July 13, 2007
Bargaining Update 07.12.07
We were back at the bargaining table yesterday (Thursday July 12) and for the first time, we initiated off-the-record negotiations— giving both sides an opportunity to discuss frankly what they can and can't do, without being bound by their proposals if the effort doesn't pan out— all designed to determine if there is a possible agreement at hand.
We felt that the possibility of moving rapidly made this worth a try. We should be able to tell fairly quickly whether compromises by both sides are cutting through our differences.
Saving time and reaching a contract agreement in a timely manner is valuable, but we don't propose to sacrifice our basic goals just to save time.
While we can't offer specific details of our talks, we will provide regular progress reports.
As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.
Steve Yount
President
Jim Browning
Bargaining Committee Chair