Copyright (c) 2009 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/kenneth_dau_schmidt Recent documents in Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt en-us Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:58:36 PDT 3600 http://works.bepress.com/kenneth_dau_schmidt/4 http://works.bepress.com/kenneth_dau_schmidt/4 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:06:11 PDT In this paper, we examine and compare the impact of American and Japanese labor law on the relative bargaining power of the labor and management within the context of the new global economy based on information technology. We begin by providing a simple economic definition of bargaining power and examining how it can be influenced by economic and legal factors. Next we discuss the impact of the new information technology and global economy on the employment relationship and how this has decreased union bargaining power relative to management bargaining power. Finally, we compare various facets of American and Japanese labor law that have a significant impact on the parties' relative bargaining power and discuss how one might expect American and Japanese unions to fare in their negotiations with management in the new economic environment. Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt Comparative Law Labor Law