Negotiating a Union Contract (Level 2)

Negotiating a Union Contract is a self-paced, approximately four-hour course designed for union bargaining team members who are ready to strengthen their practical negotiation skills. The course teaches participants how to accurately cost wage, benefit, and non-wage proposals; understand employer roll-up; structure productive bargaining sessions and caucuses; develop effective information requests; maintain strong bargaining documentation; recognize and respond to tactics such as surface bargaining, last-best-and-final offers, and divide-and-conquer strategies; and communicate bargaining progress clearly and strategically to members. Course Topics Include: * Wage costing and employer roll-up * Costing healthcare, paid leave, and other non-wage proposals * Evaluating the true financial impact of bargaining proposals * Structuring and managing a full bargaining session * Running effective bargaining-team caucuses * Drafting focused and effective information requests * Understanding presumptively relevant bargaining information * Maintaining session notes, proposal histories, and information-request records * Recognizing surface bargaining and other bargaining tactics * Responding to last, best and final offers * Identifying divide-and-conquer strategies * Communicating bargaining progress strategically to members By the end of the course, participants will be better prepared to evaluate proposals, make informed decisions at the table, protect the bargaining record, and help maintain member engagement throughout the negotiation process. Recommended for: Union bargaining team members, stewards, employee representatives, and emerging negotiators who have a foundational understanding of collective bargaining and are ready to develop intermediate-level negotiation skills.