Recent union-supported teachers' walkouts and strikes across several U.S. states and cities highlighted union-led and grassroots efforts to amplify teachers' voices. Yet, the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, "Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31," provides a strength test for teachers' unions and members engaging in social justice/equity work…

This article examines the legal and political significance of teacher unionization in rural and suburban school districts between 1960 and 1975. While most historians focus on the growth of unions in urban areas, strikes in outlying districts played a determinative role in the development of public sector labor law, particularly in the arbitration…

This article presents the author's views about the school district deconstruction in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He discusses his 30-year experience as a principal and central office administrator with the School District of Philadelphia and his involvement in the efforts to lead urban school reform in the country. He also describes the reform…

Union-management relationships have been filled with fear since the rise of capitalism; public education is no different. Workers fear exploitation by owners (profits depend on it) and capitalist/management has always worried that the working classes will organize and either take over the firm or strike and bring production to a screeching halt.…

The issues presented by proposed federal laws covering collective bargaining for public employees are perhaps the most important issues confronting public officials and the general functioning of representative government in our society. HR 8677 (and to a lesser extent HR 9730) is unacceptable because (1) it provides for federal regulation of…

Reports on the American Federation of Teachers national convention. (IRT)

Examines issues that came out of the NEA convention and that are of interest to school boards and school superintendents. (IRT)

Discusses proposed Congressional legislation that would assign to the Federal Government the role of final arbitrator between school boards and teachers. (JF)

A BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW OF STATE LAWS RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BETWEEN TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS AND SCHOOL BOARDS IS FOLLOWED BY SIX SUGGESTIONS FOR COMPONENTS OF A WORKING MODEL--(1) GUARANTEE TO TEACHERS OF THE RIGHT TO JOIN THE ORGANIZATION OF THEIR CHOICE AND OBLIGATION IMPOSED UPON THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD TO BARGAIN WITH TEACHER…

Collective negotiations in education have become the subject of legislative proposals at Federal, State, and local levels. Congress is currently considering the NEA-proposed statute, "Professional Negotiation Act for Public Education, 1969," which would regulate employment relationships between boards of education and their professional personnel.…

PROBLEMS OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S ROLE AS THE MIDDLEMAN IN COLLECTIVE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN SCHOOL BOARDS AND TEACHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE NEW RELATIONSHIP OF TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS. THE PRINCIPAL IS VIEWED AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBLE DECISIONMAKER ON QUESTIONS OF ADMINISTRATION…

Collective negotiation in education has lagged behind collective bargaining developments in private industry, which have resulted from the passage of a number of federal statutes, beginning with the NIRA Act of 1933. By contrast, state statutes for collective negotiation in education have been relatively few, recent, and inadequate. Topics…

This chapter deals with the legal process by which employers and employee organizations discuss matters related to employment. The chapter is organized to reflect the initial sequence of events in the collective bargaining process. Cases are reported and analyzed in nine sections: obligation and authority to bargain; unit determination and…