This issue reviews trends in public sector employment (particularly in the light of government policy to reduce it), wages (in a context of cash limits), and strikes and other forms of industrial action. It also considers recent developments in the structure, organization, and policy of the "actors" in public sector industrial relations.…

Reviews state labor legislation passed or debated in 1975 and early 1976. Also describes the impact of amending laws on the current labor picture and evident trends in public attitudes toward public employees. For availability, see EA 507 548. (Author)

Analyzes J. Pisapia's "The Open Bargaining Model" and indicates its utility in reviewing recent developments in California where "bargaining models" have been the subject of intense experimentation with public sector employees. (Author/MLF)

This glossary is designed for practitioners who have no special preparation in public sector labor relations but who must know its vocabulary because of their growing involvement in the field. For those practitioners whose jurisdictions lie within the six midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, the names…

In 1947 Nebraska established a unique Court of Industrial Relations to resolve disputes between government agencies and public employees. The court's five part-time judges are appointed by the governor to six-year terms, and the court's operating costs are covered in the state budget. Even so, costs to litigants may be higher than necessary. The…

In a Delphi study of the strength of the American Federation of Government Employees union at a U.S. government hospital, two rounds of questionnaires were sent to 33 union officials, management officials, and nonofficials. Strong union leadership and management deficiencies in employee relations emerged as the primary factors in the effectiveness…

In the 1970s, the New Jersey state legislature developed, through its Public Employment Relations Act, an expansive system of public-employment relations on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) model. In the past two years, however, state supreme court decisions have cut the heart out of this system. (Author/SJL)

Defines and establishes a common framework to observe, describe, and assess modifications in the public sector bargaining model that hold great promise to incorporate all groups having vital interests in the reallocation of resources through collective bargaining. (Author/MLF)

Reviews current sources of information in public-sector labor relations, analyzes why a national information source would be beneficial to practitioners, and points out the problems associated with publishing such a service. (Author/JG)

Negotiations are slated for one-third of workers covered by major agreements. Those scheduled for bargaining are almost evenly split between state and local government and private industry. (Author)

This series of questions and answers on factfinding in public sector labor relations focuses on the practical aspect of impasse resolution. Rather than choosing a theoretical or historical approach, the practical approach was chosen because factfinding is not a formal process that must rigidly conform to textbook rules. Instead, factfinding can be…

This series of questions and answers on contract administration in public sector labor relations focuses on the practical aspects of both contract administration and grievance handling. Its purpose is to provide information and examples to help practitioners better understand the roles of labor and management while operating under a collective…

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…

Suggests a comprehensive solution to the problem of how to prevent government employee strikes. (Author)