Teachers unions have had a "muscular" presence in some states, but in others, especially in the South and Southwest, the unions have held little power in recent decades, and the growing dominance of conservative Republicans in state legislatures and statehouses was creating a hostile environment with right-to-work (RTW) laws. The…

This paper explores the implications for democratic policy making and school governance of collective bargaining with teachers. Based on a case study of the 1992 Teachers Strike in Detroit, Michigan, the research examines the relationships among actors involved in the strike and in its settlement. Findings of this research suggest that the strike…

It was not the longest strike in the history of U.S. teacher labor unrest, but it may be among the most infamous. Teachers in Middletown, N.J. walked out on a Friday in late November 2001, and were back in the classroom just over a week later. In between, 228 members of the Middletown Township Education Association were jailed for their action,…

Discusses the effects on teacher salaries and employment practices of several Canadian provinces' cost-cutting measures; emphasizes British Columbia's "Public Restraint Act" and public employees' response to it. (MCG)

This booklet, part of the Education Policy Institute series about teacher union issues, clarifies the concept of parent involvement in educational reform, analyzing the treatment of parents in collective bargaining contracts between teacher unions and school boards and in union policy resolutions. Chapter 1 introduces the issue, offering an…

Collective bargaining is the process of negotiating and administering a contract agreement between a union and the employing organization. Although the specific provisions of collective bargaining agreements vary from one school to another, the collective bargaining process, and negotiated contract generally, address the following issues:…