Opportunity Information: Apply for FMCS 2015
Apply for FMCS 2015
- The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in the business and commerce employment, labor and training health other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "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 Jun 3, 2015 and posted on Mar 2, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 15, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $800,000.00 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 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
- Open to all EXCEPT individuals. See FMCS 2015 Application Solicitation for more information regarding eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Labor Management Cooperation Grant Program is a discretionary federal grant offered by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) under CFDA 34.002. Its purpose is to encourage and support the creation, expansion, and day-to-day operation of joint labor-management committees that strengthen workplace cooperation and problem-solving. The program is rooted in the Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 and is designed to fund committee-driven efforts that improve labor-management relations, organizational effectiveness, productivity, and, in many cases, broader economic development connected to a company, region, industry, or public employer.
Funding is intended for projects that fit within seven broad, legally defined goals: improving communication between labor and management; giving workers and employers a structured way to study and test innovative joint approaches to organizational effectiveness; helping both sides address shared problems that are not easily resolved through collective bargaining; exploring ways to prevent or eliminate issues that undermine competitiveness and economic development; increasing worker involvement in decisions that affect their working lives; expanding and improving working relationships between employees and managers; and supporting free collective bargaining by establishing ongoing communication mechanisms through the formation and operation of labor-management committees. In practical terms, the grants are meant to help labor and management collaborate outside the traditional contract negotiation context, building durable structures for continuous dialogue and joint action.
The program recognizes several committee models and allows applications at different levels. A company or plant committee typically focuses on one employer and one or more of its operating or production units. An area committee usually involves multiple employers from different industries and multiple unions working within a defined geographic region such as a city, county, multi-county area, or state. An industry committee is organized around a shared product or service across multiple enterprises and related unions in the private sector and can operate locally, statewide, regionally, or nationally. A public sector committee includes managers and employees in local or state government units, public higher education institutions, or public elementary and secondary schools, as long as the employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement or another enforceable labor-management agreement. The distinction between an area versus industry committee depends not only on who participates but also on the committee's core focus, whether it is geographically centered or industry centered.
Eligibility is broadly open to organizations and entities, with the explicit exclusion of individuals. A key condition is that the labor participants must be employees represented by a labor organization and covered by a formal collective bargaining agreement (or, for public sector contexts, an enforceable labor-management agreement). The competition described for FY2015 was open to company/plant, area, private industry, and public sector committees, with special consideration given to applications proposing innovative or unique efforts.
Awards in the referenced cycle were expected to total about $800,000 across roughly 15 grants, with individual awards ranging from $65,000 to $125,000. The program includes a cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants must contribute resources alongside federal funds. Budget requests are expected to be tightly tied to supporting the committee itself and the committee's workplan, rather than serving as a general funding source for activities that are already supported through other federal programs. The announcement specifically cautions applicants not to seek grant funds for services clearly available elsewhere, such as job training programs or mediation of contract disputes, reinforcing that the grant is about building and operating cooperative labor-management structures, not replacing other specialized federal assistance streams.
For administrative details from the posted opportunity, the funding opportunity number is FMCS 2015, it was posted March 2, 2015, and the closing date was extended to June 15, 2015 (originally May 31, 2015). The administering agency is FMCS, and grant administration support was listed through a grants management specialist contact in the announcement materials.
Labor Management Cooperation Grant Program (FMCS) - FAQs
1) What is the Labor Management Cooperation Grant Program?
The Labor Management Cooperation Grant Program is a discretionary federal grant administered by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) under CFDA 34.002. It supports the creation, expansion, and day-to-day operation of joint labor-management committees designed to strengthen workplace cooperation and problem-solving.
2) What is the purpose of this grant?
The program is meant to help labor and management collaborate outside the traditional collective bargaining and contract negotiation context. The intent is to build durable structures for ongoing dialogue and joint action that improve labor-management relations, organizational effectiveness, productivity, and, in many cases, broader economic development tied to an employer, region, industry, or public employer.
3) What law authorizes or underpins this program?
The program is rooted in the Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978.
4) What kinds of projects does the program fund?
Funding is intended for committee-driven efforts that align with seven legally defined goals. In practical terms, the grant supports building and operating joint labor-management committees and carrying out a committee workplan focused on cooperative problem-solving and continuous improvement in labor-management relations.
