It is often overlooked in the heated debate over workers’ rights to organize, but most American workers who do manage to form unions remain unable to bargain for a first contract in a timely manner. This hurdle commonly results from employers who fail to bargain in good faith and use stalling tactics as a way to preserve the status quo even after a union is in place.
While American workers seek a way around this all-too-common impasse, many in Canada have found one. Most provinces in Canada regularly use a mechanism called First Contract Arbitration (FCA), which gives the union or the employer the option of entering binding arbitration after 90 days of unsuccessful contract negotiations. continue reading