DOES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN TEACHER COMPENSATION COSTS? AN ILLINOIS STUDY EXAMINED
STEVEN K. JOHNSON, DENNIS C. ZUELKE, AND DAVID J. HALVER
DOI: 10.2190/58YL-7TCC-DDNN-3U3F
Abstract
This article examined a recent study on the relationship of collective bargaining and other variables to teacher compensation costs in Illinois public school districts. The findings showed that collective bargaining, identified as those districts with a negotiated master contract versus those districts without, had minimal positive impact of average salary costs, benefits costs, and total compensation costs. Other variables, such as geographic location, district size, and median family income, appeared to have larger statistical relationships with teacher compensation costs than collective bargaining. The authors critiqued the study in terms of certain methodological standards, such as the use or nonuse of multiple regression analysis, identified through analyses of other studies on the relationship of unions/bargaining to teacher salaries and benefits.
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