Problem
You are a third-party consultant jointly hired by the City Management and by the Police Union to help with the upcoming negotiation between the City and the Police Union at City Hall. The parties will be negotiating the renewal of an existing contract that deals with police salaries, working conditions, disciplinary provisions, leave policies including vacation, seniority clauses, training, physical fitness standards, and hiring standards. Two major issues that are on the horizon include the retirement program, which the City Council wants to scale back, and retiree health insurance. The city staff has already indicated in public documents that next year's budget is projected to have a $40 million budget gap on a $600 million budget. As the hired third-party consultant, you have convinced the parties that the concepts detailed in the book Getting to Yes will help in the negotiations. How will you incorporate the lessons learned in Getting to Yes into the negotiation process?