Employees must define an appropriate collective bargaining unit or units to determine how the employees should be represented in collective bargaining. Under the NLRA and other labor statutes, only those individuals who share a sufficient “community of interest” may comprise an appropriate bargaining unit. Community of interests generally means that teachers have substantial mutual interests, including the following:
- Wages or compensation
- Hours of work
- Employment benefits
- Supervision
- Qualifications
- Training and skills
- Job functions
- Contact with other employees
- Integration of work functions with other employees
- History of collective bargaining
Many state statutes set forth requirements or considerations with respect to determinations of bargaining units in the public sector. Moreover, some statutes set forth specific bargaining units.
