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Professor Katz

Director’s Update

Harry C. Katz

Harry C. Katz is the Director of the Scheinman Institute and the Jack Sheinkman Professor of Collective Bargaining.

On June 24, I began a three-year term as President of the International Labor and Employment Relations Association (ILERA). The mission of ILERA, established in 1967, is to promote the study and practice of labor and employment relations. Today, the association includes industrial relations, labor market policy, and human resource scholars and practitioners, and 38 national associations. Its World Congress is held every three years where scholars, policymakers and other stakeholders exchange ideas and best practices. One of my tasks as ILERA President is to organize the organization’s 2024 World Congress. 

During my term I also hope to expand the organization’s global role, particularly in Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. Industrial relations is beginning to play a key role in the social and economic development in those locations. The expansion of global supply chains in emerging countries has, not surprisingly, produced workplace conflicts and concerns about the adequacy of labor protections. For example, in those regions mediation and arbitration services as well as workforce training and development policies are under-developed. Through initiatives led by Dick Fincher, the Scheinman Institute for several years has led winter break student study tours addressing these issues in Vietnam. ILERA can play a constructive role further addressing these issues in part by assisting the formation of national labor and employment relations associations in emerging countries. 

The Scheinman Institute recently received approval and financial support from the Research Foundation of the National Academy of Arbitrators (NAA) to conduct a comprehensive survey of U.S. and Canadian NAA arbitrators. The survey seeks to identify how the arbitration and mediation work of NAA members has evolved in recent years including the impact of the pandemic and the effects of the Janus decision. In addition, the survey addresses the extent to which virtual technologies are being used to conduct hearings and NAA members are becoming involved in settling employment rights disputes in the non-union sector or non-employment e.g. commercial disputes. The survey will be administered soon, with the support of the NAA, with results expected by late fall.