The Authority is a quasi-judicial panel with three full- time Members who are appointed for 5-year terms by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, with no more than two of its three members from the same political party. One Member is appointed by the President to serve as Chair of the Authority and as the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of the FLRA. The Chair also serves as a member of the National Partnership Council established by President Clinton to promote labor-management partnerships in the Federal service, and as the Chair of the Foreign Service Labor Relations Board.
The Authority adjudicates disputes arising under the Statute, deciding cases concerning the negotiability of collective bargaining agreement terms, appeals concerning unfair labor practices and representation petitions, and exceptions to grievance arbitration awards. Consistent with its statutory charge to provide leadership in establishing policies and guidance to participants in the Federal labor-management relations program, the Authority also assists Federal agencies and unions in understanding their rights and responsibilities under the Statute, and helps them improve their relationships so they can collaboratively resolve more of their problems without adjudicatory intervention.
In addition to the three-Member quasi-judicial panel, the Authority component of the FLRA also houses the Office of Administrative Law Judges; the Collaboration and Alternative Dispute Resolution Office (CADRO); the Agency's legal counsel (the Solicitor); and the program management and administrative offices for the entire Agency.
Offices of the Chair and Members: The Offices of the Chair and Members each consist of a Chief Counsel who supervises a staff of attorney-advisors, labor relations professionals and staff assistants responsible for preparing predecisional memoranda and assisting in the preparation of case decisions that are reviewed and approved by each Member. The Office of the Chair serves as the Agency contact for congressional and media affairs. The Office of Case Control, within the Office of the Chair, manages the Authority's docket and is the official custodian of the Authority's case records.
Office of Administrative Law Judges: The FLRA's Administrative Law Judges are appointed by the Authority to conduct hearings and render recommended decisions in cases involving alleged unfair labor practices. In addition, the Judges render decisions involving applications for attorney fees filed pursuant to the Back Pay Act or the Equal Access to Justice Act, and other matters as directed by the Authority. The decisions of the Judges may be affirmed, modified or reversed in whole or in part by the Authority. If no exceptions are filed to a Judge's decision, the decision is adopted by the Authority and becomes final and binding on the parties.
Collaboration and Alternative Dispute Resolution Office (CADRO): The CADR Program was established by the three independent components of the FLRA -- the Authority, the Office of the General Counsel, and the Federal Service Impasses Panel. CADR uses a variety of collaboration and alternative dispute resolution techniques at all steps of processing the labor-management dispute process - - from investigation and prosecution to the adjudication of cases and resolution of bargaining impasses. In addition, CADR coordinates and expands partnership facilitation and training activities to assist labor and management in developing constructive approaches to conducting their relationship. As a unified program, CADR's activities are carried out in all components of the FLRA. The CADR Office oversees and coordinates the FLRA's efforts in this area.
Office of the Solicitor: The Office of the Solicitor represents the FLRA in court proceedings before all United States Courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Courts of Appeals, and Federal District Courts. The Office also serves as the agency in-house counsel, providing legal advice to all FLRA components. The Solicitor also serves as the Designated Agency Ethics Officer.
Office of the Executive Director: The Office of the Executive Director has overall managerial responsibility for the FLRA's administrative programs, including budget, finance and accounting, personnel, procurement, administrative services, automated data processing, technical and research assistance and library services. The Information Resources Management Division, an operating component within the Office of the Executive Director, serves as the contact point for most public inquiries and is responsible for the production of FLRA publications and research materials, the development and maintenance of FLRA computer systems and oversight of library services.
Office of the Inspector General: The Office of the Inspector General is mandated by Public Law 100- 504 and the Inspector General Act Amendment of l988. The Office of the Inspector General is responsible for directing and carrying out audits, investigations, and internal reviews relating to the FLRA's programs and operations to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the Office of Inspector General provides management consultation and recommends policies and practices that promote the cost effective use of agency resources and prevent fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement. The Inspector General provides independent and objective evaluations of FLRA operations and is responsible for keeping the FLRA Chair and Congress fully informed of deficiencies and problems, as well as the need for corrective actions.
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is the independent investigative and prosecutorial component of the FLRA. The General Counsel, who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate for a 5-year term, is responsible for the management of the Office of the General Counsel, including the management of the FLRA's seven Regional Offices. The OGC investigates and settles or prosecutes all unfair labor practice complaints filed with the FLRA, actively encouraging the use of alternative dispute resolution at every step. The OGC reviews all appeals of a Regional Director's decision not to issue an unfair labor practice complaint and establishes policies and procedures for processing unfair labor practice charges. The General Counsel also manages and directs all OGC employee activities, including the Regional Directors' performance of their delegated responsibilities to process representation petitions and supervise representation elections.
Regional Offices: The FLRA's Regional Offices are located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The Regional Offices investigate and settle or prosecute unfair labor practice complaints; ensure compliance with all unfair labor practice orders issued by the Authority; receive and process representation petitions; and provide facilitation, intervention, training and education services to the parties.
The Federal Service Impasses Panel (the Panel) has seven Presidential appointees who serve on a part-time basis, one of whom serves as Chair. The Panel resolves impasses between Federal agencies and unions representing Federal employees arising from negotiations over conditions of employment under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, the Federal Employees Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules Act, and the Panama Canal Act of 1979. If bargaining between the parties, followed by mediation assistance, proves unsuccessful, the Panel has the authority to recommend procedures and to take whatever action it deems necessary to resolve the impasse. The Panel's staff also supports the Foreign Service Impasse Disputes Panel in resolving impasses arising under the Foreign Service Act of 1980.
The Foreign Service Labor Relations Board (the Board), which is composed of a Chair and two Members, was created by the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to administer the labor-management relations program for Foreign Service employees in the U.S. Information Agency, the Agency for International Development, and the Departments of State, Agriculture and Commerce. The Board is supported by the staff of the FLRA. The FLRA Chair serves as Chair of the Board, and appoints the other two Members, who serve part-time. The FLRA General Counsel serves as General Counsel for the Board.
There were no cases filed, decided or pending before the Board at the end of FY 1999.
CHAIR
Phyllis N. Segal
Chair, FLRA
Washington, D.C.
MEMBER
Tia S. Denenberg
Arbitrator
Red Hook, New York
MEMBER
Richard I. Bloch
Arbitrator
Washington, D.C.
GENERAL COUNSEL
Joseph Swerdzewski
General Counsel, FLRA
Washington, D.C.
The Foreign Service Impasse Disputes Panel (the Disputes Panel) was created by the Foreign Service Act of 1980. It consists of five part-time Members appointed by the Chair of the Foreign Service Labor Relations Board (the FLRA Chair). The Disputes Panel resolves impasses between Federal agencies and Foreign Service personnel in the U.S. Information Agency, the Agency for International Development and the Departments of State, Agriculture, and Commerce over conditions of employment under the Foreign Service Act of 1980. The staff of the Federal Service Impasses Panel supports the Disputes Panel.
There were no cases filed, decided, or pending before the Disputes Panel at the end of FY 1999.
CHAIR
Thomas Colosi
Public Member
Washington, D.C.
MEMBER
Betty Bolden
Chair, FSIP
Washington, D.C.
MEMBER
Allen L. Keiswetter
Department of State
Washington, D.C.
MEMBER
Dorothy Young
Department of State
Washington, D.C.
MEMBER
David W. Geiss
Department of Labor
Washington, D.C.