CHILE 2000 : THE NEGOTIATION

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION - MINEDUC

TEACHER UNION

José Weinstein C.

November 2006

CHILE’S PARTICULARITIES

• General political stability• Sustained economic growth• Continuity of the educational policy• Systematic improvement of teachers’

labor conditions• Bi-annual negotiations between Ministry

of Education and the Teacher Union since 1990

ITINERARY OF THE NEGOTIATION

• Signature of agreement between Teacher Union and presidential candidate Ricardo Lagos (January 2000)

• Meetings Mineduc-Union• Willingness to modify the customary negotiation method

between union and government• Union’s National Request including adjustments• Mineduc - SIMCE’s results (System for Measuring

Educational Quality) unleash public controversy• Teacher Union sets ultimatum date• Unsuccessful teachers’ mobilization in Santiago• Mineduc first official salary negotiation offer• Teacher Union decides to negotiate Mineduc’s offer • Union’s President visits La Moneda (Presidential Office) and

expresses satisfaction upon reached agreements• Signature of agreement (November 2000)• Law 19715 is processed, it gets widespread political support

and provides legal support to agreements achieved under the protocol

LESSON I : Negotiation as an opportunity to further educational reform

• Basic and secondary education’s quality improvement

Additional non-teaching hour

Scholarships inside Chile Pedagogic excellence

reward Teachers’ evaluation

system Health care assistance for

teachers – tenures Special retirement plan for

teachers in retirement age

Scope Agreement upon

• Basic and secondary education’s equity improvement

Special rewarding for rural school teachers

Reward increase for performance difficulty

Reduction in the number of students per grade in vulnerable schools

Scope Agreement upon

….

• Basic and secondary education’s participation increase

Creation of Regional Education Councils

Teachers Union’s integration to the Superior Education Council

Evaluation of the full school day

Scope Agreement upon

….

LESSON II: Need to strengthen the negotiation capacities of MINEDUC

• Assemble a solid team with technical and political capacities to deal with a complex negotiation process

• Build a negotiation proposal relevant to the Education Reform, strengthening the teaching profession in those areas pertinent to the objectives of quality, equity and participation

• Attain key political support for the proposal and process within the government as well as an internal intra-executive conflict resolution method

• Build bridges and trust with the political environment, specially with influential parliament members in order to achieve prompt legislation

• Deftly handle the political timing of the negotiation with the union, controlling in such a way as not to rush into rigid and premature definitions nor excessively extend the answer deadlines

• Adequately combine flexibility and assertiveness within the process so as to concede in those subjects that are not substantial but succeeding in establishing the core of the proposal

• Integrate, in such a way as to add to the ministerial positions, the related facts exogenous to the negotiation itself but that can play a favorable role towards its good development

….

LESSON III : The relationship with the teachers’ union is an asset to take care of

• Show a clear and permanent political willingness to reach agreements and explain the mutual advantages over confrontation

• Create a shared interest subjects agenda• Carry a permanent and systematic dialogue in

a respectful environment• Introduce the alternative of incorporating

external studies. • Show flexibility to facilitate the resolution of

internal difficulties (in the face of discrepancies)

LESSON IV : Citizen support is a strategic dimension.

• Continued efforts to socialize ministerial proposals, thematic agenda, anticipate conflicts

• Try to bridge de understanding gap between technical subjects and the “on foot people (common people)” by comparisons and graphic examples.

• Clear definition of proxies and alignment of the messages from different authorities to avoid contradictions from the Executive branch

• Introduce representative voices different from the usual proxies in order to frame and support the negotiation at critical moments.

• Avoid expletives and disqualifications towards the opponent and always keep control of the situation