The Washington Post, December 24, 2006, Sunday

Copyright 2006 The Washington Post
The Washington Post

December 24, 2006 Sunday
Final Edition

SECTION: Metro; C07


HEADLINE: Jean Jacques Couturier, 79;
Union Organizer, Professor

BYLINE: Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb, Washington Post Staff Writer

BODY:
Jean Jacques Couturier, 79, a union organizer, civil service reformer and university professor before retiring as executive director of the Senior Executives Association in Washington, died Dec. 7 at Lancaster Regional Medical Center in Lititz, Pa. A former resident of Chevy Chase, he had lived in Lancaster, Pa., since 2004.
He spent the last two years of his career advocating for senior-level government workers. Before retiring in 1983, he took issue with reports that aides to former EPA administrator Anne Burford had compiled a hit list of career employees that they wanted fired or reassigned. He urged the Office of the Special Counsel of the Merit Systems Protection Board to investigate the alleged harassment.
"The American taxpayer cannot afford to have talents and experienced government employees be wasted and discarded for alleged political leanings," he said in a 1983 United Press International article. "This kind of abuse of the merit system represents a gross violation of the Civil Service Reform Act and, if uncorrected, would have a chilling effect on the career [senior executive]."
Throughout his career, Mr. Couturier worked on behalf of federal, state and local employees at all levels. He also spoke and wrote on topics such as civil service reform, collective bargaining in government, federal encroachment on state and local governments and careers in public management.
In the academic arena for several years, he was director of research and sponsored programs at American University's College of Public and International Affairs in the early 1980s, as well as being an adjunct professor in residence in the School of Government and Public Administration, now called the School of Public Affairs.
From 1974 to 1980, he was professor of public management and director of graduate studies in public management at Northwestern University. He was co-author of the book "The Public Interest in Government Labor Relations" (1977).
One of Mr. Couturier's biggest achievements, said his son, Andy Couturier of Oakland, Calif., was his development of the National Civil Service Reform League's Model Public Personnel Administration Law of 1970, which has been adopted by numerous local governments.
Mr. Couturier served as executive director of the nongovernmental citizens' group, which monitors civil service across the country, from 1963 to 1974.
Mr. Couturier was born in Washington and graduated from Central High School. He joined the Navy late in World War II and also served as a Navy corpsman during the Korean War. He graduated cum laude with a business adMinistration degree from the University of Nebraska in 1953 and for the next two years pursued graduate studies in public administration at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
While working in New York for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees of the AFL-CIO, he organized public hospitals, social workers, professionals employees and city park directors. He also created leadership development programs for the union.
Over the years, Mr. Couturier received numerous honors for his work, including a commendation from President Lyndon B. Johnson for research supporting the Federal Executive Salary Act of 1964.
Mr. Couturier belonged to the George Meany Center for Labor Studies and the American Civil Liberties Union.
He enjoyed spending time with friends and family, traveling and deep-sea fishing.
His marriage to Edith Boorstein Couturier ended in divorce.
In addition to his son, survivors include five other children, John Couturier of New York, Michelle Couturier of Oak Park, Ill., Lance Couturier of Lititz, Denise Wilson of Madison, Wis., and Anna Lisa Couturier of Portland, Ore.; and six grandchildren.