Unions begin preparations for bargaining by educating their members about how and when bargaining will take place, and what the issues may be. To find out what’s on your mind, your union  may hold meetings to ask you and your co-workers directly what problems you’d like your negotiators to tackle in bargaining. Very often some sort of written survey is distributed to determine what the top priorities should be, and how important each one is in the members’ eyes. (This communication is a two-way street: savvy union negotiators use questionnaires or newsletters early on not only to gather information but also to educate members on the issues that probably will be major areas of labor-management conflict in bargaining. Used this way, a bargaining survey is a tool to begin to build unity.) Whether it’s a written questionnaire or a workplace meeting, this first stage is your opportunity to weigh in on the things in your working life that you’d like to see changed through bargaining.
—Adapted from The Union Member's Complete Guide, by Michael Mauer
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