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FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY STATUTORY TRAINING PROGRAM

FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY STATUTORY TRAINING PROGRAM. Meetings with Unit Employees Jean M. Perata Deputy Regional Director FLRA, S.F. Region jperata@flra.gov ; 415.356.5000, ext. 2012. STATUTORY PROVISION.

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FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY STATUTORY TRAINING PROGRAM

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  1. FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITYSTATUTORY TRAINING PROGRAM Meetings with Unit Employees Jean M. Perata Deputy Regional Director FLRA, S.F. Region jperata@flra.gov; 415.356.5000, ext. 2012

  2. STATUTORY PROVISION • 5 U.S.C. § 7114(a)(2)(A) & (B) provide the union the opportunity to be represented at: • Formal Discussions • Investigative Examinations (Weingarten interviews)

  3. FORMAL DISCUSSIONS • Section 7114(a)(2)(A) provides: An exclusive representative of an appropriate unit in an agency shall be given the opportunity to be represented at: • any formal discussion • between one or more representatives of the agency and one or more employees in the unit or their representatives • concerning any grievance or any personnel policy or practices or other general condition of employment

  4. FORMAL DISCUSSIONS • Two elements must be present: Formality AND Subject matter

  5. ADVANCE NOTICE • A union is entitled to advance notice of a formal discussion so it can decide whether to attend and, if so, to designate a representative of its own choice to attend the meeting. • Exception: • Union has actual notice, and • Appropriate representative had opportunity to attend meeting. Dep’t of the Air Force, Sacramento Air Logistics Ctr., McClellan Air Force Base, Cal., 29 FLRA 594 (1987); see also GSA, Reg. 9, L.A., Cal., 56 FLRA 683 (2000)

  6. FORMALITY • The level of supervisory or management officials conducting the meeting; • Whether other supervisors or management officials attended; • How long the meeting lasted; • How the meeting was called; • Where the meeting was held; • Whether a formal agenda was established for the meeting; • Whether attendance was mandatory; • Were notes taken or a record made of the meeting; • The subject matter addressed during the meeting; and • The manner in which the meeting was conducted. F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Cheyenne, Wyo., 52 FLRA 149 (1996); Dep’t of HHS, SSA, Bureau of Field Operations, S.F., Cal., 10 FLRA 115 (1982).

  7. SUBJECT MATTER • Grievance; • Personnel policy or practice; or • General condition of employment.

  8. SUBJECT MATTER TEST MET • Grievance meeting under negotiated grievance procedure. U.S. DOJ, INS, N.Y. Office of Asylum, Rosedale, N.Y., 55 FLRA 1032 (1999) • Interview in preparation for an arbitration hearing or ULP hearing. Dep’t of the Air Force, F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Cheyenne, Wyo., 31 FLRA 541 (1988). • Mediation session in a formal EEO complaint, filed by a unit employee. U.S. Dep’t of Agriculture, Forest Serv., Los Padres National Forest, Goleta, Calif., 60 FLRA 644 (2005) • Meeting to discuss policies and procedures concerning annual leave. U.S. DOD, Def, Logist. Ag., Def. Depot Tracy, Tracy, Cal., 37 FLRA 952 (1990)

  9. SUBJECT MATTER TEST NOT MET • Counseling session with employee and supervisor. F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Cheyenne, Wyo., 52 FLRA 149 (1996). • Meeting to inform two employees of a temporary reassignment in duties. Bureau of Field Operations, SSA, S.F., Cal., 20 FLRA 80 (1985) • Discussion limited to manner in which four specific employees reported their productivity. U.S. GPO, Pub. Documents Distrib. Ctr., Pueblo, Colo., 17 FLRA 927 (1985)

  10. EXAMINATIONS (WEINGARTEN) • Section 7114(a)(2)(B) of the Statute entitles the union to be given the opportunity to be represented at an examination of an employee in connection with an investigation if: • The employee reasonably believes that disciplinary action may result against the employee; AND • The employee requests representation. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, OIA, Wash., D.C. & Fed. Bureau of Prisons, OIA, Aurora, Colo. & Fed. Bureau of Prisons, OIA, Littleton, Colo., 54 FLRA 1502 (1998); NLRB v. Weingarten, Inc., 420 U.S. 251 (1975)

  11. REQUEST FOR REPRESENTATION • The totality of the circumstances must be sufficient to put the agency on notice of the employee’s desire for representation. U.S. DOJ, Fed. Bureau of Prisons, OIA, Wash., D.C., 55 FLRA 388 (1999)

