Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe elementary, unified, and high school district superintendents, board of education presidents, and teachers' association presidents' perceptions about Mutual Gain Bargaining prior to and following the implementation of this process as an alternative method of collective bargaining and labor relations. Methodology. The research method selected for this study was descriptive research. A questionnaire was utilized to collect data to answer the eight research questions. A total population consisting of thirty-eight school districts having implemented Mutual Gain Bargaining in the state of California was used for this study. Following the return of the questionnaires, data were analyzed using the "Statistical Program for the Social Sciences" (SPSS) computer program. Frequencies, percentages, and mean scores were used to describe and compare data where applicable. In addition, an independent t-test was used to determine significant differences for the research questions. Significance was set at the.01 level of confidence. Findings. The perceptions of superintendents, board of education presidents, and teachers' association presidents indicated there were fewer grievances and unfair labor practices, the working relationship between management and teachers improved, and the level of morale significantly improved following the implementation of Mutual Gain Bargaining. The findings also indicated that support of the certificated contract significantly improved on the part of district administrators, site administrators, and teachers. No significant differences were found in the total time in a year a district spent on settling the certificated contract prior to and following the implementation of Mutual Gain Bargaining. Additionally, school districts should not expect to experience fewer costs associated with the bargaining process following the implementation of Mutual Gain Bargaining. Recommendations. School districts should assess the impact their collective bargaining process is having on the relationship between management and teachers, and then enact plans to counter the negative effects. If school districts are experiencing adversarial or difficult labor relations, they should consider investigating the possible implementation of alternative labor relations approaches such as Mutual Gain Bargaining. It is important for a district to provide opportunities for staff, particularly key leaders not having previous knowledge of the process, to receive training in Mutual Gain Bargaining. Since the elements of the Mutual Gain Bargaining process are important toward contract resolution, school districts that implement Mutual Gain Bargaining should adhere to each element during the negotiations process.