FMCS Training Helps Strengthen Addison Northeast Schools Labor-Management Relations and Cooperation

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Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

Nov 23, 2015, 10:31 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A team of mediators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) recently completed 40 hours of intensive training for 27 participants from Addison Northeast Supervisory (ANESU) Union and Addison Northeast Education Association (ANEDA) at the request of both organizations to improve their labor-management relations.

Led by FMCS Commissioner Cynthia Jeffries and FMCS Regional Director D. Scott Blake, Addison Northeast schools building principals, administrators, school board members and members of both the teacher and support staff bargaining units jointly participated in an intensive 2 ½ day session that included training exercises, classroom-style instruction and facilitated discussions designed to improve skills in communicating, joint problem solving and team building—all with the goal of improving labor-management relations and cooperation.

Known as relationship-by-objective (RBO) training, the specialized instruction provided by FMCS is designed to reduce labor-management conflict and to improve cooperation through increased levels of trust, respect and understanding among the parties involved. RBO training is one of the services provided by FMCS to unionized workplaces nationwide in response to a joint request from labor and management.

Commissioner Jeffries rated the ANESU/ANEDA training "very successful." She said that participants "absorbed the skills and demonstrated the ability to utilize the training going forward in their relationship. The participants responded very positively to the training, and we had some excellent feedback from them. Comparatively speaking, this was a group that did very well," she said.

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, created in 1947, is an independent U.S. government agency whose mission is to preserve and promote labor-management peace and cooperation. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 10 district offices and more than 60 field offices, the agency provides mediation and conflict resolution services to industry, government agencies and communities.

SOURCE Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service