Estlund to Speak on Workplace Self-Governance

Cynthia Estlund will speak February 28 at Case Western School of Law on the issue: Is workplace self-governance a New Deal idea whose time has passed, or is it a solution to pressing contemporary problems?  Her talk will focus on the relationship between the workplace and democracy.  As union representation and collective bargaining have declined, employment regulations, rights and litigation have proliferated, and employees must assert themselves to make sure their rights are protected, says Estlund.  "In response, firms have put in place internal compliance and dispute resolution systems that aim to, and sometimes do, deflect regulation and litigation.  If employees continue to be shut out of these self-regulatory systems, the result may be a disguised form of deregulation.  But if employees can gain an effective voice in these systems, the result could be improved regulation and a revival of workplace self-governance."

rb