ABSTRACT
I. Introduction Collective bargaining and other forms of management-union relations in government are replete with formal and informal procedures, official and unofficial participants, and — perhaps above all else — politics. This chapter examines the multidimensional bargaining process in the public sector and attempts to shed some light on the mysteries of labor-management negotiations. At the outset, it is important to understand the ways in which collective bargaining differs between government and the private sector. Next, the basic elements of the bargaining process are considered in some detail. The chapter concludes with a look at the internal and external politics of public sector collective bargaining.
