Negotiation Notes for Public School Union Leaders – Part 2

How are proposals best developed?

Negotiations are an opportunity for both sides to address issues and concerns, as well as to propose new ideas. Ideally, there are already union leaders and stewards who are familiar with the pain points of the workplace, past contract negotiations, culture and climate, etc. If not, consider some internal organizing. While unions sometimes ask members directly to suggest proposals or to create wish lists, if you choose to do this, it is important to provide guidance in order to avoid unrealistic expectations, not to mention wasted time. TIP: Ask multiple choice, priority-related questions.

Economic and non-economic proposals:

As a general rule, proposals are broken down for discussion into two groups: those that cost tangible money and those that do not. The discussion at the table most often begins with those that do not. These are what I call “quality of work life” issues. They can be particularly important in years and/or communities where money is tight, but they should absolutely be considered in preparing your proposals. If, as I said in Part 1, you have no issues, good on you and you can skip this part. 

Examples of these items, which can range all over the place, include flexibility/remote work, snow day expectations, transfers and promotions, RIFs, - think “it’s about the way we do things.” Starting with non-economic issues also allows the parties, if they choose, to set a collaborative tone that is more difficult with straight financial issues. You can explain your rationale. How does your proposal make it better?

TIP: Anticipate the other side’s concerns or objections and come prepared to mitigate them. 

Anything that can be quantified is probably going to be considered “economic.” Accordingly, it will be part of the “so where exactly do you want your money?” discussion. To get an understanding of what is reasonable, you do your homework. See what other districts are doing and how you compare. It’s often on the web sites.