Skip to page content
Office of the Secretary
DOL Home > OSEC > Special Report

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Working Together for Public Service



Appendix E
INDEX of SURVEYS RECEIVED[21]

NORTHWEST

Coalition Labor Agreement
The parties achieved a consolidation of six union contracts into one and "cleaned-up" their employer-employee relationships.

Clark County, WA
360-699-2456
Steve Foster
Human Resources Director
Clark County
P.O. Box 5000
Vancouver, WA 98666-5000

Consensus Decisions & Collaborative Bargaining
A significant decrease in adversarial positioning resulted from moving to a process of consensus decision making.

Rainier, OR
503-556-3777
Gene Carlson
Rainier School District
P.O. Box 160
Rainier, OR 97048

Development of and Training in Interest-Based Problem Solving

Salem, OR
503-378-3807
Daniel Ellis
Chairman
Oregon Employment Relations Board
528 Cottage Street, NE; Suite 400
Salem, OR 97310

NORTHEAST

Challenge to Change and Time to Cooperate
The parties achieved a substantial improvement in the handling of biosolids.

Philadelphia, PA
215-686-2150
Michael Nadol
Special Assistant to the Mayor
Mayor's Office of Management & Productivity
Municipal Services Building
1401 JFK Boulevard, 14th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1684

Compressed Salary Schedule
School employees eliminated six steps in their pay schedule and received a substantial pay increase.

Manassas, VA
703-791-7451
Zuill Bailey
Director of Information Services
Department of Information Services
Prince William County Public Schools
P.O. Box 389
Manassas, VA 22110

Court Unification through Labor Management Cooperation
Process developed to aid in the transition from a county-funded trial court system to state-funded system.

Trenton, NJ
609-633-6540
Mark Rosenbaum
Administrator of Labor and Employee Relations
Administrative Office of the Courts
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex, CN 966
25 Market Street
Trenton, NJ 08625

Continuous Quality Improvement
This joint effort (85% of employees unionized in Department of Transportation) has focused on safety improvement and now includes an annual quality training and recognition conference. It's an award-winning program.

Harrisburg, PA
717-783-1068
Richard Harris
Director
Operations Review Group
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
105 Transportation & Safety Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Curbside Refuse Collection Program
The focus is on the Remote Water Meter Reading Program and the Refuse Collection Program. Both have decreased cost and improved customer satisfaction.

Rochester, NY
716-428-6836
Edward Woisin
Principal Staff Assistant
Department of Environmental Services
City of Rochester
300-B City Hall
Rochester, NY 14614-1290

Labor Management Committee
This joint committee in the Rochester school district examines and resolves problems that the contract does not address.

Rochester, NY
716-546-2681
Martha Keating
Labor Management Committee
Rochester Teachers Association
30 North Union Street
Rochester, NY 14607

Loan Interchange Law (RIGL 42-40)
A cooperative project that permits state government agencies, in times of austerity, to share (loan) staff.

Providence,RI
401-277-2200
Beverly Dwyer
Human Resource Program Administrator
Rhode Island Department Administration
One Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908-5860

Merger and Reorganization of Fire Department and the Bureau of Paramedical Rescue

Norfolk, VA
804-664-4789
Claus Koepke
Management Services
City Manager's Office
City of Norfolk
1101 City Hall Building
Norfolk, VA 23501

Handling Citizen Complaint Calls Through the Total Quality Transformation (TQT) Process

Erie, PA
814-870-1340
Robert Walczak
Superintendent
Bureau of Streets
City of Erie
2001 French Street
Erie, PA 16503

Philadelphia School District Cooperative Initiative
A formalized, inclusive communications process involving all employee groups representing school district staff.

Philadelphia, PA
215-351-1180 ext 31
Naomi Alper
Communications Director
Philadelphia Area Labor Management
Committee
414 Walnut Street, Fifth Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Plan for School-Based Planning and Shared Decision Making
A way to improve the quality of instruction and the work environment for teachers.

East Syracuse, NY
315-437-0109
Maureen McManus
President
East Syracuse-Minoa United Teachers,
Local 2623
303 Roby Avenue
East Syracuse, NY 13057

Quality through Participation
How a change in state political leadership has changed this union's perception of the value of cooperation

Albany, NY
518-785-1900 ext. 223
Lorelei Landau
Labor-Management Coordinator
New York State Public Employees
Federation, AFL-CIO
1168-70 Troy-Schenectady Road
Albany, NY 12212-2414

Remote Meter Program
Describes the benefits, human and financial, achieved by converting from direct read to electronically encoded water meters.

Rochester, NY
716-428-7509
Donald Navor
Director
Bureau of Water & Lighting
City of Rochester
10 Felix Street
Rochester, NY 14608

Testing Services Division Revitalization
A project to consolidate, automate, and engage all levels of workers in an effort to improve the quality of work and worklife.

Albany, NY
518-457-5465
Willard Merwin
Assistant Director
Testing Services Division
New York Department of Civil Service
The W. Averell Harriman State Office
Building Campus
Albany, NY 12239

Ulster County-CSEA Labor/Management Committee

Kingston, NY
914-340-3542
Karen MacIntosh-Frering
Labor-Management Coordinator
Ulster County-CSEA Labor-Management
Committee
P.O. Box 1800
Kingston, NY 12402

SOUTHEAST

Alabama D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Training Center
Trains police officers to work cooperatively with public schools on drug prevention programs.

Huntsville, AL
205-532-7201
Ric Ottman
Chief
Huntsville Police Department
P.O. Box 2085
Huntsville, AL 35804

CALM (Cooperative Association of Labor and Management)
Improve labor/management communication with focus on problem areas; where communication has broken down.

Fort Lauderdale, FL
305-761-5310
Scott Milinski
Employee Relations Director
City of Fort Lauderdale
100 North Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Collaborative Efforts to Stop the Demand for Drugs

Huntsville, AL
205-539-7339
Deborah Soule
Executive Director
Partnership For a Drug Free Community, Inc.
P.O. Box 2603
Huntsville, AL 35804

Compensation Review Study and Resulting Market-Based Pay System

Virginia Beach, VA
804-427-8374
Fagan Stackhouse
Director
Department of Human Resources
City of Virginia Beach
Municipal Center, Building 18
Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Employee Involvement in Public Safety Compensation and Performance Management Systems Design

Charlotte, NC
704-336-4508
Karen McCotter
Performance Management Manager
Human Resources Department
City of Charlotte
600 East Fourth Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

Excellent People Improving Quality (EPIQ)
Employees work in teams to identify ways to improve customer service.

Altamonte Springs, FL
407-263-3789
Allison Marcous
Quality Management Coordinator
City of Altamonte Springs
225 Newburyport
Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

The Fox Squad
Community policing in high crime, high density public housing.

Huntsville, AL
205-532-7201
Ric Ottman
Chief
Huntsville Police Department
P.O. Box 2085
Huntsville, AL 35804

Personnel Rules Revision Committee

Venice, FL
941-485-3311
Rollie Reynolds
Director of Personnel
City of Venice
401 West Venice Avenue
Venice, FL 34285

Refuse Collection Incentive Program
Has resulted in significant crew performance and customer satisfaction.

Winston-Salem, NC
910-727-2638
David Martin
Department of Public Works
City of Winston-Salem
P.O. Box 2511
101 North Main Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27102

Safety Bonus Day Program
A joint labor-management project to make work safer for employees and save money on worker compensation premiums.

Lauderhill, FL
954-730-3000
Desorae Giles
Assistant to the Mayor
City of Lauderhill
2000 City Hall Drive
Lauderhill, FL 33313

Springfield Initiative
A customer/employee service survey to improve city services.

Springfield, MA
413-787-6058
Patricia Devine
Personnel Department
City of Springfield
36 Court Street
Springfield, MA 01103

Quality Management in Arkansas State Government
A program to involve state employees in problem solving and decision making.

Little Rock, AK
501-682-5352
Artee Williams
State Personnel Administrator
Arkansas Department of Finance and
Administration
P.O. Box 3278
Little Rock, AK 72203

SOUTHWEST

Alternate Work Schedule
Extends hours that staff is available to clients in a way that better serves both employees and customers.

San Diego, CA
619-525-3675
C.J. Thomas
San Diego Housing Commission
1625 Newton Avenue
San Diego, CA 92113

Building Austin's Standard in Customer Service (BASICS)
A cooperative program that has succeeded in improving citizen attitudes about city services.

Austin, TX
512-499-3215
Joe Canales
Director
Human Resources and Civil Service
City of Austin
P.O. Box 1088
Austin, TX 78767

Citizen and Neighborhood Services Pilot Projects
Is a labor-management project that seeks to create an efficient, user-friendly information and response systems throughout the city.

Tucson, AZ
520-791-4204
Cathy Reynolds
Organizational Effectiveness
City Manager's Office
City of Tucson
P.O. Box 27210
Tucson, AZ 85726-7210

Goal Planning for the Future
Employee involvement in setting the goals for this fire department has resulted in better morale and service quality.

Hobbs, NM
505-397-9308
Mike Ravenelle
Captain
Fire Department
City of Hobbs
301 East White Street
Hobbs, NM 88240

"Kaiser-on-the Job" 24- Hour Managed Care
A project to test the effectiveness of bringing managed care to workers' compensation.

