JSA presented a one day steward training to AFGE Local 1945 stewards at Anniston Army Depot. The program was geared to what stewards need to know to be effective under the Local 1945 contract and the Federal Service Labor Management Relations Statute. JSA also presented arbitration training for a select group of senior union representatives including Local President Everett Kelly. The union officials learned the concepts of arbitration and also engaged in hands on exercises in how to make opening statements, do direct and cross examination and develop the theory of the case.

JSA Presents Labor and Employee Relations Forum

JSA developed and moderated a one day Labor and Employee Relations Forum for the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The Forum was held on June 7, 2007 at the NETL facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The program was sponsored by the NETL Labor Management Partnership Council. It covered major topics in federal labor and employee relations. Attending the forum were managers, supervisors, and union representatives of NETL and of other Pittsburgh area federal facilities. Featured speakers at the event were Carol Pope, Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, John Gage, President of AFGE, Robert Tobias, former President of NTEU and currently a Professor at American University, John Bredehoft, an attorney specializing in EEO matters and David Brooks, former Regional Director of the South Central Region of the Army Civilian Personnel Agency.

JSA assisted AFGE Local 1922 in the successful negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement with VT Griffin Services Inc., a federal government contractor at Ft. Stewart, Georgia. The negotiations involved pay and benefit issues as well as contract articles dealing with other working conditions of employees. Working with Local 1922 President, Mark DeUnger, JSA helped the Local to win significant pay and benefits increases for local 1922 employees. The agreement was reached in August 2007 and ratified by the membership of the Union in September.

JSA developed and presented a one day arbitration program at the Executive Meeting of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). The program was held in Denver, Colorado on August 16, 2007. The course was customized to present to the NCUA managers: an understanding of the NCUA negotiated grievance procedure, practical approaches to conduct and performance based actions in a unionized workplace under the NCUA contract, an explanation of Union rights to represent employees in grievances and a demonstration of federal sector arbitration. The course was presented by Joseph Swerdzewski and David Brooks of JSA. Through a series of presentations and role plays the managers gained an understanding of their roles and responsibilities under the negotiated grievance procedure and in arbitration. Attending the meeting were senior NCUA managers from throughout the United States.

JSA provided assistance to the IFPTE in its successful petition to organize employees of the General Accountability Office. Working with IFPTE General Counsel Julie Clark, JSA provided advice and guidance in dealing with the representation process before the GAO Appeals Board.

JSA recently completed a series of two day training programs for the Jacksonville District Corps of Engineers on NSPS Classification and Compensation. These classes were presented in Jacksonville, Florida to the managers and supervisors of the Jacksonville District. The course covered what managers and supervisors need to know to be able to classify jobs under the requirements of the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) and to actually do hands on classifying. The managers were also taught how to make compensation and pay setting decisions under NSPS and through a series of exercises learned how to make pay setting decisions.

JSA presented a one day federal sector collective bargaining training course to union representatives in VISN 4 of the VA. Working with AFGE VA Council District Representative Curtis Jackson JSA developed a course which met the needs of VA union reps. The course was conducted in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and attended by union representatives from all unions representing employees in VISN 4. As a result of the success of the session VISN 4 union representatives have requested JSA present a series of training sessions designed for VISN 4 union reps.

JSA recently completed a series of Performance Management Workshops for managers and employees for the National Energy Technology Laboratory facilities in Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV. Tulsa, OK. and Albany, OR. The program trained employees and managers on the new Department of Energy Performance Management System and the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement affecting performance management with an emphasis on hands on development critical elements and there tie in with agency goals.

JSA developed and moderated a one day Labor and Employee Relations Forum for the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The Forum was held on June 7, 2007 at NETL facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The program was sponsored by the NETL Labor Management Partnership Council. It covered major topics in federal labor and employee relations. Attending the forum were managers, supervisors, and union representatives of NETL and other Pittsburgh area federal facilities. Featured speakers at the event were Carol Pope, who is an appointed Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, John Gage, President of AFGE, Robert Tobias, former President of NTEU and currently a Professor at American University, John Bredehoft, a Virginia Beach Attorney specializing in EEO matters and David Brooks, former Regional Director of the South Central Region of the Army Civilian Personnel Command.

JSA Delivers Testimony

Joseph Swerdzewski, founder of JSA, receintly delivered a testimony before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Federal Workforce, Postal Service and District of Columbia Subcommittee U.S. House of Representatives. This testimony was concerning Cost and Impact on Morale, Minorities and Labor - Management Relations of Design, Implementation and Training Related to New Personnel Systems, at the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Transportation Security Agency, Internal Revenue Service, and Government Accountability Office.

Joseph Swerdzewski, founder of JSA, and Jeffrey Cook, a JSA consultant, were featured speakers at the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Regional Conferences held recently in Grapevine, Texas. They presented a program entitled "Leadership in Labor Relations." The primary objectives of the program were to: provide an understanding of federal sector labor unions; develop a labor relations leadership approach at NCUA; develop a philosophy of how labor relations should be conducted at NCUA and develop an understanding of compliance based systems in labor relations. The program was successful with more than 130 attendees participated in a number of exercises aimed at developing their understanding of their role in labor relations at NCUA.

Joseph Swerdzewski was welcomed as a guest speaker at the Department of the Navy, Labor and Employee Relations Strategic Meeting held September 28, 2006 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His topic was "Bargaining Over Implementation of the National Security Personnel System using Chapter 71 of Title 5." His presentation was an overview of bargaining over the implementation of NSPS during the period the NSPS labor relations system is enjoined. His audience consisted of over 70 labor and employee relations experts from U.S. Navy facilities around the country.

In September 2006 JSA developed and presented contract administration training to the managers of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) at its Morgantown, West Virginia and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania facilities. The training provided the managers with a clear understanding of their role in administering the recently negotiated collective bargaining agreements covering employees at these facilities as well as the new changes included in the new agreement. JSA had previously assisted NETL and AFGE by providing facilitation services leading to the successful negotiation of the two agreements.

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