I manage the labor relations staff of a public employer. This book is on my desk and that of each member of my staff. My first question is commonly, "What does Elkouri say?" That said, it is only a place to start for any experienced practitioner. The editors try very hard, and usually successfully, to be balanced. However, that balance is limiting, and keeping to the Elkouri view severely limits your ability to explore the limits or to develop innovative case theories. You must have it, but you should not rely only on it.

There is no one book in the United States today about labor arbitration that comes close to the exhaustive work done by the Authors in this piece. While it is a bit weak on Public Sector arbitration, it makes up that weakness in its overwhelming research and tenacious review of the trends in arbitration in the public sector. Since most arbitration law derives from National Relations Board actions, my slight complaint is somewhat mitigated.

Some caution should be thrown to labor activists about this work: it is not a strategy book, but rather a book about the various awards and trends that have come out of many arbitration cases throughout the United States. It would be best if you knew what decisions are coming out of the area you live in, and try to keep up with (and sometimes try to buck) those trends. Also keep in mind that this is not a "labor only" book, but looks at both sides of an issue, and I've more than once have had management attempt to argue against my theory by using examples out of this book.

All in all, this is the essential work for labor arbitrations.

This book is a requirement for any union activist. It provides a clear explanation of the complexities of arbitration in the labor management relations process. The book itself is dry reading. I strongly suggest reading sections of the book as questions arise. However, prior to developing any foundation for an arbitration case, I highly encourage the activist to review the book to develop a good case strategy.

We like this book so much, we issued it to every executive officer in our union.