Published on July 24, 2020

Updated on Sep. 18, 2024

In this interview that follows one year after his presentation at the NAA’s 2019 Annual Meeting, MIT Professor and Academy member Tom Kochan summarizes three changes he proposes to U.S. labor policy that “will help the country achieve a future with broadly shared prosperity — and a new, more equitable social contract governing work:” The changes include:  (1) updating antiquated labor laws that fail to give workers a voice in key decisions about how work is conducted; (2)   correcting the fundamental failures of U.S. labor law to protect workers who undertake to form unions and establish collective bargaining relationships; and (3) forming a positive national strategy for building and sustaining labor-management partnerships. Kochan envisions a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Labor, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and the educational community to promote the success of these initiatives.