le 24 octobre, 16 h 30, Réunion spéciale, B1528, L'Esplanade Laurier
October 24th, 4:30 pm, Special Meeting, B1528, L'Esplanade Laurier
by Joseph Dubonnet
I don't pretend to be an expert in collective bargaining and each round of bargaining certainly comes with its own unique set of opportunities and challenges but I would think that there are a few elements or principles that would be recurrent within the dynamic of all negotiations.
There are 5 elements that I think we should always be mindful of when negotiating within the context of Collective Bargaining (or any type of negotiation for that matter):
1. Know who you talking to.
There are two components to that statement.
First, you need to understand the issues at hand from a broader perspective.
What is the overall context and the political and economic conjecture that the people sitting across the table from you toiling under? They too answer to individuals, who in turns have priorities that may be entirely different, at least on the surface, than yours. You must develop the ability to contextualise the message they deliver and provide an analytical view back to your team of the veracity of their claims. In other words you must have an understanding of the larger forces at hand to know the difference between mere posturing, tactical positioning, and potential threats.
Second, you must remember that both teams sitting across the table are real people just doing a job.
You need to have the ability to develop rapport both within your team and with those sitting across the table from you. This requires a very specific sets of skills - the ability to develop relationships involving understanding, empathy, and trust. Someone who truly understands the interests, priorities, fears, strengths and weaknesses of the participants will be more successful in reaching a meaningful agreement than someone who is fixated upon its own agenda.
2. Start with an idea and be ready to be creative.
Here is the part that scares people. In bargaining, what you begin with may not be what you end up settling for. You begin with a very definitive set of demands and use those to position your team with the purpose of obtaining the best deal possible at the end of the day. In order to do that you must develop the ability to generate solutions predicated upon a focus on the mutual interests of the parties.
Only when you truly understand the "other" can you begin the process of finding new ways of dealing with outstanding and difficult issues. You must be able to acknowledge feelings, perceptions, and hurts (both past and present), both within your team, those you represent, and those who sit across the table from you. Only then will you be able to begin the process of finding solutions that are workable for all concerned.
3. Be persistent.
Those who are unreasonable and impatient in nature walk away from conflict very quickly (either physically or mentally). The true test of the negotiator is patience and persistence. The ability to be willing to sit at the table until a solution is found no matter how dark the prospect of solution might be or how far apart the parties might be from each others.
You must be willing to take the time to explore the full range of emotions and ideas, of possibilities and challenges. You must be tenacious and be willing not to settle for something that you know will be rejected by your members merely because you have given up on trying to find a resolution to a specific problem.
Back in the 90s I was part of the negotiation team for my unit in my quality of Treasurer of the local. Our motto entering into bargaining was: "No concessions!". The Employer was playing a mean and hard game and we had to remain focused and be persistent in our approach. In the end, not only did we not concede on most of the Employer's initial demands but we obtained a raise across the board and enhanced benefits. Not all bargaining rounds ends up like this but part of our success was due to our commitment to sit at the table until the job was done. The fact that we had the full support from our members who were willing to walk if needed was also no less significant in the matter.
4. Remember who you are doing this for.
But more important than any of the above, remember who you are doing this for. Remember those who are near retirement for whom pensions are of the utmost importance. Remember the newly hired who needs the money to pay off large student loans. Remember the majority of members who still have children at home and who struggle everyday with day care issues. Remember the members, who through no fault of their own, are unable to come to work because of illness or injuries. In short, remember who you are doing this for. The most revolutionary act is love. Let it be your motivation and you will never fear.
5. Think about the future.
Finally, a quick word about the need to be mindful about the future. A disturbing trend in bargaining has begun to show itself in recent years. Bargaining units are making gains or preserving existing ones by accepting to settle for differentiated work conditions for newly hired. For example, recent agreements maintain existing salary structures and range of benefits for current members while offering lesser wages and benefits to those who would be hired in the future. This two-tiered approach can lead to inter-generational conflicts in the future and hurt those who may think that they are insulated from its consequences. More on this in future posts.
Conclusion
Each round of bargaining comes with its own set of circumstances. Some good and some bad. The negotiator takes what is given to her and makes the best out of it by applying some of the principles described above.
