LEGALLY SPEAKING CSIA csiaonline.org 33 CENTRAL STATES INSULATION ASSOCIATION expiration. And, they are using facilitators to guide them through the process - from start to finish. Some are even considering consultants to serve as chief spokesperson in light of numerous employers being unwilling to go to the table. No longer can you wait until the last moment and then negotiate in the same old ways. What has that done for you? Here is a checklist for preparation – a “To Do” list to get you started: • Conduct a management meeting to discuss upcoming negotiations and how you are going to approach them – ASAP. • Select qualified bargain team members including the Chief Spokesperson. • Have your CBA reviewed by a labor consultant and your bargaining team. • Conduct a ½ day training session early on for the bargaining team on all aspects of bargaining including avoiding the new types of unfair labor practices being filed by unions. Take some time to strategize. • Seek input on proposals received from concerned employers and their managers. • Determine the funding levels of benefit funds and future contributions needed. • Establish your team’s labor relations goals for upcoming negotiations. • Start now conditioning your employees about upcoming negotiations, management’s bargaining positions and current economic trends. • Do periodic informational meetings with fellow employers starting early on in order to keep them within the fold. • Analyze recent industry developments, trends, statistics and settlements. • Develop a position statement to support your bargaining stance and to provide talking points for your Chief Spokesperson. • Devise CBA proposals and documentation supporting each proposal – strategize about how to present those proposals. • Give formal notice to the union of contract expiration and intent to bargain. • Meet with a key union representative in advance of formal negotiations to set the stage for negotiations and to establish a rapport, but don’t negotiate. More extensive checklists to assist you in preparation are available upon request. Get your bargaining team together now to discuss a fresh approach to collective bargaining. Seek help from your labor attorney who can guide you through the entire process and keep you safe from NLRB unfair labor practice charges jeopardizing your chances for success. For more information, including PowerPoint presentations, contact Bob Dunlevey, Board Certified Specialist in Labor and Employment Law, at Taft Law (937) 641-1743 or rdunlevey@taftlaw. com. Bob and his team of labor attorneys located throughout the Midwest have been recognized nationally for their experience, knowledge and labor relations strategies.
View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.