Meet and Confer: What do we do to prepare for the meeting?

It is important that you adequately prepare so that you present yourself at the meeting as being organized and knowledgeable about the specifics of the change and the reasons for the change. It is essential that management be able to explain the issue that is generating the need for the change.

We recommend that prior to the meeting you develop a document (or chart) that illustrates how the unit operates now, and how the unit will operate after the change. You might use separate pages for each or do a side-by-side comparison chart. Additionally, you should list the primary reasons for the change, and the benefits to the department or unit attributable to the proposed change, as well as any benefits to the affected employees.

You will have the most success with the implementation if any potential issues are resolved beforehand. Remember that the union may present facts or issues that you had not considered. Anticipating and troubleshooting potential faults or problems with the proposed plan is helpful. For example, put yourself in the place of the employees and the union, and analyze the proposed change from their perspective.