AFMC leads Air Force in alternative dispute resolutions

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Carl Norman
  • Air Force Materiel Command News Service
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --  Air Force Materiel Command is the "Air Force's most dominant major command" regarding workplace disputes and resolving them via alternative-dispute-resolution techniques, according to a recent Air Force general counsel report.

Coming from general counsel's dispute resolution division, the report comes two years after AFMC became the first Defense Department organization to implement the program at a major-command level.

The report indicates that because AFMC has the lion's share of government civilian employees, it also accounted for 59 percent (3,531) of the 6,004 civilian disputes logged across the Air Force during the time period. Civilian workplace disputes include discrimination complaints, employee grievances, unfair labor practice complaints and appeals to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Command officials credit the techniques for resolving 1,299 of the 1,797 cases where they were attempted, for what general counsel officials characterized as an "impressive resolution rate.” In fiscal 2003, the command accounted for two-thirds of all workplace dispute ADR activity in the Air Force.

ADR allows people involved in a workplace dispute to voluntarily come together with a neutral mediator and work to a mutually agreeable solution. They do this without going through time-consuming and costly legal proceedings as with formal grievance procedures where lawyers and courtrooms enter the picture, said Gena King, AFMC alternative dispute resolution program manager.

"ADR saves the Air Force money and time, and contributes to resolving disputes amicably which is better for everyone in the long run," Ms. King said.

It also increased morale and productivity.

"Most employees just want someone to listen when they have a problem," she said. "ADR gives them the opportunity to vent their concerns to a third party to get it off their shoulders, get it resolved and get everyone back to work versus spending months and months in legal proceedings in a formal process."

Promoting alternative dispute resolution use is a cornerstone of the partnership forged by AFMC leaders and the union that represents the majority of the command’s bargaining unit employees, said Dr. Dan Stewart, the command’s executive director. He is a co-chair of the partnership council.

"(Command and union officials) are working together to create and sustain an environment that will take care of our people so they, in turn, can accomplish the AFMC mission," Dr. Stewart said. "The partnership council is committed to promoting the use of alternative dispute resolution to the maximum extent possible, and at the lowest possible level."

The Air Force general counsel report lauded several command bases for outstanding results.

-- Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. After union representatives filed several grievances and an unfair labor practice charge against a supervisor, union and management officials agreed to use ADR to resolve the issues. Within eight hours, the unfair labor practice and nine grievances had been resolved.

-- Hill AFB, Utah. A new employee, who had 30 years experience outside the government, came to work with a positive attitude and was very motivated. Following his annual performance rating, he became unmotivated, negative and displayed an apathetic attitude. During mediation, the employee, his manager and a neutral mediator discussed the employee's performance and the rating given. They worked together to determine what the appropriate rating should be. Officials said the employee regained his positive, motivated attitude and was committed to improving in areas his manager addressed.

-- Robins AFB, Ga. Management and union officials signed three agreements on partnership, grievance mediation and unfair labor practice dispute resolution. The grievance-mediation process experienced a 70-percent resolution rate for all grievances mediated, while 97 percent of all unfair labor practice charges were resolved, said Reginald Butts, Robins labor relations section chief. (Courtesy of AFMC News Service)