COVERED ARE BASIC PERSONNEL POLICIES THAT MIGHT FORESTALL THE NEED FOR NEGOTIATION. SPECIFICALLY, A SOUND PERSONNEL SYSTEM SHOULD INCLUDE A SOUND RECRUITMENT POLICY, A MERIT SYSTEM, AN OBJECTIVELY PREPARED CLASSIFICATION PLAN, A SOUND SALARY PLAN, GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES, TRAINING, AND CONTINUOUS REVIEW. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NEGOTIATIONS DISCUSSED ARE THE USE OF ONLY ONE BARGAINING UNIT TO AVOID FRAGMENTATION, CAREFUL DEFINITIONS OF THE BARGAINING UNIT, AND ADEQUATE PROOF OF REPRESENTATION. NEGOTIATING TACTICS INCLUDE OBSERVING THE RULES OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIES, RESPECTING THE STATE MEDIATOR, RESPECTING THE LABOR UNION, CAREFUL ATTENTION TO TIMING, ADEQUATE PREPARATION, AND SKILL IN THE ART OF COMMUNICATION. APPENDIXES PRESENT BIBLIOGRAPHIC MATERIAL FROM SEVERAL SOURCES, A GLOSSARY OF LABOR RELATION TERMS, THE WASHINGTON (STATE) CODE AND RULES FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, EXCERPTS OF DEFINITIONS FROM A PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL, AND A SAMPLE CONTRACT WITH THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT.