23:0542(74)NG - NAGE, SEIU and VA Medical Center, Brockton/West Roxbury, MA -- 1986 FLRAdec NG
[ v23 p542 ]
23:0542(74)NG
The decision of the Authority follows:
23 FLRA No. 74
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES, SEIU, AFL-CIO
Union
and
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION
MEDICAL CENTER
BROCKTON/WEST ROXBURY, MA
Agency
Case No. 0-NG-1142
DECISION AND ORDER ON NEGOTIABILITY ISSUE
I. Statement of the Case
The Union filed a petition for review under 5 U.S.C. Section
7105(a)(2)(E) challenging the Agency's allegation that the following
proposal was not negotiable:
The V.A. shall allow sufficient time in the regular work week
for the elected Secretary (of the local Union) to perform
(his/her) duties as required to expedite all matters of a
Grievable nature.
II. Positions of the Parties
The Agency argues that the proposal violates 5 U.S.C. Section 7131(b)
by requiring official time for internal union business. It also asserts
that the proposal violates its right to assign work under 5 U.S.C.
Section 7106(a)(2)(B). The Union counters that the Agency has not
demonstrated a "compelling need" as required by 5 C.F.R. Section
2424.11. /1/
III. Analysis and Conclusions
In disagreement with the Agency, we find the proposal negotiable and
within the duty to bargain under 5 U.S.C. Section 7131(d).
A. The Proposal Does Not Concern Internal Union Business
With certain limitations, an agency and a union must negotiate on the
amount of official time available for an employee representing that
union. 5 U.S.C. Section 7131(d). One of the limitations is the
prohibition in 5 U.S.C. Section 7131(b) against conducting internal
union business on official time. The definition of internal union
business is narrowly drawn, however, and relates to the institutional
structure of the union. American Federation of Government Employees,
AFL-CIO, Local 2823 and Veterans Administration Regional Office,
Cleveland, Ohio, 2 FLRA 4 (1979).
Activities involving labor-management contacts, as well as
preparation for them, are not internal union business. For this reason,
official time for union representatives to engage in contract
negotiations -- over and above the official time to which they are
otherwise entitled for that purpose under 5 U.S.C. Section 7131(a) --
and to prepare for such negotiations is negotiable under 5 U.S.C.
Section 7131(d). See American Federation of Government Employees,
AFL-CIO and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 15 FLRA 461, 462-63
(1984). See also American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO,
Local 1692 and Headquarters, 323rd Flying Training Wing (ATC), Mather
Air Force Base, California, 3 FLRA 305, 309 (1980). We did not address
what constituted "preparation" for labor-management contacts in that
case, but held this would be more appropriately resolved by the parties
during negotiations or by an arbitrator in the context of a specific
case. We expressly excluded from the definition of "preparations"
matters which involved the internal business of the union.
The Union's proposal specifically addresses official time for the
activities of its Secretary so as to enable her to expedite all
grievable matters. Participation in grievance proceedings and
preparation for them do not relate to the institutional structure of the
Union. They are at the heart of the representational activities for
which official time may be negotiated under 5 U.S.C. Section 7131(d).
The Agency asserts that the Union Secretary is working and will
continue to work on internal union business rather than the grievable
matters proposed. The Agency points to an unfair labor practice charge
which was filed by the Union within a few weeks of the negotiability
petition and which summarizes the Secretary's duties:
She is also a part time Steward on occasion. She does filing,
types grievances and other office duties.
The Union asserts that the Secretary handles grievances during her
duty hours resulting in their earlier resolution.
The Agency's argument anticipates that the Secretary will use
negotiated official time for internal union business. An agency cannot
remove a negotiable item -- one that is consistent with applicable law
and regulation -- from the bargaining table because it expects it to be
abused. Other proceedings -- such as a disciplinary action, an unfair
labor practice proceeding, or a grievance -- are available to remedy
such abuse if it occurs. See, for example, American Federation of
Government Employees, Local 1778, AFL-CIO, 10 FLRA 346, 350-351 (1982);
Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration
and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 3231, 11 FLRA 7
(1983). We appreciate the Agency's concern with the difficulty in
particular situations of distinguishing between the Secretary's
representational activities and internal union business. However, as we
said in Mather, these distinctions are best drawn at the bargaining
table or through arbitration.
The purpose of this negotiability proceeding is to decide if the
Union's proposal is inconsistent with applicable law and regulation and
therefore outside the duty to bargain. 5 U.S.C. Section 7117(c). The
proposal concerns official time for the Union's Secretary to work on
grievances. Since participation in and preparation for grievance
proceedings are not internal union business, bargaining on this proposal
is not precluded by the prohibition against conducting internal union
business on official time.
B. The Proposal Does Not Interfere With Management's Right
To Assign Work
In support of its assertion that the proposal is nonnegotiable, the
Agency adverts to the proposal's effect on management's right to assign
work under 5 U.S.C. Section 7106(a)(2)(B). The Agency here states only
the obvious. If the Secretary performs representational activities on
official time, the Agency is prevented from assigning work to that
employee during that time. The Agency's reliance on American Federation
of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, International Council of U.S. Marshals
Service Locals and Department of Justice, U.S. Marshals Service, 4 FLRA
384 (1980) is misplaced. In that case, the union proposal addressed the
time an employee would qualify with weapons on a firing range and would
practice to maintain qualifications. The proposal would have required
the agency to assign certain types of work to certain employees to the
exclusion of other responsibilities. We held that the proposal was not
negotiable under 5 U.S.C. Section 7106(a)(2)(B) because it violated
management's right to assign work.
The Marshals Service case is not on point. While authorizing
official time for representational purposes necessarily affects
management's ability to assign work, there is nothing in the Union's
proposal that would permit the Union's Secretary to use the official
time authorized by the proposal so as to disregard the needs of the
Agency to assign work to her at particular times. That is, the proposal
would not prevent the Agency from making whatever accommodations may be
necessary between the scheduling of work assignments and the scheduling
of official time. See National Federation of Federal Employees, Local
541 and Veterans Administration Hospital, Long Beach, California, 12
FLRA 270, 273-275 (1983).
IV. Order
The Agency must, upon request (or as otherwise agreed to by the
parties), bargain concerning the Union's proposal. /2/
Issued, Washington, D.C., September 30, 1986.
/s/ Jerry L. Calhoun, Chairman
/s/ Henry B. Frazier III, Member
/s/ Jean McKee, Member
FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY
--------------- FOOTNOTES$ ---------------
(1) In its allegation of nonnegotiability the Agency used the term,
"compelling reason," when conveying its view that the proposal was in
conflict with 5 U.S.C. Section 7131(b). The Union misconstrued this as
a "compelling need" argument and argued that the Agency had not met the
compelling need criteria in 5 C.F.R. Section 2424.11 to exclude its
proposal from bargaining.
We find no indication in the record that by use of the term
"compelling reason," the Agency intended to advance a compelling need
argument to support its allegation of nonnegotiability. For this
reason, we will not address this issue further.
(2) In deciding that the proposal is within the duty to bargain, we
make no judgment on its merits.