24:0963(94)NG - NFFE Local 1374 and Pacific Missile Test Center, Navy -- 1986 FLRAdec NG
[ v24 p963 ]
24:0963(94)NG
The decision of the Authority follows:
24 FLRA No. 94
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 1374
Union
and
PACIFIC MISSILE TEST CENTER
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
Agency
Case No. O-NG-1271
DECISION AND ORDER ON NEGOTIABILITY ISSUE
I. Statement of the Case
This case is before the Authority because of a negotiability appeal
filed under section 7105(a)(2)(E) of the Federal Service
Labor-Management Relations Statute (the Statute) and concerns the
negotiability of the underscored sentence of the following Union
proposal:
Each affected employee shall be notified of the proposed change in
his or her FLSA status. The employee will be given an opportunity
to contest the accuracy of this change prior to the effective date
of any change. Because the presumption contained at 5 C.F.R.
Section 551.203(c) is an easily rebuttable administrative
presumption, once an employee has provided any argument that his
or her position should be considered nonexempt, the agency must
make an independent determination of the employee's status.
II. Background
This proposal arose in the context of impact and implementation
bargaining in connection with Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
regulations 5 C.F.R. Part 551, promulgated by the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) at 48 Fed. Reg. 49,494 (1983). These regulations
modified and clarified criteria for determining a Federal Employee's
exemption status under the FLSA; that is, an employee's entitlement to
overtime payment under the FLSA. An "exempt" employee is not entitled
to overtime payment under the FLSA; such an employee is entitled,
however, to overtime compensation under the provisions of the applicable
Federal pay systems. The regulations also were intended to facilitate
FLSA administration in the Federal sector and to alleviate the
discrepancy between OPM's exemption criteria and the criteria applicable
to employees in the private sector. These regulations were involved in
judicial and Congressional action which delayed implementation. See
generally National Treasury Employees Union v. Devine, 733 F.2d 114
(D.C. Cir. 1984); see also American Federation of Government Employees
v. Office of Personnel Management, 618 F. Supp. 1254 (D.D.C. 1985),
affirmed, 782 F.2d 278 (D.C. Cir. 1986). They were later republished as
proposed regulations at 50 Fed. Reg. 35,529 on August 30, 1985, and were
adopted by OPM as final rules without change at 51 Fed. Reg. 7,425
(1986).
III. Positions of the Parties
The Agency contends that the underscored portion of the Union's
proposal is nonnegotiable under section 7117(a)(1) of the Statute
because it conflicts with a Government-wide regulation, 5 C.F.R. Section
551.207, /1/ which requires OPM to provide advisory opinions on
agency-proposed exceptions to the presumption of exemption for specific
occupations at GS-11 or above, set forth in 5 C.F.R. Section 551.203(c),
before such exceptions can be made by an agency. /2/
The Union disputes the Agency's position. It contends that the
Agency's position ignores the difference between the "exemption for
specific occupations" and the rebuttal of the presumption with respect
to a specific individual's position. According to the Union, the
wording of the regulations, basic statutory FLSA principles, and OPM's
past administration of the FLSA support its position that the
presumption my be rebutted in individual cases without OPM's approval.
Union reply brief at 2-3.
IV. Analysis
We find that the Union's proposal is outside the duty to bargain.
The proposal would require "local agency officials (to) determine
(without OPM approval) whether an employee has rebutted the presumption
of exemption." Attachment 2 to Union's petition for review at 3. The
proposal would require the Agency to make an independent determination
of an employee's status under the FLSA, contrary to the requirement of 5
C.F.R. Section 551.207 that such determinations be made, not
unilaterally, but in consideration of and subsequent to an advisory
opinion of OPM.
The regulation requires that OPM "provide advisory opinions on agency
proposed exceptions to the presumption of exemption for specific
occupations at GS-11 or above . . . which is specified in 5 C.F.R.
Section 551.203(c)," and that . . . "(e)xceptions may not be made before
OPM consideration," 5 C.F.R. Section 551.207 (emphasis supplied).
