Can a teachers' union successfully be both a hardball-playing defender of its rights and a collaborative force for the common good? It is both a question of philosophy and, increasingly, one of policy direction for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), whose biennial convention in Detroit showed delegates grappling with the tension between…

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…

Massive protests have been the norm in Wisconsin, since Gov. Scott Walker unveiled a plan to strip many collective bargaining rights from teachers and most other public employees. GOP elected officials are pursuing similar measures in Ohio and other states. But in the DeForest district, like some others around the state, collective bargaining,…

In a previous article, Gordon A. Gregory and Mark Heinen criticized John M. Caraway's article describing recent successful experiences with the use of mediation in place of arbitration for failing to note the perception of the grievants. A reexamination of the data show that 80 percent of the grievants were satisfied with the mediation procedure.…

Suggests the implementation of ombudsmen in the grievance process to provide a safeguard against overtaping the internal workings of the process which could result in severe damage and loss of efficiency. (Author)

Reviewed behavioral and industrial relations literature on grievances, and raised serious methodological, theoretical, and ethical questions. Given existing threats to traditional grievance systems, basic research, especially program evaluation, on proposed structural and behavior variants of grievance procedures is necessary. (JAC)

The doctrine of fair representation of employees by unions is first discussed in general terms, then the doctrine is discussed as it relates to a union's decision to take a case to arbitration, and, finally, the impact of the doctrine on the arbitration process is explored. Available from Syracuse University College of Law, Syracuse, New York…

The purpose of this guide is to answer common questions about public sector labor relations with special emphasis on how this sector differs from the private sector. A beginning section offers general information defining and explaining public sector labor relations. A segment on labor relations law details legislation and the function of…

A study of commercial arbitration in the textile industry that points up the greater flexibility of arbitration in decisionmaking over the litigation process. (Author)

Presents a brief background of arbitration advocacy, a procedural outline for conducting a mock labor arbitration hearing, and a case study for classroom use. (PD)

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)

The model presented here is designed to chart the kinds of building level interaction between labor and management that may affect educational policy and programs. Several means of application and the problems associated with the model's theoretical design are discussed. (Author/IRT)

Discusses the nature of labor arbitration; then explores the transferability of the labor arbitration model. Argues that the establishment and legitimation of unions and collective bargaining are responsible for the success of labor arbitration, not vice versa. Available from The Yale Law Journal, 401A Yale Station, New Haven, Connecticut 06520;…