Europe Region Leadership Thanks German District Works Council
Exchange Europe, Southwest Asia and Africa Region leadership thanked the region’s German District Works Council (DWC) for their service as the council’s four-year term came to a close.
Exchange Europe, Southwest Asia and Africa Region leadership stand with the German District Works Council (DWC) for the last time as the council’s four-year term comes to a close.
After the final joint meeting council, Lt. Col. Garrett Bruening, Exchange Europe management representative to the DWC, expressed his appreciation on behalf of the Exchange Europe Region leadership and presented DWC Chairwoman Bianca Hotopp-Büllesfeld with an Exchange Europe Region coin.
“Works councils serve as an important bridge between management and German local national associates,” Bruening said. “This council’s term for the last four years has been especially challenging with the COVID pandemic and now the war in Ukraine. We appreciate their flexibility in executing their function and their counsel as we navigated those and more challenges.”
Under agreements between the U.S. and the Federal Republic of Germany, U.S. Forces entities employing German local national associates must establish and maintain works councils. The works councils serve as an advocate for employees and consultative partner for management. The DWC performs this function at the region level, representing nearly 1400 German local national associates to region leadership.
“Works councils give voice to associate concerns, ensure employment practices follow the law, and help management understand issues from an associate’s perspective,” Hotopp-Büllesfeld said. “Through good cooperation, we’ve helped address issues in the work center, provided German local national associates services through the Employee Assistance Program and raised concerns about COVID mitigation measures that led to improvements.”
