City Planner, Mediator, and MIT Professor

International Relations Negotiation Role-Play: MC Metals

Title:

International Relations Negotiation Role-Play: MC Metals
Publication Type
:
Miscellaneous
Year of Publication
:
1998

Authors:

Lawrence Susskind
Paul Levy
Dan Delisi
Publication Language
:
eng
Abstract
:
Six-person integrative negotiation among representatives of manufacturing company, occupational safety agency, union, local fire department, and local technical expert to settle claims of safety violations that allegedly caused two employee deaths.
Citation Key
:
111

MC Metals, a subsidiary of a London-based multi-national corporation, is a large metal production company. The metal production process creates a waste residue, which MC Metals recycles or burns to create energy for its operations. Through a series of accidents in the recycling process, two workers were killed and some workers and fire fighting crew members were injured.

After the explosion, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (‘OSHA’) investigated the incident and found that MC Metals was not only at fault but that it had violated numerous safety regulations. MC Metals, which has a reputation for being highly concerned with safety, is contesting all charges.

MC Metals has requested an Informal Settlement Conference with an OSHA representative. Due to the publicity surrounding the case, MC Metals has agreed to have a member of the Town Fire Department, a union representative, and a local resident/expert present at the meeting.