[ v08 p711 ]
08:0711(123)CU
The decision of the Authority follows:
8 FLRA No. 123 MASSACHUSETTS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, TAGO, NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Activity and NATIONAL FEDERATION OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 1029 Petitioner/Labor Organization Case No. 1-CU-18 DECISION AND ORDER CLARIFYING UNIT UPON A PETITION DULY FILED WITH THE FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY UNDER SECTION 7111(B)(2) OF THE FEDERAL SERVICE LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS STATUTE (THE STATUTE), A HEARING WAS HELD BEFORE A HEARING OFFICER OF THE AUTHORITY. THE HEARING OFFICER'S RULINGS MADE AT THE HEARING ARE FREE FROM PREJUDICIAL ERROR AND ARE HEREBY AFFIRMED. UPON THE ENTIRE RECORD IN THE SUBJECT CASE, INCLUDING A BRIEF FILED BY THE ACTIVITY, THE AUTHORITY FINDS: ESSENTIALLY, WHEREAS THE PETITIONER (NFFE) SEEKS TO CLARIFY ITS EXISTING UNIT /1/ BY INCLUDING INCUMBENTS IN VARIOUS JOB CLASSIFICATIONS, THE ACTIVITY CONTENDS THAT THE INCUMBENTS IN THESE CLASSIFICATIONS ARE SUPERVISORS, MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, OR PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES. SUPERVISORS /2/ RECRUITING AND RETENTION SPECIALIST, GS-0301-09 IN THE AUTHORITY'S VIEW, THE INCUMBENT, WHO ALLEGEDLY SUPERVISES A CLERK-TYPIST AND A TECHNICIAN, EACH OF WHOM IS NOW IN A FULL TIME MILITARY POSITION, DOES NOT SUPERVISE ANY "EMPLOYEE" WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 7103(A)(2) OF THE STATUTE, /3/ AND IS THEREFORE NOT A SUPERVISOR AND SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THE BARGAINING UNIT. LEAD PURCHASING AGENT, GS-1105-06 IN THE AUTHORITY'S VIEW, THE INCUMBENT, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THREE SUBORDINATES, ESTABLISHES THE PRIORITY OF THEIR WORK, APPROVES THEIR LEAVE, REVIEWS AND IS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR WORK PRODUCT, COUNSELS THEM, AND HAS GIVEN WRITTEN REPRIMANDS AND MADE EFFECTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH REGARD TO AWARDS AND QUALITY STEP INCREASES AND WHO CONSISTENTLY EXERCISES INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT WITH REGARD TO THE ABOVE, THEREFORE IS A SUPERVISOR WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE STATUTE AND IS EXCLUDED FROM THE BARGAINING UNIT. TRANSPORTATION SPECIALIST, GS-2101-08 IN THE AUTHORITY'S VIEW, THE INCUMBENT, WHO EVALUATES ONE SUBORDINATE, APPROVES HIS LEAVE, ESTABLISHES THE PRIORITY OF HIS WORK, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS WORK PRODUCT, AND HAS EFFECTIVELY RECOMMENDED HIS SELECTION AND SUBSEQUENT AWARDS, AND WHO CONSISTENTLY EXERCISES INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT WITH REGARD TO THE ABOVE, THEREFORE IS A SUPERVISOR WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE STATUTE AND IS EXCLUDED FROM THE BARGAINING UNIT. OPERATIONS AND TRAINING SPECIALIST, GS-0301-10 AND GS-0301-09 (OTS) IN THE AUTHORITY'S VIEW, THE INCUMBENTS IN THESE POSITIONS (FOUR IN GS-0301-10 AND 15 IN GS-0301-09), WHO ASSIGN AND SET THE WORK PRIORITIES OF ALL OTHER SPECIALISTS, COUNSEL THE SPECIALISTS, AND HAVE EFFECTIVELY RECOMMENDED EITHER DISCIPLINE OR AWARDS FOR THOSE SPECIALISTS, AND WHO CONSISTENTLY EXERCISE INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT WITH REGARD TO THE ABOVE, THEREFORE ARE SUPERVISORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE STATUTE AND ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE BARGAINING UNIT. MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS /4/ OR PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES /5/ IN THE AUTHORITY'S VIEW, THE INCUMBENTS CLASSIFIED AS AIRCRAFT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS (SAFETY), GS-2181-12 WHO EVALUATE AVIATOR FLIGHT TECHNIQUES AND CAPABILITIES AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH FURTHER TRAINING MAY BE REQUIRED FOR FULL QUALIFICATION, IN ALL CASES SUBJECT TO REVIEW BY HIGHER AUTHORITY, IMPLEMENT RATHER THAN SHAPE ACTIVITY POLICIES AND ARE THEREFORE NOT MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 7103(A)(11) OF THE STATUTE /6/ AND ARE INCLUDED IN THE BARGAINING UNIT. WITH RESPECT TO THE INCUMBENT'S ALLEGED "PROFESSIONAL" STATUS, IN THE AUTHORITY'S VIEW, AS THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION DO NOT REQUIRE "KNOWLEDGE OF AN ADVANCED TYPE IN A FIELD OF SCIENCE OR LEARNING CUSTOMARILY ACQUIRED BY A PROLONGED COURSE OF