waddington, “Union Revitalisation in Britain,” in European Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 9, No. 1 (online) Nancy Peters, “The United Kingdom Recalibrates the US National Labor Relations Act: Possible Lessons for the United States,” in Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal, Vol. 25, No. 2 (online


Session 6

Germany: Dual Representation and Revitalization

Reading Bamber, Chapter 8 Lowell Turner, “Institutions and Activism: Crisis and Opportunity for a German Labor movement in Decline,” in Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 62, No. 3 (online) Joel Rogers and Wolfgang Streeck, “Workplace Representation Overseas: The Works Councils Story,” in Richard B. Freeman, ed., Working Under Different Rules (online) Cara Waldman, “The Future of German Labor Relations: Lessons German Unions Can Learn from American Failures,” in Connecticut Journal of International Law, Vol. 19, No. 3 (online)

Handout Due

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Session 7

France: State Intervention and Ideological Division

Reading Bamber, Chapter 7 Chris Howell, “The Transformation of French Industrial Relations: Labor Representation and the State in a Post-Dirigiste Era,” in Politics and Society, Vol. 3, No. 2 (online) Sylvie Contrepois, “Shifting Patterns in French Trade Unionism,” in Craig Phelan, ed., Trade Union Revitalisation: Trends and Prospects in 34 Countries (online)


Session 8

Italy: Social Pacts and Centralized Bargaining

Reading Bamber, Chapter 6 Valeria Puglignano, “Understanding the Changing Influence of Trade Unions in Contemporary Italy,” in Craig Phelan, ed., Trade Union Revitalisation: Trends and Prospects in 34 Countries (online) Ida Regalia and Marino Regini, “Collective Bargaining and Social Pacts in Italy,” in Harry Katz, Wonduck Lee, and Joohee Lee, eds., The New Structure of Labor Relations: Tripartism and Decentralization (online)

Handout Due Group Study Assignment

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Session 9

Japan: Lean Production and Enterprise Unionism

Reading Bamber, Chapter 10 Mari Sako, “The Role of Employer and Union Coordination at the Industry and Inter-Sectoral Levels,” in Mari Sako and Hiroki Sato, eds., Japanese Labor and Management in Transition: Diversity, Flexibility, and Participation (online) Susumu Watanabe, “The Japan Model and the Future of Employment and Wage Systems,” in International Labor Review, Vol. 139, No. 3 (online)


Session 10

South Korea: Social Reform and Neo-Corporatism

Reading Bamber, Chapter 11

Doowon Suh, “Korean Labour in Crisis,” in Craig Phelan, ed., Trade Union Revitalisation: Trends and Prospects in 34 Countries (online) Chris Rowley and Kil-Sang Yoo, “Trade Unions in South Korea: Transition Towards Neo-Corporatism?” in John Benson and Ying Zhu, eds., Trade Unions in Asia: An Economic and Sociological Analysis (online)

Handout

Due

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Session 11

China: Globalization and State Control

Reading Bamber, Chapter 12 Mary Gallagher, “‘Time is Money, Efficiency is Life’: The Transformation of Labor Relations in China,” in Studies in Comparative International Development, Vol. 39, No. 2 (online) Mingwei Liu, “Union Organizing in China: Still a Monolithic Labor Movement?” in Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 64, No. 1 (online)

Handout Due

Session 12

India

Reading Bamber, Chapter 13

Anibel Ferus-Comelo, “Unions in India at Critical Crossroads,” in Craig Phelan, ed., Trade Union Revitalisation: Trends and Prospects in 34 Countries (online) K.R. Shyam Sundar, “Trade Unions in India: From Politics of Fragmentation to Politics of Expansion and Integration?” in John Benson and Ying Zhu, eds., Trade Unions in Asia: An Economic and Sociological Analysis (online)

Handout

Due

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Session 13

Reading

Handout

Due CLASS PRESENTATIONS

Session 14

Reading

Handout

Due CLASS PRESENTATIONS

Session 15

Conclusions: The Future of Global Labor

Reading Anil Verma and Thomas Kochan, “Unions in the 21st Century: Prospects for Renewal,” in Anil Verma and Thomas Kochan, eds., Unions in the 21st Century: An International Perspective (online) Richard Hyman, “The Future of Trade Unions,” in Anil Verma and Thomas Kochan, eds., Unions in the 21st Century: An International Perspective (online) Richard B. Freeman, “Lessons for the United States,” in Richard B. Freeman, ed., Working Under Different Rules (online)

Handout

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Due

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