FMCS announces funding availability for labor-management committees
In order to be considered in this year's grant competition, a complete application, reviewed and signed by both labor and management representatives, must be submitted to FMCS and postmarked by May 19, 2001.
The FMCS Labor-Management Grants Program has been in existence since 1981 and provides financial assistance to those seeking to either form new labor-management committees or help expand existing committees. These committees play a vital part in improving labor relations by improving product quality, resolving workplace issues and focusing on issues of mutual concern. Almost 300 joint committees representing both the private and public sectors have received funds under this program.
During fiscal year 2000, FMCS awarded $1.5 million dollars to 20 different committees representing plants, geographic areas, specific industries and state and local government. Attached is a list of the fiscal year 2000 grant-recipients.
Application kits for fiscal year 2001 are available at: FMCS, 2100 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20427, 202-606-8181
FMCS Labor-Management Cooperation Program—FY2000 Funding Summary (As of Dec.11, 2000)
Plant
Atlantic Baking Group/BCTWU/IUOE (Pittsburgh, PA)
$65,000 to improve plant competitiveness by enhancing the involvement of workers in making decisions that affect their working lives.
Kentucky Electric Steel/USWA Local 7054 (Ashland, KY)
$43,450 to expand a continuous improvement system to lower costs and increase productivity.
Columbia Gas of PA and MD/UWUA/USWA (Pittsburgh, PA) (NC)
$64,350 to jointly implement qualification standards and processes for individuals performing covered tasks on pipeline facilities.
Area
The Area Labor-Management Cooperative Council of East Central Ohio (Zanesville, OH)
$100,000 to create an Appalachian Center for Collaborative and Engaged Learning to help reduce the area's skilled worker shortage.
Public Sector
Riverside County/LIUNA/SEIU (Riverside, CA)
$125,000 to develop methods to attract and retain staff to service information technology needs.
University of Michigan/Michigan State/AFSCME (Ann Arbor, MI)
$44,181 to decrease conflict inherent in the grievance process by improving problem solving skills and the grievance process itself.
CSEA/County Nursing Facilities of New York (Albany, NY)
$73,027 to explore innovative approaches to the recruitment, retention and staffing problems faced by public nursing homes in New York State.
Public Employment Relations Board/IA State Education Assoc./IA Assoc. of School Boards (Des Moines, IA)
$108,381 to form a statewide public education committee to coordinate interest-based problem ten school districts.
Industrial Relations Research Association (Champaign, IL) (NC)
$125,000 to develop a national curriculum on workplace issues and collective bargaining for use by high school teachers.
South Colonie School District/CSEA/NEA (Albany, NY)
$20,176 to develop a grievance mediation process involving internal mediators.
Detroit Public Schools/AFT and other unions (Detroit, MI)
$111,987 to establish a district-wide committee, which will support department and school based problem-solving teams and committees.
The Public Sector Labor Management Committee (Washington, DC) (NC)
$250,000 to encourage best practices in state and local government operations by creating "communities of excellence."
Industry
National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice/UFCW/AFSCME/SEIU (Chicago, IL)
$125,000 to establish a national committee to deal with labor-management relations in religious healthcare settings.
Sheet Metal Industry Advancement Committee/Sheet Metal Workers (Philadelphia, PA)
$75,000 to expand cooperative efforts to the workplace in an effort to increase productivity and reduce costs.
COUNT Program (Towson, MD)
$100,000 to promote Best-Value Contracting in the construction industry.
IBEW Local 99/Various Electrical Contractors (Cranston, RI)
$98,000 to promote interest in electrical construction careers among young people and minorities in an effort to deal with skilled worker shortages.
Centralized Safety Training Data Base, Inc. (Concord, CA)
$100,000 to expand the concept of a unified and centralized safety training database for construction workers throughout the State of California.
Laborers-AGC Education and Training Fund (Pomfret Center, CT) (NC)
$125,000 to employ the Technology Assisted Group Solutions system in the joint development of a strategic plan.
National Alliance for Fair Contracting (Springfield, IL)
$75,000 to expand on a national basis the efforts to promote fair contracting practices in public construction projects.
Joint Labor-Management Committee of the Retail Food Industry (Washington, DC) (NC)
$125,000 to reduce health and welfare benefit trust fund prescription drug and pharmaceutical ingredient costs.
Managing Editor, HRHub.com
Starnoff@vertical.net
Source: FMSC