“Do more without much luck”
How did you get interested in this kind of work?
When I first arrived at WHO in 1992, I had
never had any experience in unions or staff
associations. Prior to WHO, I had worked in a
major bank in San Francisco. The word union
was anathema. Even talking about a union
could actually get you fired. Ironically, I was a
litigation secretary responsible to the in-house
counsel who defended the bank against terminations.
I took advantage of the continuing
education program and took law classes. I
became interested in Labour law and defending
the other side. When I came to WHO and
attended the fist AGM of the Staff Association,
I knew then that I wanted to be involved.
You are known as a «ralleuse». How has
this affected your work in FICSA and at
the local level?
True people see me as a complainer, big
mouth, troublemaker, lacking in diplomacy.
And sometimes, it has worked against me.
But at least when I open my mouth, people
listen cause sometimes I do make sense.
Besides, I say things that many do not have
the courage to say.
Going from a local Staff Association to
the Federation, what is the difference in perspective?
There is a big difference. At the local level,
you deal with local issues and you have direct
relationship with staff and the administration.
At the Federation level you are involved in
conditions of service issues which will have
an impact on all staff in the UN common system – entitlements and benefits, HR policies,
security, salaries. Your interlocutors are
directors of personnel, administrative heads,
executive heads of agencies. You realize that
what happens at the local level is a direct
result of what happens at the global level. I
always say a strong Federation is a strong
staff association is a strong Federation.
How did you find your work at FICSA?
It was not easy at first. Luckily I had much
experience at the local level so I was able to
relate to many of the issues faced by member
associations and unions. I was apprehensive
about representing staff at such high levels
that I would not be knowledgeable enough.
But you know it is a matter of reading and
being prepare to debate the issues. What
facilitates the job also is that FICSA has been
in existence since 1952. We have a good
library and archives. Moreover, we have a
staff of 6, a few of them who have been there
for many years thus insuring continuity and
transmission of institutional knowledge.
What was your most memorable moment
in during your two years at FICSA?
The first time I walked into the UN in New
York. It was almost as thrilling as the first time
I walked into WHO here in Geneva. I just
stood there in front of that big building and
just looked and looked and said who would
have thought? Well, first I have to tell you that
I was two hours late for my biggest moment in
my life. To save money for the Federation I
stayed in New Jersey with friends. I took the
NJ Transit around 6:50 a.m. to make sure I
allotted enough time once I got into the City.
The trip takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Everything is going fine. I am looking out of
the window just thinking about how lucky I
am and just feeling good about everything. Me
going to my first ICSC session at the UN. Then
suddenly the train started to speed up, shook
out of control Sheer horror gripped me. I saw
my life passing in front of me. I said my last
good byes to my son and the train derailed.
Not a good way to start the day, is it. When I
walked into to ICSC session, I was a nervous
wreck. I just sat there with the FICSA delegation,
immobile. I guess I was in sort of a
shock. Which I easily came out of when they
started talking about my favourite topic, pay
for performance/broadbanding. That woke
me right up.
The other memorable moment was writing
my first letter to Mr Anan.
What does it feel like to be a «syndicaliste» plein temps?
It feels great. Not to worry about meeting
deadlines for my technical work AND for staff
association work. No need to make excuses.
No subtle threats from bosses and co workers.
Total freedom to travel, go to meetings without begging. Being able to fully dedicate
you time to staff issues. It feels great.
How do you think the Administrations see
you? And how do you see them?
I hope they see me as someone who is honest
and committed, albeit a loudmouth at times.
And I hope they see me as someone who is
objective. How do I see them? Well, I see that
what they say at the global level is not always
what is true at the local level. Some claim fair
and equitable practices exist at their organizations
but I know otherwise. Some claim that
they value and support of staff representation
but I know otherwise. Some defend due
process, human rights, freedom of association,
equal access to justice but I know that
locally it is not done. Some claim to support a
work environment that is harassment free,
but locally it is not always so.
How do you view other staff associations
and unions?
Well there are those who are really trying and
who have the best interest of staff at heart
and those that don’t. Unfortunately these latter
ones weaken all of us.
What is the rapport between FICSA and
CCISUA`
As General Secretary of FICSA I have always
tried to maintain a friendly and collaborative
relationship with CCISUA. First with Marlène,
then with Shiubao and Rosemarie and now
with Susan. We are all in the same boat. For
instance, during my recent trip to Addis Ababa,
it was Edgar Casals, President of the UNECA
Staff Association (and a CCISUA member) who
provided me with office facilities.
What are some of the issues you had to
tackle?
Well the big ones were security and the death
of our colleagues in Baghdad and elsewhere
in the world; the contract reform, pay for performance/broadbanding; de-linking hardship
and mobility from base floor salary; review of
hazard pay and specifically hazard pay for
UNRWA locally recruited staff; domestic partnership,
GS Salary Survey Methodologies;
harassment; reform of the ILOAT; promulgation
of classification standards for the professional
category, and the movement to discredit
the UN.
What do you see as important issues in
the future?
Well Member States want to cut costs. This
translates into cutting jobs or worse yet keeping
staff on short contracts robbing them of
their basic rights to insurance, proper working
conditions, keeping them vulnerable and
easily controlled and easy prey for harassment.
I see this mainly in the field where our
locally recruited colleagues are really at a
large disadvantage. Many of them have no
access to counsellors, mediators, ombudsmen,
legal advice and advocates. For instance
a staff member requiring advice needs to contact
an Ombudsman who is located in NYC.
Staff associations are weak, uninformed, vulnerable
and sometimes non-existent. Many
depend on their HQ counterparts for support.
If the HQ union or staff association is weak,
imagine what the local one looks like.
What I see as important is to organize workshops
to train our colleagues in the field and
develop training material. FISCSA organizes
at least 6 workshops per year on GS salary
survey methodologies. Our goal is to expand
the workshop to include training on contracts,
appraisals, classification, harassment
and competency based interviews. Unfortunately,
this takes money. We have asked for
financial support from the Administrations
for us to be able to do more without much
luck. We keep on trying.
Your mandate ended in February. Are you
still involved in FICSA?
Very much so. I am a member of the FICSA
Executive Committee responsible for
staff/management issues and training. I found
in the past two years that there is a big discrepancy
in how staff representation is handled
in the various organizations, ranging
from very supportive to situations where staff
representatives are threatened with job loss
to organizations where there is basically no
staff representation at all. You know they
don’t make it easy. No release, at times no
facilities, threats about contract renewal,
reduced chances of promotion. Just makes
you want to jump up with joy about becoming
a staff representative doesn’t it?
One issue that really interests me is global
participation of staff representatives on selection
panels. I am not referring to promotion
and selection boards that most organizations
have but the actual selection panel where candidates
are interviewed and tested. At the
moment I only know of one organization
where staff representatives are full and equal
partners on selection panels. And that is my
own organization, WHO.
Has your position as General Secretary of
FICSA helped you to get a promotion? I
understand you recently started a new job.
Yes I did. Does it have anything to do with my
being Gen Sec of FICSA? I doubt it.
Is this an experience you would go
through again?
Definitely. And who knows, I still have a few
years left.
N° 641 June 2005