A study of 10 schools in 3 school districts examined how labor relations affect teachers' work attitudes and behavior, and how labor relations and contract provisions take on practical significance in the school and classroom. A three "generation" model of labor relations development--based on levels of conflict and the legitimacy accorded the union--was used. The study was conducted in three parts: (1) districtwide and school-level organizational data were obtained through interviews with the 10 principals; (2) a questionnaire was administered to 439 teachers; and (3) 80 teachers were interviewed. Of the three districts studied, one, located in a community of mixed ethnicity and socioeconomic status, had peaceful labor relations; the second, also in a mixed-race community, had highly acrimonious labor relations; the third, a suburban high school district, serving a changing population and experiencing severe enrollment declines, practiced a "cooperative mode" of collective bargaining. Seven references are provided. The appendixes contain case study questions and a list of the documents collected, the questionnaire, and the interview guide. (MLF)