Introduction
Collective bargaining has become the standard for guiding negotiation processes between workers and their employers. The current case revolves around the decision by different employees to unionize. The identified travel agency is based in Miami, Florida, and provides services to residents and visitors from other regions across the country. This paper gives a detailed analysis and description of the current bargaining situation.
Background Information
Analysis
The workers in the selected agency are keen to compel the travel agency to offer competitive salaries, better working conditions, and other benefits that can support their needs. Existing theories explain why companies should focus on the unique needs of their employees. The recorded scenario has emerged due to the organization’s inability to meet the demands of the workers. Consequently, they have decided to form a union and engage in a collective bargaining process. These five stages are worth considering when engaging in bargaining: pre-negotiation, negotiators, negotiation, agreement, and agreement implementation (Eva et al., 2019). The involvement of all key stakeholders is essential to support the success of this process and meet the demands of all workers.
State and Reasons
The selected organization for this discussion is located in Florida. This state is a right-to-work region after it enacted such a law. The policy means that all individuals in the country are free to work in the state. Additionally, employers cannot terminate or refuse to hire individuals for not participating in unions. Employees can also unionize and join like-minded organizations without the fear of losing their jobs. The workers in this state are entitled to their respective positions and freedoms (Long, 2016). The outstanding message is that organizations cannot interfere with employees’ decisions to join labor unions and engage in collective bargaining.
From the examined case, it is notable that the workers have decided to unionize as the best strategy to fight for good working conditions and salaries. Such a move will make it easier for them to bargain collectively, have representatives, and overcome the challenges associated with their jobs (Long, 2016). The agency’s leaders should be aware of such concerns and consider evidence-based approaches to meet the demands of all involved parties.
Mandatory Bargaining Subjects
Mandatory subjects form an integral part of any collective bargaining process. The law requires that leaders and representatives consider such issues since they affect the experiences of the workers directly. The employer will have to consider such aspects and address them in finality. On top of wages and salaries, there are specific subjects that are worth considering (Eva et al., 2019). These will include overtime and compensations, safety and working conditions, bonuses for completed tasks, procedures for presenting and handling grievances, and disciplinary mechanisms.
Permissive Bargaining Subjects
Permissive subjects include subjects and issues that are unrelated to the intended work. The involved parties might not have to solve them or reach an agreement. These attributes will relate to the trends recorded in the industry and the affairs of the union (Eva et al., 2019). The relevant ones for this collective bargaining will include internal affairs of the union, selection or appointment of bargaining officials, addressing unfair labor charges, interest arbitration, and use of the union’s symbol.
Bargaining Team
A competent bargaining team is needed to be part of the agreement process. The best individuals for this task need to have diverse conflict resolution and managerial strategies that will support the entire initiative. The first potential candidate for this team is Supervisor A, Allen T. Trait. This person will apply an accommodating style to support the level of cooperation and engage all members of the union. The professional will also ensure that peace is made by the existing labor laws in Florida (Long, 2016). Supervisor C, Curtis Contingen, is the second candidate required for the team since. He can apply the compromise approach throughout the process. The decision to include him in the team is guided by the fact that can apply his intelligence and courage to deliver positive results.
The third person in the bargaining team will be Supervisor F, Fatima T. Formation. This leader knows how to motivate workers and encourage them to engage in actions that can deliver positive organizational goals. This individual will apply an avoidance model and compel other individuals to consider the best solution. Finally, Supervisor D, Deryl Davis, will be involved in the team. The leader will use a stand-your-ground approach to resolve emerging conflicts. This competitive approach will ensure that the union representatives do not receive every subject or issue they are demanding from the employer.
Collective Bargaining Strategies
Different approaches to collective bargaining exist that stakeholders should take seriously. Distributive strategy guides parties to focus on winning and compelling their opponents to lose. The model can result in gains or losses to the employer or the employee. Integrative bargaining occurs when the involved parties consider the best approaches to strike a balance and deliver a win-win situation (Long, 2016). The success of the negotiation process depends on the strategy the bargaining team utilizes.
The integrative strategy is the most appropriate since it will ensure that the travel agency continues to pursue its business goals effectively. The ultimate goal should be to ensure that all sides win and achieve their aims. The company may use this model to increase overtime for workers and provide relevant compensation and bonuses. Each of the members of the team might identify their demands and present them on the table. The integrative strategy will guide the union representatives to ask for medical insurance, bonuses, and better working conditions (Hagerdorn et al., 2016). The rationale is that involved parties will focus on the available stakes and consider how the bargaining approach benefits both the company and the employees. This approach is by the conflict resolution styles of the involved supervisors.
Proposal
The intended bargaining could fail to deliver positive results if the employees’ representatives and team members disagree. Such an occurrence would require that the relevant leaders approach the agreement from a different perspective. The new exercise would compel all participants to conduct their business freely and in good faith. They will consider their unique demands, avoid unnecessary delays, respect the recorded agreements, and provide sufficient time to the partners to solve the disputes (Hagerdorn et al., 2016). These initiatives will present a better solution to the stalemate.
Conclusion
The Miami-based travel agency requires a competent team of supervisors to approach the intended collective bargaining agreement process. The relevant professionals will address the stalemate and consider the demands of the employees’ representatives. An integrative strategy will ensure that all parties focus on a win-win situation and take the workers and the company closer to the outlined goals. A coordinated initiative is recommendable should the first negotiation process fail to deliver positive results.
References
Eva, N., Robin, M., Sendjaya, S., van Dierendonck, D., Liden, R. C. (2019). Servant leadership: A systematic review and call for future research. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(1), 111-132.
Hagerdorn, J., Paras, C. A., Greenwich, H., & Hagopian, A. (2016). The role of labor unions in creating working conditions that promote public health. American Journal of Public Health, 106(6), 989-995.
Long, B. S. (2016). Collective bargaining as the negotiation of competing stories: Implications for leadership. Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation, 2(1-2), 166-181.