Negotiation Consultation Process

Negotiation Consultation Deadline for submission of items is December 15th!

Each year the NASCOE Negotiation Team takes the concerns of our membership to Washington, DC to discuss with management. It is an on-going process. Membership is invited to submit Negotiation items by December 15th. This is your chance to voice your concerns, suggestions, requests, and opinions. Each year 100 – 150 items are received and compiled by the NASCOE Secretary. There are currently three ways to submit an item for consideration including e-mail, snail mail, or fax.  Note:  Several have asked about the on-line fillable form that is submitted online by clicking the submit button.  That form will be available again within a few days at www.nascoe.org under the Negotiations page.  In the meantime, a user-friendly fillable form is attached for your use.  All you need do is open the document, fill in the text boxes of the form, save the document to your computer with a different name, then attach it to an e-mail to [email protected] or you can print the form and snail mail or fax to NASCOE Secretary Darlene Schouten (address on bottom of form). 

You may also send copies of the form to your Area Exec and Area Negotiation Consultant.

2005-2006 AREA NEGOTIATING CONSULTANTS

NE AREA - Carole Hill                 SE AREA - Jeanne Monday

SW AREA – Amber Nash             MW AREA - Betsy Mace           NW AREA - Peggy Groen

The Negotiation Process:  In January the Negotiation Team meets to review each item and determine what action should be taken. All items are important to the NASCOE Negotiating Team, and every item submitted will be reviewed, discussed, and possibly debated at the Pre-Negotiation Meeting. The Negotiation Team takes each individual item seriously.

Next, the NASCOE positions on the items are written and submitted to management for management’s initial response.   All the while, the Negotiating Team is researching any new information on each item, sending out surveys, etc., and preparing to go to Washington for the actual negotiation session with management in May.

In May, the Negotiation Team goes to the national office in Washington, DC, to complete the Negotiation/Consultation process. While there, the Team presents each item and it is further discussed, debated, and the NASCOE Team and FSA Management work together to arrive at a resolution to the issue. Usually a solution is arrived at, but sometimes there is no resolution. After all is said and done, the complete list of items with NASCOE positions, FSA responses, and final resolutions are published – usually in June or July.

NASCOE has two additional opportunities to follow up on the Negotiation items: 1) at the annual NASCOE convention, and 2) during our November meeting with management. The NASCOE officers enjoy a good working relationship with Management and many times make the most of opportunities to informally follow up on items during the year.

Some items require Legislative action to initiate change. These items may take a little longer, but, if the item is never submitted it will never be addressed. Please take the time to submit any item that you would like to see the Negotiation Team review and take to Management. This process is available to serve you, the membership.  If you have questions about this process, please feel free to e-mail: [email protected]