At the Society’s Symposium, President Ed Cahoon presented the 2019 Margery Gootnick Labor-Management Relations Award to NTEU Chapter 335 and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The award recognizes parties whose relationship has improved markedly over a period of time and whose accomplishments demonstrate a substantial reduction in filings for third-party resolution, a high level of respect for each other, and a genuine interest in conducting their labor-management relations for the betterment of and in the interest of the American people.
The award is named after a dear friend of SFLERP, Arbitrator Margery Gootnick, a longtime member and Board Member of the Society who passed away eight years ago.
This year’s award recognized the parties for their ability to work together during tough times. In the last two years, the parties resolved over 90 grievances with few going to arbitration. The parties believe in a collaborative relationship which led to 30 midterm initiatives and the first ever 270-page term collective bargaining agreement without the assistance of the FSIP. Their negotiations over the new space agreement expanded telework for employees while saving the Bureau about $15 million in rent costs.
For these and many other reasons, the Board of Directors presented the 2019 Award to Ari Taragin and Constance Chang-Gillespie.