Tuesday, March 9, 2004 Contact:  John Arnold, Director
For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs
Web site:  www.fmcs.gov Phone:  (202) 606-8100


FMCS “ACCESS TO NEUTRALS” INITIATIVE
PUT ON TEMPORARY HOLD

WASHINGTON, DC– The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) today announced that the Agency’s “Access to Neutrals” Initiative has been placed on temporary hold for budgetary reasons.

FMCS envisions creating a registry of qualified professional neutrals meeting standards set by the Agency that would be readily available to the public to conduct workplace alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. Individuals or organizations seeking the help of an ADR professional in resolving a dispute
would access the registry via the Internet, according to Peggy McNeive, Acting Director of the Access to Neutrals Initiative at FMCS.

“We continue to believe it is important to establish a Registry of Neutrals for private sector workplaces,” McNeive said. “But due to current financial constraints on the Agency, FMCS hasdetermined that we need to postpone the implementation of the Initiative.” She added FMCS will review implementation of
the Access to Neutrals Initiative in fiscal year 2005.

During FY2003 and FY2004, the Agency placed its Proposed Regulations in the Federal Register and obtained comments on the regulations from interested parties.  FMCS held a series of meetings with organizations that commented on the proposed regulations and will consider the recommendations the Agency
received when final proposals for the Initiative are issued, McNeive said.

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, created in 1947, is an independent U.S. government agency whose mission is to preserve and promote labor-management peace and cooperation. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 10 district offices and more than 70 field offices, the agency provides mediation
and conflict resolution services to industry, government agencies and communities.