View source for Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

{{Organization
|OrganizationName=Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
|OrganizationType=Independent Agency
|Mission=To prevent or minimize interruptions of commerce due to labor-management disputes by providing mediation, arbitration, and preventive conflict resolution services. FMCS aims to foster stable and productive labor-management relationships.
|ParentOrganization=Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
|TopOrganization=Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
|CreationLegislation=Executive Order 10001 (1947)
|Employees=240
|Budget=$50 million (2024 Fiscal Year)
|OrganizationExecutive=Director
|Services=Mediation; Arbitration; Training; Relationship Development
|HeadquartersLocation=38.88292, -77.01443
|HeadquartersAddress=250 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20447, USA
|Website=https://www.fmcs.gov/
}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name = Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
| nativename = 
| seal = Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.jpg
| seal_width = 
| seal_caption = 
| formed = June 23, 1947
| preceding1 = [[United States Conciliation Service]]
| jurisdiction = [[Federal government of the United States]]
| headquarters = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| employees = 218 employees including 156 federal mediators  (2019) <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fmcs.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/FMCS-Role-and-Function-FY18-Update-Aug-1-2019.pdf |title=Role & Function of the FMCS |website=Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>
| budget = 
| chief1_name = Vacant
| chief1_position = Director
| chief2_name = Gregory Goldstein
| chief2_position = Acting Director and Chief Operating Officer
| chief4_name = Scot Beckenbaugh
| chief4_position = National Representative
| chief5_name = 
| chief5_position = 
| website = [http://www.fmcs.gov/internet www.fmcs.gov]
| footnotes = 
| logo = 
| chief6_name = 
| chief6_position = 
| chief7_name = 
| chief7_position = 
| chief8_name = 
| chief8_position = 
| chief9_name = 
| chief9_position = 
| parent_department = 
}}
'''Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS)''' is an independent agency that facilitates the resolution of labor disputes, helping to maintain industrial peace and boost productivity in the U.S. economy.

It was founded in 1947, is an [[Independent agencies of the United States government|independent agency of the United States government]], and the nation's largest public agency for dispute resolution and conflict management, providing mediation services and related conflict prevention and resolution services in the private, public, and federal sectors. FMCS is tasked with mediating labor disputes around the country; it provides training and relationship development programs for management and unions as part of its role in promoting labor-management peace and cooperation. The Agency also provides mediation, conflict prevention, and conflict management services outside the labor context for federal agencies and the programs they operate. The FMCS headquarters is located in [[Washington, D.C.]], with other offices across the country.

{{Official URL (simple)|url=https://www.fmcs.gov/}}

==Mission==

The mission of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is to reduce or prevent labor-management disputes that could interrupt commerce. By offering mediation, arbitration, and other conflict resolution tools, FMCS helps to negotiate labor agreements, resolve disputes, and cultivate cooperative labor-management relationships.

==Parent organization==

FMCS operates as an independent agency without a parent organization, directly serving under the authority of the President of the United States.

==Legislation==

FMCS was established by [https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/10001.html Executive Order 10001] in 1947 by President Truman, later codified into law with the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947.

==Partners==

FMCS collaborates with:

* [[Department of Labor|U.S. Department of Labor]]
* Various labor unions and management groups.

==Number of employees==

FMCS has approximately 240 employees.

==Organization structure==

=== Mediation Division ===
The primary function of this division is to facilitate negotiations between disputing parties without imposing a solution. Mediation is a voluntary process where a neutral third party, known as a mediator, helps the parties communicate, clarify issues, and reach a mutually acceptable agreement.

=== Arbitration Services ===
Arbitration serves as an alternative to court litigation where an arbitrator or a panel makes a decision after hearing arguments and evidence from both sides. This decision can be binding or non-binding based on prior agreement.

=== Training and Education ===
This division focuses on equipping individuals and organizations with the skills needed to manage and resolve conflicts effectively, thereby preventing disputes from escalating.

==List of programs==

* Mediation Services - https://www.fmcs.gov/services/mediation/
* Arbitration Services - https://www.fmcs.gov/services/arbitration/
* Relationship Development and Training - https://www.fmcs.gov/services/training/

==Last total enacted budget==

The last total enacted budget for FMCS was approximately $50 million for the 2024 Fiscal Year.

==Leader==

The organization is led by a '''Director'''.

==Services provided==

FMCS offers mediation to resolve disputes before they escalate into strikes or lockouts, provides arbitrators for binding arbitration, conducts preventive mediation to avert conflicts, and offers training in conflict resolution and negotiation skills. They also facilitate relationship development between labor and management to foster cooperation and improve workplace environments.

==Regulations overseen==

FMCS does not directly oversee regulations but supports the implementation of labor laws by facilitating peaceful resolutions to conflicts.

==Headquarters address==

250 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20447, USA

==History==

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service was established in 1947 to help manage labor disputes in the post-war United States, aiming to keep economic disruptions to a minimum. Over the years, FMCS has expanded its services to include preventive mediation, training, and broader relationship development strategies, adapting to the changing landscape of labor relations.

== About FMCS ==
FMCS was created by Congress as a neutral and independent government agency upon enactment of the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947 ([[Taft–Hartley Act]]) and mandated to resolve industrial conflict and promote labor-management peace and cooperation, minimizing the impact of these disputes on the free flow of commerce. With its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and offices across the country, the agency has, for decades, been providing dispute resolution and conflict management services for employers and unions across industries and work activities in the private, public, and federal sectors. FMCS has also been involved in facilitating negotiated rulemaking processes and providing conflict prevention and conflict management for a wide range of agencies in the federal sector. The Agency also has an international program, partnering with more than 60 countries to provide consulting and training in labor dispute resolution and the design of conflict management systems.

==Role under the Taft–Hartley Act==
[[File:Wikimania dc 13.07.2012 10-45-22.jpg|thumb|Former Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service headquarters in [[Washington, D.C.]] (now demolished)]]
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service was created as an independent agency of the federal government under the terms of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (better known as the Taft–Hartley Act) to replace the [[United States Conciliation Service]] that previously operated within the [[United States Department of Labor|Department of Labor]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Starks |first=Louis |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/06/24/archives/analysis-of-the-labor-act-shows-changed-era-at-hand-for-industry.html |title=Analysis of the Labor Act Shows Changed Era at Hand for Industry; Labor Act Analysis Shows New Era for Industry |work=The New York Times |date=June 24, 1947 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref> Under Taft-Hartley, FMCS may offer its services "in any labor dispute in any industry affecting commerce, either upon its own motion or upon the request of one or more of the parties to the dispute, whenever in its judgment such dispute threatens to cause a substantial interruption of commerce."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/173|title=29 U.S. Code § 173 - Functions of Service|website=LII / Legal Information Institute|language=en|access-date=2019-07-19}}</ref> By statute, FMCS receives advance notification any time a party to a collective bargaining agreement intends to terminate or modify the contract upon expiration. No modification or termination of a collective bargaining agreement is permitted unless the party wishing to modify or terminate notifies the other party at least 60 days prior to expiration and, within 30 days after notice to the other party, notifies FMCS and applicable state mediation agencies. For healthcare institutions, the notice times are extended to 90 and 60 days respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/158|title=29 U.S. Code § 158 - Unfair labor practices|website=LII / Legal Information Institute|language=en|access-date=2019-07-19}}</ref>

FMCS also has a large labor arbitration program. The Agency maintains a roster of approximately 1,000 private arbitrators who are vetted based on their background, experience, and training in issues arising under collective bargaining agreements. Typically, more than 10,000 requests for arbitrator panels are received by FMCS each year from parties to labor-management grievance disputes. Panels are randomly drawn from the FMCS Roster based on specified parameters, and the parties select an arbitrator who is then officially appointed by FMCS. Arbitrators must abide by the Code of Professional Responsibility for Arbitrators of Labor-Management Disputes, to which FMCS is a signatory; the Code is incorporated by reference in the Agency's federal regulations.&nbsp; &nbsp;

