There has been much hand-wringing over the dangers of medical residents' grueling schedules. One recent study advised that a solution would be to reduce the length of their shifts. But many in the medical community, including residents themselves, worry that shorter shifts could come at the expense of educational opportunities and possibly even patient safety. Includes comments by WUSTL Department of Medicine chairman Kenneth Polonsky.

References:

1. May 21, 2009 — Are Medical Residents Worked Too Hard? in the Time.com

Tension over pay issues is building at United Airlines, where five unions representing 30,000 employees on Tuesday called for the carrier to let rank-and-file workers share in the largesse enjoyed by senior executives.
WUSTL law professor emeritus Neil Bernstein, who specializes in labor issues, comments on the conflict.

References:

1. March 28, 2007 — United workers join for fight in the Chicago Tribune

Northwest Airlines Corp. flight attendants on Thursday asked to be released from federal mediation so they can strike the carrier after a federal judge ruled they couldn't walk off the job. WUSTL law professor and labor relations expert Neil Bernstein comments.

References:

1. Sept. 15, 2006 — Judge again blocks flight attendants from striking against Northwest Airlines in the Associated Press
2. Sept. 22, 2006 — Attendants seek mediation end in the Chicago Tribune

and 5 others.

Article looks at car dealerships that are actively seeking women from jobs at local malls and recruiting them to be car salespersons.
Some evidence suggests women may even be better at selling cars than men.
WUSTL law professor and labor relations expert Neil Bernstein comments on the legality of the practice.

References:

1. April 12, 2006 — Car dealers recruit saleswomen at the mall in the Wall Street Journal

and 2 others.

WUSTL law professor and labor relations expert Neil Bernstein comments on union negotiations with Northwest Airlines over whether the company could throw out contracts with pilots and flight attendants.Bernstein said the judge's main concern was helping the airline sort out its financial problems and survive — not how much the workers get paid.

References:

1. Feb. 16, 2006 — Northwest fate may hang on judge's decision in the USA Today

and 32 others.

In the battle of Bud against the Brotherhood of Teamsters, it seems that Busch is still king. Partly because of the city's affinity for Budweiser, the Teamsters strike has been the least successful labor action in at least 30 years, said Neil Bernstein, a law professor specializing in labor law.
Bernstein said the strike has been undermined because beer deliverymen aren't high-profile workers that interact with the public. But drivers took center stage outside Busch Stadium during the playoffs. Teamsters stood outside the main entrance with placards and signs, asking fans to stay away from Anheuser-Busch products inside.

References:

1. Oct. 18, 2005 — Beer strike tests St. Louis' loyalties to Bud and unions in the Associated Press

and 70 others.

WUSTL students advocating for better pay for WUSTL contract workers have ended a six-day hunger strike and will meet with Chancellor Mark Wrighton three times this week to discuss the issue.
WUSTL sophomore Joe Thomas, spokesman for the Student Worker Alliance which coordinated the protests, comments.
NOTE: This clip includes a link to the article covering this story in the Post-Dispatch.

References:

1. April 17, 2005 — Washington University hunger strike ends after students meet with the chancellor in the Associated Press
2. April 18, 2005 — WU students press on for change in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

and 54 others.

Article on a growing movement on campuses -- including at WUSTL -- across the nation in support of workers' rights.
Students have leverage, experts said, not only because universities are vulnerable to moral arguments in ways that businesses often are not -- but because they can't get fired.
Universities are one of the few bright spots for labor unions, which have been losing members and power for years now.
The Post-Dispatch article focuses on student activists who have occupied WUSTL's admissions office all week in a protest over pay for campus workers. They got a boost Thursday from Hugh McVey, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO, who wants to meet with WUSTL Chancellor Mark Wrighton to get his pledge for a "living wage" for about 500 service workers.

References:

1. April 8, 2005 — Students' clout helping workers -- and unions in the Washington Post
2. April 8, 2005 — Protesters at WU get boost from labor leader here in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

and 7 others.