When the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) held its annual meeting in Washington, in mid-June, some members called the gathering the most crucial in the group's 93-year history. On the last day of the meeting, members overwhelmingly approved a restructuring plan that could resolve longstanding problems, which include declining…

Visual sources in the form of teachers' journals and careers literature constitute an important part of the material culture of the teaching profession, and demand examination for their impact on occupational identity. The material allows for a range of interpretations and the approach taken here is speculative, in both methodologies and analysis.…

At the request of the Education Reform Project of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, the National Council on Teacher Quality undertook an analysis of the teacher policies in the Baltimore City Public Schools. Its analysis looks at the teachers' contract, school board rules and state laws. It also collected personnel data from the…

At the request of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) undertook this analysis of the teacher policies in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). A coalition of civil rights groups were also involved in this project, including Parent Organization Network, Families in Schools, Alliance for a…

This report presents five case studies which provide a comprehensive description of the programs and services available to union retirees in different communities. The five communities reflect a diversity of geographical locations, economic base, occupational structure, and unions represented. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Miami, Florida;…

Labor unions in the U.S.S.R.--having emerged in Russia about 100 years after U.S. labor unions and been called by Lenin the "shock troops of the revolution"--do not much resemble their U.S. counterparts. Union members, including factory managers, constitute 99.3 percent of the work force, and place of employment or profession determines…

This paper presents a set of 20 major guidelines for developing college student union organizations and facilities that may be utilized by 2-year institutions similar to University of South Carolina regional campuses. In justifying these guidelines the author reviews the related literature and the data collection procedures--campus visits and a…

Historical evidence is presented for the thesis that exclusive union representation by majority rule was adopted in the private sector primarily to pave the way for a corporative state. Peaceful, orderly collective bargaining by "responsible" unions in a competitive economy was a minor, secondary consideration. (Author/MLF)

A table provides data on the collective bargaining status of various employee positions in school systems of various sizes. Figures are provided for teachers, principals, other administrators, school secretaries, building custodians, bus drivers, and teachers and principals in the same unit. (TE)

After providing some background data on the number of blue-collar and white-collar employees covered by collective bargaining agreements at U.S. institutions of higher education, this study used data from a 1997-1998 study on the costs of staffing in higher education. It was conducted by the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers…

A teacher questions the motivations of teacher unions, which appear to be more interested in image-making, public relations, and politics than in teacher improvement and individual teachers' rights, attitudes, and problems. (CJ)

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed last September 2006 to take up the issue of when a teachers' union may spend the money it collects in the form of "agency fees" from nonmembers on political causes. The justices said they would review a Washington state law that requires nonmembers to "affirmatively consent," or opt in, before a…

The requirement to assess public employees is increasing within European public services. Dictated by budgetary imperatives and performance improvement concerns, it is becoming the norm in all administrations. One of the most sensitive areas of application is undoubtedly higher education. The traditional independence and autonomy of the academic…

This article deals with the role that the National Education Association (NEA) wants in the school improvement agenda. In this article, the author points out how pressure from supporters and critics, as well as the changing education landscape, challenge the union's strategic goals. Both the NEA and its smaller peer, the American Federation of…

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has lost several of its most prominent leaders over the past decade. It has struggled with scandals at major locals. An internal survey showed low morale among its own employees. The union itself insists it is still very much on the path blazed by Albert Shanker, the AFT's late, legendary president, under…