Positively addressing and resolving staff grievances within a school is imperative for effective schooling and leadership. Often overlooked in grievance procedures are the role/s of stakeholders especially those in authority (e.g., Principals or School Leaders). Content and Leximancer analysis are two useful methodological tools used in tandem…

The current movement in higher education to embrace collective bargaining has not yet reached broadly into the South and the West. Several events have occurred both nationally and in these regions, however, which seem to foretell that organized neogtiations may become a part of regional campus procedures. The implications of these events, as well…

This case study provides an analytical description of a grievance appeals process in higher education as it actually operates under a particular collective bargaining agreement. The scope of the study was purposely limited to provide a thorough description of one aspect of collective bargaining in higher education. Sixteen research questions were…

The ombudsman, often defined as a kind of inspector general, is usually empowered to: (1) investigate in confidence, without restraint, either upon receipt of a complaint or on the ombudsman's initiative; (2) recommend to any official appropriate review of the facts; and (3) publicize findings or publicly criticize malfeasance. Various…

A grievance is a complaint by an employee of an alleged violation of any of the terms and conditions of an agreement between an employer and its employees. It must be in writing, use a particular form, and be processed in accordance with a specific procedure. A grievance procedure should be kept as simple as possible, include provision for…

School districts in Texas have used the same grievance procedure for approximately 20 years. In response to general dissatisfaction throughout the Socorro Independent School District (SISD) in El Paso, Texas, the district developed a new, user-friendly grievance procedure. This paper describes the use of peer mediation and arbitration to resolve…

Grievance procedures must be fast and fair to satisfy everyone and to disrupt the normal workflow as little as possible. The following factors help make for effective procedures: (1) binding arbitration, because it is orderly and unbiased; (2) contributions to contract language by the contract administrators; (3) absolute honesty about contract…

The purpose of the study was to examine the conditions effecting teacher-principal joint operationalization of rules as these related to perceived mutual needs. Using the field study methodology of participant observation, the researcher observed and recorded the daily interactions between teachers and the principal in an urban elementary school…

This study explored the experiences of sexual harassment among women employees in a university setting, in particular the extent to which women perceived that the strategies which they chose to handle situations of sexual harassment resulted in satisfaction with the outcome. Data were collected via an anonymous mail questionnaire at a mid-sized…

Recent significant developments in the study of dispute resolution in education are presented in this paper, which traces the connection between academic research, teaching, and the practice of dispute resolution in general. The first part critically surveys the theoretical bases of other disciplines of inquiry and describes what works and does…

The purpose of both factfinding to settle a negotiations impasse and arbitration to settle a grievance is to present the evidence necessary to resolve the conflict between union and management. The author of this paper, himself a factfinder and arbitrator, lists tactics and practices that impede the efficient collection of evidence in factfinding.…

This study consisted of document analysis of collective bargaining agreements of full-time faculty representing public community colleges in 22 states. Documents were analyzed and coded, and sixteen governance areas were identified, including budget, calendar, curriculum, discipline, evaluation, and tenure. In total, 237 contracts representing…

Like other types of dispute resolution, mediation brings the parties in conflict together to solve their problems. It provides a fresh perspective by introducing a third party who is entirely neutral and is skilled in helping parties solve their problems. With the increasing dissatisfaction with the formal justice system, mediation has been…

This article discusses some of the cases in the public sector in which the courts have intervened in the arbitration process. The cases discussed have construed narrowly the delegation of school board authority in the areas of teacher dismissal and assignment in spite of negotiated collective bargaining agreements. Cases in New York, New Jersey,…

This paper presents two actual problems involving grievance procedures. Both problems involve pending litigation and one of them involves pending arbitration. The first problem occurred in a wealthy Minnesota school district and involved a seniority list. Because of changes in the financial basis for supporting public schools, it became necessary…