Preparing for Bargaining, Key to Success!

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Preparing for Bargaining, Key to Success!

• Angel F. González
• University of Iowa Labor Center
• M210 Oakdale Hall
• Iowa City, IA 52240

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Bargaining Effectiveness Criteria

• How many high priority problems were successfully
  addressed?
• How long did bargaining take?
• How many days were actually spent at the table or
  mediation or impasse resolution?
• To what extent did employees participate in
  improving working conditions through the
  bargaining process?
• The union cannot bargain effectively unless it is
  active and competent in legislative and political
  action, contract enforcement, and organizing.

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The Challenge is

• To carry out a bargaining strategy that succeeds
  in achieving the highest priorities of the
  members, as quickly as possible and with as
  little wasted effort as necessary and in a way
  that allows employees to participate actively in
  the process.

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Getting what the members want

• Ask
• Research
• Grievance records
• Review last contract
• Pick the best tool for the job
• Litigation
• Arbitration
• Negotiation
• Participation

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Organizing Model of Bargaining

• high membership involvement
• open communications
• concerted action in the workplace coordinated to
  support specific bargaining issues and demands
• outreach to community, political, and public
  allies (other unions, shareholders, customers,
  voters, etc.)
• bargaining demands promote unions broader
  political, social, and organizing goals (e.g.,
  bargaining for time off to vote, for more access
  to new hires at orientation, for more union
  control on safety committee, etc.)

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A Contract Campaign Is

• Focused on workplace issues
• Direct action oriented
• Engaged in continuous outreach
• Centered on the workplace
• Based on worker groups not individuals

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Key Elements

• Start Early
• Honest evaluation of strengths and weaknesses.
• Research employers position.
• Review last contract (gains/losses)
• Set goals
• Members Decide
• Informed, active membership is crucial
• Members must be clear about what actions they
  are willing to take.

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Key Elements (cont.)

• Build Leadership
• Recruit more rank and file volunteers
• Establish an organizing committee
• Educate and motivate
• Prioritize
• Survey the membership
• Establish clear goals

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Key Elements (cont.)

• Keep Information Flowing
• Establish strong communications network.
• One-on-one, phone trees, meetings, flyers,
  websites, email lists.
• Escalate Actions
• Build momentum towards expiration date.
• Start with actions that require less risk.
• Save the best for last!

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Key Elements (cont.)

• Mobilize Community Support
• Have a message that resonates with public.
• Enlist the help of other unions, clergy,
  politicians, stockholders.

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Organizing Committee

• Broad one-on-one communication network
• Member education and signing up new members
• Literature production distribution
• Escalating workplace actions
• Coalitions with allies
• Press and public communication

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Assessing Your Unit

• Membership/non-membership s
• Logistics
• What areas are strong/weak?
• What areas are to be targeted?
• Who talks with new hires and others?
• Follow-up meetings.
• Have you mapped the workplace?
• Where are your key people?

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Reviewing the Contract and Past Grievances

• Why do it?
• What can we hope to learn?

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Surveys

• Bargaining priorities should be established by
  surveying all employees
• Take advantage of this opportunity to increase
  union visibility in the workplace
• Follow up to ensure the most surveys are returned
  completed
• Once received and tabulated channel issues to the
  appropriate committee for further action.

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Surveys serve several purposes

• To find out what members think
• To get members involved in union activity
• To send a message to the agency
• To develop information
• To recruit new members and activists

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Tips for conducting a survey

• Keep your views to yourself
• If a workers makes a negative comment about the
  union, dont argue explore
• Emphasize that what we win depends on everyones
  participation
• Create some spirit and visibility for the survey

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Sample Contract Survey Questions

• What is the most important improvement in the
  next contract?
• Your second most important?
• How successful do you think that will be?
• What specific information about it will be most
  useful now?
• What aspect of contract issues do you want to
  focus on next time?

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Combine the survey with a membership drive

• End the survey form with a membership application
• Distribute survey only to members, but encourage
  non-members to sign-up and be heard
• Show potential members what they are missing by
  not participating

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One-On-One Conversation

• Introduce yourself and get the persons
  attention. (Whats in it for me?)
• Ask questions and LISTEN.
• Educate
• Seek Commitment
• Follow-up

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Developing a Theme

• What are the important issues?
• Are these the issues that will move our people?
• Will our message unite or divide the bargaining
  unit?
• Does our message resonate with the community?

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Themes should be chosen to....

• Inspire and unite the membership
• Define the central issues of bargaining
• Send a message to management
• Win community support and appeal to the public