Community Services Administration (Agency) and National Council of CSA Locals, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (Union)
[ v07 p783 ]
07:0783(130)AR
The decision of the Authority follows:
7 FLRA No. 130 COMMUNITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (Agency) and NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CSA LOCALS, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO (Union) Case No. O-AR-181 ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO DISMISS APPEAL AS MOOT THE ABOVE-ENTITLED CASE IS BEFORE THE FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY ON EXCEPTIONS TO THE AWARD OF ARBITRATOR SEYMOUR STRONGIN FILED BY THE AGENCY PURSUANT TO SECTION 7122(A) OF THE FEDERAL SERVICE LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS STATUTE (5 U.S.C. 7101 ET SEQ.) AND SECTION 2425.1 OF THE AUTHORITY'S RULES AND REGULATIONS (5 C.F.R. 2425.1(1981)). ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1981, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (CSA OR THE AGENCY) FILED A MOTION TO DISMISS THE SUBJECT APPEAL AS MOOT. IN SUPPORT OF ITS MOTION, CSA CONTENDS, IN PERTINENT PART, THAT BECAUSE OF THE CLOSING OF THE AGENCY ON OCTOBER 1, 1981, PURSUANT TO THE OMNIBUS BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1981 (PUB. L. 97-37, 95 STAT. 357) (BUDGET ACT), THE APPEAL IS MOOT. THE UNION FILED AN OPPOSITION TO THE AGENCY'S MOTION CONTENDING THAT IT WOULD BE PREMATURE FOR THE AUTHORITY TO DISMISS THE APPEAL AT THIS TIME. THE UNION ARGUES IN THE REGARD THAT QUESTIONS EXIST AS TO WHETHER ANOTHER AGENCY, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS) IS A SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO CSA AND WHAT OBLIGATIONS, IF ANY, HHS HAS TO THE UNION, THE RESOLUTION OF WHICH QUESTIONS DEPENDS ON THE OUTCOME OF A CASE BEFORE THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. UPON CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENCY'S MOTION AND THE UNION'S OPPOSITION THERETO, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE TERMINATION OF CSA AS AN AGENCY BY OPERATION OF THE BUDGET ACT HAS SERVED TO RENDER MOOT THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE UNION AND CSA UPON WHICH THE ARBITRATION AWARD WAS BASED. /1/ IN THAT REGARD, THE SUBJECT ARBITRATION AWARD ORDERED CSA TO SET ASIDE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF ITS POSITIONS FOR CAREER MOBILITY OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE AGENCY. FURTHER, TO DECIDE THE ISSUES PRESENTED IN THE CASE IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD BE TANTAMOUNT TO ISSUING AN ADVISORY OPINION, WHICH IS PRECLUDED BY SECTION 2429.10 OF THE AUTHORITY'S RULES AND REGULATIONS. ACCORDINGLY, AND APART FROM OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT THE AGENCY'S EXCEPTION IN THE ABOVE-ENTITLED CASE BE, AND IT HEREBY IS, DISMISSED. FOR THE AUTHORITY. ISSUED, WASHINGTON, D.C., JANUARY 29, 1982 JAMES J. SHEPARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR --------------- FOOTNOTES: --------------- /1/ ANY ISSUE AS TO WHETHER THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS A SUCCESSOR TO CSA IS AN ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED IN AN APPROPRIATE PROCEEDING SUCH AS THE AUTHORITY'S UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE OR REPRESENTATION CASE PROCEEDINGS AND NOT IN THE CONTEXT OF EXCEPTIONS TO AN ARBITRATION AWARD.