RETRENCHMENT CLAUSES IN FACULTY UNION CONTRACTS - FACULTY RIGHTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE DISCRETION

This article provides a longitudinal analysis of the retrenchment clau ses in union contracts of colleges and universities in six states from 1980-90. Changes in contract provisions are tracked over time, by uni on, institutional type, and institution. Though contracts share some c ommon provisions, the nature of retrenchment in the 1980s is fundament ally different from past periods. Most contracts give administrators a great deal of discretion in determining the relevant unit of analysis in retrenching faculty an programs, rendering meaningless the criteri a and reemployment conditions that unions have negotiated.