The more the bargaining team can reach consensus on their priorities, the more they will be able to present a united front throughout negotiations. This will become particularly important as the negotiations progress and parties need to compromise.
The parties will usually try to build momentum in negotiations by starting with easy items you can agree on - things that don't cost much, if anything. ´ They will then move on to proposals on working conditions. Try to resolve all but one or two major working conditions before you get to the straight money issues, because once you start talking about the economic issues it becomes harder to focus on anything else.
You will probably want to leave the proposals that are most important to the public and community (such as quality and safety of product or service or low-cost housing) on the table until the very end of negotiations rather than settle them early. If a strike or industrial action becomes necessary, it is better to strike over community concerns such as patient care, classroom size, or product safety issues as well as workers’ wages and benefits.
The collective mandates are the union’s highest priorities.
List the important proposals you will be bargaining over that do not have a set collective mandate.
Discuss whether it would be helpful for the bargaining team to sort these into one or more of the following categories:
Use the “all on the wall” or “dot prioritising” methods to help the team sort and prioritise the proposals. For information on these methods, go to “Committees” (link).
Discuss possible fallback positions, if any, for each proposal. Ask, “Is this something we are prepared to trade or to modify, and, if so, how?
If we are not prepared to compromise or modify, what strong actions can workers take to win?
Discuss whether additional bargaining surveys, conversations or meetings with workers would help confirm worker priorities or willingness to take action. (link)
Prepare to repeat this exercise as the bargaining progresses.
Priorities can be communicated in many ways:
Identify one of the union’s key proposals, perhaps one with a collective mandate.
What can the bargaining team and workers do to communicate that this is a priority issue for the union?
List what you think the employer’s top priorities are.
How is the employer communicating their priorities?
Packaging proposals is useful when you are able to compromise on one or more items to win others that are more important. As the bargaining progresses, there will be efforts by the employer(s) or the union to package items in combination. Be aware that when you are packaging you are signaling your priorities and what is a make-or-break issue for you. Do not offer up “what if” statements that won’t be acceptable.
Don’t limit your options by completely agreeing to any proposal before you are ready. Look to see if you can offer a counter-proposal.
Try not to say “no” if you can propose solutions and offer small concessions using ‘if/then’ or ‘I will if you will’. For example, you might say, “We are willing to consider moving on X if you are willing to agree to our proposal on Y.” You may be able to concede on the timing of the implementation of a proposal or consider a trial period or implementation in stages.
You can group several issues into a package or present an entire proposed tentative agreement that contains proposed compromises by both sides. You might say something like, "We've developed what we think is a fair package, and we're willing to accept the compromises in it if you accept the entire package."
Don’t make concessions without getting something in return. Never negotiate with yourself. Once you have made a proposal, stick to it until the employer(s) make a counter or compromises.
Prepare to suggest “in principle” options that seek general agreement without making any commitments. For example, you might say, “If you were sympathetic to our wages claim, then we could look at some process to attempt to address absenteeism”. If an interest is shown, you might make a more specific proposal such as “If you agree to the 5% across-the-board wage increases, we are prepared to reduce the number of paid daily absences without a doctor’s note by one per year.”
Reward the employer(s) for compromising. At a minimum, tell them you appreciate it when they change their position. Make it clear that their willingness to compromise makes you more willing to compromise as well, but remember that the subject they compromised on doesn't have to be one you are willing to compromise on. You might say... "We appreciate the change in your position on X, and we want to act in a similar spirit of compromise. We can't change our position on X - that issue is too important to our members. But there will be other areas where we'll be able to make some movement."
Imagine a point in your negotiations when you might be ready to package some proposals.
Is there a possible package of proposals that might make the employer(s) more likely to accept the union’s priority proposals?
Where could the union compromise and what would be needed in return?
Be prepared to discuss these questions again once negotiations have progressed and the sides might be ready to propose packages.
Discuss whether you will even need to package proposals if you are bargaining over a small number of issues or packaging does not fit your situation.