The struggle for the knowledge-based workplace

US teacher unions have begun to depart from industrial principles. The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers have endorsed ideas such as peer review, training standards for teachers, job embedded professional development, and alternatives to the standard salary schedule. Union locals are experimenting with variations of these ideas and others. Still, the struggle to organize teaching as mental rather than physical labor is far from won, and it is argued that substantial policy intervention will be required. Changes in labor law and policy often pattern new organizational culture and practice. The conclusion of the article addresses the mismatch between industrial-era law and contemporary teaching.