Labored Relations: Law, Politics, and the NLRB--A Memoir [Paperback]

William B. Gould IV (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

"This book is about the relationship between law, a quasi-judicial administrative agency, and politics, in the volatile arena of labor policy and the balance of power between labor and management.... It is about the rule of law and the role of labor law in a modern economy."-- from the IntroductionFrom 1994 to 1998, William B. Gould IV served as Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. One of only three NLRB Chairmen to come from an academic background, he quickly realized that he was an outsider in a very political world. In this compelling memoir, Gould describes the tribulations of trying to assure impartial administration of federal labor laws while faced with a hostile, Republican Congress. He describes his difficult confirmation process and wrenching Congressional hearings, particularly the one over Proposition 226, a ballot initiative that required unions to get explicit authorization from all represented workers prior to expending dues for political purposes. He tells how the behavior of both Board members and members of Congress, guided by self-interest and rigid ideology, contributed to the Board's problems. He also recounts the positive strides the NLRB made during his tenure, despite the turmoil. The book provides an insider's view of what goes on behind the closed doors in our nation's capital, including discussions with members of Congress, the White House, and President Bill Clinton.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Focused more on Washington political in-fighting than on labor issues (Beltway junkies will be drawn to it for that reason), this memoir begins on a heartwarming note about Gould's great-grandfather's pride in having served the U.S. Navy in the Civil War, where the battle for free labor was originally won. Because he believes that his own democratic championing of "the rights and obligations of both labor and management" as chair of the National Labor Relations Board from 1994 to 1998 is essentially a continuation of the selfless service his forefather gave, the author returns repeatedly to this theme. Deliberate and dignified, yet undeniably defensive, Gould shares, in great detail, the behind-the-scenes wrangling that took place during the heated nine-month approval process for his chairmanship, followed by the continued wrangling that marked his term. From the baseball strike, the battle over Proposition 226 ("what the Republicans called 'paycheck protection,' but it was actually designed to cripple the financial relationship between the trade union movement and the Democratic party") to the Detroit newspaper controversy, political disputes are, Gould says, partly to blame for the increasing logjam in NLRB cases. An African-American who teaches at Stanford University's Law School and an avowed Democrat, Gould exhibits a particular partisanship ("the Republicans in the one hundred and sixth [Congress are] simply interested in reversing progress.") in this otherwise thorough and engaging look at government in action. (Nov..-- simply interested in reversing progress.") in this otherwise thorough and engaging look at government in action. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Gould's spirited defense could not have been more timely, nor more trenchant." Joy K. Reynolds Monthly Labor Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262571552
• ISBN-13: 978-0262571555
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,395,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clueless in the Capitol, November 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Labored Relations: Law, Politics, and the NLRB--A Memoir (Hardcover)

For those fascinated by the political process, Labored Relations may become the top comedy pick of the year. Prof. Gould, a fine labor law professor who has dedicated his life to showing unions, companies and workers what he believes to be a better way, consistently rejected the sincere attempts by all those around him who tried to show him a better way to move past the traps that bedevil anyone who decides to play Washington's political game. The book begins with a musing by Professor Gould as to why, as Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, he was being taken to task yet again by both liberals and conservatives during one of his many troubled appropriations hearings on Capitol Hill. But after 475 pages of labored musings, the reader will be even more amused to discover that the professor never does figure out the proper role of a member of the NLRB in our society. At one point he even asks himself what he likes least about being a professor and an NLRB member. Grading papers and dealing with his fellow NLRB members, he writes. Both tasks require a willingness to genuinely consider a point of view other than one's own, something the professor seldom does in his labored days in Washington. If you are interested in obtaining a political appointment in the next administration and want advice on how to make nearly every mistake possible during your tenure (including meticulously documenting your foibles in a memoir), be sure to buy this book.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars mr. smith goes to washington, October 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Labored Relations: Law, Politics, and the NLRB--A Memoir (Hardcover)

it seems to me that chairman Gould didn't get as much adulation and power as he thought he deserved. Perhaps the reason that he didn't get along with anyone, including his democratic friends in congress, the white house and the Board itself, says more about his style than theirs.