This timely and comprehensive volume will spur and strengthen public debate over the role of teachers unions in education reform for years to come. Collective bargaining shapes the way public schools are organized, financed, staffed, and operated. Understanding collective bargaining in education and its impact on the day-to-day life of schools is critical to designing and implementing reforms that will successfully raise student achievement. But when it comes to public discussion of school reform, teachers unions are the proverbial elephant in the room. Despite the tremendous influence of teachers unions, there has not been a significant research-based book examining the role of collective bargaining in education in more than two decades. As a result, there is little basis for a constructive, empirically grounded dialogue about the role of teachers unions in education today.

Teachers, Unions, and Collective Bargaining in Public Education addresses the most important aspects of the collective bargaining system.

This is one of the first compilations on collective bargaining in higher education reflecting the work of scholars, practitioners, and employer and union advocates. It offers a practical and comprehensive resource to higher education leaders responsible for developing, managing, and maintaining collective bargaining relationships with academic personnel. Offering views from an experienced and diverse group, this book explores how to manage relationships in collaborative, transparent, and equitable ways, best practices for meaningful outcome measures, and approaches for framing collective bargaining as a long-term process that benefits the institution. This volume provides an overview of the contemporary landscape, benchmark measures of success, and practical advice focusing on advancing collaborative, equitable, and sustainable labor relations approaches in higher education. Designed for administrators, union leaders, elected officials, and policy makers, at all stages of their careers as well as for faculty and students in graduate programs, this volume serves as an invaluable resource for those who endeavor to conceptualize, conduct, manage, and implement collective bargaining in more mutually effective and beneficial ways for all parties.

Unionization of teachers has led to fundamental changes in the management of education and in relations between teachers and school districts. Understanding the Teacher Union Contract explores the implications of this collective-bargaining revolution in education. Through detailed examination Lieberman shows how the kinds of provisions typically found in teacher union contracts affect the educational workplace and education reform, and how they might be revised to the benefit of students, parents, and the public. Lieberman begins with the respective roles of school district management and teacher unions. Unlike managers in the private sector, school district officials are part of a government agency that is legally responsible for operating public schools in the public interest. They must balance the interests of employees with the needs of students, taxpayers, and parents, as well as with district educational goals. Teacher unions' primary objectives are to enhance employee welfare and to promote the union as an effective organization. Unions must balance the differing needs of various groups within their membership -- for example, by resolving tensions between older teachers who want improved retirement benefits and younger teachers who might prefer more rapid salary increases. Lieberman shows how competing union and management goals play out in collective bargaining and are embodied in teacher union contracts. He argues that by developing an understanding of teacher unions, their role, and their needs, district officials and school board members can bargain more effectively and develop a productive ongoing relationship with unions. This highly readable book will be of interestnot only to school administrators and board members but also to teacher representatives, parents, taxpayers, and members of the media who report on education.

Founded in 1921 as a separate Wharton department, the Industrial Research Unit has a long record of publication and research in the labor market, productivity, union relations, and business report fields. Major Industrial Research Unit studies as published as research projects are completed. This volume is Study no. 42.

Examination of the effects of collective bargaining of public education teachers in the USA - covers trade unionization, working conditions and wages, esp. Wage differentials with nonunionized workers, labour disputes, the effect on teaching standards and student performance, labour contracts, resource allocation. Bibliography, graphs and statistical tables.