i am looking to send a book to publishers, if they contact me with interest, has anyone negotiated a contract with them? any advice/tips? Do they just pay a flat fee to buy the book, or do they pay a royalty for each copy sold?

I understand that the percentages can vary greatly, depending on a multitude of factors, among them the specific terms of the negotiated contract between the author (and/or his/her agent) and the publishing company. But assuming it is a popular technical book, though not necessarily a bestseller, by a first-time author (and no literary agent involved), I am looking for an idea on the generally practiced/acceptable market range.

The author shall keep confidential and shall not disclose the terms of this agreement except to the author's authorized legal and financial representative with a need to know and then only for purposes of representing the author's interests hereunder." If a publisher's negotiator were to press you on confidentiality, you can point out that the publisher has experience with many authors, perhaps thousands, and uses its accumulated knowledge and experience to negotiate. Authors, on the other hand, cannot negotiate knowledgably or intelligently unless they too have access to the terms that their fellow authors negotiate. Point out that agreeing to the clause would preclude authors from sharing information that's essential to acting in their best interest. You may want to assure the publisher's negotiator that you have no intention of sharing any contract details that would be detrimental to the success of the work, such as publication schedules. does this make sense if i was the author

Considering it is marketable and is picked up. After all the rejections, finding an agent, the agent finding a publisher and a contract being written up, negotiated and accepted. How long does that normally take, on average?

We already booked and put the deposit down on this beautiful venue but had to settle for a earlier date since its closing down. we wanted to wed in Oct 4 2008 but werent aware of the facility closing until later said by the wedding cordinator so she offered us Aug 31. 2008 which is the last day the venue/ facility will be open. Is it too late to negotiate price of the venue since its not the date we initially intended for? and because the Wedding Cordinator didnt aware us until late after.?

I have a good idea for a business but I feel that I'm lacking some of the basic knowledge for starting and operating a business. For example where can I find dropshippers for my products. How do I negotiate contracts etc etc. Are there any good books out there that cover questions like this or are there any other places where I can find information?

Hi! I signed a contract with author of a good book on health in Russian -- as his agent, and I sent first chapters to several Russian publishers. Two publishers that kow me personally [They knew me because of my work with Klaus Joehle books http://lovebook2.tripod.com (I've translated them from English into Russian) that sell well in Russia, but are not widely known in the States] responded that they want to buy the book rights. Now, how do I conduct a book auction? Shall I ask them to submit to a certain date their proposals "in general"? Or shall I ask them to give me following figures: 1.royalty % to the author 2.number of years for the contract (new author is interested in giving the book for less years, the publisher is interested in more years) 3.proceeds to the author from foreign rights (we shall ask for more than 50%, right?) 4.upfront payment deductible from royalties Then I shall negotiate with each of 2 for better terms and then choose the best one, right? I think I should give the publishers a list of what I'm interested in and ask them to submit their bids on given date. Then I will talk to the one who submitted lower bid and see if they would raise it... And so on... How does it sounds?

Use a lit. agent (middle man) who can help you negotiate a contract Or cut to the chase!

Im wondering what good books there are out there that will tell me how to get my novel published, how to find a good manager (if I would even need one), finding a good publisher, negotiating contracts (if they actually do contracts or just book by book basis), etc. I just want to know the basics and if I could actually learn enough to be my own manager/promoter, then rock on. But I have no clue how the publishing business even works to begin with, so if anyone can help me with that too Id appreciate it. Thanks for any help.

I asked this question a minute ago but didn't include enougn information. Basically - the author of a published novel (based on her life story) asked me to write a screenplay based on her work. To begin with she said the two of us could ave a contract that would stipulate that we get 50/50 on all the proceeds but now she's saying that because her publisher owns part of the rights to any movies etc - that's no longer possible. She's told me that I have to sell the script independently to recieve a lump sum - and the company that buys the script will then approach her and her publisher to negotiate a deal. She's gone back on a lot that she said. To begin with she said that she'd make sure that I was the one who got to write the script no matter what - but now she's saying that if she's approached by a company and they want their own scriptwriter to write the thing - then she'll go with that option. I think her publisher has warned her not to get tied into a contract with me According to her I can't get any royalties on the movie because her and her publisher own 50/50 of the rights to any movies, plays, musicals etc that come from the book I have now finished the screenplay and she's asking me to send it to her so she can make any ammendments she needs to. Without a contract in place I don't know if I should do this. Is my work copywrited? Alex well it is extraordinary so I guess I'm in luck:) What other way to sell it is there - other than 'by spec?' Does the predicament I'm in leave me with less chance of selling my script? Is that what you mean? Thanks for the help guys should I try and get written confirmation from her that she'd allowed me to write the script? Would this cover me? You see I really need to send it to her as she wont be happy until I do. She wants to know that my 'adaption' is accurate and anything I added doesn't paint her in the wrong light

