Yesterday morning, our FFAP Labor Relations specialist received an email from PCC management canceling Friday’s bargaining meeting, citing a need to “regroup and consider our options” after reading the following tweet:
We are talking about livestreaming in our ground rules discussion. We will 100% be doing it (with or without an agreement) next week 😊
— PCCFFAP ↙️ (@pccffap) February 10, 2023
The email went on to say it was unacceptable that FFAP would include remote observers without their “permission,” but we know that PCC was informed by their legal counsel that FFAP is within its rights to ensure equitable access to labor negotiations, which includes live streaming. As a courtesy, the bargaining team was willing to first have a dialogue, and we had what we thought was a productive conversation last Friday in which we explained the mutual benefit of this kind of transparency, and that live streaming also prioritizes accessibility, health and safety.
Many of us left last Friday’s meeting expecting to settle ground rules (including the issue of live streaming) and begin bargaining in earnest this week. We were not seeking management’s permission to invite our members to observe bargaining meetings remotely—nor do we need it!
The larger question we should all be asking is, what don’t they want members to see?