Economic forecasts can be a very effective tool during an interest arbitration hearing. They provide insights as to where the economy is headed, which is very important when a multi-year contract is to be awarded. However, if not used properly, they can be discredited which will result in a weaker case. Each forecaster uses different…
When discussing the economy, two terms are often used; the real economy and the financial economy. They are separate entities, but they do often influence each other. It’s easy to confuse the two, and municipalities often use the wrong information to support their case. It’s important to differentiate between what information is relevant and irrelevant…
A common argument made by municipalities is that step and longevity pay more than cover any increase in the cost of living over time. They will show that over the course of an employee’s career, salary with step and longevity pay is 30% (or some other number) ahead of inflation, and that any future pay…
The single most important thing you need to do to succeed in negotiating a fair contract is to gather information. Municipalities make claims about their financial position. Often, their first line of defense during negotiations is to claim that they don’t have the ability to pay your requests. This may or may not be totally…
