Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

When management negotiators go to the bargaining table, one of the constituencies they are negotiating for is the operational managers within their system. It is the managers who will have to run the system—and implement any modifications negotiated in a new contract. They will be the ones to make the day-to-day decisions critical to enacting negotiated changes.

As a result, it is crucial that "management" as personified at the bargaining table and "management" as personified by operational managers work together in preparation for, during, and after negotiations. Many organizations fail to place enough emphasis on this. The result is the perception that collective bargaining is not responsive to the needs of line managers.