==Formation and first director==
On August 7, 1947, [[President of the United States]] Harry S. Truman appointed [[Cyrus S. Ching]] as the first director of the FMCS. As Director of the FMCS, he received $12,000, placing the position at par with the [[National Labor Relations Board]]. Ching had been a member of the [[National War Labor Board (1942–1945)|National War Labor Board]] until 1943, and had been an employee of the [[United States Rubber Company]] since 1919, serving as the firm's director of industrial and public relations in 1929. Ching would take office as of August 22, 1947, the date established in the Taft&ndash;Hartley Act for the creation of the FMCS as an independent agency, and would assume the role of the nation's top labor mediator from Edgar L. Warren, who had filled the senior mediation role for the U.S. Conciliation Service within the Labor Department.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/08/08/archives/appointed-by-president-as-us-mediation-chief.html |title=Appointed by President As U.S. Mediation Chief |work=The New York Times |date=August 8, 1948 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref> After conferring with the President in August, Ching stated that he would assume his role as director in early September upon the completion of his duties at U.S.&nbsp;Rubber. Ching stated that his role was to settle labor disputes at the level when and where they develop.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0C12FD3D55147B93C1A81783D85F438485F9 |title=CHING, PRESIDENT CONFER; Mediation Head Expects to Take Office About Sept. 3 |work=The New York Times |date=August 13, 1947 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

Ching was sworn into office on September 5, 1947, with an oath administered by Judge [[Henry White Edgerton]] at ceremonies also attended by Howard T. Colvin, who served as acting head from the August 22 creation of the FMCS, as well as other representatives of labor, industry and government.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/09/06/archives/cs-ching-is-sworn-in-as-mediation-chief-declares-he-will-produce-no.html |title=C. S. Ching Is Sworn In as Mediation Chief; Declares He Will Produce 'No Miracles' |work=The New York Times |date=September 6, 1947 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

== Directors ==
Directors of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (with the date they took office listed and the President who made the appointment shown in parentheses), are as follows:<ref name="history">{{cite web |url=https://www.fmcs.gov/aboutus/our-history/ |title=A Timeline of Events in Modern American Labor Relations |website=Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

#[[Cyrus S. Ching]] (1947; Truman)
#[[David L. Cole]] (1952; Truman)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/09/16/archives/president-accepts-ching-resignation-he-praises-nations-top-labor.html |title=President Accepts Ching Resignation; He Praises Nation's Top Labor Conciliator -- David L. Cole Named Mediation Head |work=The New York Times |date=September 16, 1952 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>
#[[Whitney P. McCoy]] (1953; [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]])
#[[Joseph F. Finnegan]] (1955; Eisenhower)
#[[William E. Simkin]] (1961; [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]]), the longest-serving Director, departing office in 1969
#[[J. Curtis Counts]] (1970; [[Richard Nixon|Nixon]])
#[[William Usery, Jr.]] (1973; Nixon)
#[[James F. Scearce]] (1976; [[Gerald Ford|Ford]])
#[[Wayne L. Horvitz]] (1977; [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]])
#[[Kenneth Moffett]] (1982; [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]]), served for seven months.
#[[Kay McMurray]] (1982; Reagan)
#[[Bernard E. DeLury]] (1990; [[George H. W. Bush|G. H. W. Bush]])
#[[John Calhoun Wells]] (1993; [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]])
#[[C. Richard Barnes]] (1999; Clinton)
#[[Peter J. Hurtgen]] (2002; [[George W. Bush|G. W. Bush]])
#[[Arthur F. Rosenfeld]] (2006; G. W. Bush)
#[[George H. Cohen]] (2009; [[Barack Obama|Obama]])
#[[Allison Beck]] (2014; Obama), the first woman to serve as director
#[[Richard Giacolone]] (2018; [[Donald J. Trump]])