Ok here is the deal. I went out with my girlfriend for 3 years, then we split up for various reasons...in July last year. we got back in contact around October and started to become friends..but the chemistry and love was still very much there, and we started to date again in January of this year. We also planned a tripped to Vietnam together. I wanted to show her I had changed, as one of my mistakes in our r.ship was that I did not plan enough with her as a couple...mainly because I was not out. She always wanted to travel widely with me. So we planned this trip, booked the flights, booked accomodation etc. I negotiated annual leave too at work. Now she works for an International Developement organisation in the field of emergency logistics. 2 days before we fly out, she tells me her boss has asked her to go to the Solomon islands to fill in as they have had floods there..and she needs to help out with admin and budgets for 3 weeks and she needs to leave in few days time. Her boss also said it was a great opportunity for her to get field experience, which she needs to get to progress in her role. She tried telling me one minute on the phone she had to go and it's the nature of her work, then she said that her boss says it's a great opportunity. I couldn;t quite tell if it was actually crucial she had to go.. her boss knew she had a commitment elsewhere and had leave booked and her friend had flights confirmed etc. And she would be letting me down. Anyway, she was very apologetic even though I was sad and paid my cancellation fees and took me to a hotel for valentine's day before she left. I tried to be supportive. She got back, and I picked her up from airport..we spent time together again and things were still lovey dovey and steamy. She showed real love for me again and kept saying it, and wanted to still go away with me and we started researching trips. On saturday night, she tells me she has been offered a job contract for 1 year in Afghanistan. It;s a management field work job, pays well and free accomodation. Afghanistan?? and one year?? she said she was leaning towards it and had to let them know by Monday. She said it all happened so fast.. but what upset me is, that she did a phone interview for it while she was in the solomon islands! and didn't think to let me know. She says she apparently didn't think it meant anything yet...and didn;t want to alarm me in case it meant nothing. But then they offered her the job and she was not expecting it. But she had her hesitations- Us. But said she really needs this field experience so she can progress and said she needs to get it out of the way so then she can just have an office based job in Europe after (where I want to be end of year). She said she knows this decision looks like i am not important to her and she is just leaving...but she thinks she is doing it for us in the long term. We would still go away in June...meet up..she could pay for my flight...then when I go to Europe in december, she would meet me there for another holiday ...and then few months more go by, and she would move to where I am there. She said she would commit to this long distance because it would mean we would be better..and together again quicker than I think. I am torn. Not to mention I am not sure I trust her now she has shown a bit of unreliability! any thoughts?

