Freedom in the Workplace?

by Gertrude Ezorsky

Are workers in the United States free? Gertrude Ezorsky traces the severe limits placed on their freedom by illegal coercion against organizing unions and by low wage offers―barely enough to feed their families―that workers are pressured to accept. Older, sick workers are forced to stay in exhausting jobs to be eligible for pensions. Ezorsky shows that the notions of freedom held by most contemporary social scientists and philosophers are far too limited to account for the reality of the workplace, where a lack of freedom abounds. Students preparing to enter the workplace will be informed of that reality by reading this valuable book.

In addition to her philosophical investigations Ezorsky provides valuable information on the specifics of labor relations, including employment at will; the NLRA and NLRB; OSHA; outsourcing; and the distinctions among closed, union, and agency shops. Readers interested in moral philosophy, applied ethics, and labor relations will find Ezorsky's arguments clear, forceful, and compelling.

104 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2007

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect gift for that right-wing "libertarian" friend or
relative who is always ranting and raving about the unions.

Are workers in the U.S. free? this is a philosophical exploration. She mixes concrete situations of people with
specifics of labor law.

It also has valuable detailed information about various U.S. labor laws
at the end.