Between management and labor

In Between Management and Labor, Clara Friedman gathers oral histories of 14 distinguished arbitrators who witnessed and participated in labor arbitration's genesis and evolution. Veterans from three generations in modern arbitrations were interviewed. Their words and wisdom are captured vividly. The history with which their careers are intertwined comes to life: labor strife in the 1930s, the Great Depression, the New Deal, labor legislation, the rise of the labor movement and recent changes, spread of arbitration to areas formerly unbreachable (such as federal and local governments, and major league sports), and new issues in arbitration (such as discrimination, drug use, changes in personal style like casual garb at work, long hair, facial hair).

Friedman, herself a professional arbitrator, elicited absorbing responses from her colleagues. Their articulate, thoughtful, and often humorous recountings of firsthand experiences constitute a major resource in the history and practice of arbitration, as well as a prime resource in labor history and law. The arbitrators comment, often with divergent opinions, on such issues as the difference between mediation and arbitration, the role of lawyers in arbitration, and the limits and potential of arbitration. Their observations are useful for students, participants, and professionals in industrial relations and in other milieus where laymen and professionals are fashioning alternative dispute resolution methods.