LabourManagement Government Partnerships

1
Labour-Management- Government Partnerships

• APEC Symposium
• June 2001

2
OC TranspoPublic Transit AuthorityOttawa, Canada

• Stats
• In business since 1903
• Owned and administered by Ottawa-Carleton
  Regional Transit Commission
• 11 elected representatives from community
• Fleet of 850 buses
• Served a population of 625K
• Typical weekday rides- 250K
• 2300 Employees

3
Historical Overview

• Environment in the 1990s
• Declining Ridership
• Budget restraint
• Political turmoil
• 500 turnover in Human Resources/Labour
  Relations- Management
• Wildcat strike 1991
• Legal Strike 1996

4
The 1996 Strike

• Traditional Negotiations
• Face to face negotiations replaced with meetings
  before the CIRB
• Conciliation talks break down
• 24 day strike
• World class mediator assigned to case
• Parties accept a mediated settlement
• Union/Management relationship at its worst

5
Harsh Lessons- Employer

• Botched negotiation strategy
• imposing concessions
• misreading the Unions resolve
• publicly taking hard line- no room to move
• Public intolerance for inefficiency
• Incalculable losses
• Complete breakdown in trust

6
Harsh Lessons- Union

• Burning Bridges
• repairing the relationship is much more difficult
• we Vs. they mentality exists today

7
Beginnings of Partnership

• Recognition of the need to rebuild
  trust/relationship
• Desire of teams- or at least leaders to rebuild
  trust/relationship
• Assess and Change Players
• Look for External Assistance as Required
• Develop Joint Strategy for New Approach

8
Cooperative Labour RelationsRebuilding the Trust

• Develop plan together
• Train Jointly
• Research Jointly
• Rethink everything you do
• Adopt a holistic approach to labour relations

9
Our Plan

• Joint Policy Development
• workplace accommodation
• expedited arbitration
• peer support network
• working groups
• Joint Training Research
• presenting an arbitration
• interest based negotiations
• Interest Based Negotiations
• better solutions to problems

10
Prerequisites for Success

• Motivation
• joint initiative based on common goals
• commitment of key leaders
• realistic expectations
• Preparation
• both parties fully understand process
• manage expectations
• Process
• stick to ground rules
• use facilitator

11
Trials

• Unions Story
• senior executive member not on board
• internal strife and mistrust
• Managements Story
• senior manager leaves town
• 70 turnover of senior management team
• Summary
• Ensure you have the right players
• Ensure all members of team understand goals
• Acknowledge you may have setbacks

12
Tribulations

• Unions Story
• First IBN contract almost rejected
• Impact on Future?
• Managements Story
• Political pressure
• Impact of Municipal Restructuring on ability to
  be creative

13
Triumphs

• Unions Story
• positive membership feedback
• more education
• more impact on future of transit
• Managements Story
• labour peace
• political support
• increased ridership

14
Future Issues

• Positive Discipline Pilot
• Peer Support Network
• New Booking System
• Education Sessions
• Other...

15
Conclusions

• Dont wait until you hit the bottom
• Partnership results in better solutions to
  workplace problems than ever before
• Invest in your Human Resources
• Expect Setbacks
• Place responsibility for IBN on everyone
• Build Bridges- quickly and often!