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Mayor Tony Williams and Josh Williams at press conference after meeting, April 7, 1999 GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
News Release Mayor Williams Meets with Labor/Management Partnership CouncilWashington D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams met today with the Labor/Management Partnership Council for the first time under his administration. The Labor/Management Partnership Council is composed of local labor officials and District government managers who w ill meet monthly to discuss ways in which the two can work cooperatively on important issues that affect the District. "Our first priority in District government is to provide quality, efficient, and effective services to the citizens we serve. Labor and management must work together to meet this goal," said Mayor Williams. "This meeting is an important first step in establishing a partnership between labor and management that will benefit all District residents by improving government services." Josh Williams, President of the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL/CID also expressed the need for a collaborative relationship between labor and management. "Taxpayers of this city demand and deserve high quality services provided efficiently and cost-effectively. This is not possible without structured cooperation between the workers of the city and the management. Labor-management cooperation is a powerful tool for service improvement and a better quality of life. Success is not possible without a meaningful commitment between management and labor to do the best job possible for the residents of this city." Mayor Williams and the Labor/Management Partnership Council discussed key aspects of the work force investment strategy introduced in the FY2000 Budget, among other topics, including increased training for workers and Managed Competition, both of which would contribute to the improvement of service delivery in the District. Human Resource Development - The employees of District government are our most important partners in building a government that is more responsive to the needs of citizens. To develop its human resources, the District government must change its current approach to workforce development. The reconstituted program will have three components:
Managed Competition - As the District works to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of its services, it must seek innovative methods of service delivery that improves quality while also reducing cost. After proper training, managed competition will be vehicle available to the district to deliver higher levels of service and reduce cost. Competition can be used to motivate District employees to think innovatively about the work that they perform and their productivity. It also affords the District the opportunity to seek the highest level of service. Mayor Williams concluded the meeting by expressing his support for ongoing efforts to improve the relations between labor and management. "Together, we can make the District a city that every American will be proud to call their capitol. That begins by giving our workers the tools and incentives they need to make the District a city our residents are proud to call home." D.C. LABOR MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL April 7, 1999 Dear District Employee: District management and labor representatives have created the District of Columbia Labor-Management Partnership Council. This Council was established to facilitate a new labor management culture in our city. Specifically, by incorporating employee participation in decisions and training both management and labor to make the cooperative process work, this project seeks to substantially improve service delivery and create a better work environment. One of the first steps required to make this partnership work is to create labor-management partnership councils in all agencies of District Government. Last year, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) awarded the Partnership Council a grant to expand this project to all agencies. To date, at least nine agencies have successfully established a labor-management council. With continued assistance from the US Department of Labor and the FMCS, we are committed to expanding this project to all agencies. More importantly, we intend to use these labor-management partnership councils to facilitate critical aspects of the District's workforce strategy. Labor-management partnership councils provide for a less adversarial and more cooperative work environment. Therefore, we ask that managers, union leaders, and front line workers become fully engaged in this effort fort to improve the work environment and, ultimately, the quality of public services. In Unity,
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