Evidence in Negotiability Cases? The FLRA Greases a Slippery Slope

On remand from a court decision, FLRA was instructed to revisit a record. In a decision blaming the Agency for not rebutting the Union’s lousy evidence, FLRA relies on unsupported emails to decide the case. The author suggests that this case offers the parties an opportunity to dramatically affect future negotiability proceedings.

Working with the ‘Covered By’ Doctrine: Making Management’s Obligations in Federal Labor Relations a Little Lighter

The exact origins of the current “Covered By” Doctrine are somewhat shrouded in the fog of early 1990s case law. Now that this doctrine has been fleshed out by subsequent FLRA and Court decisions, the author asks if it’s time for agency management to look at and, perhaps, take advantage of the opportunities the case law offers.

AFGE Attacks FLRA General Counsel (GC) Over Proposed Changes

The vast majority of unfair labor practice allegations are filed by unions against agencies. Determining the winner or loser in these cases often depends on getting information and who has the power to get the information. Proposed changes to the regulations have generated a response from the largest federal employee union. Here is a summary and observations from an experienced labor relations professional who worked for several agencies.