For most of the past decade, this author has studied union-management efforts to improve public education, and has witnessed extraordinary examples of teachers, union leaders, and administrators working together to improve teaching and learning. In this article, seven case studies on collaborative partnerships between teachers' unions and…

Mutual gains negotiation is an innovative system that emphasizes interests instead of positions and problem solving instead of preconceived solutions. The process can reverse social disintegration, reverse worker alienation, and address a shifting educational environment. It can resolve difficult labor-management problems such as contracting out,…

Engagement is essential for the processing of information. It is presented here as 2 points along a continuum: initial attention (primary self-presentation) and sustained attention (continued self-regulation). The LIBRE (Listen, Identify, Brainstorm, Reality Test, Encourage) Stick Figure Tool (N. S. Guerra, 2003) provides a graphic organizer for…

Based on a survey and case studies of workplaces in the U.S. and Japan, this article reviews and assesses the role of worker participation in tackling critical problems associated with energy and natural resources conservation. Certain wider implications for labor-management relations are also discussed. (Author/CT)

A review of the emergence of the neutral function in the context of collective bargaining to determine whether it might have application to higher education impasses of the l980s is outlined. A history of mediation and arbitration in labor disputes in the United States is provided. (MLW)

Union and school board representatives studied basic negotiating techniques at a five-day workshop. Improved relations and cooperation were the result. (MLF)

Interest-bargaining involves focusing on the issues, segregating each issue, and assigning interests by each side to these issues until a mutually satisfactory option is reached. Cites effectiveness of interest-bargaining in 60 California school districts and an endorsement from the New York State School of industrial and Labor Relations at…

A training program used successfully in more that 40 school systems consists of an intensive 5-day workshop involving lectures, role-playing exercises, simulated negotiations, and indepth discussions about bargaining issues. (MLF)

Proposes that school districts establish informal liaison committees with union and management representatives to speed up resolution of problems without having to resort to usually slow-moving grievance procedures. Suggests how to set up and operate a management-union liaison committee. (RW)

A training course for negotiators is presented, based upon models of learning processes, negotiation behaviors, and learner expectations. Course structure, the importance of practice and feedback, the place of concept formation, and evaluation are discussed. (SK)

Describes the use of participative action research to solve problems of work-related employee injuries in a rural midwestern electronics plant by increasing employee involvement. The researchers established an employee problem-solving group that interviewed and surveyed workers, analyzed the results, and suggested new work arrangements. (Author/RW)

"Alinsky methods," designed for confrontation, can include packing meetings, requesting marathon sessions, and using dramatic advertising. Developed by Saul Alinsky for oppressed people, the methods can be mitigated by 10 administrator actions, including building openness and trust, having good legal and public relations advice, and…

Surveyed school administrators and teacher union leaders in order to evaluate the success of the labor management committees in New York school districts. A total of 48 surveys were sent, and responses were received from 17 teacher union representatives and 16 administrator representatives. (MLF)

Describes a multimedia training program developed for Union Pacific to help improve management-worker relations and to improve service reliability by improving morale and motivating employees for training. Courses are described; multimedia interactivity is explained, including decision making and problem solving; and future plans are reviewed.…

Discusses the use of joint training approaches in industrial relations and the most effective training methods and techniques for the different groups in the industrial relations scene: management, supervisors, and union representatives. Outlines an industrial relations joint training strategy devised by the authors. (MF)