 |
| Mock bargaining sessions that prepare IAM Bargaining Committees for the real thing are a feature of the popular Negotiation Prep Program offered by the Winpisinger Center. |
Among the uninformed, it’s fashionable to suggest that unions spend a disproportionate amount of time, money and resources defending the small percentage of members who face disciplinary problems at work.
A quick visit to the William W. Winpisinger Center would show how false such accusations are.
At the Center this week, the IAM is investing its time, money and resources in providing IAM representatives and members from four different contracts with sophisticated training to prepare them to get the best possible contract in upcoming negotiations with their respective employers.
“These Negotiation Prep Programs are designed to provide bargaining committees with the skills that will ultimately provide benefits for each and every member of the bargaining unit,” said Winpisinger Center Director Chris Wagoner. “While the grievance procedure – ensuring that members are treated fairly and the contract is enforced – is an essential benefit of union membership, it’s only one of many services that a full service union like the IAM provides.”
Among the negotiating committees taking part in the Negotiation Prep Program this week are Connecticut Local 743, representing members at Hamilton Sundstrand, California Locals 311 and 1186, representing members at Coca Cola, Wisconsin Local 516, representing members at Manitowoc Ice and Locals 449, 778, 2515, and 2531, representing members who work for M1 Support Services at four different military installations in Florida, Missouri, Virginia and New Mexico.
The Negotiating Prep Program provides committees with tips and insights from experienced negotiators while helping the committee develop a strategic plan for the overall negotiations. A highlight of the program is a bargaining simulation, using actual proposals, that is designed to give the Bargaining Committee a taste of the frequently-intense atmospherics of the bargaining table.
