Courses

37:575:100 Introduction to Labor Studies and Employment Relations (3) Work, workers, and organizations that represent employees; class, race, gender, and work; legal, labor market, and human resource issues.

37:575:110 Work, Society, and the Quality of Life (3) Work, social class, diversity, and economic opportunity in the context of globalization; civic engagement and collective action to promote opportunity and social justice for all people.

37:575:201,202 Development of the Labor Movement (3,3) Two-semester overview of the history, philosophy, structure, and activities of trade unions and other worker organizations and their impact on the American economic, political, and social fabric.

37:575:215  Youth and Work (3) Youth in the U.S. labor market; working students, internships and unpaid work; job-hopping; and other contemporary concerns. Policies and practices to improve outcomes.

37:575:230 People, Work, and Organizations (3) Contemporary organizational transformations forming the context for how people are managed at work: decline of bureaucracy and predictable internal careers; growth of flexible, knowledge-based systems.

37:575:250 Finance for Personal and Professional Success (3) Overview of core financial concepts and techniques useful both at work and in personal life; interest, credit, insurance, investments, present value, and net worth.

37:575:294  Avoiding Sexual Harassment (1) Legal, organizational, and social dimensions of sexual harassment in the workplace; power, gender roles, homophobia, and failed romance; effective prevention or response.

37:575:295 Workplace Violence (1) Causes, consequences, and prevention of physical violence in the American workplace.  Organizational policies that preserve the rights and well-being of all employees.

37:575:300  Writing in Labor Studies and Employment Relations (3) Construction of a well-written argument in labor studies and employment relations; application of sound writing principles to contemporary labor policy issues; intensive practice.

37:575:301 Comparative Labor Movements (3) Introduction to the study of unionism as a worldwide phenomenon, with emphasis upon the similarities and differences between the American labor movement and foreign labor movements; the major problems confronting unions in selected European, Asian, Latin American, and African nations.

37:575:302 Comparative Social and Labor Legislation (3) Comparative study of social and labor legislation in foreign countries. Emphasis on the content of labor laws, their administration, the economic and social conditions that promoted them, the economy of nations, and effects of the laws on the relationship of labor and industry.

37:575:303 Black Workers in American Society (3) Examination of the historical relationships between black workers and the American labor movement; analysis of problems facing black workers at the workplace.

37:575:307 Latino Workers in the United States (3) Role of Latino workers in U.S. society and the U.S. economy; impact of the new migration on the U.S. labor market and social policy.

37:575:308 Dynamics of Work and Work Organizations (3) Examination of the social dynamics of economic institutions and their corresponding work relations; corporate organization and trade union structure; selected problems of technological change; human relations in industry and industrialization; human relations in industry and the changing bases of managerial authority.

37:575:309 Working Women in American Society (3) Focus on the contemporary experience of working women, including an exploration of current legal strategies and social policies created to address their concerns.

37:575:310 Labor Relations in Professional Sports (3) Labor relations systems in professional sports in the United States; unique institutional aspects and common features of union-management and employee relations.

37:575:311 Organizational Design and Structure (3) New and old methods of organizing work and organizations ranging from hierarchical bureaucracy to contemporary models emphasizing teamwork and/or flatter or networked structures.

37:575:312 Conflict and Conflict Resolution in the Workplace (3) How people resolve work-related grievances: bargaining, grievance procedures, mediation, arbitration, demonstrations, strikes, and industrial violence. Examines union and nonunion workplaces.

37:575:313 Technological Change and the World of Work (3) Application of computer and microchip technologies coupled with enormous range and flexibility of developing telecommunication systems and their effect on workers, labor unions, industry, and labor-management relations.

37:575:314 Collective Bargaining (3) Comprehensive study of the development of collective bargaining; the nature and scope of contracts; the changing character of collective bargaining processes through negotiation, legislation, the courts, and arbitration; the substantive issues in bargaining, including the implications for public policy.

37:575:315 Employment Law (3) Overview of employment at-will and its limitations; wages and hours; medical/family leave; privacy; drug testing; workers' compensation; and fundamental antidiscrimination law.

37:575:316 Employment Discrimination Law (3) Legal, regulatory, and public policy approaches to employment discrimination of all types; Title VII, ADA, ADEA, relevant New Jersey laws, and related court decisions.

37:575:317 Contingent and Nonstandard Work (3) Issues arising from employment and relationships that have nonstandard aspects; temporary, leased, or part-time employees; independent contractors and owner-operators.

37:575:319 Leadership and Governance of Labor Unions (3) Leadership of all types of labor organizations. Internal management; union politics; relationships with other organizations; use of media; and other key leadership issues.
Prerequisite: 37:575:100 or 101, or permission of instructor.

37:575:320 Immigrant Workers and Their Rights (3) Immigration and immigrant workers in American society; history; current legal rights; related public policy issues; immigrants in unions and community organizations.

37:575:322 American Labor Unions in Politics (3) Role of the labor movement in the political process from the New Deal to the present, including an analysis of its ideology, its legislative agenda, its political action, and its impact on public policy.

37:575:325 Economics of the Employment Relationship (3) Fundamentals of labor economics presented. Economic dimensions of public policies and human resource administration.

37:575:326  Negotiation Concepts and Techniques (3) Negotiation strategy and tactics; interests and interest-based bargaining, rights, power, leverage, concessions, commitment; application of theory in various work-life contexts; negotiation skill development.

37:575:330 Working Women and the Law (3) Survey of laws affecting women as employees: antidiscrimination, OSHA, and other laws.  How law relates to advancement opportunities for women, the glass ceiling, and employer behavior.

