Contract Language and Interpretation (LR205)

A collective bargaining agreement is a living document referred to by the parties involved on a daily basis. Whether they are administering contract language or proposing language at the bargaining table, this workshop is designed to provide labor relations practitioners with a solid, practical understanding of what contract language means and how it will likely be interpreted by an arbitrator in the event of a contract language dispute. This one-day workshop covers:

  • A methodology for analyzing contract language disputes
  • Standards used by arbitrators in contract interpretation cases
  • Key contract clauses in collective bargaining agreements

Key Topics

  • Principles of contract interpretation
    • Determining how language is construed
    • Arbitrators' views on contract language
  • The role and impact of past practice
    • Standards for defining/proving a binding past practice
    • The impact of past practice on the meaning of contract language
    • Termination of a past practice
  • Preserving management's rights
    • Understanding the source of management's rights
    • How management's rights can be affected by contract language or past practices
    • How arbitrators view the doctrine of reserved rights
  • Drafting contract language
    • How to write contract language that means what you intended
    • Common drafting mistakes

Special Features

Case study practice in contract interpretation and drafting and the opportunity to hear an arbitrator's view

Who Will Benefit

Labor relations/human resource professionals involved in the administration or negotiation of collective bargaining agreements

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 Labor Relations Customized Programs for your organization.

Details coming soon.

[Seats in this session are limited. Please contact ILR Customer Service or call 866-470-1922.]

16 East 34th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10016
United States