Ever wonder why union members' salary and benefits, workload agreements, and other aspects of their collective bargaining agreements, or "contracts," often remain unchanged and enforced during the all-too-common periods when public employees labor without a contract? In New York, the answer boils down to an understanding of the Public…

In 1980-81, one issue dominated labor relations in elementary and secondary education--layoffs. In the future, unions are expected to protest layoffs more and more, at the bargaining table, on the picket line, and in the courts. This report highlights this issue in its section on major developments. The two major teacher unions--American…