Blog

Each Monday Jim and Meredith post a new entry about a relevant labor-management topic. We hope you will become a regular reader of the blog and offer your comments. Comments can be made by email from here or on the CALMC page on Facebook

How would you answer that question? Do you believe that the two parties are diametrically opposed to each other, or that most of their interests are the same?

Some people cling to the old belief that labor and management are in constant conflict, with labor driving up costs with no regard for their employers or taxpayers. They believe the answer is simple – do away with collective bargaining and budgets will be balanced and all will be well.

What surprises many is most of the interests of labor and management overlap. It is on these common interests CALMC works to build its cooperative efforts.

In Ohio’s public sector, we have seen union and management work together to improve customer service, enhance efficiency, and cut costs. Both sides know they must work together to survive. They have cooperated to reduce costs, including salaries and benefits, save jobs and help each other. They have done this based on their common needs and interests.

There has been a lot of finger-pointing and blame finding about what caused the economic downturn. One thing is certain – anger and frustration are occurring and driving the finger-pointing and blame game. Everyone is blaming someone or some group for this horrible situation and trying to find a solution without identifying the real cause.

In Ohio, Wisconsin, and other places, collective bargaining and organized labor are now being targeted by politicians, special interest groups and others. According to these groups, collective bargaining costs too much money. Placing blame does not fix the problem.

There is no doubting the financial difficulties facing the state, municipalities, and school districts. The problems are real, and have many causes. Eliminating collective bargaining will not fix them. Those who believe it will ignore one basic fact, the total state payroll ($3.45 billion in 2009 according to the Columbus Dispatch) is less than the size of the budget deficit.

Adversarial behaviors like attacking, pointing fingers, blaming and arguing do nothing to solve budget problems. CALMC has helped labor and management work together in many public sector agencies. Both sides have been very willing to look at ways to reduce costs and improve service to taxpayers based on their common concerns and interests.

Solving the budget problems will require the work and cooperation of everyone. Wasting time trying to impose the will of one side over the other is not the answer.

This week, it has been impossible to look at a newspaper or blog without reading about the attacks on public sector unions and employees in Ohio.

The most frustrating thing about this is seeing the progress made toward labor and management working together in State government being destroyed. Labor and management have worked together effectively to save money and improve service to taxpayers.

There was one glimmer of hope this week. In an interview with WJW TV in Cleveland, Governor John Kasich said:

I could not agree more. Building labor-management cooperation is what we are about. However, it can not happen in one sector only. Cooperation cannot happen in isolation in the private sector. A hostile climate in the public sector will be just as visible and as damaging to efforts to bring jobs to Ohio.

In June 2009, the Wall Street Journal published an article, “Put Down the Ax: 5 Alternatives to Layoffs” by Sarah Morgan. It’s a good article that points out laying off employees is not the most cost-effective solution to financial difficulties. The short term gain actually represents a financial loss if the jobs will be restored in the next year or so when the costs of severance, unemployment, litigation, rehiring, and productivity losses are taken into consideration.

One of the solutions provided is “Ask employees for help.” This is a process we have advocated at CALMC. The combined experience and knowledge of everyone in the workforce can produce creative, cost-effective solutions to workplace issues. We have seem many groups show that by working together, employers and employees can make a difference for themselves and their organizations.

Often, the difference they have made has been amazing. Workplace quality has improved through applying the knowledge of employees to improve the work system. Costs have been cut and efficiency improved. Communications have been enhanced and problems resolved through the joint efforts of everyone in the workplace. Accidents have been slashed and savings realized by involving employee teams in the safety process. All of these have help the company improve the bottom line while enabling employees to preserve their jobs.

It is nice to see the Wall Street Journal agree with us about the benefits of employee involvement. They got it right, and it’s time for your organization to take advantage of this resource, too.

This is additional support for what we’ve been writing about the importance of business retention and job preservation. Attracting new business is important, but the key to economic recovery lies in our existing employers and workforce.

Blog Entry - January 24, 2011
Articles Show Positive Trends in Job Preservation and Creation

I read a couple of articles this week that I want to share with you. Both had positive news about employment and labor-management relations.

On January 19, Wall Street Journal reported the number of manufacturing jobs increased in 2010. The 1.2% increase was the first since 1997. Even more promising, economists in the article believe the total will grow another 2.5% this year and continue to average about 2% a year until 2015.

While these numbers alone will not make up for the loss of manufacturing jobs in the last decade, we hope this trend will be a start of recovery in these jobs that are so important to our economic recovery.

The article also notes in the third quarter, U.S. manufacturing productivity increased as output rose 7.1% from a year earlier while hours worked grew just 3%. In this blog, we’ve written about how employee involvement can help improve productivity and efficiency. The knowledge and skills of existing employment can help produce these types of results, preserving existing jobs and creating opportunities for new ones.

We’ve seen some promising signs over the last few months. Ford announced plans to add 7,000 workers over the next two years and significantly upgrade its Kansas City plant, preserving 3,750 more jobs. This $400 million dollar investment will help maintain the jobs in the plant as production shifts to a new vehicle.

The Kansas City plant is the fourth plant in North America that Ford has or plans to overhaul as it looks to better compete against foreign auto makers.

The other encouraging news came from Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, who said, "Ford is committed to doing everything it takes to work with its partners, including the United Auto Workers, to remain competitive." Union President Bob King also said last week that the UAW has embraced "radical change" and dispensed with its "us against them" mentality in negotiating with management of domestic automakers.

That’s great, but not unexpected news. Ford and UAW have already recognized the benefits of working together and the mutual interests they have. Hopefully, that attitude will prevail in the upcoming round of bargaining.

