Some unions call it “economic warfare.” The description is fitting for organizations facing the threat of a strike or work slowdown.

The best deterrent is prevention – something negotiations planning and prevention can make possible. Even the potential risk of a work action makes contingency planning advisable.

Effective bargaining must include a component of business literacy so that negotiating teams and stakeholders are provided credible information about the competitive landscape and operational challenges facing their industry and organization. This effort helps establish at the outset the business factors and constraints on meeting union demands that could be impossible to meet.

But effective negotiations also require that the company is prepared to defend its operational needs and win any “economic warfare” launched by the union.

Work actions are among the most powerful leverage that unions have in contract negotiations, and the decision to strike often is based on the union’s assessment of whether a strike is necessary to achieve its negotiating goals.

At risk in the event of work stoppage: the company’s image in the community and the real threat of economic harm. Contingency planning provides a road map and tools for the company to manage operational issues, including interactions with suppliers and customers.

Strike preparation and planning includes making provisions for:

• Security requirements
• Staffing alternatives
• Transportation and shipping
• Management training
• Facilities plans and protection
• Executive protection
• Internal, investor and community communications