The second mistake managers sometimes make is not knowing the contract. Union leaders (and many members) often pride themselves on knowing the contract inside and out. It is just as important for managers to learn the contract in detail. There are several important reasons:

• You’ll be more confident in your decisions, knowing that the contract is there to back you up;
• You won’t notice negative past practice if you aren’t certain what the contract says about that practice – this could let the union take advantage of you; and
• You will earn more respect as someone who knows the agreement and how to navigate it.

Take some time to learn your labor agreement, especially any areas that are confusing, come up a lot, or where the union may want to create a favorable past practice.