For 26 years, the employers and unions that make up CALMC have believed in the importance of labor-management cooperation. Ford and UAW have also recognized its significance in preserving manufacturing jobs.

The articles referenced in this entry are:
James R. Hagerty, U.S. Factories Buck Decline, Wall Street Journal, January 19, 2011David Schepp, Ford to Overhaul Kansas City Plant, Dailyfinance.com, January 18, 2011, http://srph.it/hgH8bo

CALMC was founded in 1986 as been part of the Ohio Labor-Management Cooperation Program, or OLMCP. A network of 25 community-based organizations, OLMCP members were to work in their local areas to bring labor and management together. Our purpose at the time was to combat the image of Ohio as a “bad labor state” in order to attract and retain businesses.

A lot has happened over the years, but as we begin our 25^th anniversary year, our purpose is the same. We strive to keep people working in Ohio. Layoff aversion and employee retention have always been a part of our efforts, but now the economy has made that our major focus.

The number of OLMCP members has also declined over the years. With this year’s program, we have 3 members remaining:

In addition, the Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University maintains its affiliation with OLMCP and CALMC. This organization provides world-class assistance in employee stock ownership programs.

We’re presently updating the OLMCP website (http://olmcp.org) so check back often to see how the network is changing.

In past entries, we’ve written about our role in helping promote employee retention. We believe, and research supports, in the economic and personal importance of keeping existing jobs in Ohio. The economic well being of any area comes from its existing manufacturing and industrial base. While expansion of existing business and attracting new employers are important, it’s more cost effective to keep the existing jobs than seek out new ones.

The Steel Valley Authority in Pennsylvania summarized research in employee retention, finding States and communities benefit because layoff aversion:

Columbus Area Labor-Management Committee has worked in the latter area for 25 years. Layoff aversion is not new to us. We believe in the ability of labor and management to identify and resolve the issues that keep employers from operating at peak efficiency and threaten jobs.

While there are signs that things are getting better, there is still much to be done. In the last month we’ve seen the loss of over 500 jobs in just one county in our service area. It is too late to save them, but we are ready to help other employers avoid this outcome.

If you work for or know of an employer that might need assistance to avoid layoffs, contact CALMC. There are resources available to help, but we can only help when we have the opportunity to work with the employer and employees.

As we begin the new year, we want to provide some updates for our members and friends.

The Board of Trustees of CALMC has been restructured. The entire board can be seen by clicking the Board of Trustees tab on the left of the screen. As a result of this restructuring and filling a vacancy, we have two new trustees, one each from both labor and management.

Al Bacon, Senior Executive Vice-President of Service Employees International Union, District 1199 has joined the board as a labor trustee. Al’s labor-management experience in both the public and private sectors will be helpful to CALMC.

Our new management trustee is Peggy Barylak, the Manager of Labor Relations and Organizational Development in Facilities, Operations, and Development at The Ohio State University. We have worked with Peggy on the FOD Labor-Management Committee, and are pleased to have her expertise on the Board.

We had previously announced a topic for our March membership meeting. However, our speaker for the meeting is changing jobs resulting in a change for our meeting. Congratulations to Nick Menedis as he begins his new job. We look forward to continuing to work with Nick.

Last year we told you about a labor-management committee that was working to avoid layoffs by redefining their job roles and responsibilities. The committee is continuing their work by gathering information from all employees and will meet jointly with members of the other bargaining unit representing employees in their organization. We’ll keep you posted on their progress as we continue to facilitate the committee.

That’s it for this week. Have a great new year, and we’ll be back with you next week.

This list was originally developed for the Layoff Aversion Guidebook prepared by the Steel Valley Authority in Pennsylvania. If you are interested, the entire guidebook is at http://www.steelvalley.org/files/lag.pdf

Last week, we began looking at some of the early warning signs that show the possibility a need for employee retention or layoff aversion assistance. Columbus Area Labor-Management Committee is a part of the Ohio Department of Development’s Early Warning Network, and can deliver these services at no cost to private sector employers.

If you see these signs or other concerns, contact CALMC. As part of the Early Warning Network, we offer assistance in employee retention and layoff aversion at no cost to the employer or employees. You can contact us by clicking the tab on this website or at the top of this page.

Last week, we talked about the Early Warning Network Grant the Ohio Dept. of Development has initiated to help with the preservation of jobs within the state of Ohio.

On December 2^nd, Development announced the recipients of the grant. Director Lisa Patt-McDaniel said $2.4 million would be given to 11 organizations to help prevent layoffs and closures. The assistance will help develop regional partnerships that can aid in economic development in local areas. The full announcement is at the following link: http://development.ohio.gov/newsroom/2010PR/December/1.htm

CALMC received a grant to help private sector organizations on retention services through employee involvement processes. Some examples of areas other organizations have worked on are process improvement, training, safety, and workers’ comp. issues. It could be any workplace issue organizations need assistance with that would help them maintain the workplace and retain jobs.

Examples of interventions to help with workplace issues that could be done under this grant are assessments to identify the strengths and needs of the workplace; training in problem solving, team building, or other work related needs; and facilitation of groups or meetings to help them be productive and use the tools they learned in the training.

In addition, training may be needed for supervisors and managers to help them gain more productivity in their work areas. CALMC can also provide leadership training to help current leaders perfect their skills or help future leaders with the necessary skills.

Bringing everybody together to gather or review ideas helps motivate employees by letting them know their ideas are important. When they see their ideas are actually being utilized creates a sense of ownership and enthusiasm for the job and workplace. In addition to creating better relationships, this also helps increase productivity and develops employee skill level.

Our assistance is always customized so it is specific to the organization, its employees and the issue they all face.

