Heightened Worker Militancy: How to Avoid Unnecessary Conflict

On Wednesday, October 11, the Scheinman Institute hosted a webinar on “Heightened Worker Militancy: How to Avoid Unnecessary Conflict”. Moderated by Dan McCray, Director of Labor Relations programs for the Scheinman Institute, the discussion examined why there has been a marked recent increase in worker militancy exhibited in increased union organizing, frequent strikes, and contentious collective bargaining.

Joining McCray were Harry Katz, Jack Sheinkman Professor and Director of the Scheinman Institute and Arthur Wheaton, Director of Labor Studies at the Institute.

A key point of the conversation was an exploration of the rise in labor-management conflict driven by a surge in organizing activity dealing with worker grievances including the return of in-person work, economic pressures impacted by inflation, and the necessity of cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) clauses.

The panelists also addressed employer concerns, such as whether the growth in labor militancy is a sign of a long-term increase in union organizing, the role of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in enforcing good-faith bargaining, and the impact of recent labor strikes.

There was also a focus on strategies labor and management can use to reduce the occurrence of unnecessary conflict in the workplace.

Learn more and view the webinar here.