Reflection:
Unit four took me down the path of labor laws, unions, and negotiations. While I have experience with labor laws and negotiations, I do not have nearly as much in the way of unions. With regards to negotiations, I learned the way of principled negotiations and made mental notes of why some negotiations I have participated in did not go well. I will be a better negotiator because of the skills learned in this until.
I found it easy to brainstorm ideas for interests of both managers and union members. I realized that union contracts can be simple, like the ones at my work, or they can be extensive. The example provided in this unit was well organized but also rigid, providing little flexibility for employees or managers. I can appreciate that there are both positives and negatives to each side.
Overall, this unit provided a lot of experiences I haven’t been afforded at work but will eventually have to deal with. I look forward to putting my skills to use in the future.
Skills Inventory:
Labor Laws: Added to knowledge on national labor laws. Capable of researching Iowa labor laws to make lawful decisions for the company.
Contract Negotiations: Have basic knowledge of principled negotiations. Capable of recognizing when parties are not negotiating in win-win format. Willing to take a break from negotiations to regroup the team and brainstorm ideas.
Financial Analysis Spreadsheet: Able to pull important data from work doc and make necessary assumptions to create a financial analysis for negotiations. Tables are easy to read and provide items like the breakeven point, company savings, and more.
Grievances: Can evaluate grievances and locate contract rules to decide on next steps or a ruling of the matter.
Communication: Able to professionally respond to grievances.