It is important for employers and employees to know assistance is available. Often, they wait until it is too late to be able to make a difference. Everyone in the organization needs to watch for the early warning signs the organization needs assistance. Next week, we will identify some of those early warning signs.

Today’s blog is about the Early Warning Network grant recently established by Ohio Dept. of Development, Workforce and Talent Division.

For the last two weeks we discussed economic development in central Ohio. The Early Warning Network grant overlaps with the economic development initiatives that were identified during the recent CALMC membership meeting in October. This grant focuses on the retention aspect of jobs. Instead of focusing on efforts after a business has closed or has laid people off, this initiative tries to help a business before the need to close or lay-off.

The grant emphasizes the importance of partnership between various community services that can provide assistance to a business and its employees. This partnership would link or provide services to an organization that may be at risk of layoffs or closure. The services could be economic resources, training, relationship building or other alternatives that can help organizations. It is also the hope this grant will better coordinate local and state services so that an organization may only have to make one call instead of several calls to get the assistance it needs.

The money from this grant comes through the Department of Development from the federal program, Workforce Investment Act, or WIA. While some programs under WIA, have been reactive, this one will be proactive. There are three parts to the grant. One focuses primarily on retention, another section focuses on labor-management relationships and the third is about employee ownership. Organizations that could apply for the retention grant could be local chambers, local one-stop agencies, Workforce Investment Boards and other economic development or non-profit organizations. Labor-management organizations could apply for the labor-management section and employee ownership centers could apply for the employee ownership section. Applicants needed to demonstrate their ability to work with other partners, employers and employees, and a history of doing layoff aversion work.

This grant was announced at the end of September and an announcement will be made in the very near future who has been awarded a grant under this proposal. CALMC submitted a proposal under the labor-management section because of the long experience CALMC has had in helping with layoff aversion practices. Here is the link to the proposal: http://development.ohio.gov/newsroom/2010PR/September/21.htm

We will be providing a follow-up once the awards are announced from the Dept. of Development.

We continue with the central Ohio economic development information from CALMC’s membership meeting on October 26^th.

Last week we provided the information from the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. This week the information is from Ohio Department of Development.

Ohio Department of Development prefers working regionally because of the community connection that helps with retention and expansion.

The Department of Development does not have as big of focus on Columbus because it is doing better than some of the other areas such as Dayton, Cleveland and the northwest. The downturn in the economy has not had as big an impact as in those areas. Columbus is looked at as leading Ohio out of the recession and the Columbus 2020! project is definitely needed.

Overall, business is coming back slowly. The Department of Development is receiving more requests for assistance with more manufacturing work shifts increasing.

The Department of Development also looks at economic drivers, but they concentrate more on hubs of innovation such as energy storage. Ohio State and Battelle have helped Columbus be in the national spotlight.

The Department of Development is focusing more on existing business. They prefer looking at job retention and have created the Early Warning Network Proposal recently sent to organizations throughout the state that help with economic development. The goal of the grants is to aid in business retention and expansion. Hopefully, this will help businesses before problems occur that can cause layoffs or closures. The Department of Development says it is not as costly to save existing business as it is to start a new one or attract one from outside the state.

This grant also will allow businesses to receive one call instead of several calls or visits and can coordinate more direct follow-up to help the business be successful. In addition, the Department of Development wants the Early Warning Network to create partnerships among state, local workforce and economic development organizations. Customized services through the partnerships can be identified to help businesses at risk.

There are three components of the Early Warning Network proposal. They are: (a) Retention Programs, (b) Labor-Management Cooperation Programs, and (c) an Employee Ownership Center. More information about the proposal can be found on the Department of Development’s website. An announcement will be made soon telling the winners of grants under this program. CALMC submitted a proposal under the Labor-Management Cooperation Program.

In the next discussion on economic development, we will discuss how CALMC can help with retention and expansion and the Early Warning Network.

Today’s discussion is about retention and expansion. At a recent CALMC membership meeting the topic was economic development in the central Ohio region. Speakers from Ohio Department of Development and the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce talked about the importance of retention and expansion. This week we will provide the information from the Columbus Chamber.

The Columbus Chamber serves a six-county area which extends as far north as Morrow County. The Chamber helps struggling businesses. They work with other economic development organizations.

More than 81% of job growth comes from existing businesses. Although more jobs come from retention, it requires more work to maintain these jobs. The Columbus Chamber has recently started to focus on retention.

There are a number of economic drivers the Chamber focuses on to determine which business sector should receive assistance and how successful it would be. There are many business sectors in the Columbus area. Some are automotive, parts, chemicals, beverages, non-mineral, IT, retail, finance and insurance. IT is a very important sector to the area. The Chamber has been working on the logistical and distribution sector.

Columbus 2020! is a project the Chamber has started and is a vision for the year 2020. It talks about Columbus being the most vibrant successful region in the U.S. with 180,000 net new jobs by 2020. It also focuses on retention and expansion, along with more entrepreneurial and infrastructure improvements.

New firms are not ignored by the Chamber. They need a lot of assistance, too, because of their need for financial and human resources.

It was also mentioned U.S. manufacturing is not dying. There is an increase in manufacturing equal to or greater of other sectors. Work is being done in a different way that uses less people but more skill. This is why worker training is so important.

Next week, we will focus on the economic development information from the perspective of the Ohio Department of Development and how Columbus Area Labor-Management Committee helps with retention and expansion efforts in Ohio.

For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been looking at some basic facilitator tips. This week, we have one final list of suggestions.

That’s our list of facilitator tips. We hope they will be helpful to you when you have to work with a group or a meeting. If you have other tips you would like to share, leave us a comment on the Facebook page or send us an email.

