Interest-Based Bargaining is an attempt to move labor and management from traditional confrontational and positional bargaining to problem solving bargaining by identifying issues and exploring the different possible solutions. The parties are encouraged to work together to find solutions to each others problems. They do not come to the bargaining table with proposals as in traditional bargaining. Instead, they come with problems to be solved. Together they will seek solutions to those problems.

Where the parties have used this process they have been successful, in our experience, and they have been enthusiastic and stimulated in ways they have not been by the traditional process, leading to a higher level of creativity, and the beginning of a new and better relationship between labor and management.

In interest-based bargaining, the parties identify problems that need to be resolved. They present those problems to each other to be solved together. Together they will offer and consider many possible solutions. From those options, they will select a mutually acceptable solution to each problem. The acceptable solution will give both parties something. Instead of advocating for the acceptance of their own proposed solutions, they are working together to solve their problems. In this way, both parties are winners.

Interest-based bargaining is somewhat like playing poker with your hand totally exposed. Techniques such as bluffing, posturing, withholding information and packaging proposals are not used because they do not work. Parties discover that they do not have to abandon their loyalties in order to work productively together. We have discovered that, where parties claim to have tried IBB and to have been less than successful, there has been an attempt to cut corners. A fully experienced neutral, experienced in labor negotiations, not just in neutral facilitation, and a full commitment by the parties are essential.