The dog that didn't bark: corporate profits and the future of labor relations.

Purpose: This paper aims to review trends in labor relations and reconsider the value of bringing the works council model to the United States. Design/methodology/approach: A review of current trends in labor relations and strike activity and an examination of the constraints of the National Labor Relations Act to the implementation of works councils. Findings: The works council model could provide a robust means for managing labor relations tensions as well as emerging concerns of the next generation of employees. Originality/value: While there have been discussions of the legal limitations on adopting work councils in the United States, there has been no recent discussion of them in the context of improving labor relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]