Missouri National Guard signs 5 year labor/management agreement

Col. Wendul G. Hagler, chief of staff of the Missouri National Guard, and Steve Myers, the Missouri National Guard collective bargaining representative and president of the Pony Express Chapter of ACT shake hands after a new labor/management agreement is signed. (Photo by Master Sgt. Mary L. Williams/Missouri National Guard)

By Mary L. Williams
ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - After less than a month of negotiations, the Missouri National Guard and the Association of Civilian Technicians - Missouri Council of Chapters have signed a new labor/management agreement.

The agreement marks a new level of cooperation between the association and the Guard that Col. Wendul G. Hagler, chief of staff of the Missouri National Guard, said will make both organizations stronger.

"The negotiations served more than to produce an agreement," Hagler said. "They proved to be an effective engagement tool identifying several issues or concerns we could work through together," Hagler said. "As the nation crosses the threshold entering a second decade of persistent conflict, we must come together and be mutually supporting to sustain our force and its capabilities.

The agreement was a victory for both parties, said chief union negotiator Steve Myers, the Missouri National Guard collective bargaining representative and president of the Pony Express Chapter of ACT.

"It was phenomenal," Myers said. "We were waiting for the other shoe to drop and to get bogged down and it never happened. It's a win-win for both sides."

The Missouri National Guard management team took a proactive approach prior to open discussions and brought in an independent negotiator to provide training to both sides, Hagler said.

"We did not want a repeat of past negotiations," Hagler said. "It was a wise choice to bring someone in to provide training and it definitely paid off."

Both sides agreed it was a practical move and everybody benefited.

"Everyone saw it as a step in the right direction and both sides came to the negotiation table this time more hopeful we'd reach an agreement with little fanfare," said Hagler.

The training contributed to the success - it was a good eye opener for both sides. And everyone had the goal of getting the right things for the employees.

"We left the training more cooperative and not adversarial," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Randall Watson, a labor relations specialist with the Missouri Guard who has participated in union talks for many years.

From the union's perspective, negotiation went better this time because, "the strong relationship between both sides and both sides cared about the needs of the other side," said Myers. "We felt good about what we came up with in the end."

The result is a five-year collective bargaining contract, which represents some 1,000 Missouri Guard bargaining technicians that will run through May 2016.

The new agreement covers various aspects of technician personnel management, including policies, practices, and matters affecting working conditions. This agreement is a tangible tool that can be used to enhance working relationships between the technician, the supervisor and employees.

"We have the finest, most highly skilled and motivated workforce in the military," Hagler said. "The ability to effectively communicate with and to honor that workforce makes us a more powerful team. This contract is a powerful example of how two groups can come together in agreement and in the best interest of everyone concerned. We not only met our goals, we exceeded them."

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please visit www.moguard.com and our social media sites: www.facebook.com/Missouri.National.Guard; www.twitter.com/Missouri_NG; www.youtube.com/MoNationalGuard; www.myspace.com/missouri_ng; www.flickr.com/photos/missouriguard