Whether they're organizing events, buttonholing legislators, or simply trading ideas and information, a growing number of "parent unions" are attempting to stake out a place in policy debates over education in states and districts, amid a crowded field of actors and advocates. As the term implies, some of these organizations see…

In January 1982, the University of Massachusetts faculty union demanded the termination of nondues-paying faculty members. Dissenters argue that dues (for equivalent sum) conflicts with tenure rights/academic freedom; union leaders see it as a threat to union security. Issues and tensions related to bargaining at the university are discussed. (JN)