Opportunity Information: Apply for FMCS 2010
Apply for FMCS 2010
- The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in the business and commerce education employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FMCS Labor Management Cooperation Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 34.002 Labor Management Cooperation.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 2, 2010 and posted on Mar 1, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $349,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $125,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Independent school districts Public and State controlled institutions of higher education County governments City or township governments For profit organizations other than small businesses State governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
- Note The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses.
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Opportunity Summary:
The FMCS Labor Management Cooperation Grant Program (Funding Opportunity Number FMCS 2010, CFDA 34.002) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service designed to strengthen day-to-day collaboration between organized labor and management through the creation or operation of joint labor-management committees. Grounded in the Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978, the program’s core purpose is to support practical, committee-driven efforts that improve how employers and union-represented employees communicate, solve shared problems, and jointly plan improvements that benefit both the workforce and the organization. The program is not about mediating contract disputes or providing general job training, and FMCS specifically notes it does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses. Instead, proposals are expected to focus tightly on the committee itself and on cooperative activities that advance labor-management partnerships outside the normal collective bargaining process.
The Act highlights seven broad categories of work that can be funded, and successful projects typically align clearly with one or more of these themes. These include improving communication between labor and management representatives; giving workers and employers structured opportunities to study and test innovative joint approaches to organizational effectiveness; helping both sides address problems of mutual concern that are not easily resolved through bargaining; examining and preventing issues that could reduce competitiveness or hinder economic development at the company, plant, area, or industry level; increasing worker involvement in decisions that affect their working lives; expanding and improving working relationships between workers and managers; and encouraging free collective bargaining by establishing ongoing, structured mechanisms for employer-employee communication through the formation and operation of labor-management committees. In practice, this means FMCS is looking for proposals where labor and management share ownership of the process, agree on specific objectives, and use the committee as a standing forum to do real work that improves trust, performance, and problem-solving.
A key eligibility and design feature is that “labor” is defined as employees who are represented by a labor organization and covered by a formal collective bargaining agreement. For public sector settings, the program allows coverage under a formal collective bargaining agreement or another enforceable labor-management agreement. Committees can be organized at different levels, and the program distinguishes them primarily by scope and focus. A plant or company committee generally serves one employer and is limited to one or more units within that employer’s operations. An area committee typically brings together multiple employers from different industries and multiple unions within a specific geographic jurisdiction such as a city, county, multi-county region, or statewide area. An industry committee usually spans multiple enterprises and related union(s) producing a common product or service, and it may operate locally, statewide, regionally, or nationally within the private sector. A public sector committee involves government employees and managers within one or more local or state government units, public higher education institutions, or public elementary and secondary schools, as long as the labor-management relationship is governed by an appropriate agreement. When an application could be interpreted as either an area or industry committee, FMCS indicates it will look at both the definitions and the actual focus of the committee’s work.
For FY2010, competition was open to company/plant, area, private industry, and public sector committees, with special consideration given to applications proposing innovative or unique efforts. The funding instrument type is listed as both a grant and a cooperative agreement, signaling that recipients may receive more active federal involvement or oversight than a standard grant in certain cases. Applicants were advised to keep budgets centered on committee support and avoid requesting funds for activities readily available through other federal programs, explicitly citing job training and mediation of contract disputes as examples of things that should not be the main thrust of the request.
Funding for this opportunity was limited but meaningful for committee operations. FMCS expected to make about five awards with an estimated total program funding level of $349,000. Individual awards were projected to fall between a floor of $65,000 and a ceiling of $125,000, and the opportunity required cost sharing or matching, meaning applicants needed to contribute non-federal resources toward the project. Eligible applicant types included a wide range of public and private entities that could credibly host or support labor-management committees, such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), reflecting the program’s emphasis on established institutions where collective bargaining relationships already exist.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted March 1, 2010, with an application closing date of June 30, 2010. The program contact listed for assistance was Linda Gray Broughton, Grants Management Specialist at FMCS (phone 202-606-8181), intended for applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement or needed clarification on submission details.
FMCS Labor Management Cooperation Grant Program (FMCS 2010 / CFDA 34.002) - FAQs
What is the FMCS Labor Management Cooperation Grant Program?
It is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) that supports the creation or operation of joint labor-management committees. The program is grounded in the Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 and is designed to strengthen day-to-day collaboration between organized labor and management.
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The core purpose is to fund practical, committee-driven efforts that improve how employers and union-represented employees communicate, solve shared problems, and jointly plan improvements that benefit both the workforce and the organization, outside the normal collective bargaining process.
