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The decision of the Authority follows:
8 FLRA No. 8 NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION AND NTEU CHAPTER 70 Union and DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, ATLANTA SERVICE CENTER, GEORGIA Agency Case No. 0-NG-354 DECISION AND ORDER ON NEGOTIABILITY ISSUES THE PETITION FOR REVIEW IN THIS CASE COMES BEFORE THE FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY (THE AUTHORITY) PURSUANT TO SECTION 7105(A)(2)(E) OF THE FEDERAL SERVICE LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS STATUTE (THE STATUTE), AND RAISES THE QUESTION OF THE NEGOTIABILITY OF FIVE UNION PROPOSALS DEALING WITH THE AGENCY'S DECISION TO INSTITUTE A CARPOOL PROJECT. UNION PROPOSAL 1 IF A SITUATION DEVELOPS AMONG CARPOOLERS IN WHICH CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE POOL ARE ADVISED THAT DUE TO A LACK OF WORK ON A PARTICULAR DAY THEY MUST LEAVE WORK, THE EMPLOYER WILL MAKE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO FIND THE EMPLOYEE(S) ALTERNATIVE WORK TO PERFORM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR SHIFT. IF ALTERNATIVE WORK CANNOT BE FOUND, MANAGEMENT WILL PROVIDE THAT EMPLOYEE(S) ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION HOME. UNION PROPOSAL 2 ACTUAL MILEAGE PER GALLON OF THE CAR UTILIZED SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING WHO RECEIVES A RESERVED PARKING SPACE. PEOPLE WHO DRIVE CARS WITH EPA MILEAGE RATINGS OF 25 MILES PER GALLON OR MORE WILL BE ENTITLED TO A RESERVED PARKING SPACE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY CARPOOL. HOWEVER, THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL ALSO BE ENCOURAGED TO CARPOOL. UNION PROPOSAL 3 PRIORITIES FOR RESERVED PARKING SPACES WILL BE ASSIGNED ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING: 1. ACTUAL MILEAGE PER GALLON OF THE CAR UTILIZED SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING WHO RECEIVES A RESERVED PARKING SPACE. PEOPLE WHO DRIVE CARS WITH EPA MILEAGE RATINGS OF 25 MILES PER GALLON OR MORE WILL BE ENTITLED TO A RESERVED PARKING SPACE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY CARPOOL. HOWEVER, THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL ALSO BE ENCOURAGED TO CARPOOL. 2. PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE CAR AND THE EPA MILEAGE PER GALLON. THIS WILL BE DETERMINED BY CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THE CARPOOL AND DIVIDING THAT NUMBER BY THE EPA MILEAGE PER GALLON, TO DETERMINE THE MILEAGE PER GALLON PER INDIVIDUAL IN A CARPOOL. CARPOOLS WITH HIGHER MILEAGE PER GALLON PER INDIVIDUAL WILL RECEIVE PRIORITY OVER THOSE CARPOOLS WITH LESS MILEAGE PER INDIVIDUAL PER GALLON. PRIORITY IS DEFINED BY USING DISTANCE FROM THE BUILDING TO THE PARKING SPACE. UNION PROPOSAL 4 IE: CARS GETTING EPA MILEAGE OF 25 MILES A GALLON OR MORE WILL BE ASSIGNED TO RESERVED SPACES CLOSEST TO BUILDING, THEN EPA MILEAGE AND NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN CARPOOL WILL BE ASSIGNED SPACES AFTER EPA MILEAGE OF 25 MILES OR MORE HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED. UNION PROPOSAL 5 PENALTIES IMPOSED BY THE CARPOOLING COMMITTEE REGARDING