ORG Blog

There is no question. If we look carefully enough at the labor/management conflict currently underway at Hostess Brands between the company and the Bakers’ Union we will see that this fight is clearly a full-blown intractable conflict.

For those of us who study these types of disputes, there are several signs that signal the presence of an intractable conflict -- i.e., humiliating dignity violations from both sides, hostile stereotyping by each side, and a merciless effort by each party to blame the other for everything that’s wrong.

All of these dynamics are now clearly at play in the conflict at Hostess Brands. Given this, there’s no doubt this dispute, at one point or another, is going to become a textbook example of an Intractable Conflict.

Tuesday’s NHL negotiation news created a momentary burst of optimism among hockey fans everywhere, and the flurry of bargaining table and backroom caucusing Wednesday only added to the excitement. Ah, perhaps Santa was planning a pre-Christmas delivery for avid hockey fans. After a frustrating loss of the first half of the season would we soon hear the sweet sounds of skates digging deep into the ice and players being hard checked into the boards?

In Michigan this week a Lame Duck set of state officials have now added their state to the 23 other states that are “Right to Work” states.  This was accomplished without a popular vote by attaching the act to an appropriations bill that does not require a popular vote to be decided.  Naturally, organized labor sees that as a dirty trick and will no doubt find legal mechanisms for seeking to reverse it.

After 3 ½ months the NFL League’s lockout of the NFLRA represented referees appears to be over.  In retrospect you have to ask yourself, “Was that trip really necessary?”  Did the solutions that the new contract contains represent nearly 17 weeks of concentrated problem solving?  Does the result represent a significant benefit to the League, the Referees, the owners, the fans and the players?