A Research On Developments Of Collective Bargaining Among Teachers In The United States

Collective bargaining of teachers is an important means to safeguard the interest of teachers and coordinate the labor relations in the field of education. In the first half of 20 th century, collective bargaining among teachers which originated from the private business was brought in the field of education, and gradually developed into a complete legal system in the United States. Currently, it has become a way of life of American education and grasped the direction of public school affairs.Historically, the evolution of collective bargaining among teachers in the United States has gone through three stages. In the first half of 20 th century, collective bargaining among teachers received appropriate social foundations because of the establishment of collective bargaining system in the private sector and the rise of American teacher unions. To improve the horrible surviving and teaching conditions, local teacher unions tried to bargain collectively with local education authorities which accumulated lots of valuable experience.On the basis of the experience, collective bargaining among teachers rapidly became laws of states in 1960 s to 1970 s. It brought lots of benefits to public school teachers and made them social status promoted, while also raised some negative effects. Since the 1980 s, local teacher unions began to adjust the traditional form which couldn’t adapt to the changing world in three aspects: teacher assessment, distribution patters of salary and the relationships to rebuild the vigor of system of collective bargaining among teachers in the United States.Collective bargaining among teachers in the United States has accumulated valuable experience in the long course of the development. The experience gained in the process is of great importance to China in safeguarding interests of teachers, stimulating the enthusiasm of teachers in education reform and improving the construction of teacher organizations.