Posted 4/11/01 City of North Branch honored with labor-management award The North Branch City Council was presented with the Earl Willford Labor Management Cooperation and Partnership Award Monday night for the cityís outstanding contribution in promoting cooperative labor-management relations in the workplace. The award is named to honor the hard work of Earl Willford, who championed the idea of cooperative management-labor relations. The city of North Branch received the award just one year after developing a Labor Management Committee. The Twin Cities Area Labor Management Council has more than 140 members whose purpose is to provide relevant resources and to promote positive change in the workplace through cooperative labor-management relations. The idea for the city was borne of encouragement from Local 49 organizer Jim Hanson during the negotiation of the first public works union contract. Hanson and Cory Bergerson of the North Branch Public Works Department were on hand Monday night as the award was presented to the city council. With a positive relationship forged between the city of North Branch and Local 49, and proactive steps toward cooperation, the focus of the Labor Management Committee was ìwhat could be accomplished and improved, rather than just what needed to be fixed,î according to city officials. The city cites many improvements which have been made, including school kid safety education programs, improved public information, citizen surveys, quality assurance customer cards, and personal contact cards regarding work being performed by the Public Works Department. Bergerson said his recent trip to the North Branch elementary school to teach youngsters about safety relating to the public works department was as fun for him as it was for the kids. Bergerson said he hoped there were a lot more great things to come from the cooperative nature of the system. ìThe award is recognition of hard work and cooperation of Superintendent Gary Schaefer, Union Steward Cory Bergerson and Public Works staff Bruce Hesse, Tim Bibeau, Dean Wilcox and Shawn Williams,î said North Branch City Administrator John Moosey. Moosey said the cooperative system has provided citizens with better all around public service from the public works department and the city itself. He said it was a tribute to the local effort that North Branch had earned the award out of the 140 entities in contention for it. ìBy working together as a team, creative solutions and more efficient operations are created, thus improving our service to North Branch,î Moosey said. ìThatís a super job,î Mayor Pinsonneault said. Moosey said the city also owed its thanks to Terry Wigand and Betty Bergerson for their assistance with the award application. ©Post Review