by Frank Miramontes, Local 18 President and Joint Safety Institute Administrator

First off, I would like to introduce my management counterpart in the Joint Training Institute (JTI). Once again we have been fortunate to get just the right person for the important task at hand.

Susana Reyes brings us a wealth of public- and private-sector experience. She has a mindset that accentuates partnership and, with it, an impressive set of collaborative and leadership skills. Susana was involved in the effort to get both the Joint Safety Institute and the JTI through the Los Angeles City Council and the Department's commissioners. This work has provided her with a unique insight and working knowledge of both programs. She is a real "can do" woman, someone who is always looking for ways of getting things done-as opposed to the kind of people who consistently find reasons why things can't be done. Welcome aboard, Susana Reyes!

The Value of Jointly Developed Educational Programs

Studies conducted by the American Society for Training Development and Canadian Conference Board researchers found that employee educational programs that are jointly developed and managed by employers and unions were successful by design and not by accident. Joint training programs harness the power of cooperation between unions and management in order to produce exceptional training results.

The "joint" nature of these programs is crucial for their success. When employers provide training opportunities and workers take part in them, it clearly demonstrates that both parties want the relationship to succeed and continue. Both are using training as an incentive to continue their working relationship.

I believe that one of the key components that will make our programs both successful and relevant to you will be the worker (your) involvement in designing, implementing and evaluating the training. All journeys begin with that important first step. For us, the first step will be to find out exactly what we have in the way of training. Then we will determine where we want to proceed in this all-important area.

We will be requesting information from each Business Unit, from you. We will be sending out questionnaires and conducting focus-group discussions with labor and management employees.

I am very interested in any of your thoughts and ideas about training. Please do not hesitate to stop and talk to me as I visit your work areas. I look forward to seeing you soon. Until we meet, keep the faith.