18:0475(62)CA - NG Bureau and NAGE -- 1985 FLRAdec CA

 18 FLRA No. 62
 
 NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU 
 Respondent
 
 and 
 
 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENT 
 EMPLOYEES 
 Charging Party
 
                                            Case No. 3-CA-2586
 
                            DECISION AND ORDER
 
    This matter is before the Authority pursuant to the Regional
 Director's "Order Transferring Case to the Federal Labor Relations
 Authority" in accordance with section 2429.1(a) of the Authority's Rules
 and Regulations.
 
    Upon consideration of the entire record in this case, including the
 stipulation of facts, accompanying exhibits, and the parties'
 contentions, the Authority finds:
 
    It is alleged that the National Guard Bureau violated section
 7116(a)(1), (5) and (8) of the Federal Service Labor-Management
 Relations Statute (the Statute) /1/ by instituting substantive changes
 in conditions of employment without affording the Charging Party,
 National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), reasonable time to
 present its views and recommendations regarding the changes pursuant to
 its previously granted national consultation rights, as required by
 section 7113 of the Statute.  /2/
 
    At all times material herein, NAGE has been granted national
 consultation rights by the National Guard Bureau under section 7113 of
 the Statute.  On June 11, 1981, the National Guard Bureau notified NAGE
 that on June 12, 1981, it would issue a letter entitled "Policies for
 Active Duty Guard/Reserve (AGR) Program, FY 81-Manpower Management
 Guidance No. G-81," announcing its policy for conversion of technician
 positions to Active Duty/Reserve.  The National Guard Bureau on the next
 day, June 12, 1981, issued the policy announcement.  The policy
 announcement was addressed to the Adjutants General of all states,
 Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the District of Columbia, and
 provides, inter alia, for the conversion of vacant Civilian Military
 Technician positions to Active Duty Guard/Reserve (AGR) positions;  for
 the voluntary conversion of incumbent Civilian Military Technician
 positions to AGR positions;  and for the gains in the number of military
 AGR positions to be offset by the reductions in the number of civilian
 technicians.
 
    The National Guard Bureau and NAGE stipulated that the National Guard
 Bureau has a past practice of providing NAGE with at least two weeks
 advance notice regarding such proposed changes, pursuant to NAGE's
 national consultation rights.
 
    Section 7113(b)(1) of the Statute provides that any labor
 organization having national consultation rights is entitled to receive
 advance notice of any substantive changes in conditions of employment
 proposed by the agency and to be given a reasonable period of time to
 present its views and recommendations regarding the changes.  If such
 views and recommendations are presented, they must be considered by the
 agency before it takes final action.
 
    The Authority finds that the June 12, 1981 policy announcement issued
 by the National Guard Bureau constituted a substantive change in
 personnel policy, as employees became subject to displacement from the
 collective bargaining unit inasmuch as the AGR positions created by the
 conversion of civilian technician positions would be military positions
 which are excluded from coverage under the Statute by section
 7103(a)(2)(B)(ii).  /3/ Since NAGE had national consultation rights, the
 National Guard Bureau was obligated to comply with the provisions of
 section 7113(b)(1) prior to finalizing its proposed changes.  Thus,
 after notifying NAGE on June 11, 1981, of its intention to issue a
 policy announcement, the National Guard Bureau was required to provide
 the Union with reasonable time to present its views and recommendations
 on the proposed new policy and to consider such views and
 recommendations before issuing the policy announcement.  This it failed
 to do.  Rather, the National Guard Bureau notified NAGE of its intention
 to issue the letter announcing its policy on the conversion of employee
 positions only the day before the policy announcement was issued.  The
 Authority finds that the one day between notice and issuance of the
 policy announcement does not satisfy the requirement of affording NAGE a
 reasonable period of time to present its views and recommendations,
 noting in particular that the record does not reveal an emergency or
 other compelling reason for immediate action and that the National Guard
 Bureau admits that it had a past practice of providing NAGE with at
 least two weeks advance notice regarding such changes.  Therefore, the
 Authority concludes that the National Guard Bureau failed to comply with
 its obligation to consult under 7113(b)(1) and thus violated section
 7116(a)(1) and (5) of the Statute.  See General Services Administration,
 6 FLRA 430 (1981).  /4/
 
                                   ORDER
 
    Pursuant to section 2423.29 of the Rules and Regulations of the
 Federal Labor Relations Authority and section 7118 of the Statute, the
 Authority hereby orders that the National Guard Bureau shall:
 
    1.  Cease and desist from:
 
    (a) Failing to inform the National Association of Government
 Employees (NAGE), pursuant to NAGE's national consultation rights under
 section 7113 of the Statute, of proposed substantive changes in
 conditions of employment, and failing to provide NAGE with a reasonable
 period of time to present its views and recommendations regarding the
 proposed changes.
 
    (b) In any like or related manner interfering with, restraining, or
 coercing employees in the exercise of their rights assured by the
 Statute.
 
    2.  Take the following affirmative action in order to effectuate the
 purposes and policies of the Statute:
 
    (a) Provide the National Association of Government Employees,
 pursuant to its national consultation rights under section 7113 of the
 Statute, a reasonable period of time to present its views and
 recommendations concerning procedures pertaining to the conversion of
 technician positions to Active Duty/Reserve, and thereafter comply with
 the requirements of section 7113(b)(2) of the Statute.
 
    (b) Post at all of its facilities copies of the attached Notice on
 forms to be furnished by the Federal Labor Relations Authority.  Upon
 receipt of such forms they shall be signed by the Director, Army
 National Guard, or a designee, and shall be posted and maintained for 60
 consecutive days ther