Actual and perceived effects of collective bargaining by non-certificated personnel in Indiana public schools

Gilbert Lee Crimmins, Purdue University

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the impact of collective bargaining on school corporations by non-certificated staff, in Indiana public schools. First the perceptions of school administrators from school corporations which collectively bargain with their custodial and secretarial staffs were compared with the perceptions of school administrators from school corporations which do not collectively bargain with these staff. This analysis ascertained bargaining school administrators' perceptions of how the process has worked, and non-bargaining school administrators' perceptions and reservations about how collective bargaining by non-certificated school employees would impact their school corporations. A second analysis was made in which the wage cost increases obtained by custodial and secretarial staffs in school corporations which collectively bargain with custodial and secretarial staffs were compared against the wage cost increases of school corporations which do not collectively bargain with these groups. Twenty-eight matched school corporations were examined in this study. The criteria used in the matching of school corporations were state geographic location, per-pupil expenditure, and student enrollment. The financial data included the years 1981 through 1990. Based on the perceptions of school administrators in this study, collective bargaining by non-certificated school personnel was found to have two clear effects. The first effect was an increase in these employees' influence in economic and political decisions. The second effect was an increase in these employees' rate of change in fringe benefit costs to the school corporation. There were mixed responses regarding the perceptions of the effect collective bargaining has on wage increases; however, the financial data indicated a possible trend of non-certificated employees from non-bargaining school corporations obtaining slightly higher average wage rate increases than non-certificated employees from bargaining school corporations. There were indications that a spillover effect of teacher bargaining was the driving force behind non-certified employee wage increases, regardless of whether these employees collectively bargained. School administrators clearly opposed any type of mandated collective bargaining for non-certificated school personnel. This study raised questions about the merits of collective bargaining for non-certified personnel in Indiana public schools.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Nicholson, Purdue University.

Subject Area

School administration|School finance

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