Scope and Contents:

In 1994, the Industrial Relations Department changed its name to the Human Resources Policy Department. This department developed and advocated responsible positions on a broad range of employment issues affecting American manufacturing and the national economy. The policies were member-driven with participation from a broad range of small and large firms. In 1995, the department had three committees: Education and Workforce Readiness Committee, Employee Benefits Committee, and Employee Relations Committee.

The material in this series documents the continued work of the Human Resources Policy Department, including many efforts that were started under the Industrial Relations Department. The series is comprised of three subseries: Committees, subcommittees, and task forces; Internal files, and Subject files. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically. This series should be considered in conjunction with the Industrial Relations Department (Series XVII) and the Open Shop Department (Series XXV), predecessors of this department.

A large portion of the Subject files subseries concerns the Dunlop Commission, formally known as the Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations. It was chaired by John T. Dunlop (1914-2003), former Secretary of Commerce. The Commission was tasked with investigating labor laws and the state of worker-management relations. The material details the work of the Commission, information presented to the Commission, and NAM’s work group.

Scope and Contents: The Industrial Relations Department was devoted exclusively to worker issues, conditions surrounding the workplace, and related human resource functions. Over the years, committees, subcommittees, and task forces were formed, evolved, and dissolved according to the needs of NAM. This series is comprised of six subseries: Committees, subcommittees, and task forces; Institute of Industrial Relations; Human Resources Council; Conferences and meetings; Internal files; and Subject files. This series should be used in conjunction with the Open Shop Department (Series XXV) and the Human Resources Policy Department (Series XV).The department had several committees, subcommittees, and task forces that were created, evolved, and dissolved as needed. The Committees, subcommittees, and task forces subseries documents the records from these groups. Some of them include: Chemical Safety, Collective Bargaining, Education and Workforce Readiness, Employee Relations, Employee Training, Health Care, Labor/Management Relations, Multinational Labor Relations, Occupational Safety, and Workers Compensation.The Education and Workforce Readiness Committee was created in 1993. Within its first year, the committee was deeply involved with both legislative and programmatic activities regarding emerging employer concerns and workforce-related legislation. Under jurisdiction of the Employee Benefits Committee were legal matters relating to employee benefits plans including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974, the Social Security Act, the Public Health Service Act, and select sections of the Internal Revenue Code. The subcommittees include Health Care, Pensions, Social Security, Worker’s Compensation, and Unemployment Compensation.In 1989, the Employee Relations Committee was created by combining the Human Resources and Equal Opportunity Committee and Labor/Management Relations Committee. The primary purpose of the committee was to recommend to the Board of Directors new or revised policy or the elimination of existing policy on employee benefits issues, and review an act on suggestions concerning industry strategies on employee benefit issues of long- or short-term interest to the corporate community. The subcommittees include Labor Law; Employment, Training and Dislocation; Equal Employment Opportunity; Multinational Labor Relations; Unemployment Compensation; and Labor and Employment Law (combined Employment, Training...

Scope and Contents:

NAM created several self-sustaining organizations. Sometimes they were under the purview of a specific department and other times they were not. In all instances, however, the organizations maintained a separate budget. This series contains the papers of several of these organizations. A detailed description can be found under each organization.