In today’s organizations, both in the public and private sector, managers are constantly striving to achieve better results and greater productivity. However, the union is often seen as a barrier to management effectively reaching these goals. Similarly, the union perceives the collective bargaining agreement as an obstacle to achieving results, leading to frequent violations.
This dynamic creates ongoing conflict between management and the union, draining the organization’s energy and resources and hindering the productivity and results they seek to achieve. It is crucial for both management and the union to reassess how they utilize the collective bargaining agreement within the organization. Is this situation familiar in your fire-rescue organization? Have you experienced this in the past?
To tackle the challenges of the future, the responsibility lies with both management and the union to create a working environment where every member of the organization contributes to its success. After researching numerous union-management articles and books, I’ve identified common mistakes and challenges that both parties face regarding collective-bargaining agreements. These mistakes and challenges only exacerbate the issues they are trying to avoid.
Common Management Mistakes and Ways to Correct Them
Lack of Understanding about the Collective-Bargaining Agreement
Managers need to establish credibility in the workplace by having a clear understanding and familiarity with the collective-bargaining agreement. Without this knowledge, management lacks credibility with their staff, impairing their ability to lead and drive change effectively.
Lack of Interpersonal Skills when Applying the Collective-Bargaining Agreement
Even when managers have a basic understanding of the agreement, they sometimes use it as a form of power to force compliance from employees, rather than viewing it as a jointly agreed-upon framework within which everyone must operate. Effective management-union relationships are not built on power but on a climate of respect and engagement. It is up to management to take the lead in creating this climate.
Ineffective Communication with Staff
Despite numerous meetings and emails, management often fails to communicate effectively with staff. Good communication answers the question, “Why?” Employees need to understand why initiatives are taking place, why certain actions are being taken, and why it is important. Research shows that without clear communication and understanding, there will be little engagement or commitment.
Effective communication requires a well-thought-out strategy that prioritizes information and communicates it clearly and repeatedly through various channels. Newsletters, labor-management meetings, informational bulletins, and memorandums can all contribute to effective communication. When the “why” is answered clearly and unambiguously, engagement and commitment naturally follow.
Common Union Mistakes and Ways to Correct Them
Creating or Allowing a Reactive Environment
When feeling shut out by management, unions often react by resisting anything that is not crystal clear to them. Instead of resisting decisions, unions should take the lead in asking, “Why?” They should hold management accountable for providing clear, understandable reasons and rationale for decision-making.
Furthermore, unions must demonstrate a willingness to listen and take management’s goals for the organization seriously. By taking a proactive stand, the union assumes a leadership role in creating a positive work environment for all fire-rescue personnel.
Creating or Allowing an Adversarial Environment
Apart from resisting decisions, unions may become adversarial on principle, refusing to support even positive changes implemented by the organization. This adversarial approach often stems from a long history of conflict. However, this defensive stance only makes it easier for management to ignore or marginalize the union, leading to greater levels of resistance. Such adversarial mindsets limit opportunities for organizational improvement.
Unions must hold management accountable by requiring a clear understanding of decisions and respect for the collective-bargaining agreement. This accountability encourages management to engage with the union rather than marginalizing it.
Seeing Discipline as Purely Punitive
Discipline, when properly executed, is meant to be corrective in nature and is necessary in the workplace. Unions that approach all discipline as unnecessary or unfair foster the wrong mindset. While unions have a duty to fairly represent their members, they must also hold management accountable for fair and corrective use of discipline. However, this does not mean that all discipline must be resisted. By striking a balance between fair representation and reasonable, corrective use of discipline, both parties can promote a culture of high performance and fair treatment in the workplace.
Both unions and management have a duty to create productive, respectful, and engaging workplaces. The collective-bargaining agreement is one of the main tools that both parties must effectively utilize to foster this organizational culture. Communication between unions and management is another essential tool to ensure transparency and understanding.
If management and unions struggle to work together, assistance is available. The IAFC and the IAFF have created the Labor-Management Alliance (LMA) to help improve labor-management relationships and increase trust between the two parties. Through this initiative, a team can come to your department and provide knowledge and resources for creating a harmonious work environment. By finding balance, both employees’ well-being and the organization’s success can be achieved.
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