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Qwest CWA Family and Work
Development Fund
Shown
in the Picture are back row left, Maralise Hood Quan Director, and to her left
Jo Coyer in charge of Youth Mediation Program.
(By Randy Grams, President, Local 7804) Our Local was nominated the Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution and their Youth Mediation Program. 1995 bargaining produced this fund, in which $100,000 is allocated for funding family care programs to address the evolving needs of employees represented by CWA. Local 7804 members have nominated 2 organizations in the last 2 years which have been awarded grants. Last year, Ann Smith nominated the Pacific Senior Center which received money to help with their transportation of senior citizens to doctor visits and the like. This year, President, Randy Grams has nominated the Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution and their Youth Parent Mediation project. In late January, they were selected for a grant for $7,800 to get this program started. Have you ever had a hard time resolving a dispute with your teenager? Of course, we all have! The Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution (PCCDR) is ready to reinitiate their successful Youth-Parent Mediation project to help. They have found that effective communication, understanding of intergenerational differences, and sometimes just the presence of an impartial third party are key elements needed to resolve conflicts. The Qwest Family and Work Development Fund grant will support the training of ten volunteers –five teams composed of one young person and one adult—to mediate conflicts between parents and their adolescent children The Qwest Family and Work Development fund will provide the support necessary for targeted outreach to schools and after school programs. This process will include a review and update of both hard-copy and web-based training materials. The Center has already begun to collaborate with other youth oriented programs and will carefully use the funds from this grant to maximize every dollar and ensure the longevity of the program. It is likely 500 to 1,000 employees reside in and or work in Pierce County. The tri-metro area includes Tacoma, Renton, and Seattle (King County), and Olympia (Thurston County). Qwest employees, dependents, and retirees could utilize the services of a Youth-Parent mediation process at the Center. They will also be invited to volunteer on this important project. Finally, everyone in the community benefits when day-to-day conflicts are resolved before they escalate into societal problems. Pierce County has a high drop out rate. One of their goals would be to work with schools and parents to address some of the underlying conflicts that cause a young person to leave school before graduation. Early intervention and training in peacemaking skills will help keep the focus on the future. They have found that mediation at this level enables young people to move beyond present conflicts and on to the opportunities in our community. The PCCDR which is a non profit volunteer organization, does mediations for parenting plans, neighborhood disputes, small claims court assistance, and various other types of mediation which may or may not be court ordered. PCCDR is located at 738 Broadway Suite 400, Phone: (253) 572-3657. Claire Taylor, Jane Nishita, Maralise Hood Quan, Randy Grams
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