But none of this means anything if you don't have the support from your members. A strong mobilisation campaign coupled with trust in the bargaining team is what is required for success in collective bargaining.
United we are strong!
There are 5 elements that I think we should always be mindful of when negotiating within the context of Collective Bargaining (or any type of negotiation for that matter):
1. Know who you talking to.
There are two components to that statement.
First, you need to understand the issues at hand from a broader perspective.
What is the overall context and the political and economic conjecture that the people sitting across the table from you toiling under? They too answer to individuals, who in turns have priorities that may be entirely different, at least on the surface, than yours. You must develop the ability to contextualise the message they deliver and provide an analytical view back to your team of the veracity of their claims. In other words you must have an understanding of the larger forces at hand to know the difference between mere posturing, tactical positioning, and potential threats.
Second, you must remember that both teams sitting across the table are real people just doing a job.
You need to have the ability to develop rapport both within your team and with those sitting across the table from you. This requires a very specific sets of skills - the ability to develop relationships involving understanding, empathy, and trust. Someone who truly understands the interests, priorities, fears, strengths and weaknesses of the participants will be more successful in reaching a meaningful agreement than someone who is fixated upon its own agenda.
2. Start with an idea and be ready to be creative.
Here is the part that scares people. In bargaining, what you begin with may not be what you end up settling for. You begin with a very definitive set of demands and use those to position your team with the purpose of obtaining the best deal possible at the end of the day. In order to do that you must develop the ability to generate solutions predicated upon a focus on the mutual interests of the parties.
Only when you truly understand the "other" can you begin the process of finding new ways of dealing with outstanding and difficult issues. You must be able to acknowledge feelings, perceptions, and hurts (both past and present), both within your team, those you represent, and those who sit across the table from you. Only then will you be able to begin the process of finding solutions that are workable for all concerned.
3. Be persistent.
Those who are unreasonable and impatient in nature walk away from conflict very quickly (either physically or mentally). The true test of the negotiator is patience and persistence. The ability to be willing to sit at the table until a solution is found no matter how dark the prospect of solution might be or how far apart the parties might be from each others.
You must be willing to take the time to explore the full range of emotions and ideas, of possibilities and challenges. You must be tenacious and be willing not to settle for something that you know will be rejected by your members merely because you have given up on trying to find a resolution to a specific problem.
Back in the 90s I was part of the negotiation team for my unit in my quality of Treasurer of the local. Our motto entering into bargaining was: "No concessions!". The Employer was playing a mean and hard game and we had to remain focused and be persistent in our approach. In the end, not only did we not concede on most of the Employer's initial demands but we obtained a raise across the board and enhanced benefits. Not all bargaining rounds ends up like this but part of our success was due to our commitment to sit at the table until the job was done. The fact that we had the full support from our members who were willing to walk if needed was also no less significant in the matter.
4. Remember who you are doing this for.
But more important than any of the above, remember who you are doing this for. Remember those who are near retirement for whom pensions are of the utmost importance. Remember the newly hired who needs the money to pay off large student loans. Remember the majority of members who still have children at home and who struggle everyday with day care issues. Remember the members, who through no fault of their own, are unable to come to work because of illness or injuries. In short, remember who you are doing this for. The most revolutionary act is love. Let it be your motivation and you will never fear.
5. Think about the future.
Finally, a quick word about the need to be mindful about the future. A disturbing trend in bargaining has begun to show itself in recent years. Bargaining units are making gains or preserving existing ones by accepting to settle for differentiated work conditions for newly hired. For example, recent agreements maintain existing salary structures and range of benefits for current members while offering lesser wages and benefits to those who would be hired in the future. This two-tiered approach can lead to inter-generational conflicts in the future and hurt those who may think that they are insulated from its consequences. More on this in future posts.
Conclusion
Each round of bargaining comes with its own set of circumstances. Some good and some bad. The negotiator takes what is given to her and makes the best out of it by applying some of the principles described above.
But none of this means anything if you don't have the support from your members. A strong mobilisation campaign coupled with trust in the bargaining team is what is required for success in collective bargaining.
United we are strong!
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