How are collective bargaining agreements negotiated?
Federal and state labor laws place some limits on how the negotiations for collective bargaining agreements can be conducted. Broadly speaking, however, there are two different styles or schools of thought about the best way to negotiate such agreements. As the topic of how to bargain is such a controversial one, we have devoted a separate area to its discussion. Regardless of the particular mode of negotiation chosen by the participants, the bargaining is conducted between representatives of the union and representatives of the employer. Labor law gives both the union and management complete discretion in the composition of their negotiating teams. In most orchestral negotiations, the union representatives are elected by the orchestra (although often the elected Orchestra Committee is also given the job of contract negotiation), and augmented by one or more members of the Local’s elected leadership. Often, but not always, the union negotiating team also engages a lawyer or other labor
