Social Justice and Collective Bargaining in Higher Education

This chapter examines social justice, broadly construed, and how these concepts, ideas and movements shaped industrial labor relations outcomes in America. The author explores how social justice unionism may apply to the contemporary post-secondary collective bargaining environment. Practical suggestions are offered regarding how the parties can accommodate social justice precepts and incorporate them proactively into labor-management relationships given the current political environment in higher education. Characteristics of unions, and the types of bargaining units represented where social justice unionism may influence bargaining outcomes, are discussed.