Fisher: Strong labor-management partnership key to TurnAround Ohio plan

Jan. 31, 2007 - A message of hope, partnership, and the opportunity for real change was shared this morning with a group of seasoned labor-management professionals at the OCSEA Union Hall.

In one of his first public speaking engagements since being elected, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher encouraged union activists and managers alike, "The work you do is at the very backbone of the TurnAround Ohio plan."

PHOTO CAPTION: Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher greets OCSEA/RSC Assembly President Debra Honore (left) and other state employees. MORE PHOTOS - PART A

^ PHOTO CAPTION: Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (far left) joins CALMC Executive Director Jim Cowles, OCSEA Education Director Mike Jones, OCSEA Staff Representative & Chairman of the Franklin County Democratic Party Bill Anthony, and OCSEA Operations Director David Johnson. MORE PHOTOS - PART B

Fisher (far left) was the keynote speaker at the Columbus Area Labor-Management Committee's (CALMC) quarterly meeting which is attended by many OCSEA members, State of Ohio managers, as well as employees and managers from the private sector. Attendees network and share best practices of labor-management initiatives in both the public and private sector, said CALMC Executive Director Jim Cowles.

Since OCSEA and the State of Ohio connected with CALMC in 1996, the non-profit has worked with 15 state agencies and more than 100 labor-management committees and delivers labor-management training for the Union Education Trust.

“We are here to be your partners in the public and private sector. I emphasize the word partner because that is, first and foremost, what we are,” said Fisher.

He noted that in his private meetings with businesses considering location or expansion in Ohio, the biggest concern voiced was the need for an educated, flexible, skilled workforce that could be customized to their needs.

"The only way this is going to happen is if we have unprecedented partnerships," said Fisher. “How flexible our workforce is will determine how well we will do."

Fisher says its time to forget the old landlord-tenant model way of doing business in state government.  "We are now a risk-sharing collaborative partner.  If we do not accept this paradigm we will all lose. If the union fails, Ohio fails. If business fails, Ohio fails… We are all in this together."

Fisher pointed to the old adage that says it is better to have a fence at the top of a cliff than an ambulance at the bottom. He said that government often spends far too much time on the ambulance below. The work that labor-management professionals do, however, is the epitome of the fence at the top of the cliff. 

"Every time you spend a little extra time working on labor-management, conflict resolution, and seeking to understand, you are building a higher and stronger fence at the top of the cliff," Fisher said.  "For every $1 we spend on the fence, we save $5 on the ambulance below."

Understanding is a key ingredient in strong partnerships. “Of all the habits Stephen Covey refers to in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, most important is number five: Seek first to understand, then, second, to be understood," Fisher recalled.

“We want to know years from now that we came to understand the viewpoint of union people, of a CEO and of a disgruntled constituent who would rather have a quick ‘no’ than a slow ‘yes'."

See Related

TurnAround Ohio Plan

State of Ohio Website - Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher

Columbus Area Labor-Management Committee Website

MORE PHOTOS - PART A

MORE PHOTOS - PART B