Meaning & use
bargaining table
Last updated
Meaning
nounsingular
The situation or process in which two sides formally discuss an agreement, especially about pay or working conditions.
Grammar: Usually used with 'the': the union returned to the bargaining table. It is not used with 'a'.
Patterns
- at the bargaining table
- return to the bargaining table
- bring someone back to the bargaining table
After weeks of strikes, both sides finally came back to the bargaining table.
The company said it was ready to put a better offer on the bargaining table.
Union leaders accused management of walking away from the bargaining table.
Common combinations
- at the bargaining table
- The two sides are still at the bargaining table.
- return to the bargaining table
- The teachers agreed to return to the bargaining table on Monday.
- back to the bargaining table
- After a long break, it was back to the bargaining table.
- bring someone to the bargaining table
- The threat of a strike brought the company to the bargaining table.
Synonyms and how they differ
- negotiations
- This is the general word for the talks themselves; 'bargaining table' suggests the formal setting where the two sides meet.
- talks
- More neutral and common in news; 'bargaining table' is more figurative and often used in labor disputes.
Practice
The union refused to go back to the ___ until the company improved its offer.
Choose one answer.
'Bargaining table' is the fixed phrase for formal negotiations. 'Bargain table' and 'bargain counter' are real phrases but mean a table or counter where cheap goods are sold, and 'bargaining unit' means a group of workers, not the talks.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bargaining table”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.