Suppose Australia Copied US Employee Relations Practices‪.‬

As Australia debates possible changes in its labour law, I am told that there are those who argue it should copy elements of the American system. How weird! While I love my country, I never thought of it as a model of good labour relations. But based on the assumption that American experience has some relevance, this paper consists of three parts. The first describes recent developments in American employee relations (not just union-management relations) broadly conceived. After all, if you want to copy US practices you should know what they are. Next I discuss one major but perhaps insufficiently recognized difference between our countries' labour relations: we are more legalistic. My final section comments specifically on some proposed changes in Australian labour law, supposedly suggested by American practice, though this practice may be misunderstood. Recent Developments in US Employee Relations Practice