Originally from Collective Bargaining: How it Works and Why - 3rd Edition

IN THIS SECTION we introduce our subject and a working definition of negotiation:

A process that affords the parties and/or the disputants an opportunity to exchange promises and commitments in an effort to resolve their differences and reach an agreement.

Why Negotiate?

There are many ways to resolve disputes. The traditional way has always been to simply overwhelm your adversary and in so doing achieve the settlement you desire. History is replete with tales of invasions, murders, torture and other forms of annihilation. Employee relations is not without its own litany of violence: the Homestead Strike, the Haymarket Riot, the Ludlow Massacre and the Republic Steel-Memorial Day 1931 carnage are but a few of the most egregious illustrations of violence and turmoil.

It is often said that no one wins a lockout or strike—even a peaceful one. The employees lose wages, benefits, economic security and sometimes even their jobs; the employer loses production, services are not performed as customers or clients expect, the continuity of the enterprise is disrupted and ultimately, at least in some cases, the enterprise is dealt such a mortal blow that it never recovers fully.