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Also known as Brachton School
SCENARIO:
The Brachton Teacher’s Union has been negotiating with the city’s School Committee over teacher contracts which will shortly expire Lately, Brachton public schools and teachers, funded largely through local property taxes, have come under some fire. Some fear that political and personal commitment to the Brachton schools has diminished. There is pressure on the school committee, headed by the mayor, for a tax cap and moratorium on all city salaries, including teachers. The issues have been identified and all that is left is for the two groups to hammer out an agreement.
MAJOR LESSONS:
- There are often legitimate differences within bargaining teams. These internal conflicts ought to be worked out before serious bargaining begins as unresolved internal conflict can create problems when it comes time to ratify carefully crafted draft agreements. This exercise creates opportunity for team participants to practice techniques and strategies of managing internal team conflict.
- In most collective bargaining situations, each side begins by staking out its position. both usually do this before they even hear what the concerns are of the other side. This often leads to the process of trading concessions which results in minimally acceptable outcomes. To achieve maximum joint gains it is necessary to focus instead on listening to the interests of the other side before staking out opening positions. The best techniques for probing interests can be studied.
- This exercise allows the players to explore the influence of threats on the behavior of other parties.
- The game raises questions of relationship, precedent and reputation. all sides have important long-term interests.
TEACHING MATERIALS:
For all parties:
- General Instructions
- Present Salary Schedule
Role Specific:
Confidential Instructions for the Union
- Union Representative: Bornhofft
- Union Representative: McKeller
- Union Representative: Whitesides
- New Union Representative
Confidential Instructions for the School Committee
- Representative: Gray
- Representative: Pedrotti
- Representative: Sehnert
- New School Committee Representative
KEYWORDS:
Agenda control; caucusing; competition v cooperation; consensus building; dovetailing; threats; recurring negotiations; labor-management; school budgets; role of agents
SIMILAR SIMULATIONS:
Collective Bargaining at Central Division
MAPO- Adminstration Negotiation