Opportunity Information: Apply for FMCS 2011
Apply for FMCS 2011
- The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in the business and commerce 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 25, 2011 and posted on Mar 1, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 31, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $750,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $125,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) State governments For profit organizations other than small businesses County governments City or township governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Independent school districts.
- 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 is a discretionary federal grant opportunity run by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) under the authority of the Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978. Its core purpose is to encourage and financially support joint labor-management committees that help employers and union-represented employees work together more effectively outside of day-to-day contract bargaining. The program is designed for settings where employees are represented by a labor organization and covered by a formal collective bargaining agreement (or, for public sector applicants, another enforceable labor-management agreement). In practice, the grant is meant to strengthen ongoing communication and collaboration structures so labor and management can jointly address workplace and organizational challenges in a constructive, problem-solving way.
The grant’s allowable focus areas track seven broad purposes spelled out in the statute. 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 resolve issues of mutual concern that are not easily settled within the collective bargaining process; exploring ways to prevent or reduce problems that harm competitiveness and economic development at the company, plant, area, or industry level; increasing meaningful worker involvement in decisions that affect their working lives; expanding and improving day-to-day working relationships between workers and managers; and promoting free collective bargaining by establishing ongoing mechanisms for employer-employee communication through the formation and operation of labor-management committees. The emphasis is on concrete committee-driven objectives that fit one or more of these categories and are grounded in labor-management partnership rather than adversarial dispute resolution.
FMCS is looking specifically to fund the establishment and operation of joint committees, and it recognizes several common committee structures. A plant or company committee typically focuses on one employer and one or more of its operating units. An area committee generally brings together multiple employers across different industries along with multiple unions within a defined geographic region such as a city, county, multi-county area, or an entire state, usually to tackle shared regional workforce or economic issues. An industry committee brings together enterprises and related union(s) producing a common product or service within the private sector, and it can operate at a local, state, regional, or national scale. A public sector committee involves government employees and managers (or public education employees and administrators) within one or more units of local or state government or public educational institutions, as long as there is a formal collective bargaining agreement or other enforceable labor-management agreement in place. For proposals that could be interpreted as either area-based or industry-based, FMCS indicates that reviewers should look not only at the membership structure but also at the committee’s main focus.
For the FY2011 competition, FMCS stated that it would accept applications from company/plant committees, area committees, private industry committees, and public sector committees, and it noted that special consideration would be given to proposals that demonstrate innovative or unique approaches. FMCS also cautioned applicants to keep budgets tightly aligned to supporting the committee itself and to avoid requesting funds for activities that are clearly available through other federal programs, with job training and mediation of contract disputes listed as examples. In other words, this program is not intended to duplicate workforce training grants or fund contract-related mediation; it is intended to underwrite the functioning and project work of labor-management committees focused on collaboration, prevention, and joint problem solving.
FMCS highlighted several special areas of interest for FY2011 where it was particularly interested in receiving proposals: diversity, education, green jobs, health care, and on-the-job safety. Committees were still encouraged to propose work on other labor-management concerns as long as the proposal fit the program’s statutory purposes and centered on joint labor-management action. The grants are administered by the FMCS Grants Office, which was established in FY1981 to run this labor-management cooperation program.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, this opportunity was posted March 1, 2011, with an application closing date of May 31, 2011. The estimated total funding available was $750,000, with an award ceiling of $125,000 and no stated minimum award amount (award floor listed as $0). A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning applicants should be prepared to contribute non-federal resources consistent with program rules. The CFDA number associated with the program is 34.002 (Labor Management Cooperation), and the activity category is listed under business and commerce, employment, labor, and training.
Eligibility spans a range of public and non-federal entities, including state governments, county governments, city or township governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, certain Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. FMCS also explicitly noted a key limitation: it does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, so proposals should not frame the request as small business development funding. The practical takeaway is that applicants need to be part of, or closely aligned with, a formal joint labor-management structure and propose committee-centered work that advances cooperation and problem solving in unionized or formally represented workplaces.
For applicants seeking more detail, the announcement referenced a FY2011 grant program kit and provided a point of contact at FMCS (Linda Gray Broughton, Grants Management Specialist, 202-606-8181) for help accessing the full materials.
FMCS Labor-Management Cooperation Grant Program (CFDA 34.002) - FAQs
1) What is the FMCS Labor-Management Cooperation Grant Program?
It is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) under the Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978. The program is intended to encourage and financially support joint labor-management committees that help employers and union-represented employees work together more effectively outside of day-to-day contract bargaining.
2) What is the main purpose of this grant?
The grant is designed to strengthen ongoing communication and collaboration structures between labor and management so they can jointly address workplace and organizational challenges in a constructive, problem-solving way. The focus is on committee-driven labor-management partnership rather than adversarial dispute resolution.
3) Who is this grant meant to serve?
