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Union Maintenance, Managing Your Union

If your employees are currently represented by a labor organization, East Coast Labor Relations has union maintenance programs to help you minimize your cost, and maximize your flexibility in the management of your business.


We offer union maintenance services and training that address the following issues:

 

  • Grievance and arbitration handling for management and supervisors
  • Effective “management” of your Business Agent
  • Effective and strategic partnership with shop stewards
  • Maintenance and enforcement of work rules

 

Collective Bargaining Contract Negotiations

East Coast Labor Relations has the skill and experience to help your organization with perhaps the most important aspect of its relationship with the union, the negotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This document will set the tone of your business, as well as the relationship with your union, as well as non-union workforce.


East Coast Labor Relations can provide assistance your Company in the form of strategic advice concerning employer proposals, as well as providing spokesmen to head the negotiations at the Bargaining Table. Armed with years of negotiating experience from both sides of the bargaining table in hundreds of contract negotiations, we know the dynamics and thought process involved on both sides, because we've been there.

 

Strike Planning

Obviously, no one wants a strike. However, a critical part of any negotiations is for both Management and, more importantly, the union leadership and membership to be fully aware that if a work stoppage occurs, Management is prepared. When your organization is not fully prepared for the worst, the union will surely exploit this lack of preparation; perhaps feeling emboldened to maintain their proposals and strategy.


Proper strike preparation offers the following benefits at the bargaining table, long in advance of an actual strike vote:

 

  • Unions recognition of the Company intentions and seriousness of their proposals
  • Employees recognition of the seriousness of their actions
  • Employees knowledge that the employer won't simply “roll over”
  • The Company confidence in their overall strategy of their bargaining position

 

When you go into collective bargaining with the belief that a strike will never happen, you just increased the odds that it will.