How does collective bargaining work?
Collective bargaining is the process by which a group of employees represented by a union negotiate with their employer the terms and conditions of employment that will apply to the workers collectively. The product of the bargaining process is a legally enforceable contract binding on all parties.
Numerous aspects of the collective bargaining process are mandated by law. For example, each side in the negotiations is required to bargain in good faith. This means that the parties should be seeking to reach agreement and may not modify their formal positions in ways that move further from agreement. Another legal constraint on collective bargaining is the union’s duty of representation. The duty of representation is the requirement that the union represent the interests of all employees equally rather than favoring the interests of some at the expense of others.
The law also constrains the issues which may be negotiated, dividing them into mandatory and permissive subjects of bargaining. Mandatory topics of bargaining are wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment (such as medical and dental benefits), and being mandatory both sides are legally bound to work in good faith to reach agreement. Permissive topics are issues that either party may refuse to bargain over. Some topics which are vital to our working conditions are considered permissive. For example, in Michigan the inclusion of a grievance procedure in a contract is a permissive subject of bargaining.
How does GEO approach bargaining?
GEO’s approach to bargaining is informed by the organization’s emphasis on member participation and democratic decision-making. GEO drafts its bargaining platform using a procedure that involves surveys of members, meetings in numerous departments, discussions at Stewards Council and General Membership meetings, as well as hundreds of one-on-one conversations. GEO then elects a committee of members to represent graduate employees in negotiations with the Administration. Negotiations are open to all GEO members and during breaks in the proceedings (which occur frequently) the bargaining committee consults with members in the room about the issues at the table. Decisions about priorities among issues are not made by the bargaining team, but are instead sent to the Stewards Council or to a General Membership Meeting for a vote.
