Bui, I don't know if he's on this list, but I'm going to forward your question to Bill Mahoney. He is a long-time union guy who knows and uses Open Space in many situations. He's the one who brought about the first Open Space I experienced. It was at U S WEST Communications in 1994. It wasn't specifically a labor-management negotiation; however, like the meeting in Venezuela that Harrison described, it sure changed relationships in a good way.
Peggy _________________________________ Peggy Holman pe...@peggyholman.com 15347 SE 49th Place Bellevue, WA 98006 425-746-6274 www.peggyholman.com www.journalismthatmatters.org Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity "An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, is to become the fire". -- Drew Dellinger On Oct 27, 2011, at 5:38 PM, Bui Petersen wrote: > I totally agree with everything you said, Harrison. And thanks for the > beautiful story. > > The thing is that in situations where the parties have officially implemented > "interest-based bargaining", they commonly have elaborate scheme of training > of the participant followed by a facilitated negotiation process. What I'm > thinking, you'd likely agree with this, that it may be much more effective > let people do this through a self-organizing process like OST. > > One reason for looking for examples where this has been done is that I'm > thinking of writing a paper about it. The other reason is that (as we all > know) people are often afraid of doing something new and examples of this > having been done successfully elsewhere is one thing that can help calm those > fears. It is often only in situations where the conflict is really bad and > destructive that people are willing to open up to new ways of doing things > because what they have is obviously so bad that just about anything new is > likely to be better. I think your story is a good illustration of that. > > As we all know, one the main reasons for people resisting doing things like > OST is that they are afraid of losing control. But as unions often suspect > that new approaches to bargaining are management ploys to undermine union > power, chances are that many might think the same about OST. The more > examples that show that this is not the case the better. > > Thanks for your input. > > Bui > > On 27/10/2011 4:42 PM, Harrison Owen wrote: >> I am sure I am missing some of the nuances -- but at some level it seems to >> me that Open Space is precisely "interest based bargaining." That after all >> is what happens in the market place at the start, and on an ongoing basis as >> people "vote with their feet" -- which is effectively multi-party bargaining >> relative to the available time/space/interest of the folks (at the very >> least). >> >> I have a rather different take on the Union hesitance which may be more >> about perceived loss of power than concern for the effectiveness of any >> resulting agreement. To be sure there are situations where only a call to >> arms will do (strike, hardnosed bargaining, etc) -- but typically I find >> these are endgame scenarios of a zero sum game. Management AGAINST Union and >> vice versa. Somebody wins and somebody looses. But this doesn't have to be, >> and more often than not is a lose/lose situation. Nobody really wins because >> at the end of the day, and even though wages increase or new benefits >> achieved -- the atmosphere is poisoned (talk about a "happy, productive work >> place?") and a set of work rules put in place that are so complex and >> restrictive that, were they truly to be followed, no useful work could get >> done. Sounds insane I know, but I have experienced dozens of places in such >> dire straits. >> >> Sanity breaks out when it is recognized by all that such bargaining (like >> War) is a tool of last resort. Sometimes you have to do it, but the cost is >> extreme, especially when there are more effective alternatives. And Open >> Space is such an alternative. >> >> I have totally lost track of the number of situations where, in highly >> charged/conflicted situations, the simple act of opening space was more than >> sufficient to focus all the energy of conflict in more productive >> directions. I remember, for example, a sugar plant in Venezuela where the >> hostility was such that Plant Manager and the Union Chief were found at >> machete points. Not nice. We opened space for everybody some 500 folks. And >> believe me they put it all on the table. Loudly! And if somebody was shy >> about raising an issue because "management" would "get them" -- there always >> seemed to be 3 or 4 other folks who felt no such constraints. For something >> like 16 hours straight they went at it. And then a strange thing happened. >> The closing circle happened when it was ready -- and began in a rich >> silence. Needless to say we didn't pass a talking stick around all 500 -- >> but we really didn't have to. The Plant Manager stood up and walked over to >> the Union chief and gave him a long hug. Everybody Cheered. People were >> hungry and thirsty, and being South America the party started. I left a >> little early, but somewhere around 2 in the morning I am told the last Salsa >> played. >> >> Did they solve all the issues? Of course not. But they had done something >> much more important. The shattered bonds of community had started to >> re-weave. They still had to write a contract, of course -- but that was just >> details. Was it just one lucky break? Maybe, but I have seen it happen again >> and again. Of course, a little Salsa helps! >> >> Harrison >> >> >> >> >> Harrison Owen >> 7808 River Falls Dr. >> Potomac, MD 20854 >> USA >> >> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) >> Camden, Maine 20854 >> >> Phone 301-365-2093 >> (summer) 207-763-3261 >> >> www.openspaceworld.com >> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST >> Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org >> [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Bui Petersen >> Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 11:00 AM >> To: oslist@lists.openspacetech.org >> Subject: [OSList] Open Space in Collective Bargaining >> >> Hi enormously generous and thoughtful colleagues, >> >> I am doing some research on what is popularly called "interest-based" >> bargaining (IBB). For those unfamiliar with the term, IBB is a process >> that is intended to be more collaborative than traditional bargaining. >> One common aspect of IBB, is the creation of various committees or teams >> consisting of both union and management that work out (creative if >> possible) solutions to the various issues being the negotiated. >> >> I'm trying to find out if anyone on this list knows of negotiations that >> have involved OST or other self-organizing principles. One of the >> reasons I'm asking is that unions are often sceptical of IBB because >> they think that dividing individual members into various committees >> partially undermines their collective voice, which in essence is the >> core of union power. Thus before considering such an approach, they will >> likely want some assurance that it can work in their interest. >> >> Hope there is someone with experience and insight. :) >> >> Thanks, >> >> Bui Petersen >> _______________________________________________ >> OSList mailing list >> To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org >> To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: >> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OSList mailing list >> To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org >> To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: >> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org >> > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
_______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
