Change is Inevitable, But Growth Is Optional!: How Innovative Union and Management Partnerships Foster Organizational Success

In the face of relentless global competition, a new breed of union and management leaders is building successful partnerships and helping their business grow and prosper. These leaders are proving that when union and management work together as a team, they can overcome a previously adversarial climate and can transform their relationship to manage change and to promote growth and prosperity.

Document Highlights

This report draws on the experiences and findings of study tour participants and describes some of the underlying philosophies and practices used by the host companies—Air Canada, Harley-Davidson, Irving Paper and Saturn.

The tour revealed nine key conditions for successful union-management partnerships:

1. Effective union and management leadership;
2. Trust;
3. Common values and goals;
4. Formalized partnership agreement;
5. Strategic planning;
6. Commitment to process improvement;
7. A change in roles;
8. Commitment to employee development; and
9. Relationship management.