Chapter guides

Ch. 1 — Introduction to Labor and Industrial Relations in California

Budd Ch. 1 — Contemporary Labor Relations

• The four frames of reference
• Why labor relations is not just HRM
• The agency map: who you would call

Due

• Sun Aug 30: Week 1 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 1 · Budd Ch. 1 and CA Ch. 1 quizzes · ungraded pre-test (extra credit)

Ch. 2 — The Legal Framework: the Federal Floor and California’s Ceiling

Budd Ch. 4 — Labor Law

• NLRA coverage and the 1935 exclusions
• Preemption in three questions (Garmon, Machinists)
• California’s public-sector statutes

Due

• Sun Sep 6: Week 2 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 4 · Budd Ch. 4 and CA Ch. 2 quizzes

Ch. 3 — History of the American and California Labor Movements

Budd Ch. 3 — Historical Development

Labor Day, Mon Sep 7 · Suggested viewing: César Chávez

• Craft vs. industrial unionism
• From the shape-up to the hiring hall
• Justice for Janitors and the Los Angeles turn

Due

• Sun Sep 13: Week 3 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 3 · Budd Ch. 3 and CA Ch. 3 quizzes

Ch. 4 — Union Structures, Governance, and Membership Trends

Budd Ch. 2 — Labor Unions: Good or Bad?

Census and drop-without-record deadline, Fri Sep 18

• Local, intermediate body, national, federation
• The duty of fair representation
• Trusteeships and Landrum-Griffin

Due

• Sun Sep 20: Week 4 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 2 · Budd Ch. 2 and CA Ch. 4 quizzes

Ch. 5 — Organizing and Representation Elections

Budd Ch. 6 — Union Organizing

Suggested viewing: Norma Rae; Confessions of a Union Buster

• Card check, SB 399, and the captive-audience ban
• Showing of interest vs. majority of ballots
• Cemex and bargaining orders

Due

• Sun Sep 27: Week 5 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 6 · Budd Ch. 6 and CA Ch. 5 quizzes

Ch. 6 — Collective Bargaining

Budd Ch. 7 — Bargaining

• Mandatory, permissive, and illegal subjects
• Good faith and surface bargaining
• Why some workers were left out of the table

Due

• Sun Oct 4: Week 6 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 7 · Budd Ch. 7 and CA Ch. 6 quizzes

Ch. 7 — The Collective Bargaining Agreement: Grievances and Arbitration

Budd Ch. 9 — Contract Clauses and Their Administration

• Reading a contract clause
• The grievance ladder
• Just cause and the arbitrator’s role

Due

• Sun Oct 11: Week 7 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 9 · Budd Ch. 9 and CA Ch. 7 quizzes
• Sun Oct 11: California Case Analysis #1 — grievance and arbitration (50 pts)

Ch. 8 — Strikes, Lockouts, and Dispute Resolution

Budd Ch. 8 — Impasse, Strikes, and Dispute Resolution

No discussion this week · Midterm opens Monday

• Economic vs. unfair-practice strikes
• Mediation, fact-finding, interest arbitration
• Required viewing: A Dirty Business

Due

• Sun Oct 18: SmartBook Ch. 8 · Budd Ch. 8 and CA Ch. 8 quizzes
• Sun Oct 18: Midterm Exam — CA Ch. 1–7 and paired Budd chapters (75 pts)

Ch. 9 — Public-Sector Labor Relations in California

Budd Ch. 5 — Strategies, Structures, and Constraints

• PERB, the Dills Act, MMBA, EERA, HEERA
• Shared governance and the 1960 Master Plan
• The CSU–CFA bargaining table

Due

• Sun Oct 25: Week 9 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 5 · Budd Ch. 5 and CA Ch. 9 quizzes
• Sun Oct 25: California Case Analysis #2 — CSUDH and the CSU bargaining table (50 pts)

Ch. 10 — California’s Distinctive Statutes

Budd Ch. 10 — The Evolving Nature of Work

• PAGA and its reform
• AB 5, Prop 22, and AB 1340 rideshare bargaining
• The FAST Act and the ALRA

Due

• Sun Nov 1: Week 10 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 10 · Budd Ch. 10 and CA Ch. 10 quizzes
• Sun Nov 1: AI and the Future of Work — proposal (25 pts)

Ch. 11 — Wages, Hours, and Working Conditions under California Law

No Budd chapter (CA quiz worth 15)

• Where labor relations meets wage and hour
• The living-wage debate

Due

• Sun Nov 8: Week 11 Discussion · CA Ch. 11 quiz (15 pts)
• Sun Nov 8: California Case Analysis #3 — wage and hour meets the contract (50 pts)

Ch. 12 — Health, Safety, and Workplace Violence Prevention

No Budd chapter (CA quiz worth 15)

Veterans Day, Wed Nov 11 · Use the lighter week to draft the AI project

• Cal/OSHA
• SB 553 workplace violence prevention plans

Due

• Sun Nov 15: Week 12 Discussion · CA Ch. 12 quiz (15 pts)

Ch. 13 — The Future of Work: Gig Platforms, Algorithmic Management, and AI

Budd Ch. 11 — Globalization and Financialization

• Algorithmic management
• Sectoral bargaining for platform workers
• What AI changes and what it does not

Due

• Sun Nov 22: Week 13 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 11 · Budd Ch. 11 and CA Ch. 13 quizzes

Ch. 14 — Comparative and International Perspectives

Budd Ch. 12 — Comparative Labor Relations

• Works councils and sectoral bargaining abroad
• What California could borrow

Due

• Sun Dec 6: Week 14 Discussion · SmartBook Ch. 12 · Budd Ch. 12 and CA Ch. 14 quizzes
• Sun Dec 6: AI and the Future of Work — final deliverable (125 pts)

Wrap — Course Wrap-Up: What Should California Labor Relations Do?

Final exam review

• Course synthesis discussion
• Practice final (extra credit)

Due

• Fri Dec 11: Course Reflection Paper (50 pts) · Week 15 Discussion

Final — Final Examination

Opens Sat Dec 12

• Cumulative, online

Due

• Thu Dec 17: Final Exam (100 pts) — due Thu 11:59 p.m.