Collective Bargaining Simulation Reflection
The negotiation is between the management and labours union at the Bathworks Limited. During the collective bargaining activities, I got a chance to experience the process of negotiation and what is it feel like in an actual negotiation.
They are two major roles in this negotiation, the management and the labour union. I am part of the management. As a management, my role is to bargain with the labour union so they will be satisfied with the new contract and sign it. At the same time, we had to minimize the amount of offer we give them to maximum the profit for the company. This is kind of tricky for the management because we can not offer too high or the amount we want them to accept, we had
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I feel annoyed and unreasonable when those problems occur because we can't come to an agreement and it's waste more time.
Others than the items we discuss on this simulation, some other items that are likely to be discussed in a labour-management negotiation are working hours, overtime payment, transportation Reimbursement, insurance.
Union influences the wages and benefits of workers by negotiating with the management. With plenty of workers unite together, there is a higher chance to bargain for a better wage and benefits because it's always better in a union than alone. The union can also pressure the company with strike or work-to-rule so they can fight for more benefits and a better wage for the workers.
In this unique negotiation simulation, not only I learned how to bargain and negotiate, I also learn the problems and frustrations during the negotiate and understand why bargaining can take such a long time. Most important thing I realized in the negotiation is that there will never be a conclusion if both sides do not take a step back, reason and understand with each
To conclude this analysis on the basis of the labor’s extensive history, Sloane & Witney (2010) propose, “it is entirely possible that labor’s remarkable staying power has been because of the simple fact that to many workers, from the nineteenth century to the present, there really has been no acceptable substitute for collective bargaining as a means of maintaining and improving employment conditions” (p.80). In the end, it is important to anticipate unions and employers presently work together to find solutions that will enhance collective bargaining strategies and practices to serve the interest of both parties.
During our class labor negotiation my team was on the union side of the negotiation. When making our decisions about each topic we looked at what the union side wanted and what the management side wanted. My team decided that it was best to shoot high and if the management side did not like this then we would aim to at least get the market average. My team pretty much agreed on everything. Lorenzo and David were our chief negotiator and
A question that has frequently been ask over the years is, " Why should we care about collective bargaining? ". The thing that has been missing from the collective bargaining discussion is a real explanation and understanding of the concept. Collective bargaining has been described as a process when employees and their representatives form a united front, known as a union, to negotiate with their employers. These negotiations are usually over things like pay rates and salary amounts, benefits, and conditions at the workplace , among other issues. The principles of collective bargaining and unions come from the idea that employees as a group have far more bargaining power than individual employees trying to negotiate with their employer. Since collective bargaining has a basis in collaboration it is considered a very democratic process. The members of the employee union choose the issues to be bargained over and vote on if the agree to the contract proposed by their representatives and management.
The dynamic of a win-lose bargaining situation can cause negotiations to be exceedingly tense and volatile because only one side will gain at the end of these type of negotiations. This makes the concept of distributed bargaining controversial. Michael Wheeler, the author of the article, Three cheers for teaching distributive bargaining, discusses how many professors at an Academy of Management conference disapproved of distributive bargaining negotiation tactics. Wheeler explains, a huge majority of the attendees disapproved of exposing their impressionable pupils to the reality that in some negotiations, more for one party means less for the other” (Wheeler, 2012). The reluctance to teach the distributive bargaining tactic may be due to the fact that most teachings on negotiation skills are centered around the notion of all parties coming out of a deal with something they want.