Last week, we offered some tips for meeting facilitators, and we will continue this week. Effective committees need good facilitation, and we hope these tips will be helpful.

That’s it for this week. Next time, we’ll offer some additional tips. In the meantime, let us know the tips you would offer facilitators.

A few weeks ago, we wrote about facilitating labor-management committees. This week, we’re going to start a list of tips for facilitators of any type of group.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be offering some more facilitator tips. If you have any you would like to share, leave your comments or email us. We will be sure to include them in a future post.

Blog Entry - October 18, 2010
Congratulations – Ohio Housing Finance Agency LMC Wins National Award

Several months ago, we trained the labor-management committee from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. This agency helps Ohio’s first-time homebuyers, renters, senior citizens, and others find quality, affordable housing that meets their needs. OHFA’s programs also support developers and property managers of affordable housing throughout the state.

The committee was newly formed, and the training was designed to bring them together as a team. The goal of the committee was to increase collaboration and creativity, maintain competition, and decrease the control that burdens customers.

During the training, it quickly became clear both labor and management recognized the need to create collaboration and build consensus. The parties recognized the benefits to both labor and management and made the commitment to teamwork. We knew they had the chance to do great things together.

How good did they become in the ensuing months? Good enough to be award winners. The OHFA Labor-Management Committee won recognition, as the National Council of State Housing Agencies presented OHFA with the national award for Program Excellence in Management Innovation: Human Resources.

In addition, fewer grievances were filed in FY2010, resulting in less lost time and increased cost effectiveness. This enabling managers and union members to focus on customer needs as the committee provided a consistent and united approach to resolving employee issues.

Congratulations to the Labor-Management Committee at the Ohio Housing Finance Authority on your award and your outstanding labor-management teamwork.

I read a couple of articles this week about the financial difficulties facing the public sector due to the recession. State and local governments are facing significant cutbacks due to declining revenues.

At the same time, I hear political candidates on both sides of the aisle boasting about how they will cut the size of government. What they do not state is the obvious result – cutting the size of government means downsizing employees.

These same candidates also talk about the importance of reducing unemployment and creating jobs for people. They seem to forget a very basic fact, public employees are people, too.

This week, The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the loss of 159,000 public sector jobs last month, more than offsetting job growth in the private sector. A job loss of that magnitude in the private sector would be a legitimate source of concern, but when it occurs in government, it goes largely ignored.

Job loss impacts public employees and their families as harshly as those in the private sector. It also impacts merchants and businesses in their communities. That’s why we believe layoff aversion and worker adjustment are as important to public employees and government entities as anywhere else.

Jobs are jobs, public or private sector. We believe it is important to do everything we can to keep people working, no matter what their jobs may be.

We’re set for our next membership meeting! Our topic will be "Economic Development in Central Ohio", and will feature a panel from the City of Columbus Economic Development, the Franklin County Development Department, the Ohio Department of Development, and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

Join us on Tuesday, October 26 at the IBEW 683 Union Hall, 23 West Second Avenue in Columbus. The meeting is free for CALMC members and their guests. Call or email us if you want to attend.

Blog Entry - September 27, 2010
Do Employers Benefit from Actively Engaging Their Employees?

I read an interesting article this week from Inc. Magazine about research done on employee involvement. The study of 900 organizations found that those which had high levels of engagement with their employees not only outperformed the stock market, but also posted shareholder returns 19 percent higher than average in 2009.

The study defined active engagement as involvement in “topics such as employee morale, confidence in the organization, career opportunities, rewards and recognition programs and trust in leadership.” While some companies believe difficult economic conditions force them to pay less attention to these areas as they try to survive, the research indicates these behaviors are counterproductive.

The study found “Companies with disinterested employees (40 percent or less engagement) had a total shareholder return that was 44 percent lower than average.” Further, Florida State University management professor Bill Anthony stated, "Those companies who have had massive layoffs or haven’t really invested in their employees are not really poised for a rebound when things get better."

Employee involvement is one important way to actively engage your employees. At CALMC, we have seen increased employee involvement increase morale, create higher loyalty to the organization, and improve quality and profitability. As Professor Anthony notes, the time to start is now.

We can help you get started. Contact CALMC to learn how your organization can increase levels of employee involvement.

On Friday, we had our annual CALMC Golf Outing. Our members and their guests enjoyed a great fall day playing golf, networking, and seeing all parts of the course.

Congratulations to the winning team from Dayton Rogers, a long time CALMC member.

We’ve created a photo album on our Facebook page showing our teams on the course. Search for CALMC on Facebook and click on the Photos tab to see the album. Click on a thumbnail image in the album to see the entire photo.

We hope you can join us next year for the outing. To add your name to our mailing list for the outing and other CALMC events, email us.

Last week, I met with the owner of a company that has been one of our longest-term clients. As we discussed their progress and what they could do next, he made a very significant comment. He said that the most important thing we had done for them was to create a climate change in the company.

I was very honored by this, since if you’ve been part of any organization, you recognize that climate change is not easily accomplished. As I’ve thought about what he said, I came to realize he was right, and he was wrong.

Dr. Deming preached for years that the only way to accomplish lasting change in an organization was to change the culture and the work system itself. He also recognized that accomplishing this was not easy, and happened only when there was a real commitment to change.

In that regard, our client was right. There has been a significant climate change in the company, away from a highly top-down driven model to one in which teamwork is valued. This change has paid off in many ways for the company and its employees, and not surprisingly has helped their profitability and competitiveness.

But he was also wrong. While the change may have begun, it is far from complete. Workplace climate and culture change is evolutionary, not revolutionary. To be sustained, the change must be supported at every opportunity. If not, it is easy for the system to revert to the old ways.

