Pattern bargaining
From Wikipedia, the free 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. Once this contract has been negotiated, the union declares it a "pattern" and presents it to other employers as a take-it-or-leave-it offer.
In Australia, pattern bargaining is specifically outlawed under the Workchoices legislation. This law will affect the building industry in particular and is arguably targeted at the CFMEU and other building unions that were the subject of the Cole Royal Commission.
[edit] References
- Marshall, Robert, and Antonio Merlo. 1996. Pattern bargaining. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Research Department Staff Report 220.
