Running head: GMFC IMPASSE CASE STUDY

GMFC Impasse Case Study
Lawrence Britten
Excelsior College

GMFC Impasse Case Study
GMFC and Local 384 have been unsuccessful in negotiations and the current contract has just expired. This impasse has caused the first lapse of contract between the organization and the union in fifteen years. It is imperative to both the health of the company and to the job security of the employees to resolve these negotiations quickly. In order to move forward we must fully understand and evaluate the positions of both Local 384, and GMFC. What are the major barriers stopping us from reaching an agreement and what are the underlying issues to these barriers? We must fully evaluate the issues in order to produce an alternative offer that will satisfy both us and the union. Failure to reach an agreement will result in a possible strike which in turn will result in a decrease or all out halt in production and the inability to fill customer orders.
Local 384 is seeking a 10 cent pay raise across the board for all union members. According to our financial department a 10 cent pay raise is not feasible for the health of the company. Our financial department has also informed us that a pay raise of 5 cents across the board would be acceptable dependent on the fact that a contract would not result in an increase in wages beyond that threshold. Medical coverage costs incurred by our organizations are becoming over bearing and we are hoping to find a way to supplement those costs by requiring employee copays on medical expenses. Local 384 has made it apparent to us that any employee copays for union members are out of the question. This is an issue that would further hinder negotiations and delay an agreement if further pursued.
In order to successfully negotiate these issues it is imperative that we fully understand the reasoning behind