Lecture An introduction to collective bargaining and industrial relations (4e) – Chapter 8: The negotiations process & strikes

Chapter 8 - The negotiations process & strikes. The main contents of the chapter consist of the following: The four subprocesses of negotiations, management''s wage objectives in negotiations, the dynamics of management''s decisionmaking process, union and worker involvement in negotiations, the cycle of traditional negotiations, strikes, strike activity, the role of strategy in negotiations and strikes.

­ This type of bargaining leads to conflict

• Unions try to make management agree by 

threatening a strike, while management may threaten layoffs

• Union will typically poll members before a strike

• When an agreement is reached between management 

and the union negotiating committee, the union begins contract ratification procedures

­ Some unions send the agreement to a council of 

lower level officers for review

­ Union constitutions typically require that members 

vote on a new contract

The Hick’s model of strikes

• Marxist theorists argue that the procyclical movement in strike frequency demonstrates that  conflict is a product of the bargaining power held by  labor

• It is very difficult to predict the settlement point or causes of an impasse

Public pressure as a bargaining tactic