Organizational Impacts of Teacher Negotiations

• Published in: Industrial relations (Berkeley) 1969-10, Vol.9 (1), p.67-79
• Main Authors: BELASCO, JAMES A., ALUTTO, JOSEPH A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Impact; Negotiation/Negotiations; Organization/Organizations/ Organizational/ Organize/ Organizers/ Organized/ Organizing; Structure/Structures/ Structuring/ Structured; Teacher/Teachers
• ISSN: 0019-8676; 1468-232X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-232X.1969.tb00493.x

Data from an intensive examination of 1 Sch district located in a small city (pop under 50,000) in Western NY carried out in 1968, plus a survey analysis of the negotiating processes employed in 8 medium-sized districts in the same region, are reported. Districts included ranged in pupil size from 1,000 to 9,300; in size of teaching staff from 50-450 individuals. A total/sum of board negotiators, teacher negotiators, & other relevant individuals. Bargaining experience & org'al affiliation were investigated. The central thesis was that increasing reliance by teachers on collective action will reshape the authority/decision-making structure of Sch systems, & as a consequence alter the future shape of collective negotiations. Therefore, predisposing act's of participants in collective bargaining & perceptions about decision-making were studied. 2 conflicting yet complementary future developments in the structure & process of collective negotiations were highlighted: (a) pressures for decentralization; (b) centralizing pressures. It is concluded that teachers in the future will utilize collective negotiations as a means of more completely achieving partnership in the public Sch enterprise & that full-time negotiators will emerge, operating within a 3-tier bargaining structure (regional, systemwide, & local). The coordination of these 3 bargaining levels will be one of the serious problems confronting future collective negotiations in educ. 4 Tables. M. Maxfield.