Engaging With Teacher Unions and Education Associations
A teacher union is a special type of labor union made up of educators, designed to represent the interests and rights of educators and school personnel. The goal of the union is to secure benefits such as wages, working conditions, and job protection. The members of the teacher union shape the way education works for themselves and their students.
An education association is an organization that represents and advocates for professionals working in the field of education. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may choose to join their local teacher union or education association.
Joining either type of organization comes with the following benefits:
- a collective voice in educational decisions
- legal protection, including representation in disputes
- advocacy for improved pay, better benefits, optimal working conditions, and ideal student learning environments
- professional development opportunities
- special savings on insurance, travel, phone plans, and education
The two largest national unions and/or associations related to education are the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA).
Learn more about The Different Roles and Responsibilities of Professional Associations and Unions.
Terminology
Before engaging with teacher unions, it's helpful to familiarize yourself with these commonly used terminology. Here are five important terms to help you get started:
bargaining unit – a group of employees with a common interest who are recognized as part of a union. In states that permit collective bargaining, the bargaining unit would consist of union employees—which includes members and nonmembers—who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
collective bargaining – an exchange of ideas between unions and management who, together, must negotiate in good faith over the terms and conditions of employment—such as salary, benefits, and working conditions.
interest-based bargaining – a collaborative negotiation strategy that focuses on the interest of involved parties to find a mutually beneficial solution to an issue.
right to work – laws that allow employees to work without joining a union or paying union fees. It prohibits unions from negotiating contract provisions that require all employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement to join or pay for the cost of union representation, often called agency fees. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that agency fee provisions were unconstitutional for public sector employees (see Janus v. AFSCME decision).
union dues – fees that members pay to (a) cover their union membership and (b) support the union’s work and activities, such collective bargaining, or providing legal representation. These dues are typically a percentage of the members’ wages or a set fee.
See NEA's complete list of Union Terms to Know.
How to Get Involved
To benefit from the union—and negotiate change—it’s important to become involved. The following steps can help you enhance your understanding of how the union works.
- Understand the group’s policies, procedures, and decision-making processes.
- Familiarize yourself with the local contract.
- Meet with the leadership to let them know who you are and what you do.
- Serve on a committee.
- Run for office.
- Know the system and players at all levels:
- school building or site
- district or central office
- state level
- federal level
- Collaborate with the negotiation team to (a) ensure that SLP-specific concerns are addressed and (b) familiarize leadership with these issues.
Strategies for Engaging with Teacher Unions
Step 1: Lay the Groundwork
- Establish a committee of district-wide audiology and speech-language pathology representatives to work with your local union or association representative and solve problems with the central administration.
- Examine your local contract for any vehicle or committee to address the needs of a specific group of professionals, either within a building or across a district. If you can’t find this document, contact your local union or association officials to ask what provisions exist.
- Obtain support of the union or association to gather names and contact information for members in the audiology and speech-language pathology job categories.
Step 2: Collaborate
- Join or start a group to include allies and like-minded colleagues. Plan a meeting that would result in identifying common needs for audiologists and across the entire district.
- Identify a representative from the group who is willing to meet regularly to help resolve issues.
- Meet with a representative of the union/ association to set up meeting procedures (this may take several meetings).
- Define how often the group will meet and set a schedule.
- Gather input from all speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
Step 3: Take Action
- Develop a problem-solving process.
- Establish and maintain contact with the district administrator for speech and hearing services (including attendance at regular meetings).
- Share information on discussions and resolutions with all audiologists and SLPs.
- Determine what support your union or association can provide in terms of staff support, meeting space, and funding.
- Determine how the union or association will communicate and interact with this committee to make contractual gains specific to audiologists and SLPs.
- Determine alternative solutions that you can live with if you can’t reach an agreement—and be prepared to listen to feedback from the union.
- Develop your strategy, rally your allies, and use data to support your position.
- Know your best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BANTA). What is the best you can hope to achieve if you can’t negotiate an agreement?
- Invite your union or association representative—or staff members—to provide support, data, or substantiation.
- Go into a meeting prepared to (a) provide a clear description of the problem and (b) describe how it affects student progress or staff productivity.
- Be prepared to discuss problems openly—conflicts or anxieties should be acknowledged and discussed frankly. In fact, if any tension arises, be sure to face it calmly and honestly, and do not take it personally.
- Separate the people from the problem. Recognize that people’s egos become entangled with their stances or positions. Work side by side with the participants and attack the problem—not each other.
- Listen to the other parties’ demands, and then focus on what you think the other parties’ interests and needs really are.
- Be clear about what your own interests and needs are—and be persistent in pursuing them.
- Actively listen to ensure that what you’re saying is what you mean—and what your audience is hearing is what you are intending to impart. /li>
- Be sure to provide several solutions for each concern—with a clear rationale for how each could be accomplished. Don’t be afraid to provide opinions on which solutions you feel would be most desirable to yourself or to your staff.
- Use objective standards to determine specific outcomes.
- Make sure that you or another participant takes notes that both parties can use for reference or back-up once a decision goes into effect. Be sure that all interested parties—including the administrator—get a copy of those minutes.
- Focus on solutions that are most conducive to student achievement and growth.
Working for Change: A Guide for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists Working in Schools
With this newly revised, six-part guide, you can learn how to work with unions in schools. It provides step-by-step information to help you get involved, understand the decision-making process, and advocate for and negotiate change in your school or district.
Negotiation Tips
Know your best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BANTA). What is the best you can hope to achieve, if you can't negotiate an agreement.
Invite your union/association representative or staff members to provide support, data, or substantiation.
Go into a meeting with a clear description of the problem and how it affects student progress or staff productivity.
Be prepared to discuss problems openly—conflicts or anxieties should be acknowledged and discussed frankly. In fact, if any tension arises, be sure to face it calmly and honestly and do not to take it personally.
Separate the people from the problem. Recognize that people's egos become entangled with their stances/positions. Work side by side with the participants and attack the problem, not each other.
Listen to the other parties' demands and then focus on what you think the other parties' interests and needs really are. Also, be clear about what your own interests and needs are and be persistent in pursuing them.
Actively listen to ensure that what you are saying is what you mean and what is being heard is what is intended.
Be sure to provide several solutions for each concern with a clear rationale for how each could be accomplished. Don't be afraid to provide opinions on which solutions you feel would be most desirable to yourself or to your staff.
Use objective standards to determine specific outcomes.
Make sure that you or another participant takes notes that can be used for reference or back-up once a decision goes into effect. Be sure that all interested parties get a copy of those minutes, including the administrator.
Focus on solutions that are most conducive to student achievement and growth.
Resources
This collection of resources includes ASHA comparison data, examples of bargaining agreement language, caseload and workload tools and support, a special collection of articles focused on teacher unions, presentations, and links to related organizations.
