Labor-Management Partnerships for Working Families

Abstract

Labor–management partnerships established through collective bargaining are a promising approach to addressing and solving work and family issues. These partnerships are a way to respond to the economic and social crises and tensions faced by working families and their communities. Collective bargaining has historically been a way to make breakthroughs that yield workplace benefits, improve working conditions, and ensure protections for large numbers of workers and their families. Benefits Americans now take for granted—such as vacation and sick pay, pensions, and health insurance—were introduced by and spread through collective bargaining. Work-family benefits and programs represent the next frontier issue for collective bargaining. Labor–management partnerships are an attractive way to address work-family issues. First, they are sustainable. Since most labor–management partnerships are jointly funded through allocations negotiated in collective bargaining (most often a specific hourly contribution goes into the fund), they avoid the inconsistent funding often associated with work-family programs that are government- or company-initiated and managed. Furthermore, jointly administered programs build a shared employee/employer commitment to the initiatives and strengthen the communities in which they are located.What follows are highlights from three very successful labor–management partnerships and the lessons learned from these examples.