Good Faith Bargaining and the Collective Bargaining Process

Pay, Benefits, and The Grievance Process
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Pay, Benefits, and The Grievance Process
Good faith bargaining is a process of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement that is characterized by fairness, honesty, and respect. Both the employer and the employees’ union must engage in good-faith bargaining. Notably, this means that both parties should be willing to listen to each other’s concerns and interests and try to find mutually beneficial solutions. Good faith bargaining requires both parties to be transparent about their needs and interests (National Labor Relations Board, n.d.). Besides, this means they should be open and honest about what they want to achieve through the negotiation process. Additionally, both parties should be willing to compromise to reach an agreement that is fair to both sides. Ultimately, good faith bargaining helps ensure that the negotiation process is conducted in a way that benefits all parties involved.
Collective bargaining is a legal process in which employees’ unions and employers negotiate the terms of their employment (Pritchard, n.d.) (Pritchard, n.d.). During this process, certain items must be arranged and made legal for the employer to make any decisions without the union’s agreement (Pritchard, n.d.). These items are often referred to as “mandatory subjects of bargaining” and include essential elements of the employment relationship such as wages, hours, and working conditions. Employers must negotiate these items in good faith, meaning they must engage in the process with an open mind to reach an agreement (Pritchard, n.d.).
Other mandatory items may include benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans. These items must be negotiated, and employers cannot make any decisions about them without the union’s agreement. Additionally, non-discriminatio...