The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service has settled into a new normal after a year of layoffs and court interventions, observers said, but questions persist about what the pared-down version of the agency will mean for the unions and employers that have used its services.
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Daniel Sobol, a partner at Blank Rome LLP who represents employers, said he has noticed the loss in mediators, especially in negotiations involving smaller bargaining units. But he said that by late last year, FMCS mediators were again active in negotiations involving larger bargaining units and that he expects the service to continue being helpful on those negotiations.
The roster posted on the FMCS website currently lists 60 mediators. A January 2025 document on the agency's website states that the agency had 143 field mediators as of Sept. 30, 2024.
Sobol said it is not yet clear how the pared-down roster will affect negotiations, though he does expect a learning curve as new mediators get up to speed with contracts they have not worked on before.
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"Questions Remain About FMCS Role After Trump Staff Cuts," by Tim Ryan was published in Law360 Employment Authority on February 3, 2026.