Case Study 6.3 - "Unilateral Work Rule Changes"

The deceptively simple zipper clause included in the labor contract is profoundly powerful in its effects, or would be so if the legal exceptions of such a clause were not so prohibitive of its seeming intent. The clause is not especially complex, and means exactly what it says -- except for instances explicitly specified by he contract, no further bargaining is needed or can be required until the termination/expiration of the contract as "all the bargainable issues for the term thereof" have been definitively addressed by the contract. When both parties (i.e. labor and management) sign this contract, it is intended to mean that both parties are agreeing that all bargainable issues have been dealt with, and that therefore no more bargaining is necessary.

In reality, however, the full scope of the clauses' stated powers cannot be enforced due to existing legal...
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