Q: What is the focus of the panel on which you are speaking?
A: The panel is on future trends in labor arbitration.
Q:How does your current work or research connect to this panel?
A: I serve as an adjunct instructor for the Scheinman Institute, developing the next generation of labor arbitrators. I try to incorporate current trends in the field (such as social media violations) into the arbitrator curriculum, including the case simulations.
Q:What is significant about this work; how is it relevant to today’s issues in the workplace?
A: The research supports evolving trends in labor law and workplace relations. One example is the linkage between medical marijuana and workplace drug testing. Historically, smoking weed was illegal and would get you fired if you were drug tested - no questions asked. Today, weed is legal in many states for health reasons, so labor law and labor arbitration needs to adjust to the implications of employees testing positive but not being impaired to perform their job.
Q: How will attending LERA help move your work forward?
A: LERA is a unique collaboration of scholars and practitioners to study issues.