FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 5, 1997

CONTACT: Mary Ann Maloney (202) 606-1800 mamalone@opm.gov

Washington, D.C.--Members of the labor-management team at the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair in Groton, Connecticut are being honored by the National Partnership Council for their efforts in creating a team that has improved customer service and saved tax dollars. The members of the Groton, Connecticut Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair partnership will receive the award at the National Partnership Award ceremony on:

The National Partnership Council was created on October 1, 1993, by President Clinton to forge labor-management relations throughout the Executive Branch and encourage agencies and unions to work together to create a government that works better and costs less. The Council is comprised of federal cabinet and agency officials, the presidents of the American Federation of Government Employees, National Treasury Employees Union, the National Federation of Federal Employees, a representative of the Public Employees Department of the AFL-CIO, and representatives from the Senior Executive Association and the Federal Managers Association.

The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair supports the submarine forces by supervising and administering procurement, ship design, construction, overhaul and repair contracts. Faced with the prospect of having to reduce staff by 55 percent by fiscal year 1998, labor and management formed a partnership team to oversee all aspects of the downsizing effort. Because of the partnership efforts, employees were given more than double the mandatory 60 day notice, providing them with additional time to locate other positions. As of July 1997, 219 of the 220 affected employees were successfully transitioned to other jobs in the federal or private sector, or have retired under the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program. The Partnership Committee accomplished this downsizing effort without a single grievance or EEO complaint. Employees at the command recognize the downsizing was done fairly and that their interests were well represented by the Partnership Committee. As a result of the high level of trust and communication that exists between labor and management, grievances at the command are at an all time low.

In addition to saluting the Groton, Connecticut Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair partnership, the National Partnership Council will present awards to six other partnerships that have improved service and saved money.

Each of the partnerships we recognize today is a model for managers and unions as they work together to deliver the highest quality services to the American people, said Vice President Al Gore, who has spearheaded the Reinventing Government effort.

Janice R. Lachance, Acting OPM Director and Chair of the NPC, added, Todays honorees have proven that federal labor-management partnerships provide real results for the American people by saving taxpayer money and delivering better services.

Members of the media wishing to attend the ceremony should contact OPMs Mary Ann Maloney at 202-606-1800 or at mamalone@opm.gov. A live satellite broadcast can be downlinked using the following coordinates:

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