Bargaining

The workers represented by a union and covered in a union contract.

A separate discussion by one party (Union or Employer) that interrupts the main bargaining session during contract negotiations. Can be called by either party to resolve internal disagreements, plan strategy, discuss how to respond to something the other party has proposed, etc. Graduate workers observing contract negotiations are invited to participate in caucuses of the GWU bargaining committee.

An agreement reached through collective bargaining between workers and management.

A form of dispute resolution using a neutral third party, called a mediator. Mediation is mandatory at the request of either party under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (IELRA). Mediators are generally called in late in the bargaining process to help facilitate.

Issues that are not mandatory subjects of bargaining are considered permissive, meaning that either side can request to bargain over, but the other side can choose not to without bargaining in bad faith.

A specific form of bad faith bargaining when one side moves backwards, offering less on a proposal than they previously offered. If one party thinks the other is bargaining regressively or in bad faith, they can file an unfair labor practice, or ULP.

In bargaining, TA stands for Tentative Agreement (not Teaching Assistant). A TA is a proposal, or package of proposals, that both parties have signed off on and agree will be in the final contract. Once something is TA’d it’s “off the table,” meaning neither side can make any more changes to it.