5) What are the seven broad goals this grant is designed to support?
The program is designed to fund projects that fit within these broad goals:
- Improving communication between labor and management
- Giving workers and employers a structured way to study and test innovative joint approaches to organizational effectiveness
- Helping both sides address shared problems not easily resolved through collective bargaining
- Exploring ways to prevent or eliminate issues that undermine competitiveness and economic development
- Increasing worker involvement in decisions that affect their working lives
- Expanding and improving working relationships between employees and managers
- Supporting free collective bargaining by establishing ongoing communication mechanisms through the formation and operation of labor-management committees
6) Who administers this grant program?
FMCS (the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service) administers the program.
7) What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed for this program is 34.002.
8) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broadly open to organizations and entities, with individuals explicitly excluded. A key condition is that labor participants must be employees represented by a labor organization and covered by a formal collective bargaining agreement. In public sector contexts, employees must be covered by a collective bargaining agreement or another enforceable labor-management agreement.
9) Are individuals allowed to apply?
No. Individuals are explicitly excluded from eligibility.
10) What is the key labor-related eligibility condition for participation?
Labor participants must be employees represented by a labor organization and covered by a formal collective bargaining agreement. For public sector committees, an enforceable labor-management agreement can also satisfy this requirement.
11) What types of committees are recognized under this program?
The program recognizes multiple committee models, including company/plant committees, area committees, industry committees, and public sector committees. Applications may be submitted at different levels depending on the committee structure.
12) What is a company or plant committee?
A company or plant committee typically focuses on one employer and one or more of its operating or production units.
13) What is an area committee?
An area committee usually involves multiple employers from different industries and multiple unions within a defined geographic region, such as a city, county, multi-county area, or state.
14) What is an industry committee?
An industry committee is organized around a shared product or service across multiple enterprises and related unions in the private sector. It can operate locally, statewide, regionally, or nationally.
15) What is a public sector committee?
A public sector committee includes managers and employees in local or state government units, public higher education institutions, or public elementary and secondary schools, as long as the employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement or another enforceable labor-management agreement.
16) How do you tell the difference between an area committee and an industry committee?
The difference depends on both who participates and the committee's core focus. Area committees are centered on a defined geographic region, while industry committees are centered on a shared product or service (an industry focus), even if they operate across different locations.
17) What committee types were included in the FY2015 competition described?
The FY2015 competition described was open to company/plant committees, area committees, private industry committees, and public sector committees.
18) Does the program prioritize any specific kinds of proposals?
The referenced FY2015 competition noted special consideration for applications proposing innovative or unique efforts.
19) How much funding was expected to be available in the referenced cycle?
In the referenced cycle, total awards were expected to be about $800,000 across roughly 15 grants.
20) What was the expected award size in the referenced cycle?
Individual awards in the referenced cycle were expected to range from $65,000 to $125,000.
21) Is there a matching or cost-sharing requirement?
Yes. The program includes a cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants must contribute resources alongside federal funds.
22) What should the project budget be focused on?
Budget requests are expected to be tightly tied to supporting the committee itself and the committee's workplan. The grant is not intended to function as a general funding source for activities already supported through other federal programs.
23) What types of requests does the announcement caution against?
The announcement cautions applicants not to seek grant funds for services clearly available elsewhere, such as job training programs or mediation of contract disputes. The grant is intended to support cooperative labor-management structures and committee operations rather than replace other specialized federal assistance streams.
24) Is this grant intended to fund contract dispute mediation?
No. The announcement specifically cautions against requesting grant funds for mediation of contract disputes, emphasizing that the program is about building and operating joint labor-management committees for cooperation and problem-solving.
25) Is this grant intended to fund job training programs?
The announcement cautions applicants not to seek funds for services clearly available elsewhere, and job training programs are listed as an example. The grant is meant to support the committee and its workplan rather than replicate other federal job training resources.
26) What is the funding opportunity number listed for the posted opportunity?
The funding opportunity number listed is FMCS 2015.
27) When was the posted opportunity made available, and what was the deadline?
The opportunity was posted on March 2, 2015. The closing date was extended to June 15, 2015 (originally May 31, 2015).
28) Who was listed for grant administration support in the announcement materials?
The posted opportunity indicated that grant administration support was available through a grants management specialist contact listed in the announcement materials.
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