Implementing a Mutual Gains Approach to Collective Bargaining

Despite the ever-growing literature on the subject, collaborative negotiation techniques are still regarded with suspicion–or simply remain untried–in most traditional collective bargaining situations. In the United States and many other western nations, the rules of the game in labor management negotiations are as well established and predictable as a minuet: present a set of demands far in excess of what you actually want, then bargain down item-by-item; never share information with the other side; threaten job actions, walkouts, and strikes; "poor mouth" the other side and threaten layoffs; etc.