As I was enjoying my Labor Day weekend, I ran across an article by Daniel Tilson from the West Palm Beach Examiner on September 4, 2010. It discussed the continuing importance of labor unions. In the article, he listed the Top Ten Things Labor Unions Have Done For American Workers:

1) Child Labor Ban
2) The 40-hour Work Week
3) Unemployment Insurance
4) Minimum Wage Laws
5) Occupational Safety & Health Laws
6) Health Care Benefits
7) Paid Sick & Vacation Days
8) Pension Benefits
9) Overtime Pay
10) Family Leave.

I’m feeling trapped in the middle today. I just had a change in prescription coverage, and needed to transfer an existing prescription from the old mail-order service to the new one. The new service said they could transfer the prescription if the old carrier would call to make the change. The old service said they would transfer it only if the new service initiated the call.

The result is bad customer service resulting from two companies stuck in rules designed for their convenience, not the customer. Following the rules was more important than providing good service.

You may be thinking about similar experiences you’ve had as a customer. Unfortunately, they are all too real and all too common. It also raises this question: “Are their rules in your organization that keep you from serving your customers?”

If we do not meet our customers’ needs, we cannot hope to build customer loyalty. They have no reason to continue to do business with us. World class customer service should be out goal. If the automatic answer has ever been “That’s against our rules”, it’s time to examine the rules and how we deal with our customers.

Last time the blog discussed the need for employees and employers to identify new and better ways of doing things to compete in today’s global markets to avoid layoffs or closure. This blog will provide some techniques groups can use to help them have productive meetings.

There is some preliminary work that will help groups get off to a good start before they begin their work and can save them time later on. This preliminary work includes a mission statement to clarify purpose, ground rules that help establish behaviors for the group and boundaries that identify the discussion topics for the group of topics that waste the group’s valuable time.

Another item that helps groups is an agenda that has been established by everyone, not select individuals. If the agenda is developed with everyone in the room, it’s more inclusive and everyone has the ability to contribute to it and start to have some support for the process. It can also help with accountability issues. People either volunteer to take ownership of a particular agenda item, or items, or may be assigned a particular agenda item. It’s also documentation that certain individuals have a job to do before the next meeting or will be called upon at the next meeting to respond to the agenda item.

Agendas also help groups plan which can help to make meetings more effective. When agendas are made in advance, people can start to think about what needs to be discussed or bring additional information that can help the group with their work. If items need to be added to the agenda before the next meeting, everybody who will be attending the meeting needs to receive the additional agenda items so they can be prepared for them. Those who are not in attendance need to receive the agenda in advance so they, too, can plan accordingly.

All of these items are good tools to have but it may also be a good idea to have a facilitator. A facilitator can be a neutral and can have the necessary tools to help groups be more productive. Facilitators can also help with the preliminary pieces mentioned above and they can always help groups establish agendas and keep meetings on task.

Some groups have asked if it’s good to have a facilitator from inside the organization or better to have one from outside the organization. If a facilitator is from the inside of the organization it may be very difficult for them to be objective, especially if there is a particular agenda item of interest to the facilitator. A facilitator from the outside has a better opportunity of being more objective and better at helping a group achieve their goal since they don’t have a personal stake in the organization.

Groups have also asked how long a facilitator should stay with a group. That answer depends on the group. Some groups don’t think they need a facilitator forever but some, and many of these are the most productive, think it is best to have a facilitator at every meeting because a facilitator can keep them on task and be objective to the needs and interests of everyone involved with their knowledge of tools and techniques.

Our blogs in the future will continue to talk about the role of facilitators and group productivity.

So many times we hear of layoff aversion strategies focused mostly on incumbent worker training that is specifically individualized training because employers want a skilled workforce. Workers do need to have adequate skills and it is important for workers to have the necessary training to do a job but that may not be the only solution to avoid layoffs and to save jobs.

It is important, before any solution, or solutions, is identified for what appears to be a problem; we have actually identified what the SPECIFIC problems are in the workplace. In other words, focusing only on training as the solution may not be the only reason a layoff can occur. More than likely there are many other items that can be addressed to help avoid layoffs and a committee can work on those issues.

Last week, we focused on committees not meeting because they had nothing to do. A number of committees, or teams, have looked at workplace issues such as workflow to improve their process and be more efficient, job descriptions and job duties, and other cost cutting measures that help instead of layoffs which have actually saved the organization money.

Something teams need to do on a regular basis is to review work process. It is crucial to do that so the layoff or closure can be avoided. This is not always easy. It can take some time but that is why it is so important for teams to meet on a regular basis. The team needs the right people who are willing to spend time on workplace issues. Getting a lot of ideas is always better than focusing on one idea of one person. People bring their experiences, knowledge and perspectives to a team. Those are the strengths of a committee or team process. Areas that need to be addressed can be identified quicker by those who know and do the job before it’s too late. In addition, new ways of doing things can be identified before the competition does which can help in this difficult economic climate. The time invested reviewing work processes through a team or committee can help for long-term survival of any organization.

Next week we’ll look at ways to help the team be productive and get the most work out of their meeting time.

Sometimes, we hear labor-management committees tell us things like “We don’t meet regularly because there is nothing for us to discuss”, or “We meet only when problems occur.” Committees that say these things generally have one thing in common. They are ineffective.

Cooperative, problem-solving Labor-Management Committees need to meet on a regular schedule. It takes regular communications and trust to be an effective committee. The less frequently a committee meets, the lower the levels of these vital traits.