San Diego, CA
619-236-2203
Terry Aronoff
Employee Benefits Coordinator
Department of Human Resources
County of San Diego
444 West Beech Street, 3rd floor
San Diego, CA 92101-2942

Mutual Gain Bargaining and Labor Management Committees
Also called interest based negotiations, this process leads to less adversarial bargaining.

San Jose, CA
408-277-5849
Regina V.K. Williams
City Manager
City of San Jose
801 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95110

Neighborhood Improvement Program
Staff from city departments formed teams to address problems specific to neighborhoods

Napa, CA
707-257-9586
Tom Johnson
Operations Chief
City of Napa
P.O. Box 660
Napa, CA 94559-0660

Reinventing Union Sanitary District
This project improved operational effectiveness and customer service through employee empowerment.

Fremont, CA
510-790-0100 ext 256
Judi Berzon
Human Resource Administrator
Union Sanitary District
37532 Dusterberry Way
Fremont, CA 94536

MIDWEST

Collective Bargaining Health Care Saving Transferred into Base Wage Increase

Lansing, MI

517-485-3310
Fred Parks
Executive Director
Michigan Corrections Organization,
SEIU Local 526M
426 South Walnut Street.
Lansing, MI 48933

Cooperative/Collaborative Process
Focuses on how the cooperative process has improved employee morale and the quality of education.

Berea, OH
216-826-3311
Robert Cistolo
President
Berea Federation of Teachers
P.O. Box 271
Berea, OH 44017

Disability Management Project

Lansing, MI
517-335-4274
Karen Beauregard
Administrator
Disability Management Office
Michigan Department of Civil Service
Capitol Commons Center
400 South Pine
Lansing, MI 48909

Employee Insurance Task Force
Decisions about employees insurances no longer made by City Administrator but by Employee Insurance Task Force who negotiate coverage and cost directly with insurance companies.

Newton, IA
515-792-2787
Barbara Majerus
Assistant City Administrator
City of Newton
P.O. Box 399
Newton, IA 50208-0399

Innovation in Recruiting and Hiring: Attracting the Best and Brightest to Wisconsin State Government

Madison, WI
608-266-1136
Robert Lavigna
Administrator
Division of Merit Recruitment and Selection
Wisconsin Department of Employment Relations
137 East Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53702

Joint Health Care Committee
A cooperative approach to negotiating health care coverages and costs.

Columbus, OH
614-466-2923
Teri Decker
Management Co-Chair
Office of Collective Bargaining
Ohio Department of Administrative Services.
106 North High Street, 7th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3019

Joint Labor-Management Committee to Control Health Care Cost

Peoria, IL
309-672-8575
Patrick Parsons
City of Peoria
419 Fulton Street, Room. 203
Peoria, IL 61602

Labor-Management Committees & Shared Decisions
Promotion and creation of cooperative committees by State Bureau of Mediation Services and the Minnesota School Boards Association.

St. Peter, MN
507-931-2450
Carol Ries
Minnesota School Boards Association
1900 West Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082-3015

Labor-Management-Health Care Cost Containment Committee

Toledo, OH
419-245-1001
Daniel Hiskey
Assistant Operations Officer
Office of the Mayor
City of Toledo
One Government Center, Suite 2200
Toledo, OH 43604

Operation "Street Pride"
This joint labor-management project established a "safe haven" symbol and process for the children of Springfield to use in times of distress.

Springfield, OH
513-324-7321
James Bodenmiller
Personnel Director
City of Springfield
76 East High Street
Springfield, OH 45502

Quality Minneapolis Budget System Redesign
A process that involves all stakeholders in budget redesign and outcome based decision making.

Minneapolis, MN
612-673-2591
Tom Tiedemann
Quality Coordinator
City of Minneapolis
350 South Fifth Street, Room A-25
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1393

State Human Resources Reform Act of 1994
A project to reform Oklahoma's State Government personnel system.

Oklahoma City, OK
405-521-6301
Oscar Jackson
Administrator and Cabinet Secretary of Human
Resources
Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management
2101 North Lincoln Boulevard, Suite G-80
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4904

State of Nebraska Labor/Management Council
An FMCS initiated program in the Department of Public Institutions to help them resolve workplace issues, like the disciplinary process.

Lincoln, Nebraska
402-471-4605
Sherri Collins-Wimes
Labor Relations Representative
Nebraska Department of Administrative Services
301 Centennial Mall South
P.O. Box 95061
Lincoln, NE 68509-5061

Total Quality Management
An effort to improve service delivery systems through the practices of TQM.

Palatine, IL
847-359-9057
Sam Ferguson
Director of Data Processing
Village of Palatine
200 East Wood Street
Palatine, IL 60067

Upward Mobility Program
Is a joint training program which provides career counseling, direct tuition payment, and promotional priority.

