10.2190/J7K1-VEEQ-A481-F7AL J7K1VEEQA481F7AL 0 PUBLIC SECTOR ASPHYXIATION: A TIME FOR ACTION IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=J7K1VEEQA481F7AL 3 JONATHAN L. BLACK-BRANCH AND WENDY K. LAMONT Unlike a century ago when the power and utility of collective negotiating remained somewhat uncertain, today few would question the strength and the importance of collective bargaining within educational public sector institutions. Indeed, public sector employees have fought long and hard over the past hundred years to improve working conditions and gain benefits in their employment contracts. Nowhere in the world has this been more prominent than in the United States. As a results, Americans have among the best work-based packages in the world. Effectively, they enjoy a high quality of life, comparatively speaking.