I know this seems like alot, but it's not compaired to the rest of the test, and I have a learning disability, I find it difficult to find answers or learn if things aren't worded exactly the same as the question. So please help. =[ 6. This national convention committee writes the party's statement of beliefs. (1 point) credentials committee rules committee committee on permanent organization platform committee 7. This is vital for the success of American democracy. (1 point) literacy tests poll tax voting PACs 8. This gave African American males the right to vote. (1 point) Fifteenth Amendment Twenty-sixth Amendment Nineteenth Amendment Twenty-first Amendment 9. The fourth branch of government is (1 point) the electronic media. the print media. the mass media. the wire services. 10. This is the protector of the rights of the mass media. (1 point) League of Women voters First Amendment Federal Communications Commission Telecommunications Commission 11. Controlling money to influence the economy is called (1 point) reconciliation. reserve requirement. monetary policy. fiscal policy. 12. These are the federal government's financial instruments, such as bonds, notes, and certificates. (1 point) securities entitlements discount rates uncontrollables 13. The banker's bank of the United States is the (1 point) OMB. CBO. IRS. Fed. 14. The United States's largest entitlement program is (1 point) the discount tax rate. Social Security. the tax credit program. the tax loophole program. 15. This is an EPA responsibility. (1 point) clean environment securities exchange mass transit systems public health 16. Negotiating labor contracts is called (1 point) injunctions. urban renewal. collective bargaining. developing trusts. 17. This is NOT a function of a state constitution. (1 point) appoints officials outlines methods of election creates the structure of government provides for separation of powers 18. This is part of the state constitution amendment process. (1 point) judicial review extradition mandates proposal and ratification 19. A two-chambered state legislature (1 point) is unicameral. is bicameral. has the same number in both houses. is half Republican and half Democrat. 20. The executive branch of the state is headed by the (1 point) speaker of the house. lieutenant governor. attorney general. governor. 21. This promotes economic growth in cities. (1 point) revitalization incorporation assessment town meetings 22. The ability of nations to develop economically while at the same time protecting the environment is called (1 point) equilibrium. human rights. sustainable development. positive rights. 23. To have democracy, South Africa had to overcome (1 point) apartheid. the shah. the EU. NATO. 24. An economic system with a central authority is called a (1 point) mixed system. traditional system. command system. market system. 25. This is the opposite of competition. (1 point) monopoly oligarchy apartheid economic sanctions 26. Because society does not have all the resources that everyone wants, this exists. (1 point) comparative advantage scarcity nationalization free trade agreements 27. Risk takers who produce goods and services in search of profit are (1 point) entrepreneurs. a monopoly. trading blocs. factors of production. 15 minutes ago - 4 days left to answer. Additional Details I did try my book, and other internet sources, and could not find these answers. Teachers are un-askable because it's an online school, and they sometimes don't even check their e-mails because they're tards.

I know this seems like alot, but it's not compaired to the rest of the test, and I have a learning disability, I find it difficult to find answers or learn if things aren't worded exactly the same as the question. So please help. =[ 6. This national convention committee writes the party's statement of beliefs. (1 point) credentials committee rules committee committee on permanent organization platform committee 7. This is vital for the success of American democracy. (1 point) literacy tests poll tax voting PACs 8. This gave African American males the right to vote. (1 point) Fifteenth Amendment Twenty-sixth Amendment Nineteenth Amendment Twenty-first Amendment 9. The fourth branch of government is (1 point) the electronic media. the print media. the mass media. the wire services. 10. This is the protector of the rights of the mass media. (1 point) League of Women voters First Amendment Federal Communications Commission Telecommunications Commission 11. Controlling money to influence the economy is called (1 point) reconciliation. reserve requirement. monetary policy. fiscal policy. 12. These are the federal government's financial instruments, such as bonds, notes, and certificates. (1 point) securities entitlements discount rates uncontrollables 13. The banker's bank of the United States is the (1 point) OMB. CBO. IRS. Fed. 14. The United States's largest entitlement program is (1 point) the discount tax rate. Social Security. the tax credit program. the tax loophole program. 15. This is an EPA responsibility. (1 point) clean environment securities exchange mass transit systems public health 16. Negotiating labor contracts is called (1 point) injunctions. urban renewal. collective bargaining. developing trusts. 17. This is NOT a function of a state constitution. (1 point) appoints officials outlines methods of election creates the structure of government provides for separation of powers 18. This is part of the state constitution amendment process. (1 point) judicial review extradition mandates proposal and ratification 19. A two-chambered state legislature (1 point) is unicameral. is bicameral. has the same number in both houses. is half Republican and half Democrat. 20. The executive branch of the state is headed by the (1 point) speaker of the house. lieutenant governor. attorney general. governor. 21. This promotes economic growth in cities. (1 point) revitalization incorporation assessment town meetings 22. The ability of nations to develop economically while at the same time protecting the environment is called (1 point) equilibrium. human rights. sustainable development. positive rights. 23. To have democracy, South Africa had to overcome (1 point) apartheid. the shah. the EU. NATO. 24. An economic system with a central authority is called a (1 point) mixed system. traditional system. command system. market system. 25. This is the opposite of competition. (1 point) monopoly oligarchy apartheid economic sanctions 26. Because society does not have all the resources that everyone wants, this exists. (1 point) comparative advantage scarcity nationalization free trade agreements 27. Risk takers who produce goods and services in search of profit are (1 point) entrepreneurs. a monopoly. trading blocs. factors of production. 15 minutes ago - 4 days left to answer. Additional Details I did try my book, and other internet sources, and could not find these answers. Teachers are un-askable because it's an online school, and they sometimes don't even check their e-mails because they're tards.

