COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

DEFINITION
Collective bargainingconsists of negotiations
betweenanemployerandagroupofemployeessoas
todeterminetheconditionsofemployment.
The result ofcollective bargainingprocedures is a
collectiveagreement.
Employees are often represented inbargaining by a
unionorotherlabororganization.

COLLECTIVEBARGAININGOFTEACHERS
Collective bargaining is the process by which
teachers and administrators agree on a set of
regulations that govern working conditions and
determinecompensationandfringebenefits.
It defines the rights and duties of teachers to
particular assignments and at times creates
disciplinarysanctionsforteachersfailuretoachieve
certainstandards.

WHATITINCLUDES
Workingconditions
Classsize
Responsibilityofsupplementalclassroompersonnel
Employmentprotection
Criteriaforpromotion
Instructionalpolicycommittees
Performanceindicators
Studentdisciplineandteachersafety

OUTCOMESOFCOLLECTIVE
BARGAININGNEGOTIATIONS
Teacher Pay and Benefits

Teacherscoveredbycollectivebargainingtendto
earn5to12percentmorethanthosewhoarenot
covered
Bargaininghasalargereffectonfringebenefitsthan
itdoesonpay
Higherpayandfringebenefitsmayincreasethe
qualityofeducationiftheyattractbetterteachers.

 Working Conditions

Student-teacherratiosare712percentlowerfor
unionteachersthanfornonunionteachers
Regulateinstructionalandpreparationtimeandlimit
thetimedevotedtoadministrativedutiesteachers
Unionstendtostandardizetheworkplace

 Employment Security

Unionsandtheirmembersalsoseekjobprotection
fromtemporarydownturnsinenrollment
Unionsprotectemploymentbynegotiatinglower
classsizeandreduction-in-forceprovisions.

 Cost of Instruction

Operatingcostofschoolsincreasesbecauseof
increasedpayandimprovedworkingconditions
Thehighercompensationtypicallyreducesfunds
availableforotherinstructionalpurposes

 Administrative Flexibility

Contractsrestrictthediscretionofadministrators
Neednotcompletelyimpedetheireffectiveness

EFFECTONSTUDENTPERFORMANCE
Researchers find that teachers unions raise average
student scores on various standardized exams between 1
and2percent
EbertsandStonestudyfindthatstudentsinuniondistricts
havea5percenthighergain
One more study find that teachers unions are associated
witha2.3percentincreaseindropoutratesandinfersthat
unionizationreducesstudentachievement

 TeachersUnionsandStudentPerformance:
HelporHindrance?
Article by : Randall W. Eberts