Center for Studies in Higher Education

This paper examines social justice and collective bargaining with a focus on higher education. Observations are offered around the following issues: a) a brief history of social justice as it has been conceptualized in labor management relations with a particular focus on unions in higher education; b) identification of collective bargaining scenarios when social justice platforms may have a more salient impact on negotiations; c) actions and strategies the parties might consider to accommodate social justice concerns in the bargaining process; and d) measuring and assessing collective bargaining outcomes. Collective bargaining in post-secondary institutions remains a complex phenomenon where political and legal guidelines are evolving particularly in a post-COVID environment. Accurate assessment of bargaining outcomes presents a variety of methodological challenges.