In 1988 the Collective Bargaining Forum, a private group of labor and business leaders, adopted a statement of principles recognizing that the institution of collective bargaining is an integral part of economic life in the United States. The purpose of the statement was to facilitate the spread of positive relations between labor and management based on mutual respect and trust. As a next step, the Forum has proposed a model compact for labor-management relations suggesting a new set of obligations and responsibilities that transcend and expand traditional collective bargaining relationships. The issues or practices that should be included in such a compact include: joint commitment to the economic success of the enterprise; joint commitment to the institutional integrity of the union; commitment by top management to employment security and continuity; worker participation and empowerment; conflict resolution; responsibilities in transforming industrial relations; and public policy principles. For each issue or practice, the Forum has also developed a set of guidelines which is both practical and consistent with the principles adopted earlier by the Forum. (A list of Forum members is appended.) (YLB)