NLRB V. FLRA: NLRB Union Pickets and Exchanges Press Releases with Management in the Ongoing Dispute over FLRA’s Decision

A dispute between the National Labor Relations Board Union and the agency is heating up as the union begins picketing and calling for the resignation of the agency’s General Counsel. The NLRB responds with its own press release.

Picketing at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Say it isn’t so.  In an ongoing dispute at the NLRB caused by a decision by the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the Board’s union issued a press release announcing its intention to picket and calling for the resignation of General Counsel Ronald Meisburg for acts that show “defiance of Federal Law and contempt for the rights of his employees.”

The union’s press release quoting unnamed “union sources” (a little unusual since it’s the union’s press release) said it would engage in other protests involving public events Meisburg attends.  I don’t know the GC’s public events schedule but football, basketball and ice hockey seasons will certainly start before the case is decided.  If the General Counsel is a DC spots fan, it begs the question of whether the various player’s associations will refuse to cross NLRBU’s picket line in solidarity with their Federal union brothers and sisters.

The dispute reported in earlier articles centers on a decision by FLRA disregarding, in NLRB’s view, the private sector labor law and requiring the Board to recognize a consolidated unit of all Board employees.

Replying to the union’s press release, General Counsel Meisburg issued one of his own.  In it he says, “I firmly believe that my position will be upheld in this litigation and that the decision creating this consolidated unit will be overturned.”  Meisburg, the Board’s 30th General Counsel has an extensive labor law background in both the Federal and private sectors and was awarded the Secretary of Labor’s Distinguished Achievement Award while employed there as an attorney.

All this leaves one wondering if the late Senator Robert F. Wagner is turning in his grave at the prospect of pickets stomping the bricks in front of 1099 14th St. N.W. in Washington, DC.  It also leaves one to speculate on how much annual leave is being burnt up in the process.  The union presumably understands that picketing is not an authorized use of official time.

About the Author

Bob Gilson is a consultant with a specialty in working with and training Federal agencies to resolve employee problems at all levels. A retired agency labor and employee relations director, Bob has authored or co-authored a number of books dealing with Federal issues and also conducts training seminars.