Justice Dept., FTC announce agenda for 'Making Competition Work: Promoting Competition in Labor Markets' workshop

The Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced an agenda for their upcoming virtual workshop regarding competition in labor markets.

First announced in October, “Making Competition Work: Promoting Competition in Labor Markets,” will take place from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday December 6, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, December 7, and will be webcast on the FTC’s website (www.ftc.gov).

Over two days, a series of panels, presentations, and remarks will address competition issues affecting labor markets and the welfare of workers, including: labor monopsony; the increased use of restrictive contractual clauses in labor agreements, including non-competes and non-disclosure agreements; the perspectives of workers on the state of competition; information sharing and benchmarking activity among competing employers; the role of other federal agencies in ensuring fair competition in labor markets; and the relationship between antitrust law and collective bargaining efforts in the “gig economy.”

Panelists will be invited to discuss potential steps antitrust enforcers can take to better target enforcement resources, improve public guidance, and pursue a whole-of-government approach to ensuring fair competition for workers and consumers by leveraging interagency resources.

Among the panelists will be Wayne State University Law School Assistant Professor of Law Sanjukta Paul, Romano Stancroff Research Scholar.  She will speak on the panel titled “Fireside Chat: Worker Bargaining and the Antitrust Laws – 19th Century through the Present.”

Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division, FTC Chair Lina Khan, and Special Assistant to the President Tim Wu will also deliver remarks, among others.

“The Department of Justice is thrilled to work alongside its colleagues at the FTC to address these timely issues that are fundamental to the health of our economy and the livelihoods of American workers,” said Kanter.
A recording of the workshop will be available on the Antitrust Division’s website (www.justice. gov/atr) and the FTC’s website. In addition to the agenda, a list of speakers, and instructions for accessing the webcast will be available on the event page (www.justice.gov/atr/events/public-work shop-promoting-competition-labor-markets).

The Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the FTC invite comments from the public on the topics covered by this workshop. Interested parties may submit public comments online through December 20 at Regulations.gov.