JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. - Intended to strengthen the relationship between the Navy and unions here, two senior officials from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) signed a labor-management charter during a visit to Lakehurst on April 26.

Rear Adm. Randy Mahr, NAWCAD commander, and Gary Kessler, the organization's executive director, also toured NAWCAD's Lakehurst facilities, met with more than 200 employees and union leaders and honored numerous workers.

The Lakehurst labor-management forum charter formalizes an existing commitment between management and unions to improve the efficiency of the organization while promoting an environment where employees are well informed and highly valued, naval officials said.

William Cole, R2-84 chapter president of the National Association of Government Employees, which represents more than 400 workers at Lakehurst, co-signed the charter and said he expected ongoing cooperation between management and the unions. "Lakehurst is a great place to work and the mutual respect we have here for each other is exceptional," Cole said.

Visiting the industrial floor of Prototyping and Manufacturing at the base, Mahr thanked the machinists and artisans for supporting the needs of the fleet.

"The skill and can-do attitude of each of you is critical to keeping our carriers at sea functioning and fully capable of carrying out their mission," the admiral said. "Lakehurst is the only place in the Navy equipped to do the things you do. Each of you is an invaluable asset to the Navy's readiness and success."

Mahr also used his visit as a platform to salute several outstanding employees. He honored the Prototype and Manufacturing division; and during a meeting with engineering interns, he presented the 2012 ERE Recruiting Excellence Award to the Lakehurst Workforce Development team for successfully attracting and hiring a record number of new engineers and scientists.

Competing against DoD and industry organizations, team members Michele Huk, Eugene Bergman, Michael Eddowes, James Gonzalez, Greg Heller, Juliette Knight, Gabrielle Korosec, Robert McRae, Wanda Staton-Riggins and Arianda Sugar were honored for their recruiting efforts. Since 2006, the team has hired 400 new employees, earning a 95 percent retention rate.

Mahr told the interns they were important to the current and future naval force.

"In 2030, you will be the leaders of the Navy and the continuity that enables our Sailors to succeed," he said. "You also need to push our present leadership with your ideas and your suggestions to make things better and more efficient. Keep asking those questions and pushing those buttons in a manner that won't let them say no."

Expanding NAWCAD leadership outreach, Executive Director Kessler shared information about operations and policies of the Naval Air Systems Command and the Navy with members of the Naval Civilian Managers Association, a management organization of senior naval civilians.