LABOR-MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
FOR ECONOMIC RENEWAL

The Labor-Management Council for Economic Renewal (LMCER) is a sector-focused, multi-union, labor-management partnership made up of small and mid-sized firms in southeastern Michigan.

History

LMCER was launched in the late 1980s by UAW leaders in Region 1A out of concern for the growing wage and performance gaps separating Independent Part Suppliers (IPS) from the Big Three automakers. UAW leaders wanted to develop a strategy for their members' firms in the sector. Staff in the Michigan Governor's Labor-Management Partnership Project alerted the region about grants to promote inter-firm networking. Working with area labor educators and research institutions and the state, LMCER was founded in 1990 by UAW Region 1A. It now operates as an independent, nonprofit corporation, with a board including labor, management and public-sector representatives. LMCER has worked to support the economic and workforce development needs of small supplier companies and their unions in Southeast Michigan's auto industry. As an innovative, union-driven labor-management partnership, the LMCER helps small companies respond to changing competitive pressures, and brings labor and management together to solve critical problems, improve competitiveness and enhance job security and quality of life for all employees.

Goals

• To increase commitment of UAW resources and capacity to IPS;
• To address wage and performance gaps that separated IPS from the Big Three by promoting high performance strategies;
• To leverage good IPS behavior by shifting Big Three contracts to good IPS firms;
• To secure economies of scale for union IPS producers;
• To improve labor-management relationships;
• To improve job security for workers and competitiveness of firms.

Activities

LMCER promotes inter-firm cooperation and constructive labor-management relations and helps provide employees with a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their lives. The council has developed advanced programs for leadership development and labor-management partnership in small companies. It also provides networking opportunities in task forces, focus groups and membership meetings; low-cost on-site consulting and training; magnet training programs; and resource links. In 1999, LMCER initiated a welfare-to-work program between a local Workforce Investment Board and council member firms.

• Networking for Learning features regional conferences, meetings that showcase workplaces and breakfast panels on practical subjects identified by participating unions and firms.
• Since 1990, LMCER has offered more than 120 programs (on-site or at magnet locations) that cover high-performance leadership, employee involvement, team concepts, total quality management, Americans with Disabilities Act, ISO/QS 9000 and more.
• LMCER offers consulting services to labor and management committees and other on-site groups.
• Case studies, best practice reports, workshops, and presentations record LMCER experiences.
• LMCER provides links to local colleges, agencies and technical assistance to apply for funding.

Results

• During the 1990s more than 1,000 labor and management participants representing more than 70 work-sites and 25 locals engaged in LMCER programs.
• LMCER assists members in getting state funding for training.
• LMCER, as a small but significant piece of infrastructure for small firms in the IPS sector in southeastern Michigan, has been able to develop programs that otherwise would not have been developed.
• LMCER provides training on quality/ ISO 9000 standards required by auto manufacturers.
• LMCER provides low-cost services to labor and management that both parties found relevant to their firms and workforce.