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Schedule & Details

Course

This workshop provides an introduction to strategy and a framework for developing long term labour relations bargaining strategies.  This includes a day on theory, strategic foundations, and preparation, and a day on applying this learning to collective bargaining planning and execution. Participants will learn the elements for consideration in developing strategies, how to identify critical business issues that impact collective bargaining, understand the long term implications of specific contract clauses, options available and how to establish bargaining related processes that will help them achieve their goals.

Strategic Preparation

The strategic preparation portion of the workshop focuses on basic fundamentals of strategy, core elements of preparation in order to be strategic in planning stages, how to align collective bargaining objectives with overall business objectives and identifying critical bargaining issues. Participants will learn:

  • The relevant aspects of game and other theory to be able to fashion strategies with predictable outcomes
  • How to apply strategic business tools from other disciplines (e.g. finance and marketing) to collective bargaining
  • Introduction of Multi-stakeholder considerations and competitive strategy notion of Shared Value
  • How to adopt integrative versus distributive approaches to bargaining
  • Elements of preparation of bargaining strategy including timelines and critical processes
  • How to identify or create bargaining leverage
  • Effective ways to develop contingency plans
  • Creating a platform for significant change
  • How to engage Senior Management and the Board of Directors in the bargaining process

Creating a Strategic Collective Bargaining Plan

Following the strategic preparation phase of the course, participants will then learn how to create their own collective bargaining strategy and plan.  Participants will practice by creating and critiquing bargaining plans that include:

  • Identifying the key business drivers
  • Developing long term bargaining objectives
  • Risks and opportunities of constructing effective collective agreement contract language
  • Identifying the key bargaining milestones for preparation, planning and governance
  • How to engage in Continuous bargaining
  • The importance of building working relationships across all levels; the role of frontline supervision and involving other key internal stakeholders in the process
  • Union stakeholders – elected employees and the union business reps
  • Dealing with other stakeholders (customers, suppliers, government, communities, media)
  • Creating and justifying the use of contingency plans
  • Drafting ccommunication plans
  • Strategies and plans immediately leading into bargaining

Special Features

Presentation and discussion of key bargaining innovations such as Framework Agreements, Evergreen agreements, “me too” provisions and interest arbitration.  By completing their workbooks during the course, participants will have a framework for their own organization’s collective bargaining strategies and plan.

Who Will Benefit

Labour relations and human resource practitioners, operations managers and finance professionals who support or have responsibility for collective bargaining and lawyers involved in collective bargaining.

Open enrollment workshops can be taken individually or as part of a certificate in Contract Administration Studies or Collective Bargaining Studies. They are also available as Labour Relations Customized Programs for your organization.

Customized Delivery

Schedule this program for your organization.

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