Union Side Contract Costing

Students must be Union Staff and Attorneys who support in contract negotiations and grievance handling, union members on Bargaining or Campaign Action Teams, or union members at large who would like to participate in bargaining someday.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will feel more equipped and confident to prepare and justify contract proposals, leaving with a proficient level of knowledge and skills to go forward in doing the work. Specifically, they will:

• Be able to create, manipulate, and calculate a detailed set of budget proposals that includes real costs for all elements of a union contract.
• Know how to explain varying costs and tradeoffs when making proposals in negotiations.
• Be able to articulate and demonstrate the various choices and costs in their proposals to members of the bargaining committee and union at large

The Advanced Bargaining Certificate Program is presented in partnership with DePaul's Labor Education Center.

• Introduction to costing concepts and equations using Excel
• Differences in front, uniform, and back loading increases, as well as annual percentage vs. flat rate increases
• How to develop a base year costing for an individual, then expand across three years
• Practice adjusting proposals by modifying spreadsheet equations for an individual around salary increases, paid time off, changes to health care costs, and increases in employer payments to pensions
• How to develop a base cost for a whole bargaining unit
• How to use the spreadsheet to avoid impasse by creating alternative proposals

Do I need a laptop for this class?

Yes. A laptop with excel software already loaded is required.

 

Is there a required textbook?

No, no textbooks are required for this program. Reading materials will be provided in class.

 

Do I get DePaul credit for this class?

No, but some DePaul CPE courses have been approved for continuing education units (CEUs). These classes are professional education classes with different requirements than courses taken for academic credit.

 

Is this class offered in-person or online?

This certificate program is offered in-person.

 

Will I have to write papers and take exams?

There will be short papers and exams in some of the courses.