Like thousands of other people from around the country and around the world, this author was heartened and inspired by the tenacity, immediacy, and creativity of the pushback by Wisconsin's public-sector unions against Governor Scott Walker's efforts to limit their collective bargaining rights. And like many others who made the trek to Madison to…

In this article, the author has equated the principal's relationship with the president of the teachers' union as a dance where each wants to lead and yet there is, as in most relationships, a mutual dependency that makes each person realize that there is a time when one leads and a time when one follows. The author presents the details of when…

Across the United States, policymakers are increasingly adopting education policies that give families the power to choose their children's schools. Nonetheless, the idea of providing school vouchers to allow children to attend private schools remains controversial. For instance, congressional leaders and the Obama Administration have tried to end…

Examines bargaining representation and union membership data among the three principal federal-employee unions. Finds that each union faces a free rider problem and the magnitude of the problem differs across unions. Discusses the financial implications of the problem and offers insights toward future directions. (JOW)

Shorter working time could boost labor's bargaining power. It would tighten labor markets without the exclusivist results of craft unionism, nativism, racism, and sexism. (Author)

In response to Mr. Ayers and Mr. Klonsky, Mr. Duncan argues that Chicago's Renaissance 2010 initiative is holding adults accountable by closing low-performing schools rather than trapping children in a failing educational environment.

Historical evidence is presented for the thesis that exclusive union representation by majority rule was adopted in the private sector primarily to pave the way for a corporative state. Peaceful, orderly collective bargaining by "responsible" unions in a competitive economy was a minor, secondary consideration. (Author/MLF)

A teacher questions the motivations of teacher unions, which appear to be more interested in image-making, public relations, and politics than in teacher improvement and individual teachers' rights, attitudes, and problems. (CJ)

Elaborates Kohlberg's six stages of moral development and applies this theory to a course to train union stewards for processing grievances. Discusses other applications in labor education. (SK)

This collection of the writings and speeches of Albert Shanker, long-time president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), focuses on his efforts in elevating the profession of teaching. As he contended and demonstrated, building teaching as a profession relied on the development of a strong union of teachers, the AFT. (SLD)

A union perspective of major issues in higher education labor law in the 1990s includes the 11th Circuit Court cases on whether Congress abrogated states' 11th Amendment immunity for suits under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Analyzes contract issues of protection around age…

When labor, management, and literacy educators collaborate to develop a learner-centered literacy program, literacy educators must be willing to learn about the work and lives of industrial workers. The Academy at Eastern Michigan University is an alternative to traditional adult basic education that engages adults in collaborative learning.…

According to Joe A. Stone of the University of Oregon, average students do better in classrooms with unionized teachers, but less able and more able students do not. While this particular assumption lacks empirical clarity, many administrators and school board members feel that it would be much easier to reform public education if teacher unions…

As teacher unions press for more participation in school management, they will find themselves vulnerable to the same kinds of criticism, grievances, and litigation that have been reserved exclusively for school boards and administrators. (Author)

The author considers charges that public sector unionism diminishes democracy by requiring a sharing of public authority with private bodies that too often exerts disproportionate influence on government decisions. He questions these charges in view of declining public unionism and unrealistic assumptions about the nature of local government…