Labor tribunals: "Legislation v Appointment"

[Kenneth Campbell <kkc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I was in an Industrial Disputes seminar the other day.

We had opened with "purpose clauses" as a foundation of various labor
acts -- like the very important Wagner Act, to sate you Yanquiphiles.
(The Wagner Act is, itself, rather astounding, in terms of modern labor
retreat. Read the purpose clause of that and see the comment on
depression of wages. Clearly reflective of its time.)

But of more practical interest was the swing nature of the electorate in
dominant Canadian provinces. First the Parti Quebecois, the NDP in
Ontario, then B.C. -- the game is the re-writing of the rules of
resolving labor trouble. That is, legislative change.

As I understand it, in Canada, the way to change the game is to leave
the tribunals (somewhat, or very somewhat) alone and just re-write the
legislation.

In the U.S., the game is to leave the legislation alone and just stack
the tribunals openly. Does anyone have stats on that? The composition of
tribunals?

Ken.

--
If you are going through hell, keep going.
          -- Winston Churchill