By Donald Spatz
This incredibly helpful manual for union negotiators explains both the fundamentals and the details of costing a collective agreement to prepare for and conduct your contract negotiations. It describes the principal ways that contract costs are calculated and expressed by negotiators, and guides you through the process of accurately calculating average wages for your bargaining unit - for contracts with step progression and those without.
Chapters in the manual explain how to analyze and calculate the value of contractual benefits: overtime pay, shift differentials and other hourly premium payments; holidays, vacations, personal days and leave time; health, dental, disability and life insurance plans; pensions and savings programs; and other kinds of benefits found in many union agreements.
The accompanying CD offers pre-formatted Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (with clear explanations of all functions and many useful tips on how to use Excel efficiently).
Traditionalists who prefer costing with paper and pencil will find the methodologies, tips and cautions in the manual very helpful, including the section on the union’s right to receive information from the employer.
98 pages paperback (spiral bound) with accompanying CD