Declassified: NJEA Collective Bargaining Manual

Intercepts reports:

The New Jersey Education Association Collective Bargaining Manual is a treasure trove of information on every aspect of teacher contract negotiations and the union’s strategy and tactics for conducting them. Some of the laws and regulations cited are state-specific, but almost all of the 142-page textbook is a useful window into this shadowy world for school boards and citizens all across the country.

The manual includes an entire sample contract, the language of which I am sure will be familiar to school administrators throughout New Jersey. It contains nuggets like proposing “low-priority items submitted as a matter of record in hopes of obtaining a ‘foot-in the-door’ agreement or softening resistance for the future. Such low-priority proposals could also be used as throw-away proposals when making concessions to the school board in exchange for board concessions on matters of greater importance to the association.” NJEA also suggests negotiators “ Use the caucus as a strategy move. Make the other side think an issue is more difficult to accept than may be the case.”

The text contains more than you would ever want to know about constructing a salary schedule. I am confident that the alchemy involved has eluded many a district negotiator in the past, leading to higher labor spending than necessary

A rent-seeking manual.