SPECIALIZED INTELLECTUAL INSTRUCTION AND STUDY IN AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING" AND THE RECORD HAS NOT ESTABLISHED THAT THE INCUMBENTS HAVE OTHERWISE MET THE DEFINITION OF "PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES" WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 7103(A)(15) OF THE STATUTE, THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THE BARGAINING UNIT. ORDER IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT THE UNIT SOUGHT TO BE CLARIFIED HEREIN BE, AND IT HEREBY IS, CLARIFIED TO INCLUDE THE INCUMBENTS IN THE POSITIONS OF RECRUITING AND RETENTION SPECIALIST, GS-0301-09, AND AIRCRAFT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (SAFETY), GS-2181-12. IT IS HEREBY FURTHER ORDERED THAT, WITH RESPECT TO ALL OTHER POSITIONS SOUGHT TO BE INCLUDED, BUT WHICH THE AUTHORITY HAS FOUND MUST BE EXCLUDED FROM THE BARGAINING UNIT, THE PETITION IN THIS CASE IS HEREBY DISMISSED. ISSUED, WASHINGTON, D.C., MAY 20, 1982 RONALD W. HAUGHTON, CHAIRMAN HENRY B. FRAZIER III, MEMBER LEON B. APPLEWHAITE, MEMBER FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY --------------- FOOTNOTES$ --------------- /1/ THE PETITIONER WAS CERTIFIED ON JULY 19, 1976, AS THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF A UNIT CONSISTING OF: ALL MASSACHUSETTS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD TECHNICIANS, EXCLUDING ALL MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, SUPERVISORS (AS DEFINED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 11491, AS AMENDED) AND EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN FEDERAL PERSONNEL WORK IN OTHER THAN A PURELY CLERICAL CAPACITY. /2/ SECTION 7103(A)(10) OF THE STATUTE DEFINES A "SUPERVISOR" AS: . . . AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED BY AN AGENCY HAVING AUTHORITY IN THE INTEREST OF THE AGENCY TO HIRE, DIRECT, ASSIGN, PROMOTE, REWARD, TRANSFER, FURLOUGH, LAYOFF, RECALL, SUSPEND, DISCIPLINE, OR REMOVE EMPLOYEES, TO ADJUST THEIR GRIEVANCES, OR TO EFFECTIVELY RECOMMEND SUCH ACTION, IF THE EXERCISE OF THE AUTHORITY IS NOT MERELY ROUTINE OR CLERICAL IN NATURE BUT REQUIRES THE CONSISTENT EXERCISE OF INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT(.) /3/ SEE, NORTH CAROLINA AIR NATIONAL GUARD, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, 4 FLRA NO. 44(1981). /4/ SECTION 7103(A)(11) OF THE STATUTE DEFINES A "MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL" AS: . . . AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED BY AN AGENCY IN A POSITION THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF WHICH REQUIRE OR AUTHORIZE THE INDIVIDUAL TO FORMULATE, DETERMINE, OR INFLUENCE THE POLICIES OF THE AGENCY(.) /5/ SECTION 7103(A)(15) OF THE STATUTE PROVIDES: (15) 'PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEE' MEANS-- (A) AN EMPLOYEE ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF WORK-- (I) REQUIRING KNOWLEDGE OF AN ADVANCED TYPE IN A FIELD OF SCIENCE OR LEARNING CUSTOMARILY ACQUIRED BY A PROLONGED COURSE OF SPECIALIZED INTELLECTUAL INSTRUCTION AND STUDY IN AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING OR A HOSPITAL (AS DISTINGUISHED FROM KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED BY A GENERAL ACADEMIC EDUCATION, OR FROM AN APPRENTICESHIP, OR FROM TRAINING IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ROUTINE MENTAL, MANUAL, MECHANICAL, OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES); (II) REQUIRING THE CONSISTENT EXERCISE OF DISCRETION AND JUDGMENT IN ITS PERFORMANCE; (III) WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY INTELLECTUAL AND VARIED IN CHARACTER (AS DISTINGUISHED FROM ROUTINE MENTAL, MANUAL, MECHANICAL, OR PHYSICAL WORK); AND (IV) WHICH IS OF SUCH CHARACTER THAT THE OUTPUT PRODUCED OR THE RESULT ACCOMPLISHED BY SUCH WORK CANNOT BE STANDARDIZED IN RELATION TO A GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME; OR (B) AN EMPLOYEE WHO HAS COMPLETED THE COURSES OF SPECIALIZED INTELLECTUAL INSTRUCTION AND STUDY DESCRIBED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (1)(I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH AND IS PERFORMING RELATED WORK UNDER APPROPRIATE DIRECTION OR GUIDANCE TO QUALIFY THE EMPLOYEE AS A PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEE DESCRIBED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS PARAGRAPH(.) /6/ DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING SELECTION OFFICE, 7 FLRA NO. 24(1981).