achieve new heights with interest based bargaining
TRANSCRIPT
Achieve New Heights with Interest Based Bargaining
John Rothlisberger, Trustee
Dave Schueller, Trustee
Julie Huiskamp, Executive Director of HR
After participating in this presentation, the attendee
will be able to:
1. List operational steps involved in establishing
IBB in a community college environment.
2. Identify strategic, operational, and relational
benefits of implementing IBB.
3. Summarize in writing or conversation their
feelings about implementing IBB in their
community college.
Anticipated Program Outcomes:
Interest based bargaining is a negotiating
strategy in which the parties involved begin
with a declaration of interests (rather than
proposals) and then work together to
develop agreements that satisfy the
common interests and balance opposing
interests. IBB is also called integrative or
win-win bargaining.
What is IBB?
• Origins tied to Getting to Yes: Negotiating
Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher
and William Ury (Houghton Mifflin, 1981).
• Jerome Barrett developed Partners in Change
program for FMCS in the mid-1980’s.
• First popular with teachers and other public
employees. Moved to private sector in mid-
1990’s.
• President Clinton issued executive order in
1993 requiring federal agencies to use IBB.
Brief History of IBB:
Brief History of IBB:• President George W. Bush cancelled the
order and Bush appointees discouraged
use of IBB.
• Research and data are slim on IBB but
one study indicated 1/3 of managers and
almost half of union reps surveyed had
IBB experience. (Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Kochan & Wells, 2001)
• FMCS continues to train and collaborate
with parties interested in IBB as do
several other labor organizations and
government entities.
Two unions:
• NICC Higher Education Association (HEA)
organized in 1976
• NICC Support Staff Association (SSA)
organized in 1985
Both affiliated with the Iowa State Education
Association (ISEA) and the National Education
Association (NEA)
NICC Bargaining Landscape:
• Traditional bargaining used until 2012
• When College chief negotiator retired
without a faculty settlement, 2006-2007
HEA contract settled at arbitration.
• Outside negotiator hired beginning with
2007-2008 and used for 4 years
• Negotiations and labor relations grew
increasingly tense.
The Genesis of IBB at NICC:
• New (current) President approached
unions to explore IBB in November 2011
• Initial training held in December 2011
• 2nd training held in November 2012
• IBB first used in negotiations for 2013-
2014 contracts settled in June 2013
The NICC IBB Timeline:
• Utilized trainers from Iowa Public
Employee Relations Board (PERB) and
the Federal Mediation & Conciliation
Service (FMCS)
• Training involved a combination of
background, process, team building, and
case studies
• Refresher training held when new
members joined the teams
Training is Essential to Success:
Who Sits at the IBB Table?NICC Support Staff Association NICC Higher Education Association
• Association members—5
• Board of Trustees—2
• Campus Provosts—2
• Executive Director of HR—1
• VP for Finance & Admin—1
• Facilitator from FMCS—1
TOTAL MEMBERS = 12
• Association members—6
• Board of Trustees—2
• Executive Director of HR—1
• VP for Finance & Admin—1
• VP for Academic Affairs—1
• Facilitator from FMCS—1
TOTAL MEMBERS = 12
• Establish ground rules and standards
• Exchange interests
• Focus on each interest
• Develop options
• Apply the standards
• Settlement through consensus
Steps in the IBB Process:
A set of mutually acceptable rules for use
during IBB sessions. Examples:
1. Titles and positions are left at the door.
2. Focus on interests, not people.
3. Treat each other with respect.
4. IBB sessions are closed meetings.
Ground rules also include timelines,
notifications, and procedural issues.
Ground Rules:
A set of mutually acceptable measures by
which agreements on interests will be
evaluated. Examples:
1. Does it have a positive or neutral impact
on students
2. Is it legal?
3. Is it ethical?
4. Can it be ratified?
Standards:
Broad statements developed and shared by each
party that often define the desirable outcome of
IBB. Often stated as questions. Examples:
1. How can the College provide an equitable and
sustainable salary and benefit package?
(College interest)
2. How do we create a compensation package
that shows bargaining unit members they are
valued by the College? (HEA interest)
Interests:
Reaching agreement involves identifying
mutual interests and working toward
resolution by:
• Brainstorming
• Benchmarking
• Study groups
• Bringing in technical experts
• Refining the list of options
• Using consensus to develop solutions
Getting to YES:
• Successfully bargained one-year
contracts with both groups for 2013-2014
in 1st year of IBB
• Bargained first two-year contract in over
20 years with faculty for 2014-2015 and
2015-2016 in 2nd year of IBB
• Board of Trustees more involved in and
informed about bargaining process and
issues
NICC Outcomes:
• Shift in compensation dollars to achieve
150% increase in employee contribution
to family health insurance over 2 years
• Revisions to language in several sections
of both contracts to achieve accuracy and
clarity
• Success with IBB led to establishment of
Labor/Management Teams with both
HEA and SSA in 2014
NICC Outcomes:
• Overall employee satisfaction increased
from 3.83 to 4.18 (on a 5-point scale) from
2011 to 2014
• NICC has been recognized by local
Labor/ Management organization with
three separate awards in 2012, 2013, and
2014 for success in IBB process
NICC Outcomes:
QUESTIONS?
Please contact:
Julie G. HuiskampExecutive Director of Human Resources
[email protected], x300
For More Information: