    [United States Government Manual]
    [May 30, 1997]
    [Pages 548-549]
    [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                 C. Richard Barnes
    Deputy Director, National Office                  Wilma B. Liebman

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    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 1996; 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.

    [[Page 549]]

    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 with employees represented by
    a union, 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.

    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
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            Region/Address                  Director             Telephone
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    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).
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    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.

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