Although strikes by public employees are illegal in Michigan, the rate of strike in Michigan public schools has been double that in the private sector. Teachers have been using the legal impasse procedures of mediation and fact-finding as a form of political power and pressure to bleed the school districts. Reasons for this include the…

Reasons for the failure of a teachers' strike are analyzed. (JD)

Argues that administrators must be able to cope (with strikes) in a manner that least compromises the instructional program for students. (Author)

The impact of the 8-day walkout of the New Jersey Teachers against the state college system remains obscure, however certain facts have emerged: (1) Traditional governance structures are rendered impotent by a major faculty strike. (2) Students can be expected to play an active if unpredictable role. (PG)

This speech chronicles the history of the teachers' strike in Faribault, Minnesota--the longest teachers' strike in the state's history. After the breakdown of collective bargaining, the school board refused to submit to arbitration by the state's Bureau of Mediation Services. Then the teachers voted to walk out. The Faribault schools were closed,…

Findings suggest that not only has the use of factfinding declined within the teacher sector of public employee bargaining, but that the decline is likely to continue. Increased teacher militancy reflects the times. (Author/MW)

Problems have arisen with the Michigan Public Employment Relations Act, which allows collective bargaining for public employees, because the act does not extend the right to strike and has no provision for a final resolution of a bargaining impasse in the event that voluntary settlement is not achieved. Neither voluntary negotiation nor…

This publication is intended to help school management personnel become more familiar with the nature of and the means for resolving negotiations impasses. Aspects of mediation and arbitration are discussed, and basic negotiating techniques that help school boards win arbitration cases are presented. Also provided are a sample arbitration case…

Using a behavioral theory of bargaining, the authors examined data sets from Illinois and Iowa school districts and from a national sample of teachers. Results suggest that strike use and the availability of arbitration and the right to strike affect teacher salaries, while arbitration use does not. (Author/SK)

If unions are to be kept from taking over institutions, trustees must understand their role as keepers of the public trust, and commit themselves to winning at the bargaining table. This article offers a list of practical guidelines for trustees involved in contract negotiations. (Author/NHM)