Contract Negotiations

July 21, 2009: Every day it’s front page news. Another company closes, big unions take concessions, municipal workers go on furlough.

April 10, 2009: Times are tough and many employers are telling members that they have to sacrifice or they’ll lose their jobs. That doesn’t mean our union has to take cuts lying down.

August 1, 2008: Local 814 Teamsters at Sotheby’s Auction House work for a company that makes mega-profits selling priceless art to the super rich.

July 12, 2007: Ask any Teamster negotiator and they’ll tell you that healthcare is one of the top issues in any contract bargaining.

The ink is not even dry on your new contract and management is already trying to make changes. Can they get away with it?

Contract negotiations can be an opportunity to win better wages and working conditions—and to build union power. As members, how can we make a difference at contract time?

The following article is an excerpt from the new book Strikes, Picketing and Inside Campaigns by Robert M. Schwartz.