American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1963 and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Danville, Illinois (Authority decision, June 6, 1990)

Final FLRA decision. The Authority set aside an arbitral award under 5 U.S.C. § 7122(a) because the award conflicted with the statutory dues-withholding rule in 5 U.S.C. § 7115(b)(1). Judicial review under 5 U.S.C. § 7123(a) generally does not extend to an order involving an arbitral award unless the order involves an unfair labor practice under 5 U.S.C. § 7116.

Plain-English summary

The Danville VA Medical Center stopped withholding union dues when an employee was temporarily promoted to a supervisory position. An arbitrator found that the agency should have continued withholding under the agreement and ordered it to do so for future temporary promotions. The Authority set the award aside. It held that a temporary supervisor is outside the bargaining unit and that 5 U.S.C. § 7115(b)(1) requires dues withholding to end during that period. The award's continuing-withholding directive conflicted with that rule.

Decision snapshot

• Authority: Dues withholding under 5 U.S.C. § 7115(b)(1).
• Outcome: Arbitration award set aside.
• Key point: Dues withholding must stop while an employee is temporarily promoted out of the unit into supervision.

Full text (FLRA public release)

[ v36 p25 ]
36:0025(4)AR

The decision of the Authority follows:

36 FLRA No. 4

FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS
AUTHORITY

WASHINGTON, D.C.

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES

LOCAL 1963

(Union)

and

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS

MEDICAL CENTER

DANVILLE, ILLINOIS

(Agency)

0-AR-1790

DECISION

June 6, 1990

Before Chairman McKee and Members Talkin and
Armendariz.

I. Statement of the Case

This matter is before the Authority on exceptions to the award of Arbitrator Joseph P. Yaney filed by the Agency under section 7122(a) of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (the Statute) and part 2425 of the Authority's Rules and Regulations. The Union did not file an opposition to the Agency's exceptions.

The Arbitrator found that the Agency violated the parties' collective bargaining agreement by terminating an employee's dues withholding during the period that he was temporarily promoted to a supervisory position.

For the following reasons, we find that the Arbitrator's award is deficient because it is contrary to section 7115 of the Statute.

II. Background and Arbitrator's Award

This case arose when the Agency terminated the voluntary dues withholding of an employee after the employee had been temporarily promoted to a supervisory position. The Union filed a grievance, claiming that the action violated the parties' collective bargaining agreement.

The parties stipulated that the issue before the Arbitrator was: "Did the agency violate Article 31 of the Master Agreement and 5 USC 7115(b), in terminating the dues deduction of [an employee who had been temporarily promoted to a supervisory position]? If so, what is the remedy?" Award at 3.

The Arbitrator found that it should not matter to the Agency whether an employee wants to continue to pay dues to the Union after being temporarily promoted to a supervisory position. The Arbitrator concluded, therefore, that the Agency should take no action regarding dues withholding when an employee is temporarily promoted to a supervisory position. Accordingly, the Arbitrator ordered the Agency not to make changes in the dues allotments of employees who are temporarily promoted to supervisory positions and to inform unit employees who receive temporary promotions to supervisory positions that dues would continue to be withheld from their pay. The Arbitrator also ruled that the Agency was not required to reimburse the Union for the grievant's dues which had not been withheld during the period of the grievance.

III. Agency's Exceptions

The Agency contends that the Arbitrator's award is deficient because it is contrary to section 7115 of the Statute. The Agency argues that under section 7115 a collective bargaining agreement ceases to apply to an employee when the employee is promoted out of the bargaining unit, even on a temporary basis. The Agency concludes that because the Arbitrator's award requires it to continue to withhold dues under the agreement for an employee to whom the agreement does not apply, the award conflicts with section 7115. The Agency cites International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Lodge 2424 and Department of the Army, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 25 FLRA 194 (1987) (Aberdeen Proving Ground) and Internal Revenue Service, Fresno Service Center, Fresno, California, 7 FLRA 371, 371-73 (1981) (Fresno Service Center), reversed as to other matters sub nom. Internal Revenue Service, Fresno Service Center v. FLRA, 706 F.2d 1019 (9th Cir. 1983) in support of its position.

IV. Analysis

We agree with the Agency that the award violates section 7115 of the Statute. Accordingly, we will set the award aside.

The Authority has previously addressed the issue of whether dues may continue to be withheld for an employee while that employee is temporarily promoted to a supervisory position. In Fresno Service Center, 7 FLRA at 371-73, the Authority found that section 7115(b)(1) of the Statute requires an agency to terminate dues withholding when an employee has been promoted to a temporary supervisor position and, therefore, is outside the bargaining unit. Relying on Fresno Service Center, the Authority subsequently found a proposal which would have required an agency to maintain an employee on dues withholding when the employee was temporarily promoted to a supervisory position for a period of less than 30 days to be inconsistent with section 7115(b)(1). Aberdeen Proving Ground, 25 FLRA