International Affairs

While the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is primarily responsible for labor dispute resolution and improvement of labor-management relations within the United States, it has responded to requests for information and technical assistance from other countries since its creation in 1947. Because of increasing frequency of these international requests, the Service established its Office of International Affairs in 1992.

With the end of the cold war, emerging economics, increasing globalization of the marketplace and the spread of trade pacts, requests for our assistance from other nations have increased as they struggle with establishing industrial relations and conflict resolution systems.

In responding to international requests, the Service works in cooperation with other organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State, the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) of the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) and their representatives abroad. In addition, FMCS deals with the Labor ministries of other nations, various international organizations, the AFL-CIO, and a number of management organizations here and abroad.

Continuing a relationship with the Ministry of Labor of Poland which began with the development of a labor dispute resolution system and training of a cadre of mediators, a team of three FMCS mediators participated in a special Ministry meeting in Warsaw in April 1996. The meeting readdressed the design of Polish labor dispute resolution as part of proposed changes in the labor legislation of that country. The recommendations of the U.S. team were accepted in good part and have been incorporated in the draft legislation for consideration in the fall of 1996.

In Budapest, Hungary, a meeting was held in February 1996 to solicit the recommendations of a number of dispute resolution organizations concerning the creation of a labor mediation service in that country. The FMCS mediator who participated in the meeting made a number of recommendations concerning the formation of the planned Labor Mediation and Arbitration Service and training required for its staff of mediators and arbitrators. Based on those recommendations, FMCS was asked to provide basic mediation training for a cadre of seventy mediators at the International Labor Organization's Training Center in Europe in January of 1997. Advanced training for the leadership of the new Service may be provided at FMCS facilities in the U.S.

A USAID funded program in Ecuador involving six mediators through the Spring of 1997 includes the formation, development and training of a regional labor-management committee for the Guayaquil area, the training of a cadre of six local mediators, and the use of three labor-management demonstration sites. The mediators are helping labor and management representatives at the three sites to improve their relationships and use participative processes. These activities are being actively supported by labor, management, government, and other leadership in the country. This program, originating at the 1994 Andean regional conference, has involved two earlier visits by mediator team leaders to conduct preliminary conferences and training.

As a result of a decision of the Minister of Labor of El Salvador, FMCS was chosen to train labor relations officers and inspectors of the Ministry staff in early 1997. A team of two mediators will provide the staff of recently hired Ministry officials with an understanding of the basic relationships of management and labor when dealing with investigations of alleged infractions of the labor code. The Ministry staff will then receive specific training in facilitation skills designed to involve both labor and management in bringing work conditions into compliance with the labor code. This program, funded by USAID, will include National Safety Council training on specific workplace safety methods.

FMCS mediators met two regional directors of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board of the Philippines to discuss proposed training to be provided by FMCS over the next several years. Under discussion is training for mediation staff in Manila in advanced labor-management relations and a professional exchange program.

Labor-management cooperative efforts have become a focus of attention for the Council of Labor Affairs in Taiwan as a result of recent legislation on labor-management cooperation in that country. FMCS has expanded an annual training program that provides to labor, management and government leaders to include specific training for improving Taiwan labor-management relations. FMCS proposed a formal training program in labor-management cooperation to serve as a basis for implementation of the new law. This new activity was addressed during an FMCS visit to Taiwan in 1996 when the Taiwan government hosted the 3rd Asian Regional Congress of the International Industrial Relations Association, September 3 - October 4, 1996.

FMCS continues to work closely with the Korean Embassy in developing programs on labor-management relations. In the spirit of cooperation which has marked this relationship, FMCS has also been asked to assist a tri-partite study team from that country, which together with similar study teams visiting other areas of the world, is to make recommendations for labor-management relations reform in Korea.

FMCS is providing information to the newly created Commission on Mediation and Arbitration of the Labor Ministry of South Africa. Training of the new mediators for this labor dispute resolution service will be provided by mediators of the FMCS-trained Independent Mediation Service of South Africa.

As in previous meetings, FMCS invited several international leaders to participate in its bi-annual National Labor-Management conference in Chicago, Illinois, in May 1996. Among these leaders was an Assistant Secretary of Trade and Industry of the Philippines. Another government official from Great Britain, responsible for industrial relations policy development, extended her visit to include several days of meetings in Washington, D.C., under the cooperative efforts of the British labour attaché and FMCS.

FMCS provided special programs for leaders from Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan, Northern Ireland, Hungary, Korea, Slovakia, Chile and Japan. In addition, small groups of visitors from other countries were provided briefings on dispute resolution practices.

In a continuation of past activity, the Service hosted the 1996 class of newly assigned U.S. labor attaches during their training program prior to taking up their overseas assignments.