Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Animosity between teachers’ unions and the charter movement is often assumed by the popular press, policymakers, and the public.  Recently, charter school teachers in several states have taken advantage of flexibility in state statutes to organize and seek union representation at the bargaining table.  In this paper, combining interview data from teachers at two recently unionized Minnesota charter schools with minutes from school board and parent teacher organization meetings, local newspaper coverage, and the contracts ultimately negotiated between charter teachers and boards I explore the factors that incite collective organization and the ways in which the process of unionization alters operations and relations.  I find that instability in school leadership, staffing and location motivate union certification.  After unionization charter teachers report a greater sense of community and self-confidence.  The contracts negotiated in unionized charters resemble those of the union with whom teachers affiliate but grant greater flexibility in management than the contracts negotiated in traditional public schools.