Sick leave banks are a common staple of teacher contracts. Although these banks may benefit employees, they expose school districts to a variety of complications and unintended consequences, including administrative complexity, potential cash flow implications, cost disparities, increased absenteeism, instructional instability, privacy issues, and…

The Common Core State Standards initiative (CCSS) seeks to "provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn" at various grade levels. For some education observers, CCSS will finally clarify for students, parents, and educators what students need to know and be able to do if they are to be prepared for…

First it was changes to pay, then evaluation systems, and then tenure laws. Now, lawmakers in several states are challenging collective bargaining, the foundation of teacher unionism. Leaders in Idaho, Indiana, and Tennessee are proposing bills that would limit what, if anything, teachers' unions could negotiate. None of the proposals has yet…

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…

In the era of No Child Left Behind, principals are increasingly held accountable for student performance. But are teacher labor agreements giving them enough flexibility to manage effectively? This study answers this question and others. It examines how much flexibility school leaders enjoy on key dimensions of management in America's fifty…

In 1981, a study was undertaken for the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) to compare CCC's faculty personnel practices with those of 30 other urban community colleges. Twelve areas of concern for future bargaining negotiations were studied: (1) faculty salaries; (2) overload compensation; (3) compensation for substitution; (4) nature of…

Although it is widely believed that unionization in higher education is incompatible with traditional academic practices involving collegial self-governance, the University of Connecticut Chapter of the American Association of University Professors found that unionization can augment the faculty's role in peer self-governance. (JMD)

A bibliography of 1,187 publications and court cases concerning employment of college faculty, as well as health professionals, is presented. Most of the publications cover the years 1982-1985. The faculty section covers the following topics: academic freedom, accountability, administration, affirmative action, arbitration and mediation,…

Although the continuity of faculty is an important factor in sustaining an institution's general education program, if the measure is attainment of learning outcomes, qualitative considerations, and not a faculty member's employment status, are more important in determining who should teach such courses. This author argues that relatively junior,…

The use of seniority in current school layoff and transfer practices and the impact of seniority provisions on school operations are examined in this paper. The data for the study came from two sources: interviews with teachers, principals, union leaders, and district administrators in four school districts (drawn from a national sample) facing…

The impact of market forces on negotiated salary guides for the hiring and retention of faculty was investigated through a survey of the collective bargaining agreements of four-year institutions. While the vast majority of the 117 contracts surveyed were silent on this issue, 16 agreements contained provisions. Fifteen provided for specific…

Two newsletter articles are presented that examine legal aspects of campus collective bargaining: (1) "Campus Bargaining and the Law: A Decade of Higher Education Collective Bargaining--1972-1982" (June M. Weisberger); and (2) an analysis of the the Appellate Court decision in the S. Simpson Gray case. The first article examines major…

Job concerns and characteristics of part-time faculty and interests concerning union representation, arbitration on a nonunionized campus and a view of campus negotiators are addressed in this newsletter issue. The issue of protection of part-timers by their union is examined, and adjunct faculty are categorized as follows: the semi-retired, those…

This paper traces the interaction between the policies of the Boston Teachers Union and the desegregation of the Boston Public Schools. A case study analysis illustrates how the process of pursuing the social objective of desegregation affects, and is affected by, a number of key aspects of the labor management relationship. These aspects include:…

The collective bargaining agreement between Portland State University and Portland State University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) covering the period July 1, 1985-June 30, 1987 is presented. Items covered in the agreement include: definitions and unit recognition of AAUP, AAUP rights, exchange of information,…