If the collective bargaining process is to be successful, it is important that both sides come prepared to bargain. This means that both management and labor must make plans and develop a strategy before they even look across the table at the other party. It is often this preparation that determines to what extent one side gets its way more than the other side. It is impossible to walk into negotiations without knowing the costs that are potentially involved in the new contract arrangement. Clearly the union is well-prepared with their wish list and with as many facts and figures as they can find to bolster their position. Management does much the same thing to trade off items on the table. (a) Select what you consider to be the key pre-negotiation preparation steps that can be taken by the union. (b) Select what you consider to be the key pre-negotiation preparation steps that can be taken by management. (c) Compare and contrast the historical elements that help us understand the current structure of the union.