I know this seems like alot, but it's not compaired to the rest of the test, and I have a learning disability, I find it difficult to find answers or learn if things aren't worded exactly the same as the question. So please help. =[ 6. This national convention committee writes the party's statement of beliefs. (1 point) credentials committee rules committee committee on permanent organization platform committee 7. This is vital for the success of American democracy. (1 point) literacy tests poll tax voting PACs 8. This gave African American males the right to vote. (1 point) Fifteenth Amendment Twenty-sixth Amendment Nineteenth Amendment Twenty-first Amendment 9. The fourth branch of government is (1 point) the electronic media. the print media. the mass media. the wire services. 10. This is the protector of the rights of the mass media. (1 point) League of Women voters First Amendment Federal Communications Commission Telecommunications Commission 11. Controlling money to influence the economy is called (1 point) reconciliation. reserve requirement. monetary policy. fiscal policy. 12. These are the federal government's financial instruments, such as bonds, notes, and certificates. (1 point) securities entitlements discount rates uncontrollables 13. The banker's bank of the United States is the (1 point) OMB. CBO. IRS. Fed. 14. The United States's largest entitlement program is (1 point) the discount tax rate. Social Security. the tax credit program. the tax loophole program. 15. This is an EPA responsibility. (1 point) clean environment securities exchange mass transit systems public health 16. Negotiating labor contracts is called (1 point) injunctions. urban renewal. collective bargaining. developing trusts. 17. This is NOT a function of a state constitution. (1 point) appoints officials outlines methods of election creates the structure of government provides for separation of powers 18. This is part of the state constitution amendment process. (1 point) judicial review extradition mandates proposal and ratification 19. A two-chambered state legislature (1 point) is unicameral. is bicameral. has the same number in both houses. is half Republican and half Democrat. 20. The executive branch of the state is headed by the (1 point) speaker of the house. lieutenant governor. attorney general. governor. 21. This promotes economic growth in cities. (1 point) revitalization incorporation assessment town meetings 22. The ability of nations to develop economically while at the same time protecting the environment is called (1 point) equilibrium. human rights. sustainable development. positive rights. 23. To have democracy, South Africa had to overcome (1 point) apartheid. the shah. the EU. NATO. 24. An economic system with a central authority is called a (1 point) mixed system. traditional system. command system. market system. 25. This is the opposite of competition. (1 point) monopoly oligarchy apartheid economic sanctions 26. Because society does not have all the resources that everyone wants, this exists. (1 point) comparative advantage scarcity nationalization free trade agreements 27. Risk takers who produce goods and services in search of profit are (1 point) entrepreneurs. a monopoly. trading blocs. factors of production. 15 minutes ago - 4 days left to answer. Additional Details I did try my book, and other internet sources, and could not find these answers. Teachers are un-askable because it's an online school, and they sometimes don't even check their e-mails because they're tards.

I want to post it online - Titled - My Semi Professional Life - If it weren’t for the cut off mark of one page, and my pocket full of white lies, my work resume would be littered with typical full time entry level occupations. At various times I've managed over 50 personnel along with billing and scheduling as a secretary for a local security company; Cooked & Cleaned House for the elderly, been a waitress, a Subway sandwich artist, a Rite Aid cashier attendant, A Tulare County pre-foreclosure agent, Assisted a private investor in putting together a Huge Workshop Seminar for Real Estate, Worked as an independent negotiator for a Real Estate Brokerage getting commissions off of houses that I brought to him, working retail at the mall as a sales clerk (my sales topped the managers), then finally jumped on the bandwagon with Daniel when real estate was through the roof. I never in my life, believed I would work in this field of employment. I was never taught a thing about real estate by anyone, until I proved that I could help benefit someone financially as an intern or partner. After all, I was just another young girl. One who wasn’t outspoken or sought to be in the spotlight. I read up on plenty of books related to the subject, and felt confident enough to make my first negotiated contract. I remember how nervous I was, made the deal, and the rest is history. I realized around the year of 2006 how Lazy local Realtors were. I realized that there were a lot of potential deals to be made because if the Realtors weren’t making deals with out of state people (trying to get listings) who was? Apparently no one. My first independent job was working with Daniel, buying crappy pieces of land, from the out of state owners, and reselling to local California folks, at higher prices. Back then people were lending their money everywhere so that’s where we got our start up money. It was a good way to get into the business because we were putting extremely low amounts of money up, and getting a fair share back. Of course those days are over, however Daniel and I have still continued to find more and more areas of interest that other people just don’t seem to follow up on. As a team, we work out very well, because we both excel in different areas that the other person may not be good at. Its nice to have started from scratch together. That way, in time, we can go back and look at all the business & financial struggles we’ve come across together as a young couple.

