Labor Relations in Education: Policies, Politics, and Practices

DeMitchell (education, U. of New Hampshire) examines the role of unions and collective bargaining in the US public education system. He first examines the role of the contract in formalizing and standardizing labor relations and the relationship of the unions to the National Labor Relations Act. He then addresses the politics of collective bargaining, including the competing interests that shape the collective bargaining experience, the ambiguity of teaching being considered a profession while teachers are in unions, and the politics of educational reform at the collective bargaining table. Finally, he focuses in on the practices of collective bargaining and gives advice on how to prepare. An appendix describes a collective bargaining simulation in which students can play the roles of management or a member of the collective bargaining team. Annotation 穢2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)