Assignment:
There are several reasons why both the company and the union choose to start-out negotiations with the non-economic topics. Unions generally want to drag-out negotiations for as long as they can up to the contract deadline and sometimes beyond. They want their members to believe that they are fighting hard for their interests and are demanding, pressuring and otherwise making it hard on the company. Waiting until the later stages of negotiations to discuss wages and benefits -- the topic that union members and their families are most interested in -- fits this political objective of the unions. Does this make sense?