[United States Government Manual]
[May 31, 1996]
[Pages 546-547]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE

2100 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20427
Phone, 202-606-8100
Director                                         John Calhoun Wells
Deputy Director, Field Operations                Floyd Wood
Deputy Director, National Office                 Wilma B. Liebman
________________________________________________________________________
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service assists labor and 
management in resolving disputes in collective bargaining contract 
negotiation through voluntary mediation and arbitration services; 
provides training to unions and management in cooperative processes to 
improve long-term relationships under the Labor Management Cooperation 
Act of 1978, including Federal sector partnership training authorized by 
Executive Order 12871; provides alternative dispute resolution services 
and training to Government agencies, including the facilitation of 
regulatory negotiations under the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act 
and the Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1990; and awards competitive grants 
to joint labor-management committees to encourage innovative approaches 
to cooperative efforts.

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) was created by the 
Labor Management Relations Act, 1947 (29 U.S.C. 172). The Director is 
appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Activities

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service helps prevent disruptions 
in the flow of interstate commerce caused by labor-management disputes 
by providing mediators to assist disputing parties in the resolution of 
their differences. Mediators have no law enforcement authority and rely 
wholly on persuasive techniques.
    The Service offers its facilities in labor-management disputes to 
any industry affecting interstate commerce, either upon its own motion 
or at the request of one or more of the parties to the dispute, whenever 
in its judgment such dispute threatens to cause a substantial 
interruption of commerce. The Labor Management Relations Act requires 
that parties to a labor contract must file a dispute notice if agreement 
is not reached 30 days in advance of a contract termination or reopening 
date. The notice must be filed with the Service and the appropriate 
State or local mediation agency. The Service is required to avoid the 
mediation of disputes that would have only a minor effect on interstate 
commerce if State or other conciliation services are available to the 
parties.

For further information, contact one of the regional offices listed 
below.

Mediation  Efforts of FMCS mediators are directed toward the 
establishment of sound and stable labor-management relations on a 
continuing basis, thereby helping to reduce the incidence of work 
stoppages. The mediator's basic function is to encourage and promote 
better day-to-day relations between labor and management, so that issues 
arising in negotiations may be faced as problems to be settled through 
mutual effort rather than issues in dispute.

For further information, contact the Office of Public Affairs. Phone, 
202-606-8080.


[[Page 547]]



Arbitration  The Service, on the joint request of employers and unions, 
will also assist in the selection of arbitrators from a roster of 
private citizens who are qualified as neutrals to adjudicate matters in 
dispute.

For further information, contact the Office of Arbitration Services. 
Phone, 202-606-5111.


      Regional Offices--Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service      
------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Region/Address                  Director             Telephone  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northeastern (2d Fl., 1633     Kenneth C. Kowalski......    212-399-5038
 Broadway, New York, NY                                                 
 10019).                                                                
Southern (Suite 472, 401 W.    C. Richard Barnes........    404-331-3995
 Peachtree St. NW., Atlanta,                                            
 GA 30308).                                                             
Midwestern (Suite 100, 6161    Thomas M. O'Brien........    216-522-4800
 Oak Tree Blvd.,                                                        
 Independence, OH 44131).                                               
Upper Midwestern (Suite 3950,  Maureen E. Labenski......    612-370-3300
 1300 Godward St.,                                                      
 Minneapolis, MN 55413).                                                
Western (Suite 610, 225 W.     Jan Jung-Min Sunoo.......    213-965-3814
 Broadway, Glendale, CA                                                 
 91204).                                                                
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For further information, contact the Office of Public Affairs, Federal 
Mediation and Conciliation Service, 2100 K Street NW., Washington, DC 
20427. Phone, 202-606-8080. Fax, 202-606-4251.

________________________________________________________________________