The Collective Bargaining Process

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Unions have two distinct viewpoints: the business and the union viewpoint (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008). These two viewpoints help to forge the relationships within individual corporations that can impact the collective bargaining process. However, when it comes to unions differences can exist within public and private sector unions. This is why having a good understanding of the negotiating process and some of the various organizational leadership competencies can be an important aspect of unions (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008). The two basic viewpoints of a union are the business and the union. The business viewpoint is that employers should have the freedom they deem necessary to run their business as they see fit, with little to no outside …show more content…
Collective bargaining is defined as, “The process by which representatives of union members and employers attempt to negotiate a mutually acceptable labor agreement” (Cengage Brain, n.d., pp. A1-5). Due to federal laws, certain topics are mandated to be dealt with when brought up by either side and these topics are: wages, benefits, hours of work, and other terms that may directly relate to working conditions (Cengage Brain, n.d., pp. A1-5). When it comes to the history of unions, the collective bargaining process was meant as a means to clearly define topics that had to be handled by an employer. These are topics that cannot be avoided and must eventually reach an agreement that is mutually acceptable to both sides. Two topics that have been current trends in labor relations practices were brought about by the National Labor Relations Board (Dolin, 2012). The first trend is that financial information about the employer is becoming a commonly requested document when it comes time to negotiate over things such as wages and benefits. The next trend deals with lockouts and permanent replacements of strikers. This trend is being used as a means to help protect workers during a strike so that they do not fear retaliation by the employer during the duration of a strike and lose their job during a collective bargaining process (Dolin, …show more content…
However, Florida’s Supreme Court observed in United Teachers of Dade v. Dade County School Board, 500 So.2d 508 (1986) that “it would be impractical to require that collective bargaining procedures … be identical in the public and the private sectors. Myriad distinctions, not just those of procedures, exist between public and private collective bargaining, and have been noted by the highest courts of several sister states” (Tim Kowal, 2011). Due to the distinct differences that exist among the public and private sectors, the negotiation processes are different. The main difference that exists between the two is that the public sector is largely the United States government. Since the government is largely entrusted with the political power of the people to act on behalf of the entire public and ensure none are discriminated against, it makes unions less likely to retaliate. Whereas, with private sector, employers have more economic incentives to ensure the negotiation process is dealt with quickly so no money is lost as the result of a potential strike (Tim Kowal,

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