Quick Search
If you know the Citation Number (that is, the volume and page number of the decision, e.g., 65 FLRA 411) or the Issuance Number (e.g., 65 FLRA No. 84) of an FLRA decision, you may enter it here.
In the Quick Search field, the search engine is now able to locate a decision by entering any page number of the decision, rather than just the first page number of the decision. For example, when Volume 65 is selected from the drop-down menu and page number 413 is typed in, the search engine will retrieve the decision that begins at 65 FLRA 411.
Advanced Search
There are multiple search fields available. You may use one or several of those fields in any search. Note that if you enter information in more than one search field, then your search results will contain only those decisions that satisfy all of the selected criteria.
Case Type
The Case Type field allows you to limit your search to a single type of case, either Unfair Labor Practice, Representation, Arbitration, Negotiability, or Other.
Case Number
If you know the Case Number of a case you may enter it here. For example, you may enter: 0-AR-1111, 0-NG-2700, DE-CA-50006, WA-RP-10-0033, or you may enter any part of the Case Number, such as AR-1111, 2700, DE-CA or RP-10. Note that AR-111 and AR-1111 will return different cases.
Arbitrator
When searching by Arbitrator, search by last name only. For example, search for Smith, and not John Smith or John Q. Smith.
Parties
When searching for Parties, you need not provide the entire party name. For example, Local 1242 is a valid search term. It may be necessary to include an acronym in the search as well as the full or partial name of a party, such as “American Federation of Government Employees” OR AFGE.
Decision Text
Use the following rules to select search terms for the Decision Text field:
Default: The search engine assumes AND logic. In other words, if you enter two words in the Decision Text field with a space between them, and nothing else, then the search engine will assume that you entered an AND between the words. For example, typing
appropriate arrangement
in the Decision Text field will retrieve all decisions that contain both the word appropriate and the word arrangement somewhere in the text of the decision.
Exact Phrase: To search for an exact phrase, place the phrase in quotation marks. The search engine will retrieve the documents that contain the search terms in the same order as they appear in the quotation marks. For example, to search for the exact phrase procedural arbitrability, type
“procedural arbitrability”
Root Expander: To retrieve various words that contain the same root word, use an asterisk (*). When you place the asterisk (*) at the end of a root word, you will retrieve all of the words that share that root. For example, the search term
exceed*
retrieves documents in which the words exceed, exceeds, exceeded, exceeding, and exceedingly, etc. appear.
Numerical Connectors (Proximity Searches): Numerical connectors require search terms to appear within a specified number of terms of one other. You must place your search terms in quotation marks and enter a tilde (~) followed by a number (n) to search for all documents in which your terms appear within (n) terms of one another. Ensure that there is no space between the (~) and the search terms in quotation marks. For example, the search term
“governing regulation”~5
retrieves documents in which governing appears within five words or fewer of regulation, as in the phrase
. . . consistent with governing law and regulation . . . .
Connectors: You may use connectors to specify relationships between your search terms.
• AND (and) Connector: If you enter the following as your search terms:
remand and award
your search will retrieve documents containing both the word remand and the word award, as in the phrase
. . . we remand the award to the parties, absent settlement . . . .
• OR (or) Connector: If you enter the following as your search terms:
telework or telecommute
your search will retrieve documents containing either the word telework or the word telecommute.
• BUT NOT (!) Connector: To retrieve documents that contain one word, but not another, enter an exclamation point (!) before the word you wish to exclude from your search. The search engine will exclude from your results all documents that contain the term that you enter following the (!). For example, to retrieve cases that contain the word law while excluding cases that contain the word regulation, you would enter
law !regulation
Ensure that there is no space between the (!) and the term that you wish to exclude from your search.
• Combining Connectors with Parentheses: To retrieve documents that match a series of conditions, you must enclose each each connector and its associated terms in parentheses. For example, to retrieve cases that 1) contain the word law but not the word regulation; or 2) contain both the words remand and award, you would enter
((law AND !regulation) OR (remand AND award))