37:575:335 Women and the Labor Movement in the United States and Globally (3) How labor movements around the world are addressing such issues as pay equity, equal opportunity, sexual and racial harassment, work-life balance, and women's leadership.

37:575:338 Occupational Safety and Health (3) Federal and state regulatory laws and enforcement; the basic issues involved in safety and health at the workplace; and worker, union, and employer response to the issues.

37:575:340 American Labor Law (3) Examination of the present legal arrangements governing the conduct of labor relations in the United States; historical development and impact of common law, legislative statutes, and court decisions on the growth of the labor movement. Prerequisite: 37:575:100 or 101, or permission of instructor.

37:575:345 Organizational Behavior and Work (3) Behavior by individuals and groups in the workplace; group and intergroup dynamics; organizational culture, structure, and change; leadership, employee motivation, job performance, and feedback.

37:575:350 Public Sector Collective Bargaining (3) Study of employer-employee relations in the public sector; federal executive orders and state and municipal legislation regulating public employers and employee organizations; procedures for bargaining unit certification, representation, and recognition; dispute resolution techniques.

37:575:355 Current Labor Problems (3) Selected number of labor and employment issues that have particular relevance in contemporary society.

37:575:357 Social Movements, Social Change, and Work (3) The theory and practice of social movements and social change, particularly those related to work; the prospects for current and future mobilization.

37:575:359 Organizing for Social Change (3) Theory and practice of community organizing for social change for labor and community groups; membership building; leadership development; strategy development; community power analysis; campaign planning.

37:575:360 Union Organizing (3) Introduction to and critical analysis of union organizing strategies and tactics.

37:575:361 Labor and Corporate Restructuring (3) Study of how management efforts to decentralize organizational structures and reduce employment levels affect industrial relations, work and workers, skill levels and training needs, and productivity and the macroeconomy.

37:575:362 The Work-Education Connection (3) What do workers need to know to be prepared for the jobs being generated by the global economy? How do the American secondary and higher education systems prepare workers for changing jobs?

37:575:363 Labor Unions and the Global Economy (3) Changes in the global economy and their effects on the living standards and bargaining power of American workers and their unions. Alternative strategies for dealing with globalization.

37:575:364 Diversity in the Workplace (3) Focuses on how the increasing demographic diversity of American workplaces affects social relations, cultural dynamics, and organizational effectiveness.

37:575:365 Disability, Work, and Society (3) Explores the relationship of disability to work, politics, law, popular culture, and the built environment; lessons for all disadvantaged groups seeking social change.

37:575:367  Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace (3) Nature of emotional intelligence and its effects on employee performance and organizational success; research on development of emotional intelligence; self-awareness and self-development.

37:575:368 Professional Development Strategies (3) Best practices in professional development; organizational strategies for addressing employee retention, work/life balance, wellness, communication, and other matters related to employee development.

37:575:375 Benefits and Social Insurance (3) Overview of benefits with a focus on social insurance systems, health insurance, and pensions. Relevant issues for employers, employees, unions, and public policy.

37:575:376  Corporate Governance, Power, and Control (3) Corporate governance and the impact of corporations on society; boards of directors; executive compensation; principal-agent/stakeholder theories; issues for labor and the public.

37:575:377 Democratic Capitalism (3) Democracy within the firm, employee ownership, and co-ops; approaches to economic democracy; political and economic theory; case studies; and related career tracks.

37:575:385 Finance for Organizational Leadership (3) Quantitative financial and accounting techniques in organizations used for cost analysis and performance decisions. The class is for nonfinancial leaders in profit and nonprofit organizations.

37:575:391,392,393,394 Issues in Work (1,1,1,1) Brief examination of selected issues in labor and employment relations; topics to be announced.

37:575:395 Perspectives on Labor Studies (3) In-depth study of the classic works on the nature of labor, the relationship of work to other social functions, and the relationship between workers and management. Prerequisite: Open only to labor studies majors who have completed at least 15 credits of labor studies coursework.

37:575:396,397 Concerns at Work (2,2) Examination of contemporary issues related to work; topics to be announced.

37:575:401 Research Methods in Labor Studies (3) Nature and sources of labor statistics; alternative research methods used in the study of labor problems.

37:575:407 Workers' Movement in New Jersey (3) Examination of workers' movements at state and local levels in New Jersey, using library resources, interviews, participant observations, and movement archives. Research results document the development of the New Jersey labor movement.

37:575:450 Senior Seminar in Labor Studies (3) In-depth study of a labor studies topic. Intensive reading and discussion designed to integrate student experiences in the labor studies major. Prerequisite: Open only to labor studies majors who have completed at least 21 credits of labor studies coursework.

37:575:480,481,491,492,493 Topics in Labor Studies (3,3,3,3,3) In-depth examination of particular topics concerning work organization, worker problems, or worker organizations.

37:575:490 Internship in Labor Education (BA) Students work under the supervision of individual faculty members and other experienced labor educators to develop and/or teach courses and workshops.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

37:575:494,495 Independent Study and Research (BA,BA) Individual reading and research project under the guidance of a labor studies faculty member on a topic of interest to the student.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

37:575:496,497 Internship in Labor Studies (BA,BA) Students work as staff members in a labor union or labor-related organization (public or private), in an industrial relations unit in private industry, or as employees in a position that permits observation of and participation in a labor union at the grassroots level. Allows students to apply conceptual knowledge learned in the classroom to actual situations and to acquire new skills and knowledge.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

37:575:498,499 Honors in Labor Studies (BA,BA) Individual research and reading project under the guidance of a member of the department. Prerequisite: Permission of department. Open only to honors students. Courses from other Rutgers–New Brunswick departments counting toward the labor studies and employment relations major.