AFT-Scheinman Institute Partnership Celebrates 5th Anniversary of Collective Bargaining Certificate Program
“This program translates that complicated process [of collective bargaining] into a framework that union leaders can use to make a difference, not only for members, but the common good.” — Randi Weingarten, president of AFT and alumna of the ILR school.
Created in 2017, the Collective Bargaining Certificate Program has trained over 400 participants across 14 iterations of the program in all aspects of collective bargaining including preparation, member engagement, development of proposals, negotiation strategies at the table, and writing contract language.
Fifty-two individuals have earned the full Collective Bargaining certificate after completing the five day Collective Bargaining Intensive training, the AFT’s national Collective Bargaining Conference, three webinars on financial research, and an online training in costing contracts.
“This program helps teach the art and science of collective bargaining,” said Randi Weingarten, president of AFT and alumna of the ILR school. “It’s the culmination of decades of learning and bargaining experience from some of the most skilled and experienced negotiators in America.”
“Collective bargaining is a powerful tool for improving working conditions and solving workplace problems,” said Harry C. Katz, Jack Sheinkman professor of collective bargaining at ILR and director of the Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution. “Training labor and management leaders to use collective bargaining in pursuit of conflict resolution is central to the Scheinman Institute’s mission.”
The ILR School has been a leader in collective bargaining education for more than 70 years, so when Weingarten and Michael Mulgrew, president of UFT, sought to recenter the power of collective bargaining as a fundamental process in the labor management relationship, they turned to ILR and noted arbitrator Martin Scheinman, the founder of the Scheinman Institute. “When Randi, Marty [Scheinman] and I developed this partnership a little more than five years ago, we knew the value of putting the power of collective bargaining in the hands of local leaders,” said Mulgrew.
“Bargaining is not just about the merits, it’s also relational, emotional, and political,” said Weingarten.
Through the program, local leaders learn how to exercise the power of collective bargaining, a capacity that workers too often cede to attorneys.
The Certificate Program, which is offered in both English and Spanish, has served individuals from all over North America, from teachers in Puerto Rico to university professionals in Pennsylvania, in addition to public employees in Alaska and nurses and health care professionals in California. “The practice in the bargaining simulation was such valued work, and watching each other interact at the table and display different approaches was eye opening,” said Tim Fedenko, president of Guam Federation of Teachers.
The dynamic partnership has also piloted a program for newly organized locals seeking first contracts. The result is a growing network of confident and capable bargainers. In fact, UFT recently negotiated a new contract wherein all the lead bargainers had participated in the Collective Bargaining Certificate Program.
The AFT-Scheinman Institute partnership has accomplished so much in just five years. “This program is a great success thanks to the work of Sally Klingel of the Scheinman Institute, Cheryl Teare currently with the Scheinman Institute, formerly the AFT lead on the program and Ellen Gallin Procida of the Scheinman Institute former UFT lead for this program,” said Mulgrew.
Still, Weingarten, Mulgrew, and the Scheinman Institute are firmly focused on the future. The AFT-ILR Collective Bargaining Summer Internship is a prime example of this forward-thinking.
“As an extension of this partnership, for each of the last three summers two ILR students have interned in the UFT Grievance and Arbitration Department [in New York City],” said Mulgrew. Additionally, three Cornell ILR School students intern at AFT each year in Washington D.C. This summer, students actively supported bargaining of the UFT contract and the Washington Teachers Union contract negotiations.
As the demand for the training continues to increase, the AFT and the ILR School are working towards expanding the program to allow more unions to participate and create an advanced Collective Bargaining certificate in the near future.
“Partnering with the AFT and the UFT, we’ve brought together years of experience in the practice and teaching of collective bargaining to design a singular, comprehensive program to empower local leaders to be effective negotiators,” said Katz. “It’s a great example of how the ILR School continues our legacy of advancing labor-management relations to deal with the challenges of the changing world of work."
"Our goal is to constantly improve and now, spread our wings,” said Weingarten. “We want to keep the best of what we've been doing for the last five years, but we’re constantly refining the program to consider what we've heard from affiliates. Experienced negotiators have found the program valuable because it gives them a framework for their bargaining teams. We are honored to have partnered with the Scheinman Institute and ILR and we can't wait to get started on our next chapter.”
