Dedication

This Master Agreement is dedicated to Andy Pizzi. Mediation was both his vocation and passion. Andy’s experience in conflict resolution came from growing up in an opinionated, strong-willed, and sometimes dysfunctional Italian family. Andy began working with the Forest Service Partnership Council in 2002, and he worked with NFFE and the Forest Service in a variety of labor-management settings. While Andy had deep knowledge of labor law, developed while working at the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), he understood and reminded us that negotiation is less about the technicalities and more about communication. Since the Master Agreement negotiations of 2010, he encouraged, cajoled, and shepherded us to agreement on four separate contracts.

During the year that it took to complete the most recent negotiations, we enjoyed his integrity, passion, and fun-loving nature. He deeply believed in our ability to create win-win agreements when we take the time to get down to core interests with mutual respect and trust. Andy had several memorable expressions, such as when we’d get close to an agreement on a subject and he would say, "you are in violent agreement here, now just get the words right."

We dedicate this Master Agreement to Andy as an expression of gratitude and hopefulness. Gratitude for having been inspired by Andy and hopeful that we can carry forward with his spirit in finding common ground.