[ v05 p561 ]
05:0561(71)NG
The decision of the Authority follows:
5 FLRA No. 71 AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO, LOCAL 3804 Union and FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, CHICAGO REGION, ILLINOIS Agency Case No. 0-NG-254 DECISION AND ORDER ON MOTION TO DISMISS THIS CASE IS BEFORE THE AUTHORITY ON THE UNION'S PETITION FOR REVIEW OF NEGOTIABILITY ISSUES AND THE AGENCY'S MOTION TO DISMISS. THE RELEVANT FACTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY AFTER THE AGENCY ALLEGED THAT CERTAIN UNION PROPOSALS WERE NOT WITHIN ITS DUTY TO BARGAIN, THE UNION FILED WITH THE AUTHORITY A DOCUMENT STYLED "RESPONSE OF EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE TO AGENCY STATEMENT ON NON-NEGOTIABILITY" WHICH FAILED TO SET FORTH THE TEXT OF PARTICULAR PROPOSALS IN DISPUTE. THE DOCUMENT CONTAINED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: THIS CASE GENERATES FROM NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN AFGE LOCAL 3804 (THE UNION) AND THE CHICAGO REGION OF THE FDIC (THE EMPLOYER) WHERE THE UNION PRESENTED BARGAINING PROPOSALS RELATING TO PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS. THE EMPLOYER CLAIMED EXEMPTION FROM THE OBLIGATION TO BARGAIN ON THESE PROPOSALS ON THE BASIS THAT AS A GOVERNMENT CORPORATION, IT WAS SPECIFICALLY EXCEPTED FROM CHAPTER 43 OF THE CIVIL SERVICE REFORM ACT (THE ACT) AND OTHERWISE THAT THE PROPOSALS THEMSELVES VIOLATED PROVISIONS OF THE ACT. THE DOCUMENT THEREAFTER ADDRESSED ONLY MATTERS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL. THE AUTHORITY NOTED THAT THE DOCUMENT FILED BY THE UNION APPEARED TO BE INTENDED AS A PETITION FOR REVIEW OF NEGOTIABILITY ISSUES BUT WAS NOT IN CONFORMANCE WITH AUTHORITY'S RULES AT 5 CFR 2424.4(A), /1/ WHICH PRESCRIBE THE CONTENTS OF SUCH A PETITION FOR REVIEW. THEREFORE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS USUAL PRACTICE, THE AUTHORITY GRANTED ADDITIONAL TIME TO THE UNION IN WHICH TO FILE NECESSARY MATERIALS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE APPEAL INITIATED BY THE DEFICIENT PETITION. THE UNION SUBSEQUENTLY FILED ON FEBRUARY 26, 1980, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS SETTING FORTH THE TEXT OF 8 PROPOSALS CONCERNING PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL TOGETHER WITH THE TEXT OF 27 ADDITIONAL PROPOSALS WHOLLY UNRELATED TO PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL MATTERS, AND A COPY OF THE AGENCY'S ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING EACH PROPOSAL. IN ITS STATEMENT OF POSITION BEFORE THE AUTHORITY, THE AGENCY TOOK THE POSITION, ESSENTIALLY, THAT THE INITIAL DOCUMENT FILED BY THE UNION WITHIN THE 15 DAY PERIOD FOLLOWING THE AGENCY'S ALLEGATION DID NOT CONSTITUTE A "PETITION FOR REVIEW" WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE STATUTE AND THE AUTHORITY'S RULES AND COULD NOT BE CURED OR COMPLETED AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF THE TIME LIMITS FOR THE FILING OF SUCH PETITIONS. THEREFORE, THE AGENCY MOVED TO DISMISS THE UNION'S PETITION FOR REVIEW AS BEING UNTIMELY FILED. THE AGENCY'S MOTION MUST BE GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART. UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 5 U.S.C. 7117(C)(2), /2/ AN EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE MAY, ON OR BEFORE THE FIFTEENTH DAY AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH AN AGENCY ALLEGES THAT THE DUTY TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH DOES NOT EXTEND TO ANY MATTER, INSTITUTE AN APPEAL BY FILING A PETITION WITH THE AUTHORITY AND FURNISHING A COPY THEREOF TO THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY. THUS, UNDER THE FOREGOING PROVISION OF THE STATUTE AND SECTION 2424.3 OF THE AUTHORITY'S RULES AND REGULATIONS (5 CFR 2424.3), /3/ A PETITION AS TO A PARTICULAR NEGOTIABILITY ISSUE WOULD BE TIMELY IF FILED ON OR BEFORE THE FIFTEENTH DAY FROM THE DATE ON WHICH THE AGENCY ALLEGES THAT THE DUTY TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH DOES NOT EXTEND TO THE ISSUE IDENTIFIED IN THE PETITION. THE AUTHORITY'S RULES AT 5 CFR 2424.4(A) PRESCRIBE THE CONTENT OF PETITIONS FOR REVIEW OF NEGOTIABILITY ISSUES. THE AUTHORITY MAY, IN ITS DISCRETION, PERMIT A UNION TO CORRECT A TIMELY FILED PETITION WHICH IS DEFICIENT WITH RESPECT TO SECTION 2424.4(A) OF THE AUTHORITY'S RULES. SEE 5 CFR 2429.16. HOWEVER, A