Nova Southeastern University Mediates Postal Disputes
Law students at Nova Southeastern University are mediating employment discrimination cases for the United States Postal Service. This is the only program of its kind in the nation which works with the Postal Service and the program has been so successful that it is now expected to be duplicated at other law schools throughout the country.
This pro-bono program was specifically created for the Postal Service by Fran L. Tetunic, director of the Mediation Program, the U.S. Postal Service, the EEOC's Miami District Office and the Miami Office of the U.S. Postal Service in March 1997. The cases are complaints filed with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that go to mediation before hearings with the EEOC's administrative judges.
"The EEOC offers complainants the opportunity to mediate, which allows them to talk directly with a representative of the Postal Service to see if they can structure an agreement that will meet their needs. This allows the parties to resolve the dispute with the assistance of the mediator, instead of being bound by the determination of a judge," says Tetunic.
The law students have mediated 40 cases and an additional 30 cases are scheduled for mediation. Approximately half of the cases were resolved at mediation, eliminating the need for the EEOC to hear and decide the case, and allowing the parties to write a mutually acceptable agreement. The mediation agreements are binding on the parties and enforceable by the court.
Tetunic notes that the employment discrimination issues cover a wide range of law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Equal Pay Act.
"Mediation is particularly appropriate when employees continue to work for the Postal Service. This allows them the opportunity to resolve their disagreements with lengthy and costly court battles. The parties involved often structure creative resolutions that would not be ordered by a judge, and address their emotional as well as legal needs," says Tetunic.
Tetunic says the program has been so successful that the Postal Service is trying to implement it at other law schools across the nation. She can provide you with more information on the program's expansion. ###
Editors: The EEOC's also has an Alternate Dispute Resolution Program which uses mediators from Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad Law Center. Nova Southeastern University was the first law school in the country to implement that program, too. Feel free to contact Tetunic at 954-262-6139 (work) or 954-452-0507 (home).
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