Attitudes of Ontario Secondary School Teachers toward Aspects of Professional Negotiations and Sanctions

Abstract

A Collective Action Scale was administered to samples of Ontario secondary school teachers in 1974 and 1977 in an effort to determine shifting teacher attitudes toward collective bargaining and sanctions. Although teacher attitudes toward collective bargaining have become slightly more favorable, the study showed a significant drop in the support of teachers for the use of sanctions, especially the strike. The only significant predictors of teacher militancy, as indicated by teacher attitudes toward the use of sanctions, were sex and length of residency in Ontario. Despite the findings, it should be noted that the majority of teachers would still strike if basic teacher interests were severely threatened.