About a quarter of the nation`s largest districts are in one of 13 states where a teachers` strike is legal. (To learn more, visit our interactive map.) In districts that bargain collectively, their teaching contracts are valid for about three years on average. However, a significant number (21%) come to the negotiating table each year. Traditional teachers` strikes occur when a teachers` union and school district fail to agree on various labour issues through a process known as collective bargaining. Collective bargaining is legal for teachers in 34 states, optional in 10 other states, and illegal in seven states. (For more information, see our interactive map.) Recent examples of this type of traditional strike include Denver, Los Angeles and Oakland. In states where collective bargaining is illegal, it is not necessary for the district to enter into any agreement with teachers. Typically, guidelines for teachers are established by the school board and communicated through a series of school board policy documents. Of the county`s largest districts, 43 are subject to guidelines set unilaterally by school boards, while 80 are governed by collective or other agreements. Since collective bargaining promotes excellence in education, all segments of education should apply the process. State law should be expanded to require school authorities to negotiate procedures and methods to involve teachers in decisions that shape the curriculum, peer support, and other professional and educational matters.
This month, the Trendline District highlights the role of collective bargaining in teachers` strikes, examines what teachers have gained during recent strikes in Denver, Los Angeles and Oakland, and makes a prediction of where teachers might strike next. Teachers, like other civil servants, do not have the constitutional right to collective bargaining (i.e. states must decide). But the First Amendment provides that people have the right to “assemble peacefully,” which includes the right to join a union (if not as a vehicle for collective bargaining). In addition, teachers do not have the constitutional right to strike, although this right may be granted by other federal or state laws. Of course, these agreements are not without costs. Denver and Oakland are laying off hundreds of non-teaching employees to offset the cost of their deals. In Los Angeles, the county faces real financial concerns, including a possible takeover by the county, in part due to the tax risk of implementing the new deal. In Denver and Los Angeles, teachers ended the strike with the same amount of money used for raises that was on the table before the strike. In both cases, however, the teachers received other concessions from the district. In Denver, the way the new wage money will be distributed has turned in favor of the union, with the district slashing, among other things, a bonus for teachers working in Title I schools.
In Los Angeles, the union got a much larger investment in support staff and a reduction in class sizes. In Oakland, teachers received significant salary increases over previous county offers, ultimately getting an 11 percent increase over three years over the county`s seven percent offer before the strike. In addition, Oakland teachers have secured some minor concessions regarding class size restrictions. Unions negotiate better pay on behalf of their members, but they also deal with complaints; provide training; lobby federal and state legislators; and work to improve the quality of education for students (e.g. B reduce class sizes and improve curriculum). Unions may bargain collectively on behalf of teachers for a variety of reasons, including (but not limited to) the following: On the other hand, there are 36 major districts whose collective agreements expire this year. Thirteen of these counties are located in states where strikes are allowed, including five California counties (Capistrano, Elk Grove, Fresno, San Bernardino City, Santa Ana) where there have already been two teachers` strikes in 2019 and two other districts are facing strikes. A bargaining unit is a group of professionals who share a “community of interest” typically embodied by a union. A teacher may belong to more than one bargaining unit.
Although most teachers belong to the NEA, the largest bargaining unit in the United States, they may also belong to a state or local union. The NEA represents the interests of all public school teachers in the United States, while a local union can serve as a bargaining unit for a single district. Teachers who choose not to join the union may not have to pay monthly dues, although they reap the broader profits of the union (such as better pay, etc.), but they may lose other benefits. For example, teachers` unions offer legal protection and advice on various work-related issues. This may include representation and liability insurance to protect against parental lawsuits. In addition, union members often have access to a wide range of support and advice, including instructional guides and professional development opportunities. You can learn more about state collective bargaining laws here and explore teachers` collective agreements, county salaries, and key data in our teachers` contract database. Most public school teachers belong to at least one union that negotiates on their behalf with federal, state and local officials for better wages, benefits and working conditions. Some major unions, including the National Education Association (NEA), are also pressuring federal and state legislatures for pro-education policies and adequate funding. The ability to bargain through a teachers` union is determined by state laws, as some states prohibit collective bargaining by public sector employees (including Virginia and North Carolina). As many as 18 states require non-unionized teachers to pay fees to the union as a condition of employment, with the idea that their salary and benefits are directly related to union activity. These states include California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Of the country`s largest districts, only three agreements are currently expiring (Boston, Brevard (FL), Manchester (NH)). However, none of these three counties are located in states where it is legal to strike. .