IntroductionThe traditional literature in the field of labor relations has focused heavily on its benefits to the employer and, in doing so, equated them with workplace rules. This has been the case although the field is supposed to cover the process of labor management, union formation and collective bargaining; all of this should create a positive employer-employee relationship. This relationship is said to be positive if there is a balance between employment functions and worker rights. It is also important to note that this relationship is just as important for the public sector as it is for the private sector. Therefore, to ensure the existence of a mutually supportive working environment, an effective labor management process and an inclusive negotiation program must be adopted (Mulve 2006; Walton, 2008).BackgroundEmployment relations have emerged as a response to the fight against the economic unrest that accompanied the Great Depression of 1930. At that time, we were faced with massive unemployment, falling wages and excessive competition for jobs despite poor working conditions; especially in the United States. In turn, employees were exasperated and so resorted to strikes which often escalated into violence. To avoid such an incident that could potentially further harm a struggling economy, the U.S. government set a precedent by passing its first labor relations law, also known as the Wagner Act. This law excluded the public sector and certain employees in the informal sector, agricultural workers to be precise. However, the gradual change in the business and labor environment has necessitated changes in labor laws to make them more inclusive (Haywood & Sijtsma, 2000). The discipline of labor relations has therefore been redesigned to...... middle of article ......incorporating programs that encourage teamwork and a participatory negotiation process. By adopting such a course of action, the likelihood that the end result will be a win-win situation will be high. Works Cited Haywood, N. and Sijtsma., K. (2000). Understand labor relations, labor relations management, and the collective bargaining process in the public sector, using events in the City of Alameda. Journal of Public Sector Administration, 18, 120-178. Kizilos, M. and Easterby, K. (2000). Labor-management relations: current issues and management of future challenges. New York: Guilford. Mulve, S. (2006). Labor Relations in Context: Essential Programs for Collective Bargaining. NY: Longman. Schmidt, B. and Seneviratne, M. (2003). Comparison of labor relations in the public and private sectors. NY: McGraw. Walton, K. (2008). The search for a viable working relationship. St. Louis: Mosby.