| Kenneth S. Apfel,
Commissioner
For Immediate Release
Thursday,
February 12, 1998
John Trollinger/
Rich Hensley
410-965-8904
410-966-9973fx
www.ssa.gov/pressoffice |
The Social Security Administration
is a more effective and efficient organization as the result of
cooperative partnership efforts with the American Federation of
Government Employees (AFGE) over the past four years, according
to a report released today.
SSA is the first Federal agency
to complete an agency-wide evaluation of labor/management partnership
on organization performance. Completed jointly with AFGE, the report,
"Evaluation of Partnership," responds to an Executive Order issued
in October 1993 that required all Federal agencies to change the
nature of labor-management relations through partnerships with unions.
"Partnership at SSA has been
successfully launched and continues to expand," Social Security
Commissioner Kenneth S. Apfel said in response to the report. "AFGE
and Social Security have a strong partnership commitment to improve
productivity, efficiency, and quality of work life for our employees
and we look forward to continuing to build on the solid foundation
we have laid over the past several years," he emphasized.
The agency's partnership report
identified over 1,500 outcomes that have been enhanced through,
or initiated by, partnership efforts. Many of these initiatives
have been tied to improvements in customer service such as improving
toll-free telephone access, expanding systems, re-inventing work
processes, increasing courtesy training, and improving management
information practices. Partnership efforts also have decreased operation
costs by dramatically reducing costly formal litigation.
Quality of worklife for the
agency's 64,000 employees has also been impacted, Commissioner Apfel
said, pointing to enhanced career opportunities, establishment of
developmental programs, and a new employee performance appraisal
program.
While SSA has made considerable
progress in promoting partnership discussions and implementing recommendations
with mutually acceptable benefits, the report makes a number of
recommendations for future consideration.
"The savings and enhancements
that have been identified to date are only a beginning and do not
reflect the full potential of the gains that can be realized from
a more mature, well-balanced partnership," Commissioner Apfel concluded.
Currently SSA has 42 partnership
councils with AFGE representing headquarters, regional, and local
office staffs.
Note: Copies of most SSA press
releases, as well as other Social Security information and statistics,
are available at SSA's Internet site, Social Security Online, at
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/
|
www.socialsecurity.gov
