Oct. 23, 2007 — Traditionally when they sit together, it's not a meeting of the minds. But on Tuesday, the Virgin Islands' first-ever conference uniting labor and management representatives saw the two sides focused on one thing: gathering strategies that will enable a more successful collective-bargaining process.
"Labor and Management: Working Together to Enhance our Workforce," is the title of a three-day event taking place at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef and Morningstar Beach Resort. The conference is the brainchild of the V.I. Conference Planning Committee, a consortium of private and public leaders, in collaboration with the V.I. Office of Collective Bargaining.
It goes from early morning until late afternoon each day and features workshops on such topics as service ethics, strikes and lockouts, and "who are your customers." In addition, speeches will cover issues from cultural diversity in the workplace to "A New Approach to Managerial Leadership."
Jessica Gallivan, head of the Office of Collective Bargaining, said she typically juggles three collective-bargaining agreements at any one time. She hopes the conference will help both sides realize their common ground.
"This conference is the first step in improving labor-management relations," Gallivan said. "We know we have to do things differently these days. We have to recognize our mutual interests and see how we can work together."
Finding the common ground and establishing trust between the two sides were themes of Tuesday's opening remarks by Adriane J. Dudley, an attorney and certified arbitrator and mediator.
Dudley challenged audience members to think back on a time, as a child, when they approached their parent or an authority figure to ask for something that the other individual "… was determined you were not going to have." He continued, "Whether it was a Snickers bar or … keys to your dad's car. Very frequently — in fact, almost always — that is how management representatives, particularly those without a lot of experience, feel about the big bad union guys. It's also how the union guys, particularly those without a lot of experience, feel about the big bad management guys."
Combating these attitudes requires knowledge, Dudley said: "Knowledge, my friends is power. It is knowledge, not just of the issues you bring to the table, but knowledge of what the other side is bringing to the table — why are (those issues) important to them, and what really are those issues."
It can easily take six months to prepare for collective bargaining when not familiar with the other entity, she said. It's not as simple as labor asking for more money and management saying it doesn't exist, Dudley cautioned: "Management has an obligation to say, not just, 'We don't have any money,' but, 'Here's our financial statements, our audited financial statements, our accountant to explain our financial statements — so you guys can realize we don't have any money.'"
And, she said, the same is true in reverse. Labor's salary goals often need to encompass more than just pay raises.
Dudley encouraged the two sides to build a partnership and trust. Once trust is established between longtime negotiators, she said, "… we can do it in shorthand." She continued, "If you tell the truth and keep your word — don't throw rocks — that is how good, long-term relationships are built."
Finally, Dudley said, the territory faces a new day in labor negotiations. The first change is a shift to merit pay and performance-based evaluations.
"You don't get a raise just because you breathe," she said. "You get a raise because you do good work. You should be aware of that."
Secondly, negotiations more and more need to factor in cultural differences, and not simply the differences between islands, she said: "Now we have many people who do not speak our language, who may not be here legally, but are working. The rules with respect to them are not the same as the rules for everyone else, but there are rules."
Gallivan, who currently works on collective bargaining for the territory's teachers and police officers, recently concluded a contract for the nurses and the assistant attorneys general. She also faces upcoming negotiations with firefighters in the spring.
Aaron Krigger Sr., president of Police Benevolent Association Local 816 on St. Thomas, said he's hopeful that this conference will assist both sides in defusing what he calls a "pretty combative" process.
"The union feels shut out," Krigger said. "We're hoping this helps us have a better understanding of the process so we can share views in a more relaxed environment."
Police have been working on a day-to-day contract for nearly three years, and several issues remain unresolved, Krigger said. He hopes the negotiations, which opened in July, will conclude in November.
His colleague, firefighter Andre Dorsey of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 77, said firefighters have also been on a day-to-day contract pending further negotiations. While he said he appreciated the message of Tuesday morning's speaker, Dorsey pointed out that police and firefighters, working as "essential personnel," are prevented from striking and feel like their working conditions and salary issues are more easily shoved aside.
Gallivan disagreed: "It's a misconception to think that because they don't strike we value them less. The fact that they put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us means we've designated them as priority units for negotiation, and we are actively trying to meet mutual goals."
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