This study examines unionization efforts among contingent faculty members, who now account for the majority of the academic workforce. Drawing on data from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and other sources, this article uses an event history analysis to identify factors associated with efforts to establish a contingent faculty union at…

In March 2017, the Supreme Court decided "Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association" and upheld the constitutionality of agency fees for nonunion teachers. We examine how "Friedrichs" reflects a host of issues grouped around a patchwork of ideological commitments regarding teachers unions and public-sector unions more…

The Michigan legislature recently enacted a teacher evaluation law which requires school districts to incorporate student achievement data into evaluation systems and mandated that evaluations be used to make high-stakes personnel decisions. Though administrators have considerable discretion to design and implement their evaluation systems, the…

Gov. Scott Walker's sweeping proposal to scale back collective bargaining rights for most public employees in Wisconsin has sparked a rancorous standoff with teachers across the state--and fueled speculation about whether similar plans will gain traction in other parts of the country. But as massive demonstrations played out in Madison--an…

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,…

A strike last week by some 29,000 teachers in Chicago pushed long-simmering tensions over deeply divisive school improvement ideas--including changes in teacher evaluation and the takeover or closure of underperforming schools--into the national spotlight. A framework for a tentative agreement emerged last Friday, and the union's house of…

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)

Presents an overview of the history, current status, and trends in state and local employee unionism, and the laws relating to bargaining in these sectors. Concludes that state and local laws and practices are following the pattern of federal public-sector labor relations, which are based on the private-sector. (Author/IRT)

This guide summarizes the coverage of public employees by state labor relations laws. For each state, the guide describes legal provisions, current situation, and current legislative activity. The report also includes data on population, public employment, work stoppages, and state revenues and expenditures. Agencies useful in gathering and…

Public-sector management teams and their counterpart labor unions are faced with an ever-increasing myriad of challenges in the quest to produce collective bargaining agreements. Shrinking tax bases, declining levels of federal and state assistance, and public demands for downsizing and privatization are all factors that suggest that financial…

Reviews the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in City of Madison, Joint School District No. 8 v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission, and discusses the probable effect of that decision on public employers and public employee unions, focusing in particular on public school districts and teachers. (JG)

Reviews the legal rulings and statutes that have shaped public employee labor relations in Texas since the late 19th century. In the absence of one comprehensive labor/management act, Texas has many diverse laws and precedents that affect the public employee. Available from Baywood Publishing Company, Inc., 43 Central Drive, Farmingdale, NY 11735;…

Douglas Mitchell suggests that statute construction issues arise from the interaction between the realities of power resources and the goal of giving each interest group sufficient power to protect and pursue its own interests while preserving the rights or interests of others. California SB 160 explicitly limits the scope of bargaining to wages,…

Discusses recent developments in public sector unionism and argues that collective bargaining for supervisors is workable and politically feasible. Presents results of a national survey of collective bargaining laws and unions among public school administrators and supervisors, and examines the possible direction of future federal legislation.…