Labor Relations: The Meet and Confer Process

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Relative power factors.

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Negotiating approaches.

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Have a high aspiration level.

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Demonstrate good faith by:

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Justifying positions.

 Treating union representatives with respect.

 Be flexible to meet changing circumstances and positions.

 Be alert to union team comments, facial expressions, and body language.

 Distinguish between union’s majority interests and vocal minority positions.

 Negotiate significant money issues as a package.

 Tie together as many unresolved issues as possible at the time major issues fall into place.

 Clearly restate tentative agreements and reduce them to writing in clear language.

 Maintain ongoing communications with CAO and Governing Board to assure their positions are being correctly reflected.

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Avoid:

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Pushing technicalities and legalities.

 Rejecting union proposals on ground of illegality.

 Being pressured into making a proposal or responding to one on the spur of the moment.

 Representing facts of which you are not sure.

 Making commitments you may not keep.

 Describing a proposal as the last, best offer unless you mean it.

Checklist: Negotiations Notes (Traditional Bargaining)

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Indicate the date, time, and location of the session.

 Identify the persons attending, and their arrival and departure times.

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Indicate length of caucuses and who proposed.

 Record discussions by listing the topic, proposal and/or the contract section, and identify:

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Who raised the issue.

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The position/rationale stated.

 Who responded and the content of the response.

Labor Relations: The Meet and Confer Process ©2019 (s) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore 58