Section 551.203(c) provides that "(e)xcept as provided in Section
551.207 . . ., any employee properly classified at GS-11 or above . . .
shall be presumed to be exempt under this subpart." (Emphasis supplied).
These regulations are Government-wide regulations. See Radio Officers
Union and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 19 FLRA No.
80 (1985), slip op. at 7. Considering these sections together, it is
our view that any employee properly classified at GS-11 or above is
presumed to be exempt unless an exception has been made pursuant to 5
C.F.R. Section 551.207.
This interpretation comports with OPM's explanation of how the
regulations should operate. For instance, in 50 Fed. Reg. 35,529
(1985), OPM stated:
Under these new regulations, it is assumed that if a position
is properly classified at the GS-11 or above level . . ., the
position would properly be exempt under the provisions of the
FLSA. However, we do recognize that there could exist rare
occasions when there might be an exception to the presumption.
For those unusual situations when an agency feel that an exception
might exist, we propose a regulatory procedure for requesting a
waiver (see Section 551.207).
* * * * * * *
After the regulations become effective, all GS-11 and above
employees will be presumed to be exempt unless a waiver is granted
by OPM. (Emphasis in original).
Beyond this explanation, OPM in an earlier issuance of the Federal
Register, 48 Fed. Reg. 49,494, 49,495, in responding to a comment
concerning 5 C.F.R. Section 551.207, stated:
One agency disagreed with the requirement in Section 551.207
that agencies not make exceptions to the presumption of exemption
without prior OPM approval. We believe that this requirement for
prior approval is necessary in order to assure consistency among
agencies and to avoid pay and classification discrepancies.
Additionally, in the same issuance of the Federal Register at 49,494
and 49,495, OPM in responding to objections to the presumption of
exemption stated:
(T)he presumption of exemption can be appealed by either the
employee or the employing agency.
* * * * * * *
Although OPM does not rule out the possibility that certain
positions at these grade levels (GS-11 and above) are properly
nonexempt, we believe that the combination of the system for
waiver requests by agencies and the FLSA administrative appeals
system, will allow for the identification of these anomalies.
Based upon a reading of the regulations as a whole and noting OPM's
explanatory language concerning these regulations, we conclude, contrary
to the Union, that 5 C.F.R. Section 551.207 is intended to govern
exceptions from the presumption of exemption for all GS-11 employees and
above, including individual cases, "in order to assure consistency among
agencies and to avoid pay and classification discrepancies." 48 Fed.
Reg. 49,495. Because the proposal would require the Agency to make an
independent determination of an employee's status under the FLSA without
OPM's approval pursuant to 5 C.F.R. Section 551.207, it is inconsistent
with the regulations. The proposal therefore is not within the duty to
bargain.
V. Order
The Unions's petition for review is dismissed.
Issued, Washington, D.C., December 31, 1986.
/s/ Jerry L. Calhoun, Chairman
/s/ Henry B. Frazier III, Member
/s/ Jean McKee, Member
FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY
--------------- FOOTNOTES$ ---------------
(1) 5 C.F.R. Section 551.207 provides in pertinent part:
Section 551.207 Exceptions by OPM.
The Office of Personnel Management will provide advisory
opinions on agency-proposed exceptions to the presumption of
exemption for specific occupations at GS-11 or above (or the
equivalent level in other white collar pay systems) which is
specified in Secion 551.203(c) of this subpart. Exceptions may
not be made before OPM consideration.
(2) 5 C.F.R. Section 551.203(c) provides:
Section 551.203 Exceptions of General Schedule employees.
* * * * * * *
(c) Except as provided in Section 551.207 of this subpart, any
employee properly classified at GS-11 or above (or the equivalent
level in other white collar pay systems) shall be presumed to be
exempt under this subpart. An agency that properly classifies an
employee at GS-11 or above shall be deemed to have satisfied the
burden of proof for asserting exemption.