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…

Of all the recent budget cuts made by the Eagle County, Colorado, school district--the loss of 89 staff jobs through attrition and layoffs, a 1.5 percent across-the-board pay cut, and the introduction of three furlough days--none sparked as much anger or faced the same scrutiny as the decision to cut three foreign-language teaching positions and…

Recounts the experiences of two substitute teachers who crossed a picket line during a teacher strike in a school district of a small western town. Considers the long-term effects and outcomes of teacher strikes. Questions the feasibility of teacher strikes. (HB)

Discusses the implications of the demographic and geographic situation of libraries in Canada for library unionization. Insight is also provided into issues directly related to library management and library unions, including five factors which cause distrust and dissatisfaction. (CHC)

A trustee of a Canadian public library discusses issues that must be addressed by the library board when the library staff forms a union. Suggestions are provided to aid in dealing with a union. (CHC)

It was not the longest strike in the history of U.S. teacher labor unrest, but it may be among the most infamous. Teachers in Middletown, N.J. walked out on a Friday in late November 2001, and were back in the classroom just over a week later. In between, 228 members of the Middletown Township Education Association were jailed for their action,…

Studies the value of unionization for student personnel administration at the State University of New York. Found little support for the claim that unionization resulted in higher salaries. Notes there is no career ladder for professional staff but the permanent appointment has provided job security. (JAC)

The steady state in Australian higher education has encouraged faculty and nonfaculty unionization. In the former case, if the university is truly a self-governing collegium, there is a question as to faculty simultaneously being employees and employers. Active unionism may have negative and positive consequences. (MSE)

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…

Conflicts in many states between administrators and disgruntled college employees have led to a surge of labor activism in academe, including strikes and protests, votes to unionize, disputes over evaluation and compensation, and court litigation. Conflicts involve teaching assistants, adjunct faculty, and tenured faculty alike. (MSE)

This paper presents an overview of labor relations in Sweden from the mid-19th century until the present. It begins with some basic facts about Swedish history, population, economy, and geography, then describes the historical background of labor union organization in the country. The paper then outlines the various types of trade unions in…

The purpose of this booklet is to provide, in chart form, a comparative overview of state laws for public employee bargaining that affect one or more levels of public education personnel at one or more levels of education. A short introductory section explains provisions listed in the chart as well as other important provisions of bargaining laws.…

Collective bargaining is the process of negotiating and administering a contract agreement between a union and the employing organization. Although the specific provisions of collective bargaining agreements vary from one school to another, the collective bargaining process, and negotiated contract generally, address the following issues:…

Provides a concise rationale for teaching labor history, placing the labor movement squarely in the 20th century move towards a more inclusive democracy and expanded definitions of citizens' rights and citizen participation. Briefly discusses current problems of downsizing and the proliferation of low-paying jobs. (MJP)

Provides a succinct introduction to the history and classroom use of labor folk songs. Presents the lyrics to "John Henry,""Miner's Lifeguard," and "Talking Union," along with some background on each song. Includes a bibliography of books, articles, song collections, labor resources, organizations, and periodicals.…