== Notable roles and events ==
Representatives of the FMCS played a role in negotiations between [[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation]] and the Marine and Shipbuilding Workers in a strike that started in June 1947.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/09/23/archives/ship-strike-nears-end-federal-mediators-report-progress-in.html |title=SHIP STRIKE NEARS END; Federal Mediators Report Progress in Bethlehem Tie-up |work=The New York Times |date=September 23, 1947 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

In 1973, a Relationship-by-Objectives (RBO) program is developed for use in extreme cases of poor labor-management relations, when continued deterioration of the relationship could have drastic economic effect. The first RBO program is delivered in Maine on behalf of the Georgia-Pacific Company and Paperworkers Local 27.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.fmcs.gov/aboutus/our-history/|title=FMCS History}}</ref>

In 1975, FMCS officially entered a new arena:&nbsp; Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Congress passes Public Law 93-531, directing the Service to mediate a 100-year old land dispute between the Hopi and Navajo Indian Tribes in Arizona.<ref name=":0" />

In 1978, Congress extended the FMCS charter to mediate disputes beyond the private sector to the Federal government.<ref name=":0" />

In November,1979, FMCS began mediating age discrimination complaints.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/laws-regulations-guidance/nondiscrimination-basis-of-age/index.html|title=Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance From HHS45 CFR Part 91|date=14 August 2007 |website=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

In 1983, FMCS was the first agency to provide the service of negotiated rulemaking, or “reg-neg.” Conducted with the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Transportation, regulations were developed to deal with flight and duty time of pilots.<ref name=":0" />

The institutionalization of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) came with the passage of the ADR Act of 1990 which created the responsibility of every federal agency to look at its mission and to see what could be resolved through ADR techniques; also to establish an ADR coordinator, and to promote these efforts.&nbsp;FMCS testified and described the kind of work it did both for promoting ADR and negotiated rulemaking.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adr.gov/adrguide/04-statutes |title=Key ADR Statutes |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=adr.gov}}</ref>

In 1996, representatives from FMCS facilitated an ADR process in Minnesota regarding land use issues in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and in Voyageurs National Park (VNP).&nbsp; In addition to agreements reached on the BWCAW, the mediation team also announced agreements on strategies to handle problems in the park having to do with public safety, improved Park Service consultation with local people, and other issues.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/1996/10/03/senate-section/article/S12344-1|title=BOUNDARY WATERS AND VOYAGEURS DISPUTES SHOULD BE RESOLVED THROUGH MEDIATION IN MINNESOTA |date=October 3, 1996 |website=congress.gov |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

In 1997, representatives from FMCS mediated negotiations between United Parcel Service and the [[International Brotherhood of Teamsters]]. It required three weeks of mediation to bring an end to the largest national strike in two decades.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.users.interport.net/d/w/dwfunk/the_med/11-97/fmcs_mediates.htm|title=FMCS Mediates UPS/Teamster Strike |website=users.interport.net |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

In June 2002, representatives from FMCS facilitated National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) discussions in New York City regarding the scope of the subsequent building and fire safety investigation following the [[September 11 attacks | Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks]]. The meetings, which were conducted over the course of five sessions, featured more than 30 speakers, many of whom had family members and friends who were killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. The impact of FMCS’ role was a successful discussion which provided important data for NIST's assessment and investigation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2002/08/commerces-nist-details-federal-investigation-world-trade-center-collapse|title=Commerce's NIST Details Federal Investigation of World Trade Center Collapse|website=NIST |date=21 August 2002 }}</ref>

Representatives of the FMCS mediated negotiations between the [[National Football League]] and the [[National Football League Players Association]] in contract talks in February 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/41650270/ns/sports-player_news/ |title=NFL, NFLPA to start federal mediation on Monday |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010171828/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/41650270/ns/sports-player_news/ |archivedate=2012-10-10 |date=February 17, 2011 |access-date=February 17, 2011 |website=NBC Sports}}</ref>