  12. IF ELEMENTS ARE MET • Agency must: • Grant the request for representation • Discontinue the interview; or • Offer the employee the choice between continuing the interview unaccompanied by a union representative or having no interview at all. Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., 35 FLRA 1069 (1990)

  13. LIMITS ON UNION’S RIGHT TO DESIGNATE REP • Agency may reject a particular representative where it can demonstrate “special circumstances,” such as to preserve the integrity of the investigation. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, OIA, Wash., D.C. & Fed. Bureau of Prisons, OIA, Aurora, Colo. & Fed. Bureau of Prisons, OIA, Littleton, Colo., 54 FLRA 1502 (1998) • Agency need not postpone examination to allow an employee to be represented by a particular union official if another is available. INS, N.Y. Dist. Office, 46 FLRA 1210 (1993)

  14. AN EXAMINATION INCLUDES • Meeting to discuss inconsistencies in employee’s written and oral statements to management. U.S. DOJ, Bur. Of Prisons, Metro. Correct. Ctr., N.Y., N.Y., 27 FLRA 874 (1987) • Requiring employees to prepare written memos designed to elicit information and have employees explain conduct. U.S. INS, U.S. Border Patrol, Del Rio, Tex., 46 FLRA 363 (1992) • Interview of employee who was not subject of investigation but had reasonable basis to fear discipline. IRS, Wash., D.C. & IRS, Hartford, Dist. Office, 4 FLRA 237 (1980), enforced, IRS v. FLRA, 671 F.2d 560 (D.C. Cir. 1982)

  15. AN EXAMINATION DOES NOT INCLUDE • Meeting solely concerned with an employee’s performance evaluation. IRS, Detroit, Mich., 5 FLRA 421(1981) • Meeting called to counsel an employee. Dep’t of Treasury, IRS, 15 FLRA 360 (1984) • Meeting limited to informing an employee of a decision already reached. U.S. Air Force, 2750 Air Base Wing Hdqtrs., Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 9 FLRA 871 (1982)

  16. BYPASS • “Dealing directly” with unit employees concerning any matter affecting the employees’ conditions of employment.AFGE, Nat’l Council of HUD Locals 222, 54 FLRA 1267 (1998) • “Dealing directly” with employees interferes with the union’s rights under § 7114(a)(1) of the Statute “to act for . . . all employees in the unit,” and violates § 7116(a)(1) and (5) of the Statute. U.S. DOJ, Bureau of Prisons, FCI, Bastrop, Tex., 51 FLRA 1339 (1996)

  17. BYPASS OCCURS WHEN • An agency communicates directly with bargaining unit employees • Concerning grievances, disciplinary actions where the agency knows the employee is represented by the union, or • Other matters relating to the collective bargaining relationship. FCI, Bastrop, Tex., 51 FLRA 1339 (1996); Dep’t of HHS, SSA, Balt., Md. & SSA, Reg. X, Seattle, Wash., 39 FLRA 298 (1991)

  18. ACTIONS HELD TO BE A BYPASS • Providing a disciplinary decision to employee rather than the union representative who represented employee. Dep’t of the Air Force, Sacramento Air Logist. Ctr., McClellan AFB, Cal., 35 FLRA 345 (1990); 438th Air Base Group (MAC), McGuire AFB, N.J., 28 FLRA 1112 (1987) • Communicating with an employee regarding a grievance that falls within the scope of the negotiated grievance procedure, when the Union had been representing the employee in the matter. U.S. DOJ, INS, N.Y. Office of Asylum, Rosedale, N.Y., 55 FLRA 1032 (1999) • Negotiating a change in working conditions directly with an employee. SSA, 55 FLRA at 978 (1999); Air Force Accounting and Fin. Ctr., Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colo., 42 FLRA 1226 (1991)

  19. ACTIONS HELD NOT TO BE A BYPASS • Polling: Management may directly solicit information from employees about its operations, so long as it does not attempt to use a poll or survey to bargain directly with them about matters subject to bargaining with the union. Dep’t of Treasury, IRS, Wash., D.C., 31 FLRA 832 (1988). • Agency dealings with employees where a union has no statutory rights do not constitute direct dealing in violation of the Statute. U.S. GPO, 23 FLRA 35 (1986) (EEO complaint with personal representative who was not also a union representative).

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