Negotiation styles & strategies

The teachers were very un-collaborative in their approach towards the negotiation and seemed quite unwilling to bend in their resolve non to accept the device offered by the dialog box of Education. The teachers basically attempt to force the hand of the batting order by deciding to go on a bear upon. Considering that the area had only recently suffered from the effects of the September 11 strike on the Twin Towers and that in that location was some amount of adjusting to be d hotshot, the teachers seem to put one across manipulated the situation in order to achieve their objectives.The strike commenced only a few hours after the end of an agreed moratorium boundary according to Hanley (2001a). This is suggesting that little or inadequate attempt was make to track peaceful negotiations prior to decide to enter into an industrial strike. Furthermore the teachers made no attempt to relent or relax their situation only were willing, even under punishment of imprisonment, to hold firm to their original position with give away whatever or little adjustments or compromise. The control panel wanted to increment the teachers maximum contributions to the health insurance scheme from $250 to $860 (Hanley & Jacobs, 2001). The teachers were adamant in refusing any sort of increasing wanting the figure to remain as was.So persistent was their resolve that at the time of the unsuccessful conclusion of the negotiations 225 teachers, secretaries and other fraternity members had being jailed because of their refusal to obey the court order to return to grow (Hanley, 2001c). Had the union leaders non decided on the 29th of November to get word its members to obey the court order to return to work, the impasse would cave in credibly continued with even more teachers being jailed.The union however, seemed at one point willing to relax the teachers position on the issue of the proposed subjoin in teachers contributions to the health fund. The teachers relaxed their positions partially when they agreed to a set of stop recommendations proposed by the mediators which would have seen them compromising their position significantly. However the position of the board was even more adamant and thus no solution was arrived on the issue.The teachers attempted to justify their rejection of the proposal present forward to them. The proposal put forward by the board sought to increase maximum payments by about thirty per cent in one instant. This amount appears to be very unreasonable. Of course the board could not accept the teachers proposition that the fees perplex as they were before. In their opinion, payments for teachers health benefits was costing the district much too much, approximately $8 million (Hanley & Jacobs, 2001). On the extreme though the proposed direct of increase in itself appeared exorbitant and too great a helping increase.Additionally the teachers felt that their proposal was a lot more reasonable. They suggested help ing the board to cut costs by no longer requiring reimbursements on prescriptions (Hanley, 2001b). This proposal would lead to saving on the part of the board and would also meet that the teachers do not have to pay increased premiums. This alternative seems want a very feasible position but the board was not willing to negotiate on this issue.On the 29th of November the teachers were instructed by their union leaders to return to work even though the negotiations had not concluded and there was no decision on the issue. It would seem in this regard that the teachers were the ones to have lost because, aside from being imprisoned for a few days, they have to suffer the embarrassment of returning to work without their original inquires being met.It would indeed seem that the teachers did not carry out the negotiations as best as they could since they did not end up reaching a reasonable solution. A number of factors could have contributed to this failure suggesting of course, tha t the teachers erred in a few areas. depression the teachers did not choose an appropriate time to commence the industrial strike. While, in their view the matter seemed to be urgent, they did not consider the psychological environs at the time. The area had only recently been affected by the terrorist onslaught of the World Trade Centers. The district was still recovering from the effects of this internal disaster and therefore it was not appropriate for the teachers to strike at this extra time.In addition the teachers did not garner enough support from the community. Hanley & Jacobs (2001) point out that it was hard to find support for the teachers among Middletown residents. The members of the community were upset that the teachers chose such an wrong time to strike. They were also concerned about the welfare of the students who would be without mastery until the issue was resolved.Probably a meeting with the parents of students prior to going on a strike could have expla ined the seriousness of the teachers position to them and asked for support. In addition umpteen parents did not agree that in that economic climate that the proposed increase was as terrible as the teachers were making it out to be. The fact that there was not widespread support for the teachers strike may have pushed the union to demand its teachers back in the classroom even though negotiations were not finalized.Finally the teachers themselves seemed not to have entered the negotiation with a correct mindset. They seemed only to be mien for a win/win decision and were not willing to resort not even a little bit. The option they proposed to the board, though it sounded reasonable, did not see them compromising as significantly as they expected the board to compromise to meet their demands. The teachers were unwilling to collaborate effectively to come to a decision feasible and acceptable to both sides.REFERENCESHanley, R. (2001a, Nov 30). Abrupt Walkout by Teachers Closes Sch ools in Middletown, N.J. The New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)), D5.Hanley, R. (2001b, Dec 4). New Jersey Teachers Jailed for keep to Strike. The New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)), D1.Hanley, R. (2001c, Dec 8). In Middletown, A Strike Ends Without a Deal For Teachers. The New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)), D1.Hanley, R. & Jacobs, A. (2001, Dec 6). Teachers Strike Grows Angrier, But back of Residents Is Elusive. The New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)), D1.