When firefighters local 48 negotiates directly and only with its employers for better work conditions and terms of employment so that each firefighter doesn't need to negotiate individually, it is called

Collective bargaining. This is done so that a fair agreement as to wages and employee safety can be reached. The theorem behind allowing such collective negotiation is that, where the advantage would clearly lie with the employer if at the bargaining table with each foreman individually, collectively they are able to make demands that will be heard by the employer, as failure to meet these demands or at least to compromise could lead to a serious and problematic labor dispute.