Looking at some of these responses, it's disheartening to see all the anti-union tropes again. Bootlickers gonna lick, I guess.
Even if a deal is struck, the members still have read and then vote on the contract. If it's a bad contract, then it's back to the line. The UPS deal was also behind closed doors, and it turned out great for us Teamsters. It's all about who you put into the leadership role and it seems like the union heads for the writers guild has their back.
It really sucks that it's become so commonplace for union leadership to hold closed door negotiations. Union members should be present and reporting back to fellow members on just what is on the table for the union as a collective to be on board with or fired up against.
In many Unions the decision to accept a negotiated proposal is voted on by all union members. Of course the reps have the information advantage and recommend to accept the result, as otherwise it delegitimizes their position as negotiators.
When a union is at the bargaining table where does their power come from? Does their power come from who they send to negotiate?
Part of the decline in union power has been the idea that union leadership, who they are and their abilities to negotiate, is what wins good contracts. This idea justifies inflated salaries which then leads to union leadership living in a class above the rank amd file members they should represent. This entire concept is referred to as business unionism.
The truth is the power of the union at the negotiating table is their ability to withhold their labor. The rank and file members hold the power, the elected leader is just a representative. Closed door negotiating delegitimizes the true power of the union which is why business owners have sold you the concept that it delegitimizes the negotiations.
i did not say it deligitimizes the negotiations when they are transperent. I merely described why union negotiators have an interest in advertising for the result of the negotiations