Forming our bargaining committee!
Now that we’ve won our union, we must come together to nominate members for election to our bargaining committee. Here’s a little about what a bargaining committee is and what role the committee plays in securing our first contract.
Bargaining Committee Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of the committee is to negotiate an initial collective bargaining agreement with management’s representatives. Election to the committee obligates each member to represent and fight for the best possible contract for all members of the unit. It is important to note that being on the bargaining committee is a significant time commitment.
The committee will meet both online and in person throughout the process, including preparation meetings, in-person bargaining, debriefs, membership informational sessions, etc. While the committee will strive for most meetings to be in-person, some may need to be held via phone or Zoom.
The amount of time required of the committee each week varies, but it usually is at least an hour or two a week, and much more during actual bargaining where sessions can be many hours. Some of the required meetings will take place during evenings and possibly on weekends.
Various Roles of the Committee:
The committee includes rank-and-file elected representatives from all departments as well as at-large seats with a diversity, equity, and inclusion focus. The committee also includes an AFSCME Council 31 Regional Director and Staff Representative—these members train the committee. At all times, the committee is assisted by these experienced negotiators who will also participate as chief spokespeople in the negotiations with management’s representatives.
The committee develops initial bargaining goals by using surveys, other relevant contracts, membership feedback, etc.
After review of surveys and membership feedback, the committee works to develop and present contract language proposals to management’s representatives.
The committee members attend negotiation sessions with management and Union internal caucuses and meetings in order to advance AICWU’s bargaining agenda.
The committee assesses, analyzes, and responds to management bargaining proposals and develops counter proposals.
The committee keeps membership and allies informed and educated about the general tone and tenor of negotiations through our MAT structure and any developed sub-committees. As elected representatives, the committee members keep constant communication with members and allies through bargaining bulletins/newsletters, established communication chains (Signal, phone trees, etc.), and membership meetings.
The committee coordinates with the organizing committee (OC), working groups/sub-committees, and other activists on the various goals necessary to win a strong contract. In AFSCME, we call these contract campaigns.
The committee makes recommendations to the membership on whether to approve a contract or take other necessary actions (e.g. pressure campaigns, direct action, etc.).
Remember, committee members should assume that the time commitment will be significant. Note that the schedule of bargaining itself is subject to negotiation with management’s representatives.
The Role of the Bargaining Committee
The Experts: Bargaining committee members are the experts on workplace issues of vital concern to your colleagues. The chief negotiator relies on the committee’s problem-solving skills to help plot the best strategy to deal with workplace issues during negotiations.
The Decision Makers: The committee decides on proposals and counter-proposals and, ultimately, on the entire tentative agreement before it is submitted to the full membership for ratification.
The Leaders: Bargaining committee members are leaders, not messengers, and are counted on to provide leadership and direction. Bargaining committee members should not come locked into positions (e.g., “I was told not to come back with less than a 5% raise”). Their job is to negotiate and get the best deal we can (and we may have to compromise to get a deal).
The Unifiers: We must remain unified once decisions are reached in the caucus. A fractured committee leads to a divided membership and undermines our ability to get a good contract.
The Communicators: Bargaining committee members help in communicating what’s happening to their coworkers. These are not secret negotiations and it is important to keep the full membership informed about the “big picture.”
The Work Site Organizers: Bargaining committee members play a leadership role in any worksite activities during negotiations, e.g. button days or informational picket lines.
The Ratifiers: During the contract ratification process, bargaining committee members help explain contract provisions and convey the reasons behind them to the full membership.
