The negotiation by an employer and a bargaining agent of terms and conditions of employment governing the members of a bargaining unit. When successful, their bargaining results in a collective bargaining agreement. In some industries multi-employer or multi-union (or coalition) bargaining is used, leading to a master agreement covering all affected parties. Master agreements may have local supplements for particular employers or geographic areas. In the public sectors the phrase meet and confer often refers to the negotiating process resulting in a memorandum of understanding (or MOU).
