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 50th Anniversary
50th Anniversary NPD Seminar First Ever Summit Survey Says UPS/Teamster Strike The Birth of FMCS Staff Changes Friends of FMCS In Memoriam Editor's Notes

 

FMCS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary by hosting a two day symposium in Washington, DC which brought together business, union, academic and government leaders from around the country.

The symposium, "50 Years of Conflict Resolution, A Celebration of the Future" included plenary sessions and smaller seminars in five different tracks: Private Sector Labor-Management Relations, Public Sector Labor-Management Relations, Federal Sector Labor-Management Relations, Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Panelists in each track discussed the past, present and future of conflict resolution in each subject area.

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Keynote Speaker Dr. Ray Marshall addresses Symposium with Director Wells and Dr. Thomas Kochan (center).

Dr. Ray Marshall, former U.S. Secretary of Labor and professor at the University of Texas, kicked off the symposium with a comprehensive history of labor relations in the United States. Following Dr. Marshall’s historical discussion, Dr. Thomas Kochan from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology presented the findings of the first-ever national survey of FMCS customers.

A highlight of the symposium was a banquet which featured U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman and symposium Co-Chairs John J. Sweeney, AFL-CIO President and August A. Busch, III, Anheuser-Busch Companies Chairman and CEO. The speakers addressed their perspective of the future of labor-management relations and also, the role of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation in that future.

REMARKS OF SYMPOSIUM CO-CHAIRMEN

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney emphasized the continued importance of improving the working conditions and wages of America’s workers. Sweeney praised unionized employers who support their workers, provide good wages and benefits, and who believe in labor-management cooperation. And he challenged the symposium attendees, from labor to management to mediators, to stand-up for an increase in the effectiveness of labor laws.

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August A. Busch III addresses 50th Anniversary Banquet

August A. Busch, III stated that Anheuser-Busch’s continued success over the years, even through prohibition, comes from a dedication from management and labor. Busch pointed out that to adapt to the changes of a global economy, a partnership between labor and management is more important than ever. He stated that labor and management need to prepare for the changes together. According to Busch, flexibility, innovation, communication and cooperation are key elements to a successful business.

Both of the symposium’s co-chairman referred to the importance of communication and the value of FMCS in keeping the lines of communication open. Busch noted that, without a cooperative labor-management relationship, a company is "doomed to failure." Open and frank discussions are part of a good labor-management partnership. As Mr. Busch said, "That’s really what FMCS is all about…communication." Sweeney, in discussing the recent UPS strike, said that there was a "classic breakdown in communications." He suggested that both sides would have been wise to have used FMCS’ preventive mediation services.

SECRETARY OF LABOR ADDRESSES SYMPOSIUM

Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman praised FMCS Director John Calhoun Wells and the mediation team of C. Richard Barnes, Deputy Director, and Commissioner Ron Sweet for their role in bringing UPS and the Teamsters to an agreement which ended a 15 day walkout.

But Herman was also quick to point out that federal mediators do important work everyday and not only when a strike, such as UPS, is in the news.

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Former FMCS Directors from l to r W.J. "Bill" Usery, James Scearce, Wayne Horvitz, Ken Moffet, Kay McMurray, Bernard DeLury and current National Director John Calhoun Wells.

"The fact is that federal mediators are on the job seven days a week, mediating nearly 5,000 of the toughest disputes each year and successfully concluding nearly 85 percent of them," said Herman

She noted that, "With only 280 staff members, the FMCS is small in comparison to most government agencies. But what they do is critical to our nation’s economic success."

 HAMMER AWARD PRESENTED TO FMCS

Secretary Herman made a surprise presentation of the Vice President Gore’s Hammer Award to FMCS in recognition of the agency’s "extraordinary progress in reinventing government." According to the Vice President’s National Performance Review, "The Hammer Award is presented to teams of federal employees who have made significant contributions in support of reinventing government principles."

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Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman presents the Hammer Award to Director Wells.

Other Distinguished speakers

The plenary sessions concluded with a presentation on diversity in the workplace by Kent Wong, Director, Center for Labor Research and Education, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research. FMCS was also honored to have former New Jersey Governor Jim Florio join the program to share his analysis of the future of labor-management relations and the role of FMCS.

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FMCS’s most senior mediator Commissioner Irwin Gerard shakes hands with AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. Deputy Dir. Barnes to left.

FORMER DIRECTORS PANEL

FMCS was also honored to have all of the living former FMCS National Directors except for Curtis Counts attend the symposium. Unfortunately, Mr. Counts’ health prevented him from making the trip from California. The former directors participated in an interesting luncheon panel discussion highlighting their individual tenures and experiences. The panel was chaired by former FMCS Director and U.S. Secretary of Labor W.J. "Bill" Usery.

Thanks to the enthusiastic response of the seminar presenters, the keynote speakers and to the dedicated FMCS employees who worked many long hours, the FMCS 50th Anniversary was a huge success. There were many hurdles to overcome in planning this event including a location change to two different hotels as a result of a labor dispute at the original location just two weeks prior to the start of the Symposium. At the same time, many of the FMCS staff on the Symposium planning committee were also involved in supporting the UPS strike negotiations for much of the month of August.

In the end, however, these hurdles were cleared and FMCS’s 50th Anniversary was marked with an informative and interesting dialogue on conflict resolution in the United States.

RECOGNITION GIVEN

At the National Professional Development Seminar held September 4-5, Director Wells presented Commissioner Ron Sweet a Special Act Award in recognition of Sweet’s important role in settling the UPS Strike. Director Wells also thanked Deputy Director Richard Barnes for his assistance in mediating this dispute, and singled out Deputy

Director Wilma Liebman and National Representative Brian Flores for their counsel throughout the dispute. Communications Director Dave Helfert also received recognition for his skill in managing the media under such intense circumstances.

C-SPAN COVERAGE

FMCS was pleased to have the opening plenary session, the the Private Sector Labor-Management Relations seminar, discussion of the Construction Industry and the banquet program carried by C-SPAN. There have been several calls from viewers who saw the conference and were interested in obtaining more information about the program and FMCS.

COMMEMORATIVE BOOKS

At the request of Director John Calhoun Wells, National Representative Brian Flores set about the challenging task of writing the history of FMCS. Brian not only captured the history of the agency, but he also placed the developments at FMCS in a broader historical context. Deputy Director Wilma Liebman and Communications Director David Helfert collaborated with Brian throughout the editing process.

The historical books have been so popular that they have been reprinted. Please feel free to use these in your outreach efforts. Contact Administrative Services if you are interested in ordering the commemorative book.

VIDEOS AVAILABLE

The Symposium’s opening session and banquet are available on video tape. Copies of the video can be ordered through the FMCS Resource Center. The tape runs for 3 hours and 15 minutes and is available to the public for $10.00.

Also, copies of the texts of the Herman, Busch and Sweeney speeches are available from the Communications Office.

 

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Last modified: February 12, 1998