CBAs

CBAs is an acronym with several meanings, two of the most common being cost-benefit analyses and collective bargaining agreements.

A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is a structured method for evaluating the economic worth of a project or policy by identifying, measuring, and comparing its costs and benefits. Elements usually include defining objectives, listing options, estimating monetary and non-monetary effects, discounting future values, and computing net benefits or benefit-cost ratios. CBAs are used in public policy, business investment, and regulatory design. They face limitations such as data uncertainty, difficulties in valuing non-market impacts, and the subjective choices involved in discount rates and scope.

A collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a formal contract between an employer and a labor union that governs terms of employment for represented workers. Common provisions cover wages, benefits, hours, overtime, working conditions, grievance procedures, and union rights. CBAs are negotiated for fixed periods and influence hiring, layoffs, subcontracting, discipline, and dispute resolution. When used in the plural, CBAs can refer to the set of agreements across a company, industry, or jurisdiction.

Other uses exist in fields like international trade or corporate governance, but the two meanings above are the most common.