Collective Bargaining as a Form of Negotiating Methods

The negotiation process in the collective bargaining activity in Module Three was very interesting. The major challenge in negotiations was the price and timeframe in replacement of steel toe boots. It was finally agreed upon that boots would be replaced every 12-24 months contingent upon wear and tear with a $150 allowance. The next item as part of the negotiations was the replacement of safety gear and who would incur the costs. It was agreed that management would replace this type of equipment when necessary with the contingency that the Union would publicize this benefit. The final item in the negotiations was the storage of uniforms, boots and any protective gear. The parties agreed that it would be the employee’s responsibility to store these items, making sure to return to work with this protective gear to work. The main point of friction between the Management group and the Labor group was deciding the dollar amount for the purchase or replacement of boots. This discussion went back and forth many times. Communication seemed to be an issue within the Labor group. There was little interaction from them between each other and towards the Management group. Skills is that “Without lines of communication there can be no negotiation. Therefore, this rule is essential. Lines of communication are the life-blood of a negotiation (FindLaw, n.d.). The Labor group lacked communication, this gave Management an advantage.

The labor group did not seem to have a leader or collaboration within the group. They had a few people who were actively negotiating. Although, you may not want too many people representing your group, there should be a collaborative effort with the needs of your group discussed within. The few that were involved were able to decipher what Management offered and agree or not agree to the terms set. Interest-based bargaining is where each party address their issues (Interest-Based Bargaining, n.d.). Distributive Bargaining is where there is a winner and a loser at the finalization of the negotiation process. In this case the interest-based bargaining is a better type of negotiation method. This method allowed each party to pose their concerns and come to an agreement. Each party was willing to give up something in exchange for something else, it was what is called a win-win situation. Having a mediator helped to keep all of the concerns of each party in order. The amount to the boot replacement was not agreed upon and the mediator was able to address this with the Management group. The mediator helped with loose ends of the negotiations. This was very helpful in keeping the negotiations flowing and it helped to not leave anything out of the discussion.