Attitudes of Pentecostal teachers in Newfoundland toward appropriate strategies for resolving impasses in collective bargaining

Rideout, Frederick David. (1986) Attitudes of Pentecostal teachers in Newfoundland toward appropriate strategies for resolving impasses in collective bargaining. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This study was concerned mainly with Pentecostal teachers in Newfoundland and their refusal to participate in the duly authorized job actions of partial and complete withdrawal of services, as appropriate means for resolving impasses in the collective bargaining process. The Pentecostal teachers have claimed that their refusal to engage in such activity is an extension of their religious philosophy, which places education in a parochial context. Consequently, considerable tension has been created in the provincial bargaining unit if they are unwilling to join their colleagues in these more militant impasse strategies. -- This study was developed to document the differences between Pentecostal teachers and the rest of the teaching force in the province on strategies for resolving impasses. The impasse procedures examined were mediation and conciliation, fact finding, binding arbitration, final offer arbitration, issue-by-issue arbitration, withholding of partial services, withholding of all services, political activity, and use of the media. An attempt was also made to identify any influencing factors which might contribute to these differences. The independent variables included for this purpose were school system (Pentecostal or non-Pentecostal), teaching certificate level, sex, grade level taught (elementary or secondary), position, years of teaching experience, size of home town, school size, degree of job satisfaction, religious commitment to the teachings and practices of one's church, importance assigned to one's church, extent of union involvement, and degree of support for denominational schooling. In addition, the study also sought direction from the teachers as to the most acceptable means for accommodating the Pentecostals in the collective bargaining process. -- The questionnaire designed for this study was distributed to the total population of 397 Pentecostal teachers, and the same number of non-Pentecostal teachers in the province. One way analysis of variance was used to test for significant differences between these two groups, while linear multiple regression (stepwise) was used to examine the factors influencing these differences. -- Significant differences were found to exist between the Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal teachers with respect to the use of both partial and complete withdrawal of services, political involvement, and the use of the media to resolve impasses in collective bargaining. The Pentecostals expressed clear disagreement with partial and complete withdrawal of services to resolve impasses, while on political involvement and use of the media they expressed less agreement than their non-Pentecostal counterparts. In examining factors influencing such attitudes, only denominational affiliation (Pentecostal or non-Pentecostal) and sex registered as significant when considering all teachers in the province. However, when Pentecostal or non-Pentecostal teachers were analyzed separately, more variables entered the regression equation as significant. -- The final part of the study attempted to ascertain the views of both Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal teachers on ways of accommodating the Pentecostals in collective bargaining. The most favoured option among Pentecostal teachers was the creation of a separate bargaining unit with the same bargaining agent, the Newfoundland Teachers' Association. The non-Pentecostals, however, were largely uncertain about all of the options, with no clear preference expressed for either of the choices provided in the questionnaire.

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