MOST IMPROVED LABOR-MANAGEMENT COOPERATION...

2012 SFLERP LABOR-MANAGEMENT COOPERATION AWARD

Executive Order 13522 sparked the fire that forever changed the Labor/Management relations at Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, SWRMC, located at Naval Base San Diego, CA
Over the past 3 years, the Labor Relations program here at SWRMC has been actively involved in union activity. Prior to February 2009, we had a strenuous relationship with our union. There were over 100 Unfair Labor Practice, ULP, charges filed from 2000 until 2009 by the President of IFPTE Local 32, with the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Numerous grievances and information requests were of common practice submitted by the same President. Meetings where union presences were involved were disruptive and non-productive. SWRMC and IFPTE had been operating under an interim agreement dating back to March 2006. A new Collective Bargaining Agreement was needed; however no such new agreement would ever be negotiated with the Union, primarily because of a lack of a confidence and trust in the labor-management relationship.
In 2009, SWRMC hired a Senior Labor Relations Specialist with extensive knowledge and experience and one who has dealt with disruptive union officials with negative behaviors. The position acted as the Chief Spokesperson for all labor-management relations affecting and addressing all union issues. All decisions and notices emanating from this authority, which affect the bargaining unit was acted upon through the oversight and direction by this position. On daily basis, he receives, meets, briefs and informs the union President and their designated representatives, on matter appropriate for review and consideration by the Command.
We now have a proactive leadership role in our Labor Management Partnership. Decisive action was been taken against the individual who held the position of Union President, because of the action taken, the Vice President, assumed the duties of President until May 2010. This president had little knowledge or experience in the Labor-management arena. Through patience and commitment, we fostered a sound labor management relationship by creating an opportunity for trust with the Union. We understood the importance of working with the newly appointed local president. Our labor- management relationship started to take form. A union election was held in May 2010, and a new President for IFPTE Local 32 was elected. For the past 3 years we dealt with 3 Local 32 Union Presidents. Since May of 2009, and to the present, we have made huge strides establishing a workable and trustworthiness relationship with management, our local union officials and membership. However, we now have a President that is more experienced, knowledgeable and understands the importance of a good labor-management relationship, one who likes to settle issues at the lowest possible level as IFPTE will undergo another election in May 2012.
In April 2010, a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was negotiated and sign by the Commanding Officer, the Union President and the negotiating team. It was approved by the Secretary of Defense on 08 April 2010. The first CBA for SWRMC! We convinced SWRMC management to send the Union President and our Chief Spokesperson Labor Advisor to the FLRA Training in Oakland, CA for implementing the Executive Order 13522 for the sole purpose of working together and start practicing on how we can improve government services to our Federal employees. This eventually led to improved labor-management relations which lead directly to the idea of creating a partnership council.
We signed our formal SWRMC Partnership Council Charter on May 31, 2011. We are currently meeting every Monday morning with the Partnership Council which includes the Executive Director (ED), the Head of Human Resources Organization (HRO), and the President and Vice-President of the Union. We utilize a, "Weekly Agenda" to help all parties stay focused on the action items assigned to them. We discuss the status of current items and new items are introduced by either party for discussion, but not for negotiations. Our relationship with our local union is a continuing effort engaging in weekly meetings.
We also have another formal Labor-Management Team, LMT, which we hold once a week with the Chief Spokesperson, and members of the HRO Staff to discuss actual issues that affect the command and may require negotiation. Our objective is to attempt to resolve conflicts with as little adversity as possible, with the goal being resolving issues to the agreement of both parties.
An agenda is formulated by the Chief Spokesperson and deals with everyday issues affecting and impacting SWRMC workforce, from issuing notices on changes, reorganizations, reviewing instructions, to potential grievances and ULPs. An open line of communication, discussion and disagreement are engaged in this meeting. However, we address the union concerns so as to prevent actions being filed. We continually work on this two-way communication effort, and it works. The importance of this LMT works well, and when no meeting occurs, problems, issues and union activity rises. Continuing this forum is vitally important in keeping healthy relationship, and is a positive force in the right direction, to lose this avenue would be reverting back to a “no confidence labor management relationship”, bringing in more grievances, ULP charges and low morale.
Our biggest improvements here at SWRMC is our Partnership and the Formal Training that we’ re investing in our managers and employees. The regional FLRA training, onsite FCMS training, and local workforce seminars improve not only the partnerships of labor and management but the way we interact with each other. We strive to make our Command a place where people want to work and plan to stay for their foreseeable future. We want to create a positive forward-thinking environment that is able to draw new, young talent familiar with current and upcoming technologies and whose leadership skills can be developed so that they can lead us into the future. Because of constant challenges with the DOD, and DON policies and program, we at SWRMC meet, address and implement the new changes. This Labor-management Team is only one of many reasons throughout the command leading us to the forefront, success and improving moral in achieving our command’s mission to the Navy!

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