LABOR RELATIONS AND EDUCATION IN TWO CONTEXTS: AMERICA AND AUSTRALIA

HARRY E. RANDLES

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DOI: 10.2190/10K2-J736-14VH-5201

Abstract

In this article, the author presents a descriptive analysis of labor relations in Australia. Perspective is generated through a brief discussion of the goverance of Australian schools. The history of compulsory arbitration is recounted as well as that of the teachers' union in New South Wales, one of the largest and wealthiest labor organizations in the nation. Some contrasts are pointed out between compulsory arbitration and collective negotiations, the labor relations models effective in Australia and the United States, respectively. In the Australian educational structure contract terms are settled in large measure through third-party arbitration, and the strike is utilized in seeking settlement of grievances. In the United States, collective bargaining, increasingly including grievance procedures, is the principal mechanism for contract determination while striking is threatened or implemented as a tactic in determining contract terms. Finally, the author details some contemplated changes in Australian school goverance and speculates on several matters of growing concern to teachers in both nations.

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