20:0444(49)AR - Air Force, 1947 Support Group and AFGE-GAIU, Council of HQ, USAF Locals -- 1985 FLRAdec AR

 20 FLRA No. 49
 
 U.S. AIR FORCE, 
 1947 SUPPORT GROUP 
 Activity 
 
 and 
 
 AFGE-GAIU, COUNCIL OF
 HEADQUARTERS, USAF LOCALS, AFL-CIO 
 Union 
 
                                       Case No. 0-AR-899
 
                                 DECISION
 
    This matter is before the Authority on exceptions to the award of
 Arbitrator Louis Aronin filed by the Union and the Agency under section
 7122(a) of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute and
 part 2425 of the Authority's Rules and Regulations.  /1/
 
    The grievance before the Arbitrator was on the merits of the dispute
 over the grievant's failure to be selected for the Agency's Comptroller
 Civilian Career Management Program (CCCMP) Cadre.  The Arbitrator in a
 previous award had found only certain aspects of the grievance to be
 arbitrable.  As to that aspect of the grievance relating to the
 interview portion of the selection process for the CCCMP cadre, the
 Arbitrator as his award denied the grievance.  He determined that the
 Union had not cited any statute or regulation that specifically or by
 inference precluded the type of interview utilized by the Agency as part
 of the evaluation process for selection to the cadre.  The other aspect
 of the grievance related to the grievant's claim that he was improperly
 denied credit for his budget analyst experience.  The Arbitrator noted
 that the crediting plan provision for experience in comptroller career
 program specialties required a notice of personnel action form (SF 50)
 which showed at least one year in two or more comptroller job
 specialties in a classification series other than that held by the
 applicant.  The Arbitrator also acknowledged that the grievant's budget
 analyst experience did not qualify under this crediting plan provision.
 Nevertheless, the Arbitrator determined that the grievant had budget
 analyst experience that should be credited.  Accordingly, as to this
 aspect of the grievance, the Arbitrator as his award ordered that the
 grievant shall be given credit for his budget analyst experience.
 
    The Union's exceptions that were timely filed appear to pertain only
 to the award insofar as it denied that aspect of the grievance relating
 to the interview portion of the selection process for the CCCMP cadre.
 Specifically, the Union contends that the award in this respect is
 contrary to numerous laws, rules, and regulations and is not supported
 by the record evidence.  The Union further contends that the Arbitrator
 made erroneous procedural rulings, exceeded his authority, and did not
 adjudicate the matter under the proper legal framework.  The Authority
 concludes that the Union's exceptions provide no basis for finding the
 award in this respect deficient.
 
    As has been noted, the Arbitrator in denying this aspect of the
 grievance expressly determined that the Union had in no manner
 demonstrated the illegality of the interview process and had not
 established that the weight given the interview should be changed. The
 Authority similarly finds that the Union in merely repeating those
 contentions in its exceptions to the award fails to demonstrate that the
 award in this respect is contrary to any law, rule, or regulation.  The
 Authority further finds that the remaining exceptions and contentions
 constitute nothing more than disagreement with the Arbitrator's findings
 of fact, evaluation of evidence and testimony, and reasoning and
 conclusions and consequently provide no basis for finding the award
 deficient.  See, e.g., Federal Correctional Institution, Petersburg,
 Virginia and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2052,
 Petersburg, Virginia, 13 FLRA 108(1983).
 
    In its exceptions the Agency primarily argues that the award is
 deficient insofar as the Arbitrator has overruled the crediting plan
 provision limiting full credit for budget analyst experience to
 experience in positions in a budget analyst classification series.  The
 Authority agrees.
 
    In Montana Air Chapter of Association of Civilian Technicians and
 U.S. Department of the Air Force, Montana Air National Guard, 19 FLRA
 No. 112(1985), the Authority specifically agreed with the rationale of
 the court in Department of Treasury, U.S. Customs Service v. FLRA, 762
 F.2d 1119 (D.C. Cir. 1985), vacating National Treasury Employees Union
 and Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service, Washington, D.C.,
 11 FLRA 247(1983).  In Department of Treasury, U.S. Customs Service, the
 U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found that a union crediting
 plan, which included p