Hi - I want to build drop-down menus in MS Excel that will allow me to "grade" different sales opportunities as they evolve. For example, if Prospect A is currently just interviewing vendors for a particular purchase, I might classify them as "Gathering Requirements", which in my book has a 15% probability of turning into a sale. But next month when they are reviewing a contract with us and are negotiating terms, I might regrade the opportunity to "Negotiating Terms" and assign an 80% probability that this will turn into a revenue producing sale. Much of this kind of thing already exists in salesforce.com, but I have some unique needs and want to do this in Excel and want the abilty to create custom pull down lists that, when I select one of the options, has a built in value (e.g. 80%). I've tried going to office online and surfing the web for answers but so far am coming up empty handed. Can anyone point me either to an existing spreadsheet that does this or tell me how to do it

So I got an official offer from A a few weeks ago, and I've been waiting for their contract to arrive. However, in the meantime, I got an email from a different place that offered me a better position. It's not an official offer yet, but I actually think I'd like this other position better than the one offered by A. However, I feel uneasy about sending a rejection letter to A, because I've negotiated for a position in Seoul they've said that they'll send me to a location in Seoul, which makes me a bit obligated to work for A. But then, I haven't signed the contract yet because they still haven't sent me my contract yet, and plus, to be honest, I'm quite a bit irritated with how they don't communicate with me in a timely manner. (They told me to wait on booking my tickets till they tell me to purchase it, which I find it a bit odd.) I've only told them that I'll accept it because it seemed like it's a better deal than other offers. So in this situation, if I do get an official offer from the other position, would it be appropriate for me to send a rejection letter to A after I've responded via email that I'll accept their offer, since I haven't signed their contract yet?

they both share the same firm postion-------"it will fail because......it just will" Why cyberspace isn’t, and will never be, nirvana By Clifford Stoll | NEWSWEEK From the magazine issue dated Feb 27, 1995 After two decades online, I’m perplexed. It’s not that I haven’t had a gas of a good time on the Internet. I’ve met great people and even caught a hacker or two. But today, I’m uneasy about this most trendy and oversold community. Visionaries see a future of telecommuting workers, interactive libraries and multimedia classrooms. They speak of electronic town meetings and virtual communities. Commerce and business will shift from offices and malls to networks and modems. And the freedom of digital networks will make government more democratic. Baloney. Do our computer pundits lack all common sense? The truth in no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works. Consider today’s online world. The Usenet, a worldwide bulletin board, allows anyone to post messages across the nation. Your word gets out, leapfrogging editors and publishers. Every voice can be heard cheaply and instantly. The result? Every voice is heard. The cacophany more closely resembles citizens band radio, complete with handles, harrasment, and anonymous threats. When most everyone shouts, few listen. How about electronic publishing? Try reading a book on disc. At best, it’s an unpleasant chore: the myopic glow of a clunky computer replaces the friendly pages of a book. And you can’t tote that laptop to the beach. Yet Nicholas Negroponte, director of the MIT Media Lab, predicts that we’ll soon buy books and newspapers straight over the Intenet. Uh, sure. What the Internet hucksters won’t tell you is tht the Internet is one big ocean of unedited data, without any pretense of completeness. Lacking editors, reviewers or critics, the Internet has become a wasteland of unfiltered data. You don’t know what to ignore and what’s worth reading. Logged onto the World Wide Web, I hunt for the date of the Battle of Trafalgar. Hundreds of files show up, and it takes 15 minutes to unravel them–one’s a biography written by an eighth grader, the second is a computer game that doesn’t work and the third is an image of a London monument. None answers my question, and my search is periodically interrupted by messages like, “Too many connectios, try again later.” Won’t the Internet be useful in governing? Internet addicts clamor for government reports. But when Andy Spano ran for county executive in Westchester County, N.Y., he put every press release and position paper onto a bulletin board. In that affluent county, with plenty of computer companies, how many voters logged in? Fewer than 30. Not a good omen. Point and click: Then there are those pushing computers into schools. We’re told that multimedia will make schoolwork easy and fun. Students will happily learn from animated characters while taught by expertly tailored software.Who needs teachers when you’ve got computer-aided education? Bah. These expensive toys are difficult to use in classrooms and require extensive teacher training. Sure, kids love videogames–but think of your own experience: can you recall even one educational filmstrip of decades past? I’ll bet you remember the two or three great teachers who made a difference in your life. Then there’s cyberbusiness. We’re promised instant catalog shopping–just point and click for great deals. We’ll order airline tickets over the network, make restaurant reservations and negotiate sales contracts. Stores will become obselete. So how come my local mall does more business in an afternoon than the entire Internet handles in a month? Even if there were a trustworthy way to send money over the Internet–which there isn’t–the network is missing a most essential ingredient of capitalism: salespeople. What’s missing from this electronic wonderland? Human contact. Discount the fawning techno-burble about virtual communities. Computers and networks isolate us from one another. A network chat line is a limp substitute for meeting friends over coffee. No interactive multimedia display comes close to the excitement of a live concert. And who’d prefer cybersex to the real thing? While the Internet beckons brightly, seductively flashing an icon of knowledge-as-power, this nonplace lures us to surrender our time on earth. A poor substitute it is, this virtual reality where frustration is legion and where–in the holy names of Education and Progress–important aspects of human interactions are relentlessly devalued.