What types of projects does FMCS want to fund?
Projects are expected to focus tightly on the joint committee itself and on cooperative activities that advance labor-management partnerships. Successful proposals typically align with one or more of the Act's seven broad categories of work, such as improving communication, expanding worker involvement, strengthening working relationships, and creating structured mechanisms for ongoing employer-employee communication through labor-management committees.
What are the seven categories of work that can be funded under the Act?
The Act highlights seven broad categories, including: improving communication between labor and management representatives; providing structured opportunities to study and test innovative joint approaches to organizational effectiveness; helping labor and management address problems of mutual concern not easily resolved through bargaining; examining and preventing issues that could reduce competitiveness or hinder economic development at the company, plant, area, or industry level; increasing worker involvement in decisions affecting their working lives; expanding and improving working relationships between workers and managers; and encouraging free collective bargaining by establishing structured mechanisms for employer-employee communication through forming and operating labor-management committees.
Is this grant meant for mediating contract disputes?
No. FMCS specifically states the program is not about mediating contract disputes, and proposals should not center on mediation of contract disputes as the main thrust of the request.
Is this grant meant for general job training programs?
No. Applicants were advised to avoid requesting funds for activities readily available through other federal programs, and FMCS explicitly cited job training as an example of something that should not be the main focus of the proposal.
Can the grant be used to start or expand a small business?
No. FMCS notes it does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses.
What does FMCS mean by "labor" for eligibility purposes?
For this program, "labor" is defined as employees who are represented by a labor organization and covered by a formal collective bargaining agreement.
How does the definition of labor apply in the public sector?
In public sector settings, the program allows coverage under a formal collective bargaining agreement or another enforceable labor-management agreement.
What kinds of labor-management committees are recognized under this program?
The program distinguishes committees primarily by scope and focus, including plant/company committees, area committees, industry committees, and public sector committees.
What is a plant or company committee?
A plant or company committee generally serves one employer and is limited to one or more units within that employer's operations.
What is an area committee?
An area committee typically brings together multiple employers from different industries and multiple unions within a specific geographic jurisdiction, such as a city, county, multi-county region, or a statewide area.
What is an industry committee?
An industry committee usually spans multiple enterprises and related union(s) producing a common product or service, and it may operate locally, statewide, regionally, or nationally within the private sector.
What is a public sector committee under this grant program?
A public sector committee involves government employees and managers within one or more local or state government units, public higher education institutions, or public elementary and secondary schools, as long as the labor-management relationship is governed by a formal collective bargaining agreement or another enforceable labor-management agreement.
If a committee could be considered both an area committee and an industry committee, how does FMCS classify it?
FMCS indicates it will look at both the formal definitions and the actual focus of the committee's work when an application could be interpreted as either an area or industry committee.
Who was eligible to apply for this opportunity?
Eligible applicant types included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments).
Were small businesses eligible applicants?
No. The eligible applicant list included for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and FMCS also states it does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses.
What funding instrument was used for this opportunity?
The funding instrument type was listed as both a grant and a cooperative agreement, which signals that awards could involve more active federal involvement or oversight than a standard grant in some cases.
How many awards did FMCS expect to make for FY2010?
FMCS expected to make about five awards.
What was the estimated total funding available for the program?
The estimated total program funding level was $349,000.
What was the expected award size?
Individual awards were projected to range from $65,000 to $125,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The opportunity required cost sharing or matching, meaning applicants needed to contribute non-federal resources toward the project.
What did FMCS recommend about proposal budgets?
Applicants were advised to keep budgets centered on committee support and avoid making activities like job training or mediation of contract disputes the main thrust of the request, especially when such activities are readily available through other federal programs.
Did FMCS offer any special consideration in FY2010?
Yes. For FY2010, special consideration was given to applications proposing innovative or unique efforts.
When was the opportunity posted and when was the application due?
The opportunity was posted on March 1, 2010, and the application closing date was June 30, 2010.
Who was the program contact for help with the announcement or submission details?
The listed contact was Linda Gray Broughton, Grants Management Specialist at FMCS. Phone: 202-606-8181.
What should applicants focus on to align with FMCS expectations?
FMCS is looking for proposals where labor and management share ownership of the process, agree on specific objectives, and use the committee as a standing forum to do real cooperative work that improves trust, organizational performance, communication, and problem-solving outside routine collective bargaining.
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