SUSPENSION OF PARKING PRIVILEGES WILL FIRST BE DISCUSSED WITH THE UNION. UPON CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE ENTIRE RECORD, INCLUDING THE PARTIES' CONTENTIONS, THE AUTHORITY MAKES THE FOLLOWING DETERMINATIONS. WITH RESPECT TO UNION PROPOSAL 1, A DISPUTE BETWEEN THE PARTIES EXISTS AS A RESULT OF THE AGENCY'S CONTENTION THAT THE PROPOSAL DOES NOT DEAL WITH MATTERS IMPACTED BY THE CARPOOL PROJECT. THUS, THE AUTHORITY FINDS THAT THE DISPUTE WITH REGARD TO THIS PROPOSAL IS IMPROPERLY BEFORE US AS A NEGOTIABILITY ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED PURSUANT TO SECTION 7117 OF THE STATUTE. RATHER, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROCESSED THROUGH THE UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE PROCEDURES OF THE STATUTE, SEE, E.G., AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO, LOCAL 1931 AND DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, NAVAL WEAPONS STATION, CONCORD, CALIFORNIA, 2 FLRA 181(1979); NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION AND DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE, WASHINGTON, D.C., 3 FLRA 330(1980). UNION PROPOSALS 2, 3 AND 4 PROVIDE THAT RESERVED PARKING WILL BE ALLOCATED ON THE BASIS OF ONE CRITERION, THAT IS, THE EPA MILEAGE RATING OF THE AUTOMOBILE INVOLVED. IN CONTRAST, GOVERNMENT-WIDE REGULATIONS, NAMELY, OMB CIRCULAR A-118 AND FPMR TEMPORARY REGULATION D-65 /1/ ESTABLISH THAT PARKING WILL BE ASSIGNED IN PRIORITY ORDER TO HANDICAPPED EMPLOYEES, TO EXECUTIVE PERSONNEL AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED UNUSUAL HOURS, TO VANPOOLS AND TO CARPOOLS BASED SOLELY ON THE NUMBER OF CARPOOL MEMBERS. THUS, CONTRARY TO THE UNION'S CONTENTION THAT THE PROPOSALS ONLY WOULD AUGMENT GOVERNMENT-WIDE REGULATIONS, PROPOSALS 2, 3 AND 4, AS DRAFTED, CONFLICT WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED GOVERNMENT-WIDE REGULATIONS AND, THEREFORE, ARE NOT WITHIN THE DUTY TO BARGAIN UNDER SECTION 7117(A)(1) OF THE STATUTE. /2/ SEE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO, LOCAL 2151 AND GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, WASHINGTON, D.C., 7 FLRA NO. 79(1982). FINALLY, WITH REGARD TO UNION PROPOSAL 5, THE UNION SEEKS ONLY TO NEGOTIATE THE RIGHT TO DISCUSS THE PENALTIES TO BE IMPOSED PRIOR TO THE IMPOSITION OF SUCH PENALTIES. CONSEQUENTLY, THE PROPOSAL IS A NEGOTIABLE PROCEDURE UNDER SECTION 7106(B)(2) OF THE STATUTE /3/ WHICH DOES NOT PREVENT THE AGENCY FROM ACTING AT ALL WITH RESPECT TO DISCIPLINING EMPLOYEES /4/ OR LIMITING THE PENALITIES THE AGENCY MAY IMPOSE UNDER APPLICABLE RULES AND REGULATIONS. NOR DOES THE PROPOSAL REQUIRE THE AGENCY TO TAKE ANY ACTION INCONSISTENT WITH THE PRIVACY ACT, 5 U.S.C. 552A(1976), SINCE IT DOES NOT REQUIRE THE RELEASE OF NAMES OF INVOLVED EMPLOYEES. THUS, CONTRARY TO THE AGENCY'S ASSERTIONS, THIS PROPOSAL IS WITHIN THE DUTY TO BARGAIN. ACCORDINGLY, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2424.10 OF THE AUTHORITY'S RULES AND REGULATIONS (5 CFR 2424.10(1981)), IT IS ORDERED THAT THE UNION'S PETITION FOR REVIEW RELATING TO UNION PROPOSALS 1 THROUGH 4 BE, AND IT HEREBY IS, DISMISSED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT THE AGENCY SHALL UPON REQUEST (OR AS OTHERWISE AGREED TO BY THE PARTIES) BARGAIN CONCERNING UNION PROPOSAL 5. /5/ ISSUED, WASHINGTON, D.C., FEBRUARY 4, 1982 RONALD W.HAUGHTON, CHAIRMAN HENRY B. FRAZIER III, MEMBER LEON B. APPLEWHAITE, MEMBER FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY --------------- FOOTNOTES: --------------- /1/ PARAGRAPH 8 OF OMB CIRCULAR A-118 ADDRESSES THE ALLOCATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF PARKING FACILITIES, AND STATES IN PART, THAT "(TO) MAXIMIZE THE EFFICIENT UTILIZATION OF AVAILABLE PARKING SPACES, ASSIGNMENTS OF SPACES TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES SHALL BE ON THE BASIS OF THE REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY GSA (FPMR 101-20.111 AND 101-20.117), AS AMENDED TO COMPLY WITH THIS CIRCULAR." PARAGRAPH 8 OF GSA'S IMPLEMENTING REGULATION, FPMR TEMPORARY REGULATION D-65, AS AMENDED, SETS FORTH CERTAIN PRIORITIES FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OF PARKING SPACES TO EMPLOYEES. PARAGRAPH 8 STATES AS FOLLOWS: 8. PRIORITIES FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING. AGENCIES SHALL ENCOURAGE THE CONSERVATION OF ENERGY BY TAKING POSITIVE ACTION TO INCREASE CARPOOLING. A. ASSIGNMENT OF SPACES. IN MEETING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROMOTE CARPOOLING, AGENCIES SHALL ASSIGN EMPLOYEE PARKING AS FOLLOWS: (1) HANDICAPPED EMPLOYEES . . . (2) A GOAL OF NOT MORE THAN 10 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL SPACES AVAILABLE ON AN AGENCYWIDE BASIS (EXCLUDING THE SPACES ASSIGNED TO SEVERELY HANDICAPPED EMPLOYEES) TO EXECUTIVE PERSONNEL AND/OR PERSONS WHO ARE ASSIGNED UNUSUAL HOURS. EXECUTIVE PERSONNEL SHOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CARPOOL. (3) VANPOOLS. (4) CARPOOLS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS. /2/ SECTION 7117(A)(1) OF THE STATUTE PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS: SEC. 7117. DUTY TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH; COMPELLING NEED; DUTY TO CONSULT (A)(1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE DUTY TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH SHALL, TO THE EXTENT NOT INCONSISTENT WITH ANY FEDERAL LAW OR ANY GOVERNMENT-WIDE RULE OR REGULATION, EXTEND TO MATTERS WHICH ARE THE SUBJECT OF ANY RULE OR REGULATION ONLY IF THE RULE OR REGULATION IS NOT A GOVERNMENT-WIDE RULE OR REGULATION. /3/ SECTION 7106(B) PROVIDES, IN PERTINENT PART, AS FOLLOWS: (B) NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PRECLUDE ANY AGENCY AND ANY LABOR ORGANIZATION FROM NEGOTIATING-- * * * * (2) PROCEDURES WHICH MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS OF THE AGENCY WILL OBSERVE IN EXERCISING ANY AUTHORITY UNDER THIS SECTION(.) /4/ SEE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO, LOCAL 1999 AND ARMY-AIR FORCE EXCHANGE SERVICE, DIX-MCGUIRE EXCHANGE, FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY, 2 FLRA 152(1979), ENFORCED SUB NOM. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE V. FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY, 659 F.2D 1140 (D.C. CIR. 1981). /5/ IN FINDING UNION PROPOSAL 5 NEGOTIABLE, THE AUTHORITY MAKES NO JUDGMENT AS TO ITS MERITS.