Most problems of any significance cannot be solved in a single meeting. Time is needed to gather data, speak with those impacted by the problem or decision, and carefully develop and analyze solution options to avoid potential unintended consequences. The longer the time between meetings, the slower the progress will be. As a result, problems will not be solved in a timely manner.

If committees do not believe there is anything for them to discuss, they are not working hard enough. In any organization there are opportunities to work proactively to improve the workplace. The more time committees can spend in this manner, the less time they should have to spend in reactive mode. Teams should regularly brainstorm a list of potential problems and projects they want to address. We are not suggesting they “create problems” to give the committee something to do. We are asking them to take on the things that are already present in their organizations with an eye toward improving the system.

When committees say they meet only when problems occur, they will probably be unsuccessful in addressing these problems. They will lack the trust and communications to deal with the problem and the collective experience in working as a team. Members will be less likely to ask the committee to address problems when they do happen. This approach also forces the committee into operating strictly in reactive mode.

We recognize that everyone has a full calendar, and one more meeting is not what you want. Yet a meeting of an effective team is always better than time spent with an ineffective group. A good labor-management committee adds value to an organization, and committing the time to do the process right is essential.

As you may have gathered from our past blogs, we’ve been dealing with the concept of layoff aversion. Some of our colleagues have been struggling with what they are going to have to do in order to transition to this new target. At CALMC, layoff aversion is nothing new for us.

Since we were first founded, we’ve been involved in helping employers be competitive, improve their workplace, solve problems, and involve employees. We believe labor-management cooperation is the best way to accomplish this. When employees and managers work together as a team, they can do great things.

Layoff aversion means helping employers be competitive, improve their workplace, solve problems, and involve employees to ensure they are able to maintain employment and continue to operate. We believe labor-management cooperation is still the best way to accomplish this.

Unfortunately, it is not easy to determine which firms need layoff aversion assistance. Businesses at risk of closing or downsizing are not likely to announce their situation to the public, their employees, or their competition. Often, they wait until it is too late to do anything.

If you think an employer, yours or another, might be at risk of downsizing or closing, let us know. There is funding available to help them through the Departments of Development and Job and Family Services.

Last week, we wrote about facilitation styles. This week, we want to spend a little time on another facilitation topic, the most important thing for a labor-management committee facilitator to know.

All facilitators must know the difference between content and process. This distinction is particularly important for labor-management committee facilitators, as crossing the line will destroy the facilitator’s neutrality.

Content refers to the specific topic the committee is discussing. Facilitators should avoid participating in the content of the meeting, no matter how well they know the subject or how much experience they have.

We were observing a meeting of a committee with which we had worked when their new facilitator uttered the statement “In my organization, this is how we do it.” By taking part in the content, the facilitator lost any perception of neutrality and destroyed their effectiveness with the committee. They were asked to not come back.

If the facilitator is not perceived as neutral, they will be unable to effectively do their job, which is to be the process expert for the team. The facilitator needs to be able to help the team move forward by offering suggestions, presenting problem solving tools, asking clarifying questions, and performing the many other functions of a facilitator.

This can be particularly difficult for facilitators who work in the same organization in which they facilitate. They will have knowledge and even ownership of the issues being discussed, and will have to separate themselves from the content. Even those facilitating in other organizations may be perceived as being from labor or management if they do not demonstrate neutrality.

Focus on process, stay out of the content, and remain neutral. These are the most important keys for a labor-management facilitator.

During a couple of meetings last week we discussed the art of facilitating labor-management committees. I call it an art, as facilitating these groups can be much different than working with other types of committees.

Part of the discussion focused on the role the facilitator should play, what I’ll refer to as active and passive facilitation.

Active facilitators run the meeting based on the agenda determined by the group. They chair the meeting, suggest ideas to help the group along, and play an active role in the meeting. They do not participate in the actual content of the discussions (facilitators can never do this in labor-management committees), but use their skills as “process experts” throughout the session.

Passive facilitators spend most of their time observing the meeting. Members of the committee function as the meeting chairs, while the facilitator watches the process, offering comments and process suggestions only as they feel it necessary to keep the group moving forward.

Which style do we think is best? The answer is clear – it depends. We may use either style, depending on the needs of the committee. If a committee has demonstrated the ability to work together to handle problems and stay on task, passive facilitation may be all the group needs. The facilitator needs to be certain the group maintains its focus and not be hesitant to offer suggestions or ask process questions if they feel it necessary.

Some groups are concerned about having an “outsider” in their meetings telling them what to do. In these situations, passive facilitation may be necessary, at least at the outset.

When groups are new to the cooperative process or have difficulty using problem-solving tools, a more active style can be used. This can help the committee get off to a smoother start and provide them with a structure designed to build or enhance a cooperative process.

Some facilitators prefer one style over the other. The choice, however, should be based on the needs of the committee. It can vary as the committee grows in the cooperative process or handles difficult problems.

No matter which style you use, remember that a labor-management committee facilitator must remain neutral. Once neutrality is lost, so is the effectiveness of the facilitator. We will talk more about that in a future post.

What are your thoughts about the role of a facilitator? Please share your ideas with us, and we can focus on them in coming weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, our membership meeting focused on joint labor-management apprenticeship programs. These programs offer benefits for employers and job seekers.

Apprenticeships are defined as training in an art, trade, or craft under a legal agreement that defined the duration and conditions of the relationship between master or journey level and the apprentice. In the U.S., apprenticeship regulations became formalized after the passage of the Fitzgerald Act in 1937.

Although many believe apprenticeships exist only in manufacturing or the trades, today the U.S. Department of Labor recognizes programs in over 1000 occupations. In addition to the traditional areas, they include aerospace, biotechnical, energy, health care, child care, hospitality, information technology, transportation, and other areas.