The program is intended for workplaces where employees are represented by a labor organization and covered by a formal collective bargaining agreement. For public sector applicants, it can be another enforceable labor-management agreement.
4) Does the grant support day-to-day collective bargaining or contract negotiations?
No. The program is specifically aimed at cooperation outside of day-to-day contract bargaining. It supports the establishment and operation of joint labor-management committees and related joint problem-solving work that fits the statutory purposes.
5) What types of activities are generally supported under the statutory purposes?
The allowable focus areas track seven broad purposes in the statute, including: improving labor-management communication; creating structured opportunities to study and test innovative joint approaches to organizational effectiveness; helping resolve issues of mutual concern that are not easily settled within collective bargaining; exploring ways to prevent or reduce problems that harm competitiveness and economic development; increasing meaningful worker involvement in decisions affecting working lives; expanding and improving day-to-day working relationships between workers and managers; and promoting free collective bargaining by establishing ongoing mechanisms for employer-employee communication through labor-management committees.
6) What does FMCS mean by a "joint labor-management committee"?
It refers to a formal, cooperative structure where labor and management representatives work together on shared goals. FMCS emphasized funding the establishment and operation of these committees, with objectives grounded in collaboration, prevention, and joint problem solving.
7) What committee structures does FMCS recognize?
FMCS described several common committee structures: plant/company committees, area committees, industry committees (private sector), and public sector committees. For proposals that might be interpreted as either area-based or industry-based, reviewers are instructed to consider both the membership structure and the committee's main focus.
8) What is a plant or company committee?
A plant or company committee typically focuses on one employer and one or more of its operating units.
9) What is an area committee?
An area committee generally brings together multiple employers across different industries along with multiple unions within a defined geographic region (such as a city, county, multi-county region, or an entire state) to tackle shared regional workforce or economic issues.
10) What is an industry committee?
An industry committee brings together enterprises and related union(s) producing a common product or service within the private sector. It can operate at a local, state, regional, or national scale.
11) What is a public sector committee under this program?
A public sector committee involves government employees and managers (or public education employees and administrators) within one or more units of local or state government or public educational institutions, as long as there is a formal collective bargaining agreement or other enforceable labor-management agreement in place.
12) For the FY2011 competition, which committee types could apply?
FMCS stated that it would accept applications from company/plant committees, area committees, private industry committees, and public sector committees.
13) Were any proposals given special consideration?
Yes. FMCS noted that special consideration would be given to proposals that demonstrate innovative or unique approaches.
14) What were the special areas of interest highlighted for FY2011?
FMCS identified several areas of special interest for FY2011: diversity, education, green jobs, health care, and on-the-job safety.
15) Can a committee propose work outside those special areas of interest?
Yes. Committees were encouraged to propose work on other labor-management concerns as long as the proposal fit the program's statutory purposes and centered on joint labor-management action.
16) What activities did FMCS caution applicants not to request funds for?
FMCS cautioned applicants to keep budgets tightly aligned to supporting the committee itself and to avoid requesting funds for activities clearly available through other federal programs. Examples listed included job training and mediation of contract disputes.
17) Does this program fund job training programs?
FMCS specifically cautioned against requesting funds for job training when those activities are clearly available through other federal programs. Applicants should keep the budget focused on supporting the committee and its labor-management cooperation work.
18) Does this program fund mediation of contract disputes?
No. FMCS listed mediation of contract disputes as an example of an activity applicants should avoid requesting funds for under this grant.
19) Does FMCS provide grants to start or expand small businesses under this opportunity?
No. FMCS explicitly noted that it does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, and proposals should not frame the request as small business development funding.
20) What is the total estimated funding available for the FY2011 competition?
The estimated total funding available was $750,000.
21) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $125,000.
22) Was a minimum award amount specified?
No minimum award amount was stated. The award floor was listed as $0.
23) Is cost-sharing or matching required?
Yes. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning applicants should be prepared to contribute non-federal resources consistent with program rules.
24) When was the FY2011 opportunity posted, and when was the application due?
The opportunity was posted March 1, 2011, and the application closing date was May 31, 2011.
25) What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number associated with the program is 34.002 (Labor Management Cooperation).
26) What activity category is this opportunity associated with?
The activity category is listed under business and commerce, employment, labor, and training.
27) What types of organizations were listed as eligible applicants?
Eligibility spans a range of public and non-federal entities, including: state governments; county governments; city or township governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); and for-profit organizations other than small businesses.
28) Who administered the grants?
The grants are administered by the FMCS Grants Office, which was established in FY1981 to run the labor-management cooperation program.
29) Where could applicants find more details for FY2011?
The announcement referenced a FY2011 grant program kit for additional details.
30) Who was the point of contact for help accessing the FY2011 materials?
The point of contact listed was Linda Gray Broughton, Grants Management Specialist, at 202-606-8181.
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