United States Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz selected Counts in 1969 to serve as Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, insisting that Counts was selected based on his widely respected qualifications in the field, and not on his longtime connection to President Nixon. Serving in the position until 1973, Counts was given credit for expanding the service's ability to resolve labor disputes before they turned into strikes, dealing effectively with labor leaders such as Jimmy Hoffa of the Teamsters, AFL-CIO president George Meany and Walter Reuther of the United Auto Workers.