In Ohio, 220 occupations use apprenticeships involving over 1000 current sponsors representing over 10,000 employers. There are over 14,000 active apprentices. Each year, 3700 new apprentices register and earn an average of $12.25 per hour during their apprenticeship. An average of 1,700 completion certificated are issued each year, with recipients earning $22.60 per hour. While the completion rate of 83% is impressive, so is the continuity of employment for apprentices, with 90% still employed in the occupation 1 year after program completion.

Besides teaching the technical skills required by the job, many apprenticeship programs include classroom work that results in meeting most of all of the requirements for an Associate’s Degree upon completing of the program. Apprentices who complete the program also benefit by receiving a nationally recognized portable credential, sustainable wages and benefits, and increased marketable skill sets and job security.

Joint apprenticeship programs permit unions and employers to create programs that ensure those completing them have the skills and work ethic required to be good, productive employees. In Ohio, 53% of construction apprenticeship programs are jointly run, producing 82% of all successful apprentices.

Apprenticeship programs provide participants an opportunity to learn a trade while earning a decent wage, complete a college degree at little or no expense, and secure sustainable employment. Employers who utilize apprenticeship programs benefit from greater employee productivity, improved quality, greater employee retention, enhanced recruitment, and a systematic approach to skill upgrades through the program. Even in difficult times, apprenticeship programs are an excellent choice for people seeking their first jobs or those changing careers.

Thanks to Andrew Maciejeweski, Executive Administrator of the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council for the information in this entry.

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about a labor-management committee that is working on layoff aversion. Although this term is showing up more frequently in discussions and the press, not everyone is sure what layoff aversion entails.

In June 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor provided a definition of layoff aversion. Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary of Labor, wrote that a layoff is averted when:

“A workers job is saved with an existing employer that is at risk of downsizing or closing; or

“A worker at risk of dislocation transitions to a different job within the same employer or a new job with a different employer and experiences no or a minimal spell of unemployment.”

Layoff aversion benefits employees by enabling them to continue their jobs or similar jobs while maintaining financial stability for themselves and their families. Employers benefit by avoiding both the tangible and intangible costs of downsizing. Taxpayers benefit from not having to provide unemployment compensation, while food banks and other resources for financially strained families are maintained. The overall economy is helped by avoiding home foreclosures and loss of tax revenue.

Joint labor-management initiatives are one of the best ways to develop layoff aversion strategies, but organizations need to begin planning before a crisis hits. There are resources available to assist with aversion efforts, but if organizations wait too long, their ability to implement an effective program will be limited.

If you are interested in learning more about layoff aversion or would like a copy of the Department of Labor memo that defines layoff aversion and outlines some strategies, contact CALMC.

Last week, we wrote about the readiness of labor-management committees to do problem solving. Whether your committee is a cooperative problem-solving committee or one which only meets to share information, it is important that all members of the committee know and agree with its purpose.

Our vision of labor-management committees is one where members jointly identify and resolve issues that are related to proactively improving the work system. Not all committees are ready to accomplish this. Sometimes organizational culture, past history, individual behaviors, or even convenience and comfort prevent higher levels of cooperation.

What is essential for all committees is they determine where they want to set the bar for their function. Whether it is to have a committee that meets to exchange information and ask questions, or one that functions at a different level, it is important that the group members agree on how they want to operate. Without this agreement, members will become frustrated and the committee will become non-functional.

Remember, once the bar is set, it is important for the committee to periodically review the decision and decide if they are ready to move farther. Even small, initial steps toward cooperation can build a readiness for more as time goes on.

One thing is certain, if the committee sets the bar low and fails to reconsider their decision later, it will never advance from its original level.

This week in the office we had a discussion about labor-management committees and their level of readiness and ability to do problem solving.

Not all committees or teams are at the same level in ability or readiness to resolve problems jointly.

After they have gone through committee effectiveness training, some committees or teams are determined to demonstrate the characteristics outlined in the previous blogs of cooperative labor-management committees. They are eager to identify specific problems they want to work on and utilize problem-solving tools they learned in training. They also recognize they may need some help until they’re able to work on their own, trust levels improve for each side, and they continue to build their relationship. The very best committees are those where members of both labor and management have said they want to be a problem-solving committee. It may be their relationship had been so bad before neither side was happy with it and decided it was time to change, or both sides may decide they are ready to go to the next level. It doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes as they continue to develop their abilities and relationship - they will. The members work through the mistakes in a different way than they did in the past. That is a real test of the commitment.

But some groups may not be at the level of readiness to work together to solve problems or have a relationship with the other side to be able to work through problems jointly. The relationship improvement this group wants is simply to learn to respect and trust each other so they can communicate freely about their thoughts and ideas. These groups usually rely on traditional methods of decision making. Decision making is typically done by one of the parties, usually management. Only information needed is shared by each side about particular issues. A joint, structured problem solving process is not something this group prefers. They may want to work together only on a single problem or a few problems with easy resolution.

This does not mean these groups are wrong in their approach. This is about their level of ability based on leadership, the job they do, or the organizational environment. For example, people doing a job that constantly requires quick reaction or quick decision making skills may not be able to easily adapt to a deliberate problem-solving process that takes time and careful decision making. It also does not mean they will always want to maintain this status. There may come a time they will want to be strong problem-solving committees, or, unfortunately, they could go backward and the relationship deteriorate.

Both types of committees represent the spectrum of labor-management relations. One end can be the result of a very bad relationship and the other end can be the very best, but there’s all different kind of relations in between. It’s the committee or team that determines where they want to be in the spectrum.

Last week, we had the opportunity to work with a newly formed labor-management committee. This group came together to deal with the impact of technology on their jobs. The fear was that the new procedures would result in the elimination of their positions.

