Negotiations Process
First, it is important to stress that no one knows exactly how short or long the process will be, or at least not from the start. The depth of the proposals and the effects of those costs or cuts will ultimately determine how long it takes.
Listed below is a general overview and assumes no unfair labor practices are committed during bargaining. The number of meetings and the amount of effort spent at each meeting is important.
Negotiations Start- Union employees and Company representatives meet in person and provide each other with non-economic proposed changes they want to make to the current contract.
Additional meetings ( 2,3,4,5,..) are scheduled to discuss and understand the reasoning behind these non-economic proposals. Severe cuts and harmful proposals really eat up time.
The amount of time Smith’s negotiators dedicates to discussing, listening, and making counter proposals is critical. In previous years the Company would arrive and depart on the same day, which did not allow much time to work together.
Hang in there, these additional meetings are not the most exciting part of negotiations, but keep in mind that non-economic proposals are directly tied to money, because it deals with who is getting the work, which results in number of scheduled hours. Scheduled hours result in health insurance, pension coverage, and hours on your paycheck. If the Company gives your work away then less hours will be scheduled to workers.
Please remember during this process that your Union Rep and other Union employees on the negotiating committee are a great source of information for you to rely on, because they are physically at these meetings. Store Management and your district President and District Manager will most likely not be at negotiations, just repeating Company spin.
Economic Proposal- This is where you find out who wants you to make $ and who wants you to make ¢ (cents), and how they want to give out the money. The sides will meet and exchange economic proposals. The sides continue discussing non-economic proposals during this time, but now move to a Comprehensive proposal containing all the details.
Typically this results in additional meetings as well (2,3, 4, etc..)
Tentative Agreement reached- (T/A) The employees serving on the negotiating committee will be in step with all proposal(s) and the effects it will have both for and against the workers. If the committee reaches a tentative agreement during bargaining, it will be set aside until we reach a contract ratification vote on the entire agreement. If the employees making up the negotiating committee are not recommending a vote on the entire offer, they will recommend you reject the offer.
Tentative Agreement contract ratification vote- If the Union is recommending the changes, that is a good sign, since workers make up the negotiating committee and understand the effects and impact it will have on the workers. If the committee is not recommending a vote, that is a sign that the changes and effects are not good for the workers. Be looking for the negotiating committee’s recommendation to accept or reject the offer.
Contract accepted; ratified- Congratulations! The workers have voted to accept all changes. This is good for the Company and good for the workers.
or Contract rejected; Strike Vote - If the workers vote to reject the Company’s offer, there may also be a vote taken to authorize a strike in the event the Company does not correct or improve their offer. A two-thirds vote is required to authorize a strike. A strike vote does not automatically result in a strike but it does send a BIG message to the Company that the workers are not happy and demand IMPROVEMENTS!
Last Best and Final (LBF)- This is the term the Company must attach to their last and final proposal. This is the Company saying we don’t care what you do, like it or strike it!
LBF Strike Vote- The Union will announce the time, place and process to hold such vote. The Union decides this and not the Company. In previous years we experienced the Company urging the Union to vote something that was harmful to the employees. The Union will seek and take the best route for employee gains.
Listed below is a general overview and assumes no unfair labor practices are committed during bargaining. The number of meetings and the amount of effort spent at each meeting is important.
Negotiations Start- Union employees and Company representatives meet in person and provide each other with non-economic proposed changes they want to make to the current contract.
Additional meetings ( 2,3,4,5,..) are scheduled to discuss and understand the reasoning behind these non-economic proposals. Severe cuts and harmful proposals really eat up time.
The amount of time Smith’s negotiators dedicates to discussing, listening, and making counter proposals is critical. In previous years the Company would arrive and depart on the same day, which did not allow much time to work together.
Hang in there, these additional meetings are not the most exciting part of negotiations, but keep in mind that non-economic proposals are directly tied to money, because it deals with who is getting the work, which results in number of scheduled hours. Scheduled hours result in health insurance, pension coverage, and hours on your paycheck. If the Company gives your work away then less hours will be scheduled to workers.
Please remember during this process that your Union Rep and other Union employees on the negotiating committee are a great source of information for you to rely on, because they are physically at these meetings. Store Management and your district President and District Manager will most likely not be at negotiations, just repeating Company spin.
Economic Proposal- This is where you find out who wants you to make $ and who wants you to make ¢ (cents), and how they want to give out the money. The sides will meet and exchange economic proposals. The sides continue discussing non-economic proposals during this time, but now move to a Comprehensive proposal containing all the details.
Typically this results in additional meetings as well (2,3, 4, etc..)
Tentative Agreement reached- (T/A) The employees serving on the negotiating committee will be in step with all proposal(s) and the effects it will have both for and against the workers. If the committee reaches a tentative agreement during bargaining, it will be set aside until we reach a contract ratification vote on the entire agreement. If the employees making up the negotiating committee are not recommending a vote on the entire offer, they will recommend you reject the offer.
Tentative Agreement contract ratification vote- If the Union is recommending the changes, that is a good sign, since workers make up the negotiating committee and understand the effects and impact it will have on the workers. If the committee is not recommending a vote, that is a sign that the changes and effects are not good for the workers. Be looking for the negotiating committee’s recommendation to accept or reject the offer.
Contract accepted; ratified- Congratulations! The workers have voted to accept all changes. This is good for the Company and good for the workers.
or Contract rejected; Strike Vote - If the workers vote to reject the Company’s offer, there may also be a vote taken to authorize a strike in the event the Company does not correct or improve their offer. A two-thirds vote is required to authorize a strike. A strike vote does not automatically result in a strike but it does send a BIG message to the Company that the workers are not happy and demand IMPROVEMENTS!
Last Best and Final (LBF)- This is the term the Company must attach to their last and final proposal. This is the Company saying we don’t care what you do, like it or strike it!
LBF Strike Vote- The Union will announce the time, place and process to hold such vote. The Union decides this and not the Company. In previous years we experienced the Company urging the Union to vote something that was harmful to the employees. The Union will seek and take the best route for employee gains.