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Turbulence is part of the ride, consultant says; Met will find labor solution
November 2nd, 2009, 12:23 pm · 9 Comments · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer
When we at The Watchdog asked how much has been spent on consultants working on labor negotiations for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, we noted that the biggest bills came from Agreement Dynamics Inc (nearly $300,000 through July).
Agreement Dynamics advocates a kinder, gentler approach to negotiating called “interest-based bargaining.” This produced a controversial labor contract that was withdrawn earlier this month, and sent back to the drawing board - which has given rise to some hard feelings on the part of some employees.
We asked Agreement Dynamics what their thinking was about the procees now, and where things might go in the future (Met hopes to have a new agreement on the table by February). Here’s the response we got from Rhonda Hilyer, president of Agreement Dynamics:
Thank you for your question about interest-based bargaining at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. In my opinion, it’s a very important question because the outcome of this process will have a profound influence on this organization and those it serves.
Having been involved in labor relations for over 35 years, I have never seen unilateral approaches benefit any party over the long run. Interest-based bargaining is more challenging than traditional, position-based methods because it requires all parties to seek mutually-acceptable solutions. Like any negotiations, it can get very turbulent at times.
What will happen at Met? I am confident that solutions that are beneficial to labor, management, the Board and the ratepayers are achievable. Having spent countless hours with labor and management at Metropolitan, I have witnessed up close and personal a deep commitment to problem solving,
integrity and mutual respect. These are incredibly bright and resourceful managers and labor leaders. They never abandoned their commitment to meet all parties’ interests. I believe that as long as their commitment to the process is supported, success for all stakeholders will result.
Thanks again for your question.
Sincerely, Rhonda Hilyer
President, Agreement Dynamics, Inc.
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“interest-based bargaining”? hah. Another one of those touchy-feeley fuzzy business phrases that could only be dreamed up by consultants lined up at the feeding trough. They just twist the old worn-out phrases used decades ago and charge you modern-day rates ($300000) which, at the end of the day, accomplish nothing.
Rhonda - you need to sit down with the hogs on your side of the table and just explain the facts of life to them. Tell them that the taxpayers are fed up with getting flogged with bigger salaries, bonuses and pension payouts for the gobblement parasites while millions of us lose our jobs, homes and life savings!!! If you were smart you would tell them to actually cut the payouts for a couple years, build good-will with the taxpayer by showing them you want to do YOUR part to become part of the SOLUTION rather than the PROBLEM, and then IF the economy improves it will be much easier for you to get your salaries, perks and pensions increased IN THE FUTURE!!! You people must really be stupid. You’re cutting off your nose in spite of your face!!! Don’t you ever use FORWARD THINKING in your strategy??? Or is it all about INSTANT GRATIFICATION??? You people remind me of the movie ‘The Treasure of the Sierra Madre’ with Humphrey Bogart. Watch it and see what you get for being filled with greed. Maybe you’ll learn something!
Rhonda Hilyer says ” Thank you for your question about interest-based bargaining at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. In my opinion, it’s a very important question because the outcome of this process will have a profound influence on this organization and those it serves.”, these are great thoughts along with her statements that follow - “35 years” , “profound influence” , ” traditional, position based methods”
What does this all really mean though?
My own take that I thing will simplify matters - ‘I personally believe, that U.S. Americans, don’t have maps, and in certain areas of the world such as in South Africa, the Iraq, and other opportunities such as and therefore, will all agree and help the U.S. and the Iraq to solve these issues’
I know, I know think is not spelled thing
Ocobserver, do you know how much in pay and benefits the MWD employees gave up as a part of the negotiations? And how much the net savings were to the MWD because of the interest based bargaining?
hey WW, don’t throw that ‘interest based bargaining’ malarkey over in my direction. I don’t bite. It’s nothing more that a fancy sham accounting shell-game. Sleight of hand…..now you see it, now you don’t. hah. Some of us have been around the block a time or two, WW. You can’t fool us. I remember one consulting outfit teaching a sales course called ‘non-mannipulative selling’ hah. It was the most underhanded, manipulative selling technique imaginable!! The purpose of the ‘interest based bargaining’ technique is to complicate the negotiation process to such an extent that it hides who’s winning and who’s losing in the deal. And of course you stack the deck so your side gets much more than you’re willing to give. We’ve been there, WW. So stop the nonsense. Better for you just to say “For the next 3 years we ask for nothing. We understand how much you people and your families are hurting. We empathize with you and it makes us appreciate what we have that much more. We thank you from the bottom of our for feeding our families and paying our bills with your generous taxdollars during these difficult times. Let’s get through this together”. You have no idea how much good-will that would build in the community, WW. But you couldn’t care less about good-will. You just want more, more, more!!! That’s why we’re sick of you and your phony scams to put more money in your pockets.
Ocobs, yeah, it’s just like all the other nonsense they’ve got excited about over the years….remember Seven Habits, Paradigm Shifting, etc. I’ve tried to block out most of it….
WW. Just give it up. The biggest thing that was ‘given-up’ was selling out the new employees…….
‘It’s not about the money……..’
Any bets on Jan commenting?
Nemo, go play some poker or go to Vegas. Blogs are not betting media.
As for any comment. Here it is. I will peek in these blog threads once in awhile in the evenings, weekends or lunch breaks, but my posting days are done for the most part. For the most part, these threads have turned into vitriolic pontifications by the same old folks with nothing little new to say much less constructive.
Eventually there will be a contract. Cooler heads will prevail - those that are not spending much more time on this blog.
Yeah, your posting days are done, because of the little reminder you (all) got from Jeff………
‘vitriolic pontifications’?
Why don’t you weigh in on whether or not hiring a ’spellbinding’ consultant to get a contract is a good idea……
In my experience, ALL negotiations are interest based. This is yet another form of slight of hand. The Unions work with management in “problem solving.” Translation - management can get what it wants. After all, management was leading in the category of the biggest winner in this deal, from what I’ve read.
I know some employees at MWD, and they tell me that the employees are still hoping to force the MWD Board of Directors to vote on the contract, and they have filed some kind of litigation about it. I’m not sure where. Their thinking is that they can force the MWD board into a vote, and that translates into giving them enhanced retirement.
This attitude is what is pissing off the public and what got MWD into this mess in the first place. It gives the impression to those like OCObserver that the employees are only interested in themselves when there is so many people hurting in So Cal. The rate payers see that California doesn’t have money for teachers, our colleges are a mess, the State workers are on mandatory furlough, even my organization was facing layoffs until this deal went through (and for the record, I didn’t agree with the buyout,) the California state budget is even further in the red, so get the hint! People have no trust in public government that says that giving you enhanced retirement will save money.
WW, you should realize that there are people who don’t make $45k per year in earnings, let alone let that be an increase in their pension, as it was for that guy, Ivey. It doesn’t matter what you gave up, and from what I read, it wasn’t nearly as much as what you gave up for the new employees. Enhanced retirement in this economic and political climate is a non starter. You are simply giving air under the sales of those who want to take away defined benefit plans. Let it go.
Prove to the public that you the posters on this website are wrong.