surface bargaining
n.— «Despite the union vote by the plant’s largely Guatemalan immigrant workers, Case Farms has resorted to what is called “surface bargaining,” in which they pretend to bargain, but actually just waste time with low-ball offers and attempt to discourage the workers and undermine the union.» —“Striking poultry workers: “Change is coming”” by Bruce Bostick People’s Weekly World Dec. 9, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...
A listener who spent years in Ethiopia and Eritrea learning the Tigrinya language shares two sayings he learned there, both having to do with poultry. One translates as, “In its own good time an egg will walk on its own legs.” The other...