increased since 1972. For example, the National Education Association reports 89 strikes in 1972, 143 strikes in 1973, and 154 strikes in 1974. As other unions such as the American Federation of Teachers; Fire Fighters; State, County and Municipal Employees; Police; Nurses; Service Employees; Laborers; and Teamsters, continue to organize at high rates in the public sector, the number of strikes will probably increase. However, it does not necessarily follow that increased unionization yields more strikes because work stoppages have involved unorganized and unaffiliated local groups. INCREASE IN TRAVEL Mr. MICHEL. Your overall budget has increased about 14 percent, while travel and transportation has gone up about 33 percent. Why the higher increase for transportation than for the overall budget? Mr. USERY. The reason that the overall budget request shows a smaller increase in total than the amount for travel and transportation is primarily because the salaries and benefits and related expenses for the 76 new positions are calculated for a 6-month period rather than on a full-year basis. The proportionately increased amount requested for travel and transportation is needed to handle the heavy increase in workload not only in health care but in the other dispute mediation workload; for travel expenses related to health care boards of inquiry; and for an additional ten percent for increased travel and transportation costs estimated during the budget year. Mr. PATTEN. Thank you, sir, good luck in your work. Justification of the Budget Estimates FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE BUDGET ESTIMATES FISCAL YEAR 1976 SALARIES AND EXPENSES, FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE STATUTORY AND OTHER LEGAL AUTHORITIES The mission of the Service is to prevent and to minimize labormanagement disputes throughout the Nation, both in the private and public sectors of the economy, excepting the railroad and airline industries. In particular, the agency objective is to prevent work stoppages and to reduce their duration when they occur. Statutory and other legal authorities which authorize the mediation program are: A. The Labor Management Relations Act, 1947, (Title II) B. C. D. E. Public Law 93-360, signed July 26, 1974, and effec- The Postal Reorganization Act, Public Law 91-375 (1970); ment. Executive Order 11491, dated October 29, 1969, as Executive Order 11374, dated October 11, 1967, trans- PROGRAM STRUCTURE A brief description of the major elements of the program structure designed to accomplish the Service objectives is as follows: Private Sector. Dispute mediation in the private sector provides assistance, when needed, in the negotiation or renegotiation of a collective bargaining contract. Added emphasis will be placed on mediation activity in the construction, food, health care, mass media, transportation, energy, and steel industries, and in the area of grievance disputes. Public Sector. Dispute mediation in the public In the Federal Sector, the Service is responsible for providing mediation and conciliation facilities to federal agencies and labor organizations in the resolution of negotiation disputes. The Service has promulgated rules and regulations setting forth the manner and the circumstances under which mediation assistance and services will be available to the parties. In the State and Local Sectors, under a broadened policy, the Service is responsible for: Health Care Institutions. The Service will provide assistance in dispute mediation in the health care field in the negotiation or renegotiation of collective bargaining contracts. Emphasis will be placed on the assistance offered to newly organized bargaining units. Technical Services The technical services program has been established in response to the accelerated demand by the labor-management community for technical assistance from FMCS. The primary responsibilities are technical assistance, professional development, and research, planning and evaluation in an C. D. E. F. effort to create programs which will meet the urgent The major purpose of the Service's technical assistance activity is dispute avoidance through long-term improvement of the labor-management relationship. The technique is to encourage the parties to discuss their problems away from and without the tensions of a strike deadline or a contract expiration. Under the technical services activity, the Service devises through research, and implements through education and training, new techniques that will promote peaceful labor-management relations in the rapidly changing process of collective bargaining. Programs are promoted to help management and labor enter into effective joint approaches aimed at developing new bargaining structures to meet changing conditions. Arbitration Services The Service is responsible for providing to disputants Public Information and Educational Activities This is an important supporting function to the total mediation effort. It helps explain the collective bargaining and mediation process to the labor-management community and the public. Typical activities include speeches before professional groups; press, and broadcast relations; public reports and pamphlets; orientation of visitors from foreign countries; and other activities related to the mediation function. Management and Administrative Support This activity provides for policy planning, evaluation, direction, coordination and management and administrative support for the programs of the Service. Boards and Panels This activity provides for ad hoc employment of labor |