ee The aspects of organizational definitions—such as charting, administrative issuances, and management studies—as well as coordination of organization and expense control pro- cedures are staff service responsibilities of the Organization and Management Branch. Contract Administration In addition to the necessary staff development work relating to personnel programs for the Operations Office, staff in the Personnel Branch undertakeall technical staff as- sistance to contract representatives respecting reimbursable costs for personal services and insurance and employee benefit plans. There are at present 21 prime contracts, a number of which will ordinarily be in various stages of negotiation or renegotiation during any fiscal year. The related work activity of the Personnel Branch involves assistance to contract representatives in develop- ing and negotiating contract appendices relating to the costs of personal services and re- viewing and endorsing contract modification and Reimbursement Authorizations as submitted by the contracting officers based upon requests from the contracting organizations. ‘There is involved the accumulation and analysis of current salary and wage survey data and economic factors respecting conditions of work (fringe benefits) relating to the atomic energy industry and to job classifications and localities which have significance in making comparative analyses of reimbursable costs for personal services of interest to SFO. The staff also obtains for contract representatives approvals of the Department of Labor respecting wage schedules required for new construction work, and have responsibility for assuring compliance by contract administrators with agency responsibilities for insuring compliance on the part of contracting organizations with Federal labor laws. All matters affecting contractor labor relations situations, where appropriate AEC representation or influence at the local level or at the level of "international" union juris- diction may be helpful in resolving local problems, become matters of concern to this staff. Where an AEC position must be determined for establishing jurisdiction of the Atomic En- ergy Labor-Management Relations Panel, the staff follow-through will be effected through this Branch. ’ A particular responsibility relating to cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts involves insuring determination, in advance of labor agreement renewal dates or possible reopening date, the AEC economic position respecting possible increases in wages or benefits which might be negotiated, particularly as to their effect on current or future negotiations of other contractors or with other unions, and whether AEC's need for continuity of production will require some consiraint on the contractor to forego taking a strike in support of his bargaining position. It is desirable that contractors take a position in negotiations that is consistent with that regarded by the AEC as prudent and desirable under existing circumstances and which can have AEC approval, Principal Activities During the Reporting Period The principal emphasis of the Division since the Fall of 1951 has been placed on the following matters: AL Organization One problem was identification of the Manager's staff structure as a purely staff eche- lon, distinguished from the combination staff and operating activity which had characterized the work of the Division while at Los Alamos. Prior to the emergence of additional field DOEJALS 154 s Pd 19