Mastering the Collective Bargaining Process

Course Outline/Topics

Part I — How do you begin?

1. Professional Experience Questionnaire Collective Bargaining Game
   B)     Important negotiator traits
   C)     Legal counsel
   D)     Supporting personnel
   E)     Experts in supporting role
2. Assessing the Union Bargaining Team
   A)     Composition
   B)     Research of team
   C)     Pay for negotiating
3. Developing Language Proposals
   A)     Need for proposals
   B)     Contract review by negotiating team
   C)     Grievance review by negotiating team
   D)     Arbitration review
   E)      Perform “triage”
4. Developing the Employer’s Economic Negotiating Position
   A)     Use of survey and statistics
   B)     Financial health of company
   C)     General economic assessment
   D)     Assessment of company strength vis-à-vis a strike
   E)      Costing the contract
5. Establish Objective and Strike Authority
   A)     The importance of pre-negotiation authority
   B)     The importance of top management “buy-in”
6. Strike Preparations
   A)     As a bargaining tool
   B)     Strike manual
   C)     Appropriate security
7. Pre-Negotiation Communication
   A)     Why important?
   B)     And how much?

Part II — How to Negotiate: Tactics and Techniques

1. Sites for Collective Bargaining — Advantages and Disadvantages
   A)     Employer’s premises
   B)     Public buildings
   C)     Hotel/Motel
   D)     Attorneys, banks, etc.
   E)      Union offices
2. Times for Negotiations
3. Bargaining Techniques
   A)     First meeting
4. Mediation — Federal and State
   A)     General rule
5. Strikes
   A)     Types of strikes
   B)     Company rights
   C)     Employee rights
   D)     Settling a strike
6. Lockouts
   A)     Purpose
   B)     Hiring of replacements
   C)     Employee entitlement to unemployment compensation benefits
7. Proposals and Articles