• Interest Based Bargaining (IBB)

    Policy HD says the meet-and-confer process shall utilize the IBB process.  IBB is a collaborative process in which parties work together to find a “win-win” solution to resolve a concern.  The strategy focuses on developing mutually beneficial agreements based on the mutual “interests” of the parties.  An interest can be a desire, fear, concern, or need that is important to one of the parties participating in the IBB process. 

    IBB has been known to produce more satisfactory outcomes than traditional positional bargaining.  Positional bargaining focuses on a “winner-take-all” approach that considers fixed or opposing viewpoints (aka positions), and it usually results in a compromise where both parties walk away unsatisfied or, worst-case-scenario, with no agreement at all.  Whereas, parties who use IBB identify their mutual interests and then use those to help develop a win-win solution for everyone involved.

    The classic example of IBB is that of a dispute between two parties over a single orange.  Both parties take the position that they want the whole orange.  Using positional bargaining, the compromise may be to cut the orange in half and give each party one-half.  However, by using IBB, each party must explain why it wants the orange -- what its interests are – which may provide a different, win-win outcome.  If one party really wanted to eat the meat of the orange while the other just wanted the peel to use in baking some cookies, both parties benefit by obtaining the full benefits that they seek from the orange, rather than just half.

    Using the IBB process, the AEA team and the District team collaborate to resolve employee concerns by listening to gain an understanding of the other’s interests and then finding a resolution that serves the interests of both parties.  Once the book of business is determined, the meet-and-confer committees meet to discuss the concerns respective to their committee as identified in the book of business.  Then, each team identifies their interests related to the concern.  The committee works together to determine the mutual interests of the committee.  Based on those mutual interests, the committee discusses viable solutions to resolve the concern.  The committee must reach consensus on a proposed resolution in order for it be presented to employees for feedback and then to the Governing Board for consideration.