Pattern bargaining
Encyclopedia
Pattern bargaining is a process in labour relations, where a trade union
gains a new and superior entitlement from one employer, and then uses that agreement as a precedent to demand the same entitlement or a superior one from other employers.
In the United States, pattern bargaining was pioneered by unions such as the United Auto Workers
and the Teamsters
. The first step of the bargaining process is the identification of a target employer that is most likely to agree to a favorable employment contract. For the selected company, this provides an opportunity to influence the contract for the industry, while the downside is the risk of a labor disruption if negotiations stall or fail. Once this contract has been successfully negotiated and ratified by the unionized workers, the union declares it a "pattern agreement" and presents it to the other employers as a take-it-or-leave-it offer.
In Australia
, pattern bargaining was specifically outlawed under the now-repealed WorkChoices
legislation. The law was repealed by the Labor party after their victory in the 2007 election, however Labor's Fair Work Act, which came into force on 1 July 2010, still outlaws pattern bargaining.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
gains a new and superior entitlement from one employer, and then uses that agreement as a precedent to demand the same entitlement or a superior one from other employers.
In the United States, pattern bargaining was pioneered by unions such as the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
and the Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
. The first step of the bargaining process is the identification of a target employer that is most likely to agree to a favorable employment contract. For the selected company, this provides an opportunity to influence the contract for the industry, while the downside is the risk of a labor disruption if negotiations stall or fail. Once this contract has been successfully negotiated and ratified by the unionized workers, the union declares it a "pattern agreement" and presents it to the other employers as a take-it-or-leave-it offer.
In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, pattern bargaining was specifically outlawed under the now-repealed WorkChoices
WorkChoices
The Workplace Relations Act 1996, as amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment Act 2005, popularly known as Work Choices, was a Legislative Act of the Australian Parliament that came into effect in March 2006 which involved many controversial amendments to the Workplace Relations Act 1996, the...
legislation. The law was repealed by the Labor party after their victory in the 2007 election, however Labor's Fair Work Act, which came into force on 1 July 2010, still outlaws pattern bargaining.