dawn handforth: collective bargaining & employment relations specialist

I have more than 25 years of experience in collective bargaining, employment/industrial relations and not-for-profit administration and governance. I have built a career helping organisations and employee representatives achieve practical, sustainable workplace outcomes.

My journey to a constructive approach to industrial/employment relations and collective bargaining was borne out of dissatisfaction – during my early career working in the aviation industry as a Legal Advocate for the New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) and bargaining on behalf of the Flight Attendants and Related Services Association of New Zealand (FARSA), I experienced firsthand the significant cost and impact of fraught, adversarial management/employee/union relations. Problems that could – and should – have been resolved early and informally through constructive dialogue frequently escalated into grievances and disputes. A surprising number were never resolved but instead found their way into collective bargaining, becoming the subject of claims that often took years to resolve. Many others were formally litigated. In almost all cases, the outcome was unsatisfactory – for one party to succeed necessarily meant that the other party had to lose; positions became entrenched; working relationships were damaged; valuable time and resources were wasted – and ultimately the outcome did not adequately address the actual underlying key needs of the parties, leading to conflict and compliance issues…and the cycle would then repeat itself.

After several years of involvement in complex negotiations, too often involving major industrial action with less-than-ideal outcomes, it was clear to me that there had to be a more effective and constructive approach to negotiating and workplace problem solving. I began exploring alternative models that focused on collaboration rather than confrontation. This ultimately led me to interest-based bargaining (IBB) and interest-based problem solving (IBPS), and in 2012 I attended Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation to further develop these skills. 

As NZALPA General Manager, I was able to further hone my IBPS skills through my involvement in Air New Zealand’s High-Performance Engagement initiative, at both the senior leadership/governance level and hands-on assisting teams to resolve complex organisational issues involving multiple stakeholders. The IBPS model was also central to successfully resolving legal disputes involving other major airlines, that otherwise would have ended up in court.

Today, my focus is on helping organisations, leaders, employers and employee representatives strengthen workplace relationships, improve collective bargaining outcomes and resolve complex issues through collaborative, interest-based processes. I believe that sustainable solutions are achieved when parties move beyond entrenched positions to understand and address the interests that sit behind them.

Originally from the United Kingdom, I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and English from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of South Africa. I am also a qualified Chartered Secretary and member of the Chartered Governance Institute of New Zealand.