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Establishing a Bargaining Committee

Issues in selecting

Should the size of the committee be large or small? The advantage of broad representation is that there is greater support for union's position on contract issues. Subcommittees can be formed to tackle tough issues. The disadvantage to a larger committee is that members may have trouble working as a group, also, expenses are greater and a large committee is harder to chair. A larger size opens up the possibility for strategy leaks and complicates communications and scheduling. Committee members and the chairperson may be elected or appointed. Regardless of size, a single spokesperson should be selected.