ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å

ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å Seeks Clarity on AGWA Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiation Ground Rules

Feb. 28, 2024

ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å suspended planned, in-person bargaining with AGWA this week to focus on making sure our bargaining teams are on the same page when it comes to our mutually agreed-upon ground rules. 

• Set Up for Success: Ground rules set expectations and guidance for negotiating teams so that the bargaining process can proceed smoothly and constructively. 
• ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å and AGWA have differing understandings of the ground rules, and that disconnect became very apparent last week.
• The mutually agreed upon ground rules call for closed negotiations to protect the integrity of the process and ensure that ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å and AGWA can work through potentially challenging issues productively.

Why It Matters: Aligning on ground rules will ensure the integrity of and confidence in the negotiation process, and allow our productive negotiations to continue. 

• Our negotiating team has asked AGWA to pivot slightly, and use the previously scheduled in-person bargaining time for our chief negotiators to work through the differing understandings of ground rules.

Negotiations Continue. Even though in-person bargaining won’t happen this week, ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å is still actively engaged in negotiations with AGWA.

• ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å has continued to exchange articles and other information with AGWA over email, including responses to a large request for information from AGWA.

What’s Next: ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å is hopeful we’ll be able to reach a resolution on this issue, and return to our schedule of previously scheduled bargaining sessions over the next three months.

• ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å has been and will continue to negotiate in good faith with AGWA to reach an initial contract.
• The mutually agreed upon ground rules call for closed negotiations to protect the integrity of the process and ensure that ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å and AGWA can work through potentially challenging issues productively.