The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) is an independent agency of the federal government that promotes the development of sound and stable labor-management relationships and constructive joint processes to improve organizational effectiveness, productivity and employment security. The Agency prevents or minimizes work stoppages by assisting labor and management to resolve disputes and advocates collective bargaining, mediation and voluntary arbitration as the preferred methods for settling labor-management conflicts. FMCS also provides government entities with a wide variety of cost-saving alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services, including mediation, facilitation, negotiated rulemaking and training.