Cohesion: The creation of a Bargaining Platform

The November issue of LEO Matters highlights the bargaining platform LEO members and leaders developed at the 2009 Convention (see sidebar). The next question is how will you provide your feedback?

The current platform was unanimously supported at the convention, and it now awaits members' ratification. The process of identifying, articulating, and prioritizing member interests has been in depth, and has far-reaching consequences for all of us. In seeking a platform that works for all of us, we must keep in mind the guiding goal of presenting a cohesive front at the bargaining table. It is from our unity that we draw our strength, and that we derive our bargaining power.

Cohesion, although it brings unity of purpose, does not mean uniformity. Union members will differ as to their priorities and their interests. In agreeing that we will fight for the fair treatment of even the few among us, we increase our chances of getting what we all desire. While issues of job security may be pressing to some, salary and benefits may be of more concern to others; by deciding to fight for everyone's issues, we take greater steps toward achieving our own personal prerogatives.

According to LEO Matters contributors, "A Bargaining Platform is hammered out by individuals who bring different perspectives to the process, and consensus is not automatically achieved." As you consider your own desires for this next contract, remember that our wishes are only as strong as our voices. To achieve our goals, both individual and communal, we must decide on a cohesive strategy. The platform is before you. How will you provide your feedback?

Here are some ideas for how to communicate your ideas regarding the platform:

1. RATIFY the platform at the Membership meetings NEXT WEEK!
2. Talk to a department steward who can represent your views to union leaders
3. Communicate with your colleagues and consider their interests as well as yours
4. Post comments on this blog - generate a discussion in safe and diverse forum
5. Bring a friend to the upcoming Membership meeting - multiple perspectives make for a stronger bargaining position.

What's in a name?

Welcome to the LEO blog! Here you can find up-to-date information and perspectives on the current contract negotiations occurring between union and university administration representatives. During this important process you can rely on this site for recent and necessary updates on a process that affects our livelihoods and professional careers.

The LEO's Share is named precisely because this is a place for all LEO members to contribute our thoughts, feedback, and positions regarding contract negotiations. Sharing these brings us together in solidarity, but also allows us to see the diverse needs and interests of our members and to work together toward meeting our shared, but also disparate, interests. Find out what a Lecturer I in biochemistry from Dearborn thinks about stipends. Learn what a Lecturer IV in history from Ann Arbor has done to champion better job security. Hear new and different perspectives from members in diverse disciplines on what matters at the bargaining table. Sharing these insights with each other will help us to build on our strong connections as union members, and to collaborate in order to communicate our needs to union leaders.

The lion's share is, historically, a phrase that references one of Aesop's fables, in which the lion uses his power to advocate for a greater share of the spoils of a recent hunt. LEO has chosen to be represented by the lion and during bargaining, we will use the power of collective action to advocate for what we deserve as university employees. During this round of negotiations we will face arguments from the other side regarding the need to sacrifice in a time of economic uncertainty, and serious pressure to give up what we have gained throughout LEO's history. We must rely on each other and the bargaining team to maintain and further our common interests. By advocating for what we deserve as a result of our contributions to the university, we will obtain a contract that defines and protects The LEO's Share.