For many unions, negotiating contracts has become the exclusive focus of their work. Although this view is too narrow, it is undeniable that negotiating a contract is a primary function of a union. Unfortunately, for some unions contract negotiations consist of a union representative meeting privately with the boss. In far too many cases, members have no voice in what their contract will look like. In a member-run union negotiations are conducted quite differently. The following are the basic elements of contract negotiations in a member-run union.

The negotiating committee is elected

This can be accomplished either through a special election, or a constitutional provision that the elected local officers will serve as the negotiating committee. Where officers are elected annually, members know they are also electing their negotiating committee in the year the contract expires.

The members set the agenda and priorities

The role of leadership is to develop a realistic set of proposals. This requires broad consultation with the members, to understand what their priorities are — and what they are willing to fight for. This can be accomplished through discussions at meetings, individual surveys, or a combination of both. Stewards play an important role in developing contract proposals, since they deal with enforcing the contract language on a daily basis. In addition to determining the priorities, if possible the members should vote to ratify the final proposals before they are presented to the employer.

A negotiating committee that has engaged the membership in a thorough discussion of priorities and been elected by them to fight for those priorities has a special kind of democratic authority — they represent the whole membership. Some staff-run unions make a show of inviting large numbers of members to “participate” at the negotiating table — but the priorities and final decisions are still determined by the staff and top leaders, and the individual members who show up to such displays may not represent anyone except themselves. Bringing members to a bargaining session can be a useful tactic for pressuring the boss, but it should not be confused with ensuring democracy.

The members are kept informed

The membership must be kept fully informed of what is going on in negotiations. Many employers demand “secret” negotiations or “information blackouts.” These gag rules hurt the union, because only union members are kept in the dark; the management negotiators always report back to their superiors.

The union negotiating committee’s strength comes from the backing of the membership. If the members are kept in the dark, they won’t have enough information to rally in support of positions taken by the negotiating committee. Up-to-date information should be relayed through regular meetings, special meetings, written updates (paper or electronic), and the steward system.

This doesn’t mean that every negotiating tactic, move or compromise is voted on by the membership. Negotiating committees, which are elected to represent the membership, often need to make difficult decisions, sometimes in a short time span. In UE’s experience, when members are fully informed and involved, they will understand and support the tactics the committee may have to use and the compromises that may have to be made in order to settle the best possible contract.

Contracts are won by mobilizing the membership

Good contracts are won when the members make it clear to management that they support their negotiating committee, and are willing to take action. There are countless ways to send such messages: wearing buttons, stickers and T-shirts with slogans; signing petitions; holding rallies before and after work and at break times; not going out of their way to help the boss get work done; blowing whistles. What’s important is a clear display of unity. This reminds the employer of the workers’ potential power: their ability to impact the employer’s production or service. A show of unity presents a serious threat to the employer, whether or not the boss believes that further worker actions might be illegal or unprotected under the law. Many of the same tactics can be used to win grievances.

Contract negotiations are an excellent time to create opportunities for member involvement in the union. In addition to participating in the kinds of actions described above, many locals establish a “contract support committee” during contract negotiations, asking rank-and-file members to step up to help plan and carry out actions.

Mobilizing the members also provides an important “structure test” for whether the members are willing to take further action. If the union leadership can’t convince more than a small percentage of their members to show up for a rally or picket, it is unlikely that they will be able to mobilize for a strike. Furthermore, when workers see large numbers of their co-workers taking even small actions, it builds confidence that they can take on bigger actions.

Contract ratification

In a member-run union, workers must vote to either accept or reject any proposed contract settlement. The primary duty of the negotiating committee is to extract the best offer possible from the employer. The negotiators’ obligation as responsible leaders is to tell the membership what course of action they recommend, and why. Having been through the entire process, the committee is in the best position to evaluate the state of the negotiations and what’s achievable. Committee members need to work out their differences of opinion, arrive at a unified position, and present their recommendation. The members will make the final decision. It is advisable that if any member requests a secret ballot vote, it should be provided, and many UE locals always ratify contracts through secret-ballot votes.