Productivity Bargaining for Meter Readers

Productivity Bargaining for Meter Readers

In this particular scenario, engaging in direct negotiations between the parties would seem to be the best course. Neither side is particularly angry or inflamed against the other side. Both want the utility to succeed which will require sustained increases in its effectiveness and efficiency. The worker's main short-term fear is that they will not be fairly compensated for their efforts, and that they are being asked to do more work for the same amount of financial compensation. They are also afraid that their work will be rendered obsolete by technology.

Management's willingness to deal openly with workers in a face-to-face setting will be a sign that it is sympathetic to the concerns articulated by the union. Workers are afraid management is trying to extract more labor for less pay, and a good faith effort upon the part of management to show this is not the case is essential, and can only be done in a direct fashion. The crux of the problem between the workers and management is a lack of trust. Because there are no incentives for workers to try to improve their productivity or methods, management tries to extract as much work as possible from its labor force and to improve technology as quickly as possible to eliminate more jobs, which simply results in more intransigence on the part of the workers. To create a sense of commonality rather than factionalism is essential, so working together would be more advisable.

By working together, both sides will be able to see one another's common interests. Working in separate rooms will only foster the 'us vs. them' mentality still further, and will continue to create organizational divisiveness. Also, the technological system by which the meters are read and monitored by the readers is highly impersonal and has resulted in a cultural company divide, as labor and management rarely interacts on a daily basis. Getting to know the workers on the part of management, rather than segmenting them still further throughout the negotiating process would make an agreement more likely. Furthermore, it is noted that both management and the union wish to avoid a lengthy, costly negotiation process and would like to settle the dispute as quickly as possible, provided a desirable agreement can be reached. This does not suggest grandstanding on either party's part: rather it is an example of how both have an evident commitment to compromise although they have real and significant differences. Thus there is no reason not to engage in direct talks.

Question

The subcommittee, if it is created, must pool the technical resources of both labor and management. Also, representatives of labor must be assured that their efforts will not be used against them, in other words, that the technical expertise will not be used to get more work out of the laborers for the same pay or to eliminate the position of meter readers entirely without appropriately retraining the readers. At present, the meter readers believe that all advances in technology have not benefitted them, in terms of making their work easier or improving their wages or benefits. All the new innovations have done have sufficed to make it easier for management to 'speed up' the work requirements, with no added benefit in terms of wages or ease of work.

The leadership of the union is in a state of flux. A new president has been selected who may not be amicable to some of the older members of the union. The new president does not want to become unpopular in by agreeing to a controversial first settlement during his term in office, and will likely want at least some involvement in any union subcommittee, regarding its technical recommendations. The union technical staff will not want to alienate the new president, or appear to be taking a stance that might hurt their fellow union members. Likewise, the experts of management should not feel as if they are forced to be disloyal, or subverting their employers. The subcommittee should not be constructed to be so autonomous that factions within either negotiating party are created.

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