The Employee

A Political History

Business & Finance, Career Planning & Job Hunting, Labor, Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book The Employee by Jean-Christian Vinel, University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jean-Christian Vinel ISBN: 9780812209235
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc. Publication: July 26, 2013
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press Language: English
Author: Jean-Christian Vinel
ISBN: 9780812209235
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Publication: July 26, 2013
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press
Language: English

In the present age of temp work, telecommuting, and outsourcing, millions of workers in the United States find themselves excluded from the category of "employee"—a crucial distinction that would otherwise permit unionization and collective bargaining. Tracing the history of the term since its entry into the public lexicon in the nineteenth century, Jean-Christian Vinel demonstrates that the legal definition of "employee" has always been politically contested and deeply affected by competing claims on the part of business and labor. Unique in the Western world, American labor law is premised on the notion that "no man can serve two masters"—workers owe loyalty to their employer, which in many cases is incompatible with union membership.

The Employee: A Political History historicizes this American exception to international standards of rights and liberties at work, revealing a little known part of the business struggle against the New Deal. Early on, progressives and liberals developed a labor regime that, intending to restore amicable relations between employer and employee, sought to include as many workers as possible in the latter category. But in the 1940s this language of social harmony met with increasing resistance from businessmen, who pressed their interests in Congress and the federal courts, pushing for an ever-narrower definition of "employee" that excluded groups such as foremen, supervisors, and knowledge workers. A cultural and political history of American business and law, The Employee sheds historical light on contemporary struggles for economic democracy and political power in the workplace.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the present age of temp work, telecommuting, and outsourcing, millions of workers in the United States find themselves excluded from the category of "employee"—a crucial distinction that would otherwise permit unionization and collective bargaining. Tracing the history of the term since its entry into the public lexicon in the nineteenth century, Jean-Christian Vinel demonstrates that the legal definition of "employee" has always been politically contested and deeply affected by competing claims on the part of business and labor. Unique in the Western world, American labor law is premised on the notion that "no man can serve two masters"—workers owe loyalty to their employer, which in many cases is incompatible with union membership.

The Employee: A Political History historicizes this American exception to international standards of rights and liberties at work, revealing a little known part of the business struggle against the New Deal. Early on, progressives and liberals developed a labor regime that, intending to restore amicable relations between employer and employee, sought to include as many workers as possible in the latter category. But in the 1940s this language of social harmony met with increasing resistance from businessmen, who pressed their interests in Congress and the federal courts, pushing for an ever-narrower definition of "employee" that excluded groups such as foremen, supervisors, and knowledge workers. A cultural and political history of American business and law, The Employee sheds historical light on contemporary struggles for economic democracy and political power in the workplace.

More books from University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.

Cover of the book Groundwork by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book The International Struggle for New Human Rights by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book Afghanistan Declassified by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book Shades of Difference by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book How We Elected Lincoln by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book The Best Possible Immigrants by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book The Swahili by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book Roots of the Arab Spring by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book "The Bagnios of Algiers" and "The Great Sultana" by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book Learning to Die in London, 1380-1540 by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book Understanding Terror Networks by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book Exotic Nation by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book The Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1790 by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book Translating Nature by Jean-Christian Vinel
Cover of the book The Saving Lie by Jean-Christian Vinel
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy