Problem Partnerships Targeted

The National Partnership Council on Wednesday vowed that next year it will "aggressively intervene" in troubled labor-management partnerships.

"We need to ensure that these folks who do have partnership problems get the help that they need," National Treasury Employees Union President Robert Tobias said at the NPC's monthly meeting.

In a discussion of the NPC's 1998 draft strategic plan, Senior Executives Association President Carol Bonosaro suggested "tightening up" the council's 1997 goal of "focusing on partnerships experiencing difficulties."

This year, the NPC received requests for help from 34 labor-management groups. The council selected 13 of the most troubled candidates and was successful in recruiting two of the groups for a skills-building workshop.

"It's important for us to do follow-ups on these intervention efforts and get a sense of our involvement," said John Leyden, secretary-treasurer of the Public Employment Department of the AFL-CIO.

In 1998, the NPC also plans to encourage partnerships efforts to address major National Performance Review objectives, such as increasing efficiency, improving service and reducing costs.

"We need to serve as the stimulator, facilitator and resource to provide information to these partnerships on how to measure effectiveness," Tobias said.

In response to a 1997 goal of involving labor and management representatives from agencies not represented on the NPC, the council decided to explore the creation of regional partnership councils that mirror the NPC.

In memory of former American Federation of Government Employees President John M. Sturdivant, who served on the NPC prior to his death last month, the council unanimously voted to name the National Partnership Award in his honor.