The guy who bought my car has skipped town and hasn't made his second & final payment. How can I get the money he owes me? Mid August - I began negotiating a price on my Dodge Neon with a woman of about my age. Her name is Tayla. August 19th - Tayla and her friend or boyfriend Lance came over to do the paperwork and pick up the car. Both in the text message negotiations with Tayla and in the Bill Of Sale, Lance and I agreed that he could pay me $200 that day, which he did, as long as he mailed $800 to my parents by the 1st of October. Our Bill of Sale holds him entirely accountable for the payments; Tayla just did the negotiating and helped him with the paperwork. I made it clear to them that the money was to be sent to my parents, because I hadn't decided where I'd be living on October 1st, and because my parents sometimes handle my money for me when I'm moving around. Tayla and my roommate Sean were in the room while Lance and I finalized the Bill of Sale contract. October 1st - I called my mom. No payment yet. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed, for the time being, it was in the mail. October 8th - Still no payment. I began text messaging Tayla, asking her to either give me Lance's phone number, or have him call me so we could work out an extension if that would help them out. Tayla never responded to any of my messages. October 17th - I gave up on text messages and went to the address Lance listed on the Bill of Sale. The place was boarded up. The neighbors said they didn't know any of the residents there by name, but they "all got arrested for burglary and beating each other up." I went to the police, but they couldn't divulge any information about Lance or my car. October 18th - I went to the diner where Tayla was a hostess. I was greeted by a different hostess, and I asked her if Tayla was working that day. According to another waitress, she hadn't been there in at least a week, and Lance had been the one to return Tayla's aprons and pick up her check. Tayla had told her co-workers she and Lance were moving (from the Coos Bay/North Bend, Oregon area) to Corvallis, Oregon, where they would live with her parents. Since then, I've tried all the resources at my disposal to either contact Lance, or to ask Tayla to have him contact me. I even called the diner this morning on the off-chance they'd be willing to give me her last name so I could at least look her parents up in a phone book (assuming they have the same last name) but, of course, there's employee confidentiality. Here's my biggest mistake: On the 19th of August, while we worked out the Bill of Sale contract and way before the $800 payment was due, Lance said he needed to drive the Neon immediately and in order to do that, he needed the title so he could register it. Seemed a legitimate request, so I signed it over to him. This is the last time I act on good faith for strangers. Can I take this issue to Small Claims Court if I don't know how to contact these people? If I can't, can anyone please recommend another way to reach or locate a person who has skipped town? Please, no violent suggestions; I just want the money Lance owes me for my Neon.

We are trying to negotiate a new union contract and the Co. wants to freeze our defined benefit pension so they can get it off the books and they want to switch us to a 401K . Some people will loose large sums of money with this switch . Is there a alternative to this ?