First Advisor
Karch, Adriana
Second Advisor
Sweet, Sharon
College
College for Professional Studies
Degree Name
Master of Arts
School
School of Humanities & Social Sciences
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Number of Pages
93 pages
Abstract
While the majority of teachers are affiliated with a union, the quality of representation is unclear. Historically, trade unions have served as a medium for workers to collectively interact with management and, thus, they have served as the primary means of communication between two entities. However, management is diverse for educators; both local administrators and national politicians alike are able to influence a teacher' work. Teachers rely on unions not only for contract negotiation within their own districts, but as an advocate on national educational issues, such as the recent No Child Left Behind Act (2002, as cited in National Education Association [NEA], 2005). The ability for unions to represent affiliates on this broad spectrum occurs through the division of local and national representation. Modern educational unions have become increasingly involved with professional and educational concerns, in addition to the traditional industrial issues of pay and benefits. Kerchner and Caufman (1993a) termed this shift, "professional unionism" (p. 19) and defined the new role of the union as balancing the self-interests of teachers with the larger interests of the profession as a whole. They suggested that union leaders take a more cooperative role with all levels of management, and that this, in turn, benefits individual members. "First, unions are discarding beliefs about the inherent separateness of labor and management, teaching and administration" (p. 9).
Date of Award
Summer 2006
Location (Creation)
Colorado (state); Denver (county); Denver (inhabited place)
Copyright
© Lash, Steven
Rights Statement
All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials. It is available only for research purposes and may not be used in violation of copyright laws or for unlawful purposes. The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations.
Recommended Citation
Lash, Steven, "Perceptions of Representational Efficacy in Local and National Teacher Unions" (2006). Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection). 342.
https://epublications.regis.edu/theses/342