ABSTRACT
Collective bargaining in the private sector is about profits, products, labor markets, and productivity—in short, economics. In government, politics, not profits or prices, is paramount, within an environment composed of a rich variety of interests with clashing views and values. The outputs of the bargaining process in government—decisions rendered concerning staffing levels, compensation, and the allocation of tax dollars—are produced in this often chaotic milieu. The direct participants are clearly political players, locked in a political contest with high stakes for both the players and the public.
