ALEXANDRIA, VA (USTCNS) -- A working partnership between the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC) and its union employees has paid big dividends.

Representatives for both sides say the cooperative spirit of the two organizations has led to the successful negotiation of an extensive new labor agreement for MTMC Headquarters employees after only five days of negotiations.

The three-year agreement affecting 600 employees was formally signed July 24 by Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Privratsky, commander, and Leon T. Parrish, president, American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2, at MTMC's
Alexandria headquarters.

The agreement provides increased benefits such as transit subsidies to employees while tightening up management issues such as overtime and merit promotions.

"I am proud of our agreement," said Parrish. "Both the command and the union negotiated in good spirit and intent.

"To negotiate a contract and handle so many difficult issues in such a short time is very unusual."

Lt. Col. Janice Ferguson, MTMC's chief management negotiator, said the positive working partnership of the two sides led to a speedy and positive resolution of both union and management proposals.

"This agreement is all based on interest-based negotiation," said Ferguson. "This negotiation was not based on position but on the common interests of both parties."

MTMC's previous labor agreement with the union was agreed to in 1987. Negotiations that led to that contract took eight years to complete," said Bill Merrigan, MTMC's deputy legal officer.

The contract now goes to the Department of Defense Field Advisory Service for oversight approval. Implementation is expected within 30 days.

Members of the two negotiating teams praised the success of the negotiations.

"MTMC takes the lead as being a partner," said Bill Reed, a union steward.

A member of the management negotiating team agreed.

"This is a cutting-edge program," said Bennie Bustamante, chief, civilian personnel advisory center. "This is all built on partnership.

"We had the right synergy to accomplish this."

This was the first union negotiation for Ferguson, chief of MTMC's command operating center, currently in the process of transferring to a new assignment at the Pentagon.

Parrish said he was involved in a non-MTMC related labor contract where negotiations exceeded a year.

Both sides said the heart of MTMC's new labor contract is a joint labor/management effort to make the organization "an employer of choice."

"This contract has paved the way for adoption of an employer of choice programs such as subsidy programs to help us attract and retain the best employees," said Ferguson.

Parrish agreed.

"This (subsidy agreements) is in our contract," said Parrish. "This is what management has embraced."

"MTMC is an employer of choice."

Key elements of the new contract include:
* Transit subsidy.
* Compressed work schedule, with supervisor coordination.
* Performance appraisal revisions that link MTMC-provided training to performance.
* Revised grievance procedures that now includes a mandatory nonadversarial alternate dispute resolution process.
* Provides for up to eight union stewards, and
* Provides official time for union stewards to receive training.

Members of the union team included Mike McCauley, Mary Parrish, Billieann Robison, Ruby Ward, Reed and Parrish.

The management team included: Bustamante, Merrigan and Ferguson. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND).