A solution to the free rider problem

By Larry Sand
01/14/2020
Union leaders grumble when non-members get union perks; here’s a way out. As a result of the Janus decision in June 2018, workers are no longer forced to pay any money whatsoever to a public employee union as a condition of employment. While teachers and other government workers were freed from paying union dues or...

TAGS: Alexander Willen, Andrew Coulson, collective bargaining, Greg Forster, Janus decision, Larry Sand, Michael Lovenheim, Mike Petrilli, National Education Association, teachers union, Terry Moe, wage compression

Collective bargaining hurts teachers and students

By Larry Sand
01/15/2019
Using a model from the Industrial Era, teachers in Los Angeles are striking. I have written about the subject many times, but it is worth revisiting as Los Angeles teachers are striking over a one-size-fits-all collective bargaining contract that is harmful to all concerned. Collective bargaining, a term first introduced into the lexicon by socialist...

TAGS: Alexander Willen, Andrew Coulson, Caroline Hoxby, collective bargaining, Greg Forster, Larry Sand, Michael Lovenheim, Mike Petrilli, teacher strike, teachers union, Terry Moe, wage compression

Defective collective bargaining

By Larry Sand
01/16/2018
Despite what teachers unions tell you, collective bargaining is bad for kids and country.  Ask any teacher unionista – leader or camp follower – and they will tell you with great assuredness that when teachers are organized and collectively bargain, children are better educated. To bolster their argument, they say things like unions enable teachers...

TAGS: Act 10, Alexander Willen, Barbara Biasi, Caroline Hoxby, collective bargaining, Jason Bedrick, Larry Sand, Michael Lovenheim, Rick Hess, Scott Walker, teachers union, Terry Moe

The malice of absence

By Larry Sand
09/26/2017
Thanks to collective bargaining, traditional public school teachers “get sick” way too often. It’s no secret that many teachers take advantage of the “sick days” that are part of a typical union collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Of course, while sick days are used legitimately by all teachers at some point, many (including yours truly, on...

TAGS: Alexander Willen, American Federation of Teachers, Caroline Hoxby, collective bargaining, Fordham Institute, Kate Walsh, Larry Sand, Michael Lovenheim, National Council on Teacher Quality, Randi Weingarten, Rick Hess, teachers union, Terry Moe

Collective Bargaining Disagreement

By Larry Sand
11/24/2015
Collective bargaining serves neither students, competent teachers, nor taxpayers. A new study reveals that collective bargaining for teachers has a negative effect on future earnings, occupational skill levels and hours worked. Writing in Education Next, researchers Michael Lovenheim and Alexander Willen dissect the long-term ramifications of states that mandate collective bargaining for teachers. While they...

TAGS: Alexander Willen, Caroline Hoxby, collective bargaining, Education Next, Jay Greene, Larry Sand, Michael Lovenheim, Mike Petrilli, Rebecca Friedrichs, teachers union, Terry Moe, wage compression