Member tip for the
week of May 31, 2010
Selecting the Union’s Bargaining Team
There’s no “one size fits all” for bargaining
committees, since the size and makeup of each
workplace is different. Bargaining a contract
requires a tremendous amount of time and effort, in
both face-to-face negotiations and in each side
doing separate preparation and research. Teams
need to be small enough to get the work done
efficiently. But it also makes sense for a
union bargaining team to be large enough to include
people with a close understanding of the needs of
the various types of people in the bargaining unit.
Whether the differences are those of day and night
workers, skilled and unskilled, male and female,
different races or cultural groups, or anything
else, the union needs some way of making sure that
the bargaining team can speak forcefully and
accurately for all members.
Adapted from The
Union Members Complete Guide,
by Michael Mauer