GRANT OF PERMISSION TO CORRECT A DEFICIENT PETITION FOR REVIEW TIMELY INVOKING THE AUTHORITY'S JURISDICTION AS TO CERTAIN NEGOTIABILITY ISSUES DOES NOT AUTHORIZE THE UNION, AFTER THE STATUTORY TIME LIMIT PRESCRIBED AT 5 U.S.C. 7117(C)(2) HAS EXPIRED, TO AMEND THE PETITION IN AN ATTEMPT TO FURTHER INVOKE THE AUTHORITY'S JURISDICTION AS TO WHOLLY UNRELATED MATTERS. AS TO THESE NEW MATTERS, THE UNION'S APPEAL WOULD BE CLEARLY UNTIMELY. AS STATED PREVIOUSLY, THE ONLY STATED MATTERS IN DISPUTE SET FORTH IN THE DOCUMENT INITIALLY FILED CONCERNED PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL. THUS, BASED UPON THE FOREGOING, TO THE EXTENT THAT THE UNION'S PURPORTED PETITION FOR REVIEW DATED FEBRUARY 5, 1980 IDENTIFIED PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL AS THE ISSUE IN DISPUTE, DEFICIENCIES THEREIN COULD BE REMEDIED BY THE FILING OF COMPLYING MATERIALS WITHIN THE TIME ALLOWED BY THE AUTHORITY. HAVING INITIALLY LIMITED THE ISSUES IN DISPUTE, HOWEVER, THE UNION COULD NOT THEREAFTER FILE AN APPEAL CONCERNING PROPOSALS WHOLLY UNRELATED TO PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL ISSUES SINCE THE TIME LIMIT AT 5 U.S.C. 7117(C)(2) AND 5 CFR 2424.3 HAD EXPIRED. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED THAT THE AGENCY'S MOTION TO DISMISS SHALL BE DENIED WITH RESPECT TO THE UNION'S PROPOSALS REGARDING PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL (I.E., UNION PROPOSED ARTICLE VI, SECTION 1-6, 8-9) AND SHALL BE GRANTED WITH RESPECT TO THE REMAINING PROPOSALS CONTAINED IN THE UNION'S ADDITIONAL STATEMENT OF FEBRUARY 26, 1980. ISSUED, WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 30, 1981 RONALD W. HAUGHTON, CHAIRMAN HENRY B. FRAZIER III, MEMBER LEON B. APPLEWHAITE, MEMBER FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY --------------- FOOTNOTES$ --------------- /1/ 5 CFR 2424.4(A) PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 2424.4 CONTENT OF PETITION; SERVICE. (A) A PETITION FOR REVIEW SHALL BE DATED AND SHALL CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING: (1) A STATEMENT SETTING FORTH THE MATTER PROPOSED TO BE NEGOTIATED AS SUBMITTED TO THE AGENCY; (2) A COPY OF ALL PERTINENT MATERIAL, INCLUDING THE AGENCY'S ALLEGATION IN WRITING THAT THE MATTER, AS PROPOSED, IS NOT WITHIN THE DUTY TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTARY MATERIAL; AND (3) NOTIFICATION BY THE PETITIONING LABOR ORGANIZATION WHETHER THE NEGOTIABILITY ISSUE IS ALSO INVOLVED IN AN UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE CHARGE FILED BY SUCH LABOR ORGANIZATION UNDER PART 2423 OF THIS SUBCHAPTER AND PENDING BEFORE THE GENERAL COUNSEL. /2/ 5 U.S.C. 7117(C)(2) PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 7117. DUTY TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH; COMPELLING NEED; DUTY TO CONSULT * * * * (C)(2) THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE MAY, ON OR BEFORE THE 15TH DAY AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH THE AGENCY FIRST MAKES THE ALLEGATION REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION, INSTITUTE AN APPEAL UNDER THIS SUBSECTION BY -- (A) FILING A PETITION WITH THE AUTHORITY; AND (B) FURNISHING A COPY OF THE PETITION TO THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY. /3/ 5 CFR 2424.3 PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 2424.3 TIME LIMITS FOR FILING. THE TIME LIMIT FOR FILING A PETITION FOR REVIEW IS FIFTEEN (15) DAYS AFTER THE DATE THE AGENCY'S ALLEGATION THAT THE DUTY TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH DOES NOT EXTEND TO THE MATTER PROPOSED TO BE BARGAINED IS SERVED ON THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE. THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE SHALL REQUEST SUCH ALLEGATION IN WRITING AND THE AGENCY SHALL MAKE THE ALLEGATION IN WRITING AND SERVE A COPY ON THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT REVIEW OF A NEGOTIABILITY ISSUE MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE UNDER THIS SUB-PART WITHOUT A PRIOR WRITTEN ALLEGATION BY THE AGENCY IF THE AGENCY HAS NOT SERVED SUCH ALLEGATION UPON THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE WITHIN TEN (10) DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE RECEIPT BY ANY AGENCY BARGAINING REPRESENTATIVE AT THE NEGOTIATIONS OF A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR SUCH ALLEGATION.