1. Respect:
Respect for the legitimate roles of both management and the union is fundamental. Management must accept the basic right of the union to represent bargaining unit employees. The union must accept management’s responsibility to have the most effective operation possible. Both sides must respect the collective bargaining contract as a baseline agreement between them.

2. Leadership:
Top level management and union leaders sanction and then must sponsor any joint endeavor and be prepared to implement reasonable recommendations. Middle level and front line level management and union leaders must play a significant role in the joint process so that real change can occur at the operational level.

3. Specificity:
Union and management leaders set direction by specifying the goals and objectives of their joint effort. Then they develop the plans to achieve them and measures to gauge their progress. The direction set reflects a shared commitment to address the present and future challenges, problems, and opportunities they face.

4. Development:
Leaders and participants often require new skills and behavior to be successful in their roles in a joint effort. Both parties need to commit to the education, training, coaching and development necessary to support their shared success.

5. Attention:
Joint monitoring of union-management activities maintains the momentum to carry forward successful initiatives. Both parties need to commit to assess whether the goals and objectives of the effort are being achieved and to evaluate the impact of the joint effort overall.

6. Results:
Nothing succeeds like success. The final outcomes must be visible and measurable. Union-management cooperation should make a real difference in the operation of the organizations involved and the lives of the people within them.