HOW TO REACH TERM AGREEMENT QUICKLY
The single most pernicious, if not malignant, aspect of the American collective bargaining process is the ability of one party to drag out bargaining to drive up the other party’s costs and pain. Why? Because money and pain are the primary tools of bargaining power—and power is controls when one side does not have the facts, reason, or fairness its your side. If a union can drag out agency-initiated midterm bargaining for years over a proposed automation of certain work tasks or the reduction of certain stipends it can cost an agency millions—not to mention an enormous loss of executive-level influence. If an agency can drag out a union-proposed modification of the term agreement, it can delay for years enhancements to the performance awards, telework, and AWS programs, thereby undermining the perceived political clout of the elected union leaders. Consequently, it is vital that the potential victim of a delay strategy stay focused on the very tangible tactics that defeat it. This post addresses what a union can do step up the pace of term bargaining while a subsequent one will address tactics the employer can employ to move midterm bargaining along. Continue reading