Collective Bargaining in the City of Elson: A Public Sector Experience

Abstract

The following materials provide the basis for a simulation of labor-management negotiations in a mid-size Massachusetts city. The scenario, data and contract are based on fact. Prior to the simulation, participants are provided instruction in labor-management relations, including the growth of the labor movement, labor law, negotiating techniques and contract preparation. Via the process of negotiating a contract, the participants develop and refine their collective bargaining skills within a volatile economic, social, and political context.