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Learning Modules, Computer Simulation, & Labor Contract Spreadsheet
The changing relationships in the workplace have taken their toll on the traditional collective bargaining and labor relations processes. Although the nation's laws still protect collective bargaining as a way to promote commerce, the realities of a changing economy, an increase in government regulations, organizing efforts by the union organizers, and administrating a labor contract is a challenging experience in most organizations.
SWP Management Consulting, LLC has developed labor relations programs for those organizations needing a practical working knowledge of labor relations and collective bargaining terms, techniques, practices, and law. SWP Management Consulting, LLC. introduces participants to collective bargaining and labor relations with an emphasis on the "real world" situations they will face on the job. Participants will have the opportunity to investigate sectors involving actual labor agreements, arbitration cases, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decisions, and court' final decisions involving the application of contemporary approaches to collective bargaining and labor relations. Participants will gain an understanding of the changes in the application of labor laws due to court decisions, NLRB rulings, and changes in the environment between the union and management is important. Your organization will discover the negotiating techniques necessary to be successful in negotiating a labor contract. Also, participants will become knowledgeable in contract enforcement-grievance and arbitration procedures.
Learning Modules for each Session
Your organization may prefer to customize your seminar by selecting specific labor relation's topics that fits your organization's specific needs. There are eleven sessions. All sessions are interactive sessions with many handouts, illustrations, and problem-solving exercises. Participants will be involved with many hands-on activities throughout each session. The specific session include the following topics:
1. History and Labor Law - Focuses on the roots of the American labor movement and reviews the laws that established the collective bargaining process. The history includes a timeline of the labor movement revealing how unions organized with the aid of Federal Laws and their impact upon today's business environment.
2. Challenges and Opportunities - This session escorts the participant through the development of modern labor relations. It explores both the causes and the solutions to the challenges unions face in representing workers, including the challenges of "Workforce 2000". You will explore the reasons why unions are declining. Also, participants will review the Electromation & DuPont cases and interpret the union's response in forming teams at the workplace.
3. Establishing a Bargaining Unit - This session reviews the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act and how bargaining units are formed and chosen in organizing a business. Outlines and defines the different types of unions and the collective bargaining process. Excellent examples of how management can defeat a union-organizing drive or decertifying the union.
4. Unfair Labor Practices - Participants will examine what conduct is construed as an unfair labor practice. This is illustrated with specific examples from both union and management perspectives. Participants will discover the different aspects of unfair labor practices and breaches of the duty to bargain in good faith.
5. Negotiating an Agreement - The collective bargaining process begins long before the parties meet across the bargaining table. Our goal is to explore successful techniques in negotiating a labor agreement between the union and management.
6. Wage and Salary Issues - This session defines how wages are calculated by applying different techniques in negotiating wages in a collective bargaining agreement. These techniques can be applied in a spreadsheet that will determine the total cost for wage increases. A calculator is needed in this session.
7. Employee Benefits Issues - Participants will review how benefits are negotiated in most contracts, from vacations to health care coverage. In this session, you will calculate the total cost for all fringe benefits negotiated in the labor contract.
8. Job Security and Seniority - As a participant, will discover the important issues involving job security and employee seniority. Over the years, workers' interests and demand regarding job security have never waned. Together with wages and benefits, negotiators see job security as a top priority in good and bad economic times. This session allows you to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each seniority system.
9. Implementing the Collective Bargaining - Explores the basic principles of collective bargaining, methods of enforcement, and NLRB & court decisions.
10. Grievances and the Arbitration process. - In the day-to-day administration of a collective bargaining agreement, the majority of time spent is on handling grievance filed by workers. This session outlines the procedures in resolving grievances between the employer and employee. Also, we will explore the arbitration process that follows with an unsuccessful grievance procedure.
11. Labor Contract Negotiation - After participants have completed sessions three, four, five, six, and seven, they are encouraged to negotiate a labor contract utilizing the "Computer Simulation" entitled Collective Bargaining Simulated.
Seminar - The Computer Simulation
The process of collective bargaining is exciting and dynamic. It can require the knowledge of a specialized surgeon, the patience of a little league coach, the fortitude of a military general, or the social skills of a PTA president. Few fields require as great a degree of legal expertise, quantitative skills, and human relations ability. A computer simulation activity is included to give you on-hands experience in negotiating a labor contract.
A supplement to this seminar is a Computer Simulation entitled, Collective Bargaining Simulated. This seminar-tested simulation of negotiating a labor contract is divided into two unique parts:
A. A costing program illustrates to participants how to cost out various wage and benefits proposals.
B. A complete negotiation simulation involving participants directly in negotiating an actual labor contract.
Participants (Management) can negotiate directly with the computer (Labor) on a wide rage of economic and non-economic items. Participants can also negotiate with each other individually or in teams using a computerized costing program as a tool.
The computer simulation and its reading consist of the following:
1. How to Use this simulation.
2. The Company: Ohio Metals.
3. The Company's Financial Statement.
4. The Union: Local 56.
5. Union-Management Relations.
6. Survey of Employee Preferences.
7. Non-Economic Issues.
8. Current Agreement.
9. Job Classifications and Current Wage Rates.
10. Key Economic Feature of Current Agreement.
11. Players Roles.
12. Simulation Forms for Non-Computerized negotiations.
13. Introduction to the Computer Programs.
14. Union Demands for Computer Negotiations.
15. Simulation Forms for Computerized Negotiations.
Labor Contract Spreadsheet
Wages and benefits are the prime collective bargaining issues to the employer. They represent the largest single cost factor on their income statement. Many organizations believe they must have an accurate management tool they can rely upon during negotiations which accurately calculates the total cost of wages and fringe benefits over an extended period. During contract negotiations, the terms of the contract are constantly changing. Negotiators often quickly revise their demand for wages, benefits, and other cost-related items. The time span of a contract is negotiable and a negotiator needs to estimate the impact of these changes on the total cost of the contract. Thus, a computer spreadsheet is essential in making these quick, accurate, and detailed calculations.
SWP Management Consulting, Inc. has developed a labor contract model, which enables a management negotiating team to calculate the cost of the contract as they negotiate with the union. The spreadsheet can be modified to meet your organization's goal in forecasting your cost over the life of the labor contract.
Labor Law Library
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