In November 2012, the [[National Hockey League]] and [[National Hockey League Players Association]] agreed to submit their negotiations to the FMCS in an effort to resolve the [[2012 NHL lockout]].<ref>{{cite news |last=McGran |first=Kevin |date=November 26, 2012 |url=http://www.thespec.com/news/article/843421--nhl-lockout-mediators-called-in-for-meetings-this-week |title=NHL lockout: Mediators called in for meetings this week |work=The Hamilton Spectator |access-date=November 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129043720/http://www.thespec.com/news/article/843421--nhl-lockout-mediators-called-in-for-meetings-this-week |archive-date=November 29, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2015, representatives from FMCS facilitated a regulatory negotiations process with the US Department of Energy involving industry, labor groups, and environmentalists to help produce the biggest energy savings standards in US history.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/17/meet-the-biggest-energy-efficiency-rule-the-u-s-has-ever-released/?noredirect=on|title=Obama just released the biggest energy efficiency rule in U.S. history|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Chris |last=Mooney |date=17 December 2015 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

In 2015, representatives of the FMCS mediated negotiations and agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association covering operations at 29 U.S. ports on the Pacific coast. Subsequently, an extension to the contract was announced in with a July 1, 2022 expiration date.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fmcs.gov/fmcs-applauds-ilwu-pma-west-coast-ports-announcements/|title=FMCS Applauds ILWU-PMA West Coast Ports Announcements|date=31 July 2017 |website=Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service}}</ref>

In February 2019, representatives of the FMCS mediated negotiations and agreement between the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and Denver Public School District, ending not only “the first teachers' strike in Denver in 25 years -- it concludes 15 months of sometimes acrimonious negotiations.” <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/denver-teachers-strike-ends-historic-deal/story?id=61072820|title=Denver teachers strike ends with 'historic' deal|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |first=Bill |last=Hutchinson |date=14 February 2019 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

From January to April 2019, FMCS facilitated regulatory negotiations meetings with the Department of Education. The meetings proposed changes/new regulations for the Federal Student Aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended. These particular negotiations were on the topic of Accreditation and Innovation, including TEACH grant requirements, Distance Learning and Faith-Based Institutions. The meetings were live-streamed and open to the public with time at the end of each day for public comment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2018/index.html|title=Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education 2018-19|date=30 June 2022 |website=U.S. Department of Education |access-date=19 February 2024 }}</ref>

In April 2019, FMCS and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) officially committed to work together to resolve federal workplace disputes by utilizing ADR as a means of efficiently reducing the backlog of federal sector charges, &nbsp;<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/eeoc-offers-new-alternative-dispute-resolution-route/|title=EEOC Offers New Alternative Dispute Resolution Route |date= April 16, 2019 |work=Fedweek |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

In June 2019, FMCS and the Federal Labor Relations Authority (Authority) announced a new commitment to work together to provide labor organizations and agencies with an opportunity to resolve negotiability appeals before they are considered by the Authority's Members for a decision.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.fedsmith.com/2019/06/28/flra-fmcs-pilot-program-speed-labor-negotiations/|title=FLRA/FMCS Pilot Program to Speed Up Labor Negotiations |website=FedSmith |first= Ralph R. |last=Smith |date=June 28, 2019 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

In August 2019, representatives of FMCS mediated negotiations between the State of Alaska and the Inlandboatmen's Union, ending a nine-day strike.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/content/news/Ferry-worker-strike-ends-IBU-representative-confirms-514034381.html|title=AMHS says it will resume sailing on Sunday after union strike ends |first=Gilbert |last=Cordova |date=2 August 2019 |access-date=19 February 2024 |work=Alaska's News Source}}</ref>

