How Does
Bargaining Work?

It can be difficult to understand what it takes to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement. Here’s an overview to help you understand each essential step in the process.

Proposals
Bargaining Committee
Bargaining
Strike Vote
Ratification
Strike or Lockout

The negotiator calls for proposals

  • Your union negotiator sends out a letter with firm deadlines, asking members to submit proposals.
  • Members share any ideas they have that will improve their workplace or contract.
  • Proposals cannot be accepted after the deadline.

Your union forms its bargaining committee

  • Union members from your workplace will join the committee through appointment or election.
  • The committee reviews proposals and forms a proposal package that will be presented to your employer at the start of bargaining.

Your union and your employer begin bargaining

  • On the first day of bargaining, your committee and employer exchange all proposals.
  • The committee and your employer meet multiple times to discuss which proposals should end up in the new contract.
  • Bargaining can take days or months depending on the amount of proposals, and how much we disagree with each other’s proposals.

You may have a strike vote

  • Not every round of bargaining involves a strike vote.
  • A strike vote can happen any time during bargaining. However, you only get to take one strike vote.
  • You are voting on whether or not you are giving your committee a strike mandate. Voting yes to a strike mandate gives your committee the ability to apply more pressure on your employer.
  • A majority strike vote does not automatically mean you will go on strike. The bargaining committee will use the strike mandate vote as a pressure tactic to get you a better offer to vote on.

You attend a ratification meeting to vote

  • If both sides come to a tentative agreement, or if the employer has given a final offer, you’ll be invited to a meeting to hear the details and vote.
  • The bargaining committee will often make a recommendation to accept or reject this agreement.

If the majority ACCEPTS the agreement…

The agreement is ratified and you have a new, enforceable contract!

If the majority REJECTS the agreement…

One of three things happen:

  • your committee decides to send a new counter-offer,
  • we go on strike,
  • or we are locked out.