Agency Mission:
The purpose of the Joint Labor-Management Committee is to encourage parties to collective bargaining disputes involving municipalities and their police officers and fire fighters to agree directly on the terms of such agreements or on a procedure to resolve disputes. In difficult cases, the Committee may, in addition to mediation and conciliation, use fact-finding, limited arbitration, or other methods of dispute resolution using outside neutrals or members of the Committee. The Committee makes every effort to achieve voluntary settlements and to encourage a constructive long-term relationship between parties. In fulfilling its mission, the Committee relies on the unique tripartite membership drawn from the leadership of statewide police and fire fighter organizations, municipal management and public neutrals. The Committee also serves as forum for discussion of larger issues of mutual concern to municipal management, police and fire fighter organizations and the public.

Structure:
The Committee’s tripartite structure is comprised of twelve members (six management, three police union and three fire union) who are appointed by the Governor for overlapping three year terms from nominations by their respective municipal and union organizations. Members (and alternate members) serve without compensation, and form the strength of the agency by virtue of their peer approach in dispute resolution. Members nominate to the Governor a neutral chairman and vice chairman, also for three-year terms. The Honorable Samuel E. Zoll (Ret.) was appointed Chairman in July of 2004. The staff consists of two senior staff representatives (one each from labor and management backgrounds) as an extension of the peer utilization approach, plus two neutral field investigators and one support staff person.