Negotiations from 9/20

At times I forgot we were only in a simulation. The dynamics of the room changed, and we are very comfortable with each other, once the session began. It started to "feel" like an us vs. them. This activity is proving to be beneficial. In the ground rules the Union asked for each item to be presented on a separate page. Sounds easy enough. However, once we (Administration) began looking at their demands, it was much easier working off the original contract. It is also extremely important for the administration to know what its financial situation is, at least 3 years out if not five, before Union demands are considered. We cannot counter-offer a raise percentage if we do not know what our cash flow is going to be. We also need to keep in mind soft versus hard revenue. Dr. Closen keeps stating to trust your own facts and figures. This proved true when we found two mistakes in the financial information we had been given. I am looking forward to today's negotiations.