[ v09 p175 ]
09:0175(26)CU
The decision of the Authority follows:
9 FLRA No. 26 NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION Labor Organization/Petitioner and INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, /1/ WASHINGTON, D.C. Activity Case No. 6-CU-19 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 CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE ENTIRE RECORD, INCLUDING THE PARTIES' CONTENTIONS, THE AUTHORITY FINDS: THE NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION (NTEU) /2/ SEEKS CLARIFICATION TO ESTABLISH THAT INCLUDED WITHIN ITS BARGAINING UNIT IS THE INCUMBENT IN THE POSITION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST/TAXPAYER EDUCATION COORDINATOR GS-301-05 (PAS/TEC) LOCATED IN THE OKLAHOMA CITY DISTRICT. THE ACTIVITY OPPOSES SUCH INCLUSION ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE INCUMBENT IS A MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL, CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYEE AND/OR AN EMPLOYEE ENGAGED IN FEDERAL PERSONNEL WORK IN OTHER THAN A PURELY CLERICAL CAPACITY. /3/ THE INCUMBENT ASSISTS THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER IN PERFORMING HIS RESPONSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATING TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE GENERAL MEDIA TAX INFORMATION OF ALL TYPES, INCLUDING TAX POLICY AND PUBLIC OFFICE HOURS, AS WELL AS PUBLISHING AN EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER. SHE ALSO ACTS FOR THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER IN THE LATTER'S ABSENCE. AS THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER IS INVOLVED IN THE FUNCTION OF IMPLEMENTING, AS OPPOSED TO SHAPING THE PRESCRIBED GENERAL PRINCIPLES, PLANS, OR COURSES OF ACTION FOR THE ACTIVITY, THE AUTHORITY FINDS THAT, LIKE THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, THE PAS/TEC WHO ASSISTS HIM AND ON OCCASION ASSUMES HIS DUTIES IS NOT A MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 7103(A)(11) OF THE STATUTE AS INTERPRETED BY THE AUTHORITY. /4/ AS THE RECORD DOES NOT ESTABLISH THAT THE INCUMBENT'S SUPERVISOR, THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, IS INVOLVED IN THE FORMULATION OR EFFECTUATION OF MANAGEMENT POLICIES IN THE FIELD OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS, OR THAT SHE ACTS IN A CONFIDENTIAL CAPACITY WITH REGARD TO ANY OTHER PERSON EXERCISING SUCH AUTHORITY, THE AUTHORITY FINDS THAT THE INCUMBENT IS NOT A CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYEE WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 7103(A)(13) OF THE STATUTE. /5/ FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE, 5 FLRA NO. 4(1981). FURTHER, AS THE RECORD ESTABLISHES THAT THE INCUMBENT IS NOT IN A PERSONNEL POSITION AND HAS NOT ENGAGED IN PERSONNEL WORK WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE STATUTE, /6/ THE AUTHORITY FINDS THAT SHE IS NOT AN EMPLOYEE ENGAGED IN FEDERAL PERSONNEL WORK IN OTHER THAN A PURELY CLERICAL CAPACITY. /7/ ACCORDINGLY, THE AUTHORITY SHALL ORDER THAT THE ABOVE POSITION BE INCLUDED WITHIN NTEU'S EXCLUSIVELY RECOGNIZED UNIT. ORDER IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT THE UNIT SOUGHT TO BE CLARIFIED HEREIN BE, AND IT HEREBY IS, CLARIFIED BY INCLUDING IN SAID UNIT THE POSITION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST/TAXPAYER EDUCATION COORDINATOR GS-301-05. ISSUED, WASHINGTON, D.C., JUNE 23, 1982 RONALD W. HAUGHTON, CHAIRMAN HENRY B. FRAZIER III, MEMBER LEON B. APPLEWHAITE, MEMBER FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY --------------- FOOTNOTES$ --------------- /1/ THE NAME OF THE ACTIVITY APPEARS AS AMENDED AT THE HEARING. /2/ NTEU WAS CERTIFIED ON MARCH 27, 1980, AS THE EXCLUSIVE BARGAINING REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL PROFESSIONAL AND NON-PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE DISTRICT OFFICES, REGIONAL OFFICES AND NATIONAL OFFICE. /3/ SEE SECTION 7112(B)(1), (2) AND (3) OF THE STATUTE. /4/ SECTION 7103(A)(11) 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 POLICES OF THE AGENCY(.) IN DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING SELECTION OFFICE, 7 FLRA NO. 24(1981), THE AUTHORITY INTERPRETED THE DEFINITION TO INCLUDE ONLY THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO: (1) CREATE, ESTABLISH OR PRESCRIBE GENERAL PRINCIPLES, PLANS OR COURSES OF ACTION FOR AN AGENCY; (2) DECIDE UPON OR SETTLE UPON GENERAL PRINCIPLES, PLANS OR COURSES OF ACTION FOR AN AGENCY; OR (3) BRING ABOUT OR OBTAIN A RESULT AS TO THE ADOPTION OF GENERAL PRINCIPLES, PLANS OR COURSES OF ACTION FOR AN AGENCY. /5/ SECTION 7103(A)(13) DEFINES A "CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYEE" AS: . . . AN EMPLOYEE WHO ACTS IN A CONFIDENTIAL CAPACITY WITH RESPECT TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO FORMULATES OR EFFECTUATES MANAGEMENT POLICIES IN THE FIELD OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS(.) /6/ IN THE AUTHORITY'S VIEW, THE MERE RANKING OF VOLUNTEERS SEEKING TO CONDUCT CERTAIN ACTIVITY TRAINING, WITHOUT MORE, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE SUBSEQUENT SELECTION IS MADE BY ANOTHER, IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO EXCLUDE THE INCUMBENT FROM THE BARGAINING UNIT AS AN EMPLOYEE ENGAGED IN PERSONNEL WORK IN OTHER THAN A PURELY CLERICAL CAPACITY PURSUANT TO SECTION 7112(B)(3) OF THE STATUTE. /7/ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, U.S. NAVAL STATION, PANAMA, 7 FLRA NO. 74(1981).