The relationship between advocates really matters, and often what is said away from the bargaining table, or not said, is more important than the formal dialogue. Making sure that decision-makers are kept in the loop when problems come up is an important step.
Some common ways of sharing information are below and support the principles of:
- preparation
- effective communication
- making sure the relationship is always a priority
- taking a problem solving approach.
Caucusing
A caucus is a private meeting of a bargaining team. Parties in collective bargaining are not usually face-to-face all the time. There are many uses for caucusing:
- evaluating progress
- considering offers
- sorting through outstanding issues and re-prioritising
- costing and re-packaging a proposal for settlement, such as re-distributing the benefits between a claim for a pay increase and leave
- updating the team about the current state of bargaining
- resting and recharging.
Caucusing with a team can be valuable when:
- they seem to be going over the same ground again
- they have something new to consider
- tensions are rising
- they are exhausted.
Agree how long the break will be and keep the others informed of progress.
Smaller teams
It can be useful to reduce the size of the team to help progress in bargaining, for example, it could involve the two lead advocates and an extra representative from each team. The purpose of such a meeting is for parties to explore possible options for progress, captured by the question: “If we were to move on this could you move on that?”
Sometimes the democratic nature of the decision-making means it is difficult for teams to split up but if those difficulties can be overcome, a smaller team may be a useful way of moving stalled negotiations forward again.
Working parties
A working party is a group of representatives that meet during, or outside of, the bargaining process with a specific purpose. A working party may be formed to:
- resolve complex issues likely to create a diversion during normal bargaining
- defuse confrontation at bargaining.
It can be useful to draft a terms of reference document that outlines:
- what the issue is
- who will form the working party
- when the working party will meet
- how the working party will communicate
- agreements on confidentiality
- timeframe for concluding the business and disbanding the group.
Each party needs to ensure the working party is convened because if the issues are not dealt with they are likely to cause difficulty at subsequent negotiations. Setting down the first dates at the negotiations shows everyone’s commitment to the working party.