In August 2020, representatives from Bath Iron Works and International Association of Machinists Local S6 signed an agreement with FMCS’ assistance to end the shipyard worker strike in Bath, Maine. The 63-day strike drew national attention against the backdrop of a global pandemic and in an election year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FMCS Statement on Labor Agreement Between Bath Iron Works and International Association of Machinists Local S6|date=10 August 2020 |url=https://www.fmcs.gov/fmcs-statement-on-labor-agreement-between-bath-iron-works-and-international-association-of-machinists-local-s6/ |website=Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

== Shared Neutrals program ==
In 2019, FMCS began administrative management of the Federal Shared Neutrals Program, an interagency collaborative effort in support of alternative dispute resolution, formerly operated as Sharing Neutrals by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). FMCS administers the program in the National Capital Region, in coordination with participating federal agencies that contribute to, and make use of, a pool of collateral-duty federal employees to mediate cases outside their own agency. In many regions of the country, Federal Executive Boards (FEBs) have created individual programs modeled after the DC-based program but run through each FEB. These programs continue separate operations, except for those who may wish to have FMCS administer their regional Shared Neutrals program.

Annually, the Shared Neutrals Program provides workplace mediation services for hundreds of cases across more than 50 participating agencies and sub-agencies, supported by a pool of more than 250 collateral-duty federal employees who are dedicated to assisting in the resolution of workplace disputes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fmcs.gov/fmcs-to-head-administration-of-national-capital-area-shared-neutrals-program/|title=FMCS to Head Administration of National Capital Area Shared Neutrals Program|date=3 December 2018 }}</ref>

== Awards and accolades ==
FMCS received the top ranking among small Federal agencies as a Best Place to Work in the Federal Government, according to the 2018 rankings by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service and Boston Consulting Group.

With rankings first being held in 2003, 2018 marks the fifth time FMCS was selected for the top spot, having also earned this distinction in 2005, 2007, 2015, and in 2017. Additionally, the Agency has consistently ranked in the top 4 since the “small agency” category rankings were first included in 2007. Data points from the FEVS revealed that FMCS's 2018 employee engagement score is 87.2 out of 100, which placed FMCS at 1 out of 29 small agencies. By 2022, the score had dropped to 63.6 out of 100, placing FMCS as the 24th out of 30 small agencies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bestplacestowork.org/rankings/detail/?c=FM00|website=Best Places to Work in the Federal Government |title=Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

== National Labor-Management Conference (NLMC) ==
FMCS hosts a biennial conference to promote better relationship and dispute management as a proactive means for preventing conflict that can impair organizational success.&nbsp; Historically, the NLMC attracts over 1000 industrial relations professionals, representatives of labor and management, academics, arbitrators and legal professionals across the labor relations and employment spectrum. The conference was most recently held virtually in 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fmcs.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Agenda-Page-NLMC-2020-1.pdf |title=Conference Agenda |website=Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref> The next conference, “Challenges and Choices at Work in a Time of Heightened Worker Activism”, is scheduled for June 26-30, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fmcs.gov/nlmc-info/ |title=National Labor-Management Conference |website=Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{official|https://www.fmcs.gov/}}
* [https://www.fmcs.gov/ Official Website]
* [[wikipedia:Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service]]
* [https://www.fmcs.gov/resources/ FMCS Resources]
* [https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/federal-mediation-and-conciliation-service Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service] in the [[Federal Register]]
*Records available on-line through the [https://catalog.archives.gov/ National Archives Catalog]:
::[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12166053 Digital Photographs of Officials and Staff, c. 1913 - c. 2009]
::[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12084963 Director's Speeches and Presentations, 1960 - 2004]
::[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12079549 History Files, 1947 - 2007]
::[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12079483 Official Publications, 1947 - 1990]

[[Category:Independent Agencies of the United States Government]]
[[Category:Mediation]]
[[Category:Independent agencies of the United States government|Mediation and Conciliation Service]]
[[Category:Labor relations organizations]]