The following posts are submitted by Jerome T. Barrett. Dr. Barrett pertaining to his career as a labor mediator, commissioner, and director of the Office of Technical Services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).
The Wagner family has a proud legacy at FMCS. There have been three generations (John M., John A., and Kevin) who have served as commissioners for a total of 62 years. Kevin Wagner is currently based out of the Headquarters in Washington, DC. The foundation for the Wagner FMCS mediators was laid by Kevin’s […]
Most FMCS Directors have been individuals appointed by the President from outside of government with experience in labor/management relations as advocates or neutrals. However, three Directors came from within FMCS and not directly from advocacy positions. These three individuals began their FMCS careers as mediators but then rose through the management ranks to receive a […]
In 1981 FMCS was in the news often, and it’s Deputy Director Ken Moffett soon to be nominated but never confirmed by the Senate was making most of that news. Moffett did receive a recess appointment as Director in January 1982 to legitimize a Reduction in Force conducted under his Acting Director leadership but was […]
Did you know that FMCS in conjunction with the ILO worked with the Government of Myanmar in 2015-2016 to help establish dispute resolution capabilities in the newly formed democratic government led by Aung San Suu Kyi? Things have changed much since then in Myanmar with a military takeover of Government in 2021. FMCS worked with […]
FMCS has been in the news of late connected to the Major League Baseball lockout. As indicated in the article linked here Major League Baseball requested assistance from FMCS. UPDATE Letter from MLB Commissioner To Our Fans: I had hoped against hope that I would not have to be in the position of canceling games. We worked hard […]
On May 31, 2001, during the waning months of the Richard Barnes Directorship (Director Peter Hurtgen was confirmed in 2002 after the lengthy transition due to the legal challenge of the 2000 election) an article was published by the Wall Street Journal which focused on the ever-growing non-labor mediation work of FMCS. Many were pleased […]
FMCS has played a key role in Panama. Specifically for the Panama Canal Labor Relations System. FMCS provided services to the U.S. Panama Canal Commission out of the Southern District. The FMCS role was multifaceted including mediation of collective bargaining agreements and midterm issues under the Federal Labor Relations Statute, and even some commercial mediation […]
The story of Piedmont Flight 349 and Commissioner Bradley #553 It was the fall of 1959, and Scarsdale, New York teenager Janet Silberman had been planning to accompany her parents, a top cigar company executive and an avid photographer, on their trip to Virginia. Her younger brother had just begun his freshman year at […]
FMCS 75th Anniversary FMCS to Celebrate 75th Anniversary During Conflict Resolution Week WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 11, 2022) – The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) is celebrating National Conflict Resolution Week this year along with its 75th anniversary as the nation’s premier public agency for dispute resolution and conflict management. Conflict Resolution […]
Traditional FMCS used its own hiring process separate from the Civil Service process that other Federal Agencies used, thus allowing FMCS to manage mediator hiring so as to fit the unique skill set required. For many years, new mediators were hired in groups based on minimum of seven years of labor-management experience at the GS-12 […]