The committee is an example of one of the possible targets of an effective labor-management committee –layoff aversion. This team will look at the overall work process in their organization to find ways to improve efficiency and quality. They recognize their jobs are changing, and will work to identify ways in which their skills can best be utilized.

The people who do a job know more about it than anyone else. They know what they do, the problems, they encounter, and how the work system could be improved. Labor-management teams can take advantage of this knowledge to improve efficiency and enable the organization to grow and be more productive.

Hopefully, this committee will be able to save jobs and improve the organization, a true win-win. If the way they came together during the training is an indication, they will be successful.

Blog Entry - May 17, 2010
Characteristics of a Cooperative Labor-Management Committee (Part 2)

This week, I want to continue the list of characteristics of an cooperative labor-management committee. See how you committee compares to the items on these lists.

These are some the things we thing characterize an effective labor-management committee. What other characteristics can you think of?

Blog Entry - May 10, 2010
Characteristics of a Cooperative Labor-Management Committee (Part 1)

Labor-management committees are not a new concept. While they were innovative at one time, today they often represent a continuation of adversarial labor-management relationships. Rather than solving labor-management problems, they often make them worse.

Cooperative, collaborative committees represent a new way of doing business for many organizations. They require the commitment from both labor and management to jointly identify and resolve the problems they both face.

This week, we want to begin to identify some of the characteristics of cooperative labor-management committees.

· Cooperative committees are based on team-based paradigms
It’s been said the best way to kill any idea is to assign it to a committee. This is because committee members often lack a common direction and goals. They flounder at cross purposes and cannot find effective solutions.
By comparison, members of a team have a common purpose and work together towards its achievement. Cooperative committees act in the same way, working as a team to solve problems.

· Cooperative committees use a non-adversarial process
In a traditional environment, labor and management treat each other as natural enemies. This wastes time and prevents each from collaborating to improve the organization. Effective committees avoid adversarial relations and work together.

· Members shift to new cooperative roles
Members commit to working together. By setting aside traditional behaviors in favor of cooperation, they can accomplish good things together.

· Labor and management act together proactively
Traditional labor-management committees operate in reactive mode. They meet when something has gone wrong and talk about it. Reacting does not permit the committee to address the larger concerns in the workplace. By working proactively to identify issues and resolve them, committees have a chance to improve the work system.

· There is an atmosphere of trust
Trust is essential for cooperative committees. Without it, members will be unable to share their concerns and offer possible solutions to problems.

· The team meets frequently on a regular schedule
Traditional committees meet infrequently or on an “as needed” basis. This makes it impossible to solve problems. Effective committees meet regularly, often monthly, and spend their time productively.

Next week, we will take a look at more characteristics of effective, cooperative labor-management committees.

Labor-management committees have been around for a long time. They represent an opportunity for the parties to come together to resolve issues within their organizations. Unfortunately, this opportunity is often lost.

In many organizations, the LMC devolves into mini-negotiations. The parties sit on opposite sides of the table and hurl accusations and demands at each other, and behave as they might during contract bargaining. Little or nothing gets accomplished, members get frustrated, and often meetings are infrequent or cease to occur at all.

Our goal with LMC’s is to build cooperative problem-solving teams that work together to identify and resolve the issues both parties face. Meetings become productive, and members feel they are working together for the good of the organization.

By operating in a cooperative manner, committees have an opportunity to address real workplace issues that can help increase productivity and efficiency, head off problems before they grow, and provide opportunities for increased employment.

Making the transformation from traditional to cooperative is not easy. It requires real effort and the use of a different skill set. Most of all, it requires commitment.

In the committees with which we work, the single most important factor in determining whether or not the committee can function cooperatively is the commitment of each of the members. When members commit to working cooperatively, they can make the transition. Without commitment, it is too easy to slide back into the traditional behaviors that stymied the committee.

Talking about being committed is not enough. Members need to demonstrate their commitment to a cooperative process through their actions. Only by “walking the talk” both in and outside of committee meetings can the necessary trust levels be built.

Establishing a cooperative committee requires the support of the leadership of both management and labor. Whether or not the top leaders are on the actual committee, they must demonstrate their support for the committee as it makes the transition. They must be kept informed about the committee and what it is doing and provide their input. When the committee makes a decision or recommendation, they need to be prepared to support it.

Effective committees must have a common vision and mission shared by all members. Members must have a desire to identify and solve problems in a proactive manner using effective data-driven tools in an established problem-solving process.

Most of all, to begin the transition, members just have to decide to do it. Some of our most effective committees began the process out of frustration over their own meetings. They realized there had to be a better way of operating.

In coming weeks, we’ll look at some other aspects of cooperative labor-management committees.

Welcome to the Columbus Area Labor-Management Committee Blog! Each Monday, we will post a new entry on a topic related to labor-management committees, employee involvement, facilitation skills, layoff aversion, or related areas. Our blog entries can be read here on our website, or on the discussions tab on the CALMC page on Facebook. We are also considering starting a bulletin board.

Through this blog, we hope to provide continuing support to the groups with which we have worked and others interested in the things we are. We hope it will generate discussion about the things we present.

We want to hear from you about our postings. If you go to the Discussions tab on our Facebook page, you can add your comments to our entries. We look forward to hearing your thoughts, ideas, and questions, and hope we can use this to build a dialog. While you’re there, we invite you to join us on the page.

We hope you will make this blog a regular part of your week and will take the time to give us your comments. We’ll keep our posts short and do our best to keep them relevant to you. You can help us with that by suggesting topics for us.

Thanks for joining us and being part of our first blog entry. See you next week.