IAM and company representatives develop their HPWO partnership implementation plans during week-long schools which are held several times per year at the IAM’s William W. Winpisinger Education Center.

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Next the partners agree on a strategy to implement the new work system. This strategy involves extensive education and training, ongoing communications throughout the workplace, drafting documents such as a partnership agreement and creating a plan through which to implement the partnership. The successful implementation of a full-partnership occurs over time, is carefully monitored, and must be supported by employees throughout the organization.Site Visits.

HPWO Department staff members are currently assisting many IAM-represented worksites where the employees have decided to make the conversion to an HPWO Partnership.

In order to achieve this conversion, labor and management design a plan which, over time, will implement their partnership. HPWO Department staff visit IAM-represented sites and introduce the concept of an HPWO Partnership. They assist the partners in developinga partnership structure, a communications and education plan, and help oversee the partnership as it is implemented. The staff also helps labor and management representatives draft partnership agreements, employment security language and other documents that will help move the partnership process forward. They also provide training, education and other assistance as the implementation process continues. In a typical year, HPWO Department staff make 75 to 100 site visits to a variety of IAM-represented work sites across the United States and Canada.


Each year the HPWO Partnerships Department staff conducts several HPWO Planning Sessions which are held at the IAM’s William W.Winpisinger Education Center at Placid Harbor. This week-long school is open to key leaders from work sites where a commitment has been made to implement a full-partnership High Performance Work Organization.

During the Planning Session, labor and management leaders assess the progress they have made to date, design plans for the next year and beyond. Since the 2000 Grand Lodge Convention, over 25 HPWO week-long schools have been held at the Winpisinger Center.

Most of these schools have an enrollment of approximately 30 people who represent sites from across North America. The participants share information about their respective work sites, including best practices, as they develop their plans. Some week-long schools are dedicated to a single employer, and some Planning Sessions are conducted on-site. This activity plays a key role in developing a strategy to design and implement a full-partnership.