Getting To Yes

Effective Strategies for State and Municipal Contract Negotiations
Friday, January 23, 2004

At a time of tight fiscal constraints at both the state and municipal levels, negotiations over public-sector labor contracts figure were a major concern in 2004. Negotiating contracts that met budgetary limits, fostered greater services to the public and provided fair compensation and career opportunities were one of the most important challenge facing city and town officials. The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government held a special session of its regular Seminars on Municipal Governance and Policy to explore a wide range of issues pertaining to state and municipal labor negotiations. This event was cosponsored by the Massachusetts Municipal Association and the Boston Municipal Research Bureau.

The session brought together experts on public-sector labor issues and state and local officials with responsibility for labor negotiations and explored how public officials can approach negotiations to enhance fiscal responsibility, mutual understanding, and reasonable work rules. It also provided an opportunity to learn how other municipalities and state agencies conduct their negotiations, the principals of effective negotiations, and the issues behind the negotiations.

Joining the conversation were

• Robert Holland, a negotiator with experience in over 300 labor contracts;
• Sam Tyler, president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, and an expert of municipal finance;
• Linda Kaboolian of the Kennedy School of Government, an expert on labor-management relations;
• David Baier, legislative director at the Massachusetts Municipal Association; and
• Mark Erlich a senior organizer for the New England Regional Council of Carpenters and an author of two books on Massachusetts labor issues.