Negotiation Basics

Learn more about the bargaining process, the University’s longstanding commitment to its staff, and how our operations work.

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The Bargaining Process

CAUSE-UAW is a newly formed bargaining unit, which means there is no current contract covering members. Once negotiated and ratified, this agreement will apply to all staff  who meet eligibility criteria at all three of UA’s universities: UAA, UAF, and UAS. 

1. Ground Rules Established

   • Before bargaining begins, UA and CAUSE-UAW will establish ground rules to govern the negotiation process. This typically includes rules for who is a part of each group’s negotiating team, whether negotiations are open or closed, and how proposals will be tracked throughout the negotiation process.

2. Negotiations Begin

   • Once a schedule is agreed to, negotiations begin. A union contract (or collective bargaining agreement, also called a CBA) typically governs the following areas listed below. The outcome of the negotiating process is not known yet, so it is impossible to predict what will end up in a final contract.

3. Strike Authorization

   • Typically, during the negotiation process, the union asks its members to vote to authorize a strike. Union members usually vote yes, but this does not reflect a breakdown in negotiations or mean a strike will occur.

4. Tentative Agreement

   • A tentative agreement, or a handshake, occurs when the two parties reach an agreement. If a tentative agreement is not reached by a mutually agreed upon time, both sides can agree to an extension to continue bargaining.

5. Membership Review

   • Once a tentative agreement is reached, the union presents the agreement to its eligible members for review and voting. Each eligible member is able to vote on the CBA

6. Ratification

   • After the handshake, the new CBA is ratified through a majority vote by eligible represented employees: 50% plus one of the votes cast must be yes. 

7. New Contract

   • All agreements – the CBA, supplements and riders – must be ratified before any of them can be implemented.

 

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