All Blog Posts (2,575)

Co-op/Condo Ombudsman Bill In NYS Senate

I came across this interesting article stating there is currently a bill in the New York State Senate proposing the creation of an Ombudsman for co-ops and condos in the state.

The office would be funded through a new tax of $6 added to the fees paid by each co-op and condo…

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Added by Jeff Thompson on July 31, 2010 at 10:30am — No Comments

International Ombudsman Association Will Offer Beginning and Advanced Training in Toronto

IOA will offer training for Organizational Ombuds at the Hyatt Regency Toronto, October 25-29, 2010.

Sessions to be offered are:

Ombudsman 101 (October 25-27) -- A 2½-day introductory training program that covers the basic functions and skills of Ombudsmanry using an interactive format includes role play and encourages questions and discussion.
Ombudsman 101…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on July 30, 2010 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Long Term Care Ombudsman

Perhaps it’s her big smile, the friendly eyes behind her wire-rimmed glasses or the way she doesn’t let a simple “I’m fine” pass without a follow-up question.

Judith Sullivan, 66, is a volunteer with the Coulee Region Volunteer Ombudsman Program for the Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care. Once a week she knocks on the doors of resident rooms at Bethany St. Joseph Care Center in La Crosse. She asks about the food, the staff and their…

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Added by Jeff Thompson on July 28, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

What?? Australia Appt.'s Airplane Noise Ombuds

Australia's first independent aircraft noise ombudsman will have his work cut out for him.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese announced the appointment of Ron Brent to the position on Tuesday.Mr Brent will have the task of reviewing the handling of complaints about airport noise and the efficiency of community consultation…

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Added by Jeff Thompson on July 27, 2010 at 6:29am — No Comments

Tenth ACR Conference Will Highlight Ombuds Issues

The Association for Conflict Resolution's tenth annual conference will include several sessions that Organizational Ombuds will find relevant, including:

Building a Conflict Competent Organization Phase II: What Practitioners, Organizations, and the Conflict Resolution Profession Can Learn and Apply in the Workplace (Session 4.13) -- How ConEdison built organizational conflict competence and provided…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on July 27, 2010 at 5:00am — No Comments

Financial Regulatory Reform Will Create New Federal ADR Programs

The sweeping reform legislation signed into law by President Obama on July 21 will establish three new federal alternative dispute resolution programs for financial issues. These new programs are designated by the legislation as Ombudsman Offices -- one for Securities and Exchange Commission concerns and two programs within the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (An early version of the legislation also included an Ombuds program for the Public Company Accounting Oversight… Continue

Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on July 26, 2010 at 5:00am — No Comments

USAToday Divorce Mediation Article

An interesting article today from USAToday.com which mentions some of the advantages to mediating a divorce:

No one keeps statistics on the number of mediated and collaborative divorces. But Zarzynski, during 31 years of practice, has seen the trend firsthand. When he started, mediated cases were rare. Ten years ago, he mediated about a dozen a year; last year, that number was 75.…

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Added by Jeff Thompson on July 25, 2010 at 9:39pm — No Comments

Recap of 2010 Midwest Meeting of University & College Ombuds

Tim Griffin reports that 24 Ombuds from 18 different colleges and universities convened on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois on July 12. The annual meeting was preceded by a workshop for 13 new Ombuds -- a new attendance record for this event.

Topics for plenary discussion, established by those in attendance, included bullying, mobbing, confidentiality of third party information, neutrality, appropriate advocacy, responding to institutional… Continue

Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on July 22, 2010 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Growing Business for Workplace Chaplains

Earlier this week, the NBC Nightly News profiled a service more employers are adopting to care for their employees: office chaplains. "Finding someone to listen – really listen – to your personal concerns is not what most offices are known for but some folks are trying to change that, with chaplains at work." (NBC Nightly News.)…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on July 21, 2010 at 6:03pm — No Comments

Donuts Might Not be Available To Be Dunked!

Job action likely as talks break down between Dunkin’ Donut supplier, union

I guess when mediation fails, sometimes its the donut eaters that lose! :)

Contract negotiations between Teamsters Local 25 and Dunkin’ Donuts’ supplier Northeast DCP have reached an impasse, and both sides are bracing for a walkout, company and union officials say.

Even the presence of a federal mediator at a…

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Added by Jeff Thompson on July 19, 2010 at 6:19pm — No Comments

Mediators' "Defining" Moment!

MEDIATORS' "DEFINING" MOMENT!

Looking for a defining opportunity for you (and our profession) to be heard? Here's one such opportunity brought to you by NAFCM: the National Association For Community Mediation.

The Department of Labor (DOL) wants to know what it takes to be an "expert mediator" and have turned to NAFCM for help. As a member-based…

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Added by Jeff Thompson on July 17, 2010 at 5:31pm — No Comments

United States Ombudsman Association to Hold Annual Meeting in Ohio

The professional association for Classical Ombuds (those ADR professionals that hew closest to the Ombudsman model started 200 years ago in Sweden), will hold its annual meeting in Dayton, Ohio, October 6-8, 2010. The theme, "Soaring to New Heights: Innovations in Ombudsmanship," emphasizes recent developments in the field. …

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on July 14, 2010 at 11:00am — No Comments

New Gorilla Experiment!

This is absolute gold for mediation and conflict resolution trainers!

The famous "Invisible Gorilla Experiment" from 10+ years ago which just about every trainer uses t received a modern update.

For those who do not know what I am talking about and those who do, watch the video below:

Read the article […

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Added by Jeff Thompson on July 14, 2010 at 6:13am — 3 Comments

What's your relationship with yourself?

(Originally posted at Absolution Mediation: the musings of an aspiring mediator)

I have a dog, and she often runs around our…

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Added by Jason Dykstra on July 8, 2010 at 10:15am — No Comments

Washington Post Ombudsman Finds Few Staffers Know Opinionating Rules

In the wake of the Dave Weigel controversy…

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Added by Jeff Thompson on July 7, 2010 at 6:00am — No Comments

CVS To Use Mediation

Caremark, the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the signing of a National Universal Agreement to Mediate (NUAM) to informally resolve workplace disputes through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) before an EEOC… Continue

Added by Jeff Thompson on July 5, 2010 at 5:43pm — 1 Comment

BP Looking To Close Ombuds Office!

Washington (CNN) -- BP has been trying to shut down an internal safety watchdog agency it set up under congressional pressure four years ago, according to sources close to the office and a leading congressman.

The Ombudsman Program was set up after a 2005 explosion at a BP refinery in Texas that killed 15 workers and a massive oil spill in Alaska the following year. Its chief, former federal judge Stanley Sporkin,…

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Added by Jeff Thompson on July 1, 2010 at 10:04pm — No Comments

Not Really A Blog Post

Hello Everyone,

I am in the midst of looking for a career change and if anyone hears of any job opportunities in Omaha, Nebraska specifically within the healthcare field of dispute resolution, since that is my concentration area, please let me know. In addition, if other areas of dispute resolution opportunites in Omaha arise, I am flexible enough to consider them as well. I am definitely looking to relocate to Omaha.

Thank you and everyone take care.

Kipp McKenzie

Added by Kipp McKenzie on June 29, 2010 at 6:30pm — 2 Comments

Organizational Ombuds Field Continued Signs of Growth in First Half of 2010

In the first six months of the year, 20 entities announced the creation of new ombuds programs, either by the appointment of the first ombudsperson or the opening of a search. These new programs reflect the growing acceptance of institutional ADR programs.