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: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bui Petersen Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 11:00 AM To: [email protected] 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 [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] 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 [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