Springfield, IL
217-524-1381
Tammy McClure
Deputy Director of Human Resources
Bureau of Personnel
Illinois Department of Central Management
Services
503 Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706

THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

Grievance Mediation

The Virgin Islands of the United States
809-773-5580
Lorin Kleeger
Counsel
Virgin Islands Public Employee Relations Board
P.O. Box 2984
Christiansted, USVI 00822



Task Force Survey

As part of its informaton gathering activity, the Task Force sought examples of excellence in public service that came about through workplace cooperation. Some of the people that provided examples were asked to make presentations at some of the regional hearings of the Task Force. This questionnaire was completed by the persons in an organization who were involved in seeking service and workplace excellence.

SURVEY FORM

The Secretary's Task Force is seeking examples of excellence in policy, programs or services that have significant or primary roots in workplace cooperation. The Secretary's Task Force has a mandate to identify such examples of excellence and to identify the factors that support and sustain cooperation leading to excellence. The Task Force will be able to hear from or visit a selected number of examples brought to its attention. The Task Force will examine the trends and common features in other examples provided to us, and will publicize, through its report and other means, examples, resources, and key principles from which other public workplaces can learn.

In this questionnaire, we are asking your organization to inform us about examples of workplace excellence from which we and others in the public service can learn. Please answer the attached questions. If possible, please fill out jointly, so that the employee and management groups involved can comfortably sign off on the form. Please complete and return as soon as possible in order to maximize the chance of your example being included in the Task Force's report.

When completed please fax to Professor Jon Brock (206) 616-1748 or mail to Prof. Brock at the Cascade Center for Public Service, University of Washington, 303 Parrington Hall, DC-14, Seattle WA 98195.

If you have questions, please call Leslie Redd at the Cascade Center, (206) 685-0523. 

Agency:    __________________________________________________
Address:   __________________________________________________
Contact person(s):  _________________________________________
Phone:      _________________________________________________
Fax:     ____________________________________________________
Name of Project or Initiative:  _____________________________

RESULTS

1. Please describe the primary result of the cooperative effort you are describing in terms of improvement in service effectiveness or efficiency. On an attached page, please write a few paragraphs that summarize the impact of the improvement, i.e., change in service effectiveness, improvement in service quality or customer satisfaction, better match of skills to task, lower cost of a key service, policy change, etc. If you have any measurements that demonstrate the extent of the improvement, please note them also.

2. Please describe the results in terms of the impact on the quality of work and worklife.

3. Describe changes, if any, in the process or technology or in the way the job is done. Include changes in interactions within the agency and relationships with other agencies, customers or suppliers.

4. How pervasive is the change? For example, what is the size of the agency budget and workforce involved? Does it represent a whole department, the whole city, county, state, school district, fire district, etc.? If it has moved beyond its original location, how was the idea transferred?

5. Has there been any alteration in features of the personnel or civil service system as a result of or as a prelude to this service improvement? For example, were there any changes in classification practices, compensation systems, hiring, transfer or removal practices as part of this service improvement?

PROCESS

1. Were there any false starts or barriers in the process that were overcome on the way to success? What were those and how were they overcome?

2. How long has this service improvement project been going on?
Since the idea was first raised. Date:
Since the service change or improvement was put into place. Date:

3. What accounts for the longevity of the project, or for its demise? What has sustained it?

4. From where was the most resistance and how was it handled? How successfully?

5. Is there a state bargaining law operational in this jurisdiction? Are there aspects of that statute and its related regulatory structure that contributed to making this change successful? Are there aspects of that structure that had to be worked around in order to implement the changes described above? If there is not a state bargaining law, was there an employee association involved?

6. If this has been done in conjunction with an organized employee organization , please briefly note the results or major impacts, if any, in terms of labor management relations such as:
Contractual changes
Work rule changes
Improved or new joint committees
Changes in contract administration
Changes in statute
Changes in bargaining relationships
Changes in conflict resolution practices
Impact on grievances or grievance handling

7. Has this change in service and relationships now survived an election cycle or change in either labor or management leadership? What effect have elections, elected officials or political relationships had on the project?

TYPE OF CORPORATION

1. How is the cooperation carried out? Is there a formal committee or other forum? Please describe.

2. What form of agreement defines the ongoing cooperative arrangement or other governance of this change in service or policy?

GENESIS

1. How did this cooperative relationship begin?
Was there a leader who believed in or heard about this approach?
Was there a crisis?
Budget pressure?
An opportunity?
Other?

2. What commitments or provisions, if any, were made regarding the impact on employees, services? For example:
Retraining programs/re-deployment to other functions
Early out incentives
Placement opportunities
Measurements

3. What, if any other outside assistance was helpful (or harmful!)?

4. What else should others know about this change in service and job quality that would help them do something similar or otherwise learn from your experience?

5. Is there any other feature of this service improvement through cooperation you are especially proud of or wish to highlight?