NEWSNEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Mayor Edward G. Rendell today signed an Executive Order creating a new Office of Labor Relation, effectively consolidating all of the City's collective bargaining and labor management functions for the first time.

In conjunction with the signing of Executive Order 6-96, Mayor Rendell also announced the appointment of William B. Grab as Director of Labor Relations. Grab, a 25-year City employee who has been a member of every City negotiating team since 1971, most recently headed the labor relations unit for the City's Personnel Department. Grab will be joined by Joseph M. Tolan, who will serve as Deputy Director of Labor Relations. Tolan, like Grab a veteran of the City's Personnel Department, has been part of the City's labor negotiating team since 1980.

In addition, Mayor Rendell announced the appointment of Michael Nadol, who headed the City's 1996 negotiating team, as Deputy Water Commissioner for finance and policy.

"The Executive Order is designed to consolidate all of the responsibilities for the City of Philadelphia labor relations and collective bargaining within the Office of the Mayor,": said Mayor Rendell. "In the past, these functions were scattered over many City departments, including Personnel, Law, Finance, the Mayor's Office and others. That made it difficult to coordinate the activities of all those responsible for implementing the City's labor policies.

"The reorganization solves that problem, and I am confident that we have put together a skilled and experienced team to manage the City's labor issues most effectively." the Mayor said.

Nadol will direct the Water Department's $375 million finance division, in addition to working on major policy initiatives. During the past year, Nadol led the negotiating team that reached settlements with all four unions. A member of the City'' Initiative Compliance Committee, which monitors the implementation of the City'' many new savings and productivity initiatives, Nadol also has been a member of the City's Productivity Bank and has helped manage the Municipal Energy Office.

"Mike Nadol is an outstanding public servant who has agreed to take on the critical job of running the finance and policy operations of the Water Department," said Mayor Rendell. "In that capacity he succeeds Dean Kaplan, our Budget Director, and when we announced that appointment last spring, we essentially left Dean's spot open until after the settlement of our labor contracts, specifically because I wanted Mike to fill that important position. I am certain that he will do a terrific job."

11/26/96

Contact:

Kevin A. Feely
686-6211