In "The Courage to Collaborate," school turnaround expert Ken Futernick makes the case that collaboration between school management and teacher unions is a necessary condition for educational improvement. The author cites evidence showing that collaboration often leads to increased trust, stronger professional relationships, better…

It is hard to imagine a more critical time for helping the low-skilled and disenfranchised youth in our communities to become gainfully employed. Even as the nation suffers through its worst economic downturn in decades, America's business and industry leaders are predicting an unprecedented shortage of educated and skilled workers to meet the…

This book is a study of the Australian Education Union (AEU), a federal organization of government schoolteachers in the states and territories of Australia. Founded in 1984 as the Australian Teachers Union, it became the AEU in 1993. By 1998, the AEU had grown to become the third largest trade union in Australian, with some 157,000 members. This…

A "pro-management" leadership stance means that board members and administrators run schools so that employees are comfortable bringing concerns to management directly rather than through a union. (Author/IRT)

Research and experience in school labor relations suggest that superintendents can be more effective during contract talks by acting like unbiased education leaders--not tough negotiators. Superintendents can avoid taking adversarial positions by staying off the bargaining team and following suggested guidelines for their role as educator,…

Reviews present labor statutes and examines three alternatives to current practices; proposes that teaching, by its nature, is not well administered by industrial standards or well adjudicated through industrial unionism. Suggests "professional unionism" as a means of effecting educational reform. (DR)

The model presented here is designed to chart the kinds of building level interaction between labor and management that may affect educational policy and programs. Several means of application and the problems associated with the model's theoretical design are discussed. (Author/IRT)

Considers industrial relations policies and practices of stevedore firms in the West Coast longshore industry in terms of the social worker, worker-resource, and institutional theories. Subsidiary firms were more lenient in contract interpretation and more competitive in recruitment, supporting the worker-resource theory. Includes 2 tables and 33…

In "Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority" (1985), the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Tenth Amendment does not preclude application of the federal minimum wage act and the Fair Labor Standards Act to state and local government employees. This paper explains "Garcia" history and implications for…

Examined interpersonal conflict mode profiles of 202 professional employees from community mental health centers in Alabama and questioned executive directors of the 23 centers on situational aspects related to interpersonal conflict. Results confirmed that functionality of conflict behavior must be judged with respect to outcomes produced from…

Informal negotiations over teacher contracts serve to create an atmosphere of trust and to focus settlements on items of major concern. This article gives guidelines established during such a "nonnegotiation" process in Coldwater (Michigan). (Author/WD)

Presents a simulation game on labor negotiations for secondary students. (SJL)

The successful organization of the 1990s will fundamentally remake its employee relationship, especially through increased employee influence on the nature of work, organizational context, and quality of product/service. An employee advocacy peer review conflict resolution process has been useful in improving labor relations and enhancing the…

An indispensable book for administrators, policymakers, scholars, and practitioners, "Urban School Reform" presents a revealing portrait of reform efforts while identifying the full range of issues that education reformers will need to address in districts across the country in the years ahead. Today's urban school reformers face a…

Presents guidelines for deciding whether an elementary or secondary school needs department heads or not. Lists the responsibilities of both department heads who are administrators, and therefore members of management, and of department heads who are supervisors, and therefore members of labor.