Even though the very purpose of a union is to defend the interest of its members, the company could also use the instrument to promote the official point of views of the company’s management. In clear, the union and the management could work in good intelligence to promote the interest of worker and the interest of the company. Generally, the problem between management and union come when they one as another as an adversary and not as a partner. To be more constructive and create a working atmosphere profitable for both parties, union and company’s management need to work side by side to address real problems. Thus, worker must understand that the best job security for them comes primarily from the existence of the company and so their union should not be a mean for jeopardizing the company’s purposes. Similarly, the management must also understand that he will not achieve his annual goals unless the workers are well treated and the condition of work meet the standards set by official rules and regulations. This is a clear psychological contract between the company and it workers. The success of the company depends heavily on the respect of that psychological contract. Personally, I will play the role of a mediator between my boss and the worker who want to unionize and explain. I will clearly explain to my boss the benefit of having a union in the company and also explain to the worker the necessity to help the company increase it performance by working harder. And the union should not be a tool for undermine the efforts of the management to achieve better
Lewicki, R. J., Saunders, D. M., & Barry, B. (2010). Negotiation: Readings, exercises, and cases. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin
management will tell the union what it can pay the workers and still be earning
Lewicki, R., Saunders, D.M., Barry B., (2010) Negotiation: Readings, Exercises, and Cases. 6th Ed. McGraw-Hill Irwin. New York, NY
...s in stone. Rather, I will work towards a beneficial compensation package, if not a pay increase, then perhaps a higher title with concessions. The outcome of this negotiation should leave both sides satisfied. I will also research the department’s policy on compensation as well as reviewing my job description. Both of these are attainable in the Human Resources department. Furthermore, I will check websites that have listing of salaries and job descriptions to make sure my compensation is commensurate with my work. The scholarly article I will use to help plan out my tactics in my negotiation is “Dealcrafting: The Substance of Three-Dimensional Negotiations by David A. Lax, and James K. Sebenius”. This article explains that our understanding of negotiations are one dimensional. However, this new approach for a three dimensional negotiation can work in my favor.
Negotiation has been used as a vital communication tool not only in business but also in social intercourse. It helps people make common agreement and avoid conflict. So we need to use the tactics which we learned from this course and books to do more practice, only in this way we can gain advantages in negotiation.
A collective bargaining agreement collectively sets the terms on which an employer offers individual work contracts to each of its employees in the bargaining unit. A bargaining agreement, also herein referred to as a labour agreement, is a legally enforceable written commitment, which states the rights and duties of all parties involved. The labour agreement should be made in good faith and is intended to be observed and not violated. The National Labour Relations Act obligates employers and unions to bargain in good faith concerning terms and conditions of employment, including hours and wages. Like any normal contract, competent parties must enter into a labour agreement. However, a labour agreement is unique from other legal contracts in that there is no consideration involved and nothing tangible is exchanged. Many, but not all, unions require formal ratification of a new labour contract by a majority membership acceptance, which is determined through vote by the members. Until majority approval of those voting in a ratification election is received, the proposed labour contract is not final. While each labour agreement is unique to the needs of an organization and its employees, most agreements include five issues: (1) Management Rights, (2) Union Security, (3) Wages and Benefits, (4) Individual Security (Seniority) Rights, and (5) Dispute Resolution. Management Rights “Management” is the process of working with people and resources to accomplish organizational goals by making the best possible use of money, time, materials and people. The management process, when properly executed, involves a wide variety of activities including planning, organizing, directing and controlling. It is management’s role to perform all of these functions in order to maximize results.
In any disagreement, individuals understandably aim to achieve the best possible outcome for their position (or perhaps an organization they represent). However, the principles of fairness, seeking mutual benefit and maintaining a relationship are the keys to a successful outcome.
Lewicki, R. J., Barry, B., & Saunders, D. M. (2007). Essentials of Negotiation. New York: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin.
Traditional literature in the field of labor relations has focused immensely on its benefit towards the employer and in the process equating it to working rules. This has been so despite the field being expected to cover the process of, labor management, union formation, and collective bargain; all which are anticipated to create a positive employer-employee relationship. This relationship is said to be positive if there exist a balance between employment functions and the rights of the laborer. Also important to note, is that this relation is equally important to the public sector as it is to the private one. Therefore, to ensure a mutually conducive labor environment exists, effective labor management process and inclusive negotiation program should be adopted (Mulve 2006; Walton, 2008).
Collective bargaining may happen in several kinds of fields, ranging politics to sports. It allows appropriate settlement of disputes and issues that benefit both parties involved, producing a result that is not one-sided. Collective bargaining is “the negotiation of wages and other conditions of employment by an organized body of employees” (Beal, Wickersham, & Kienast 5). Four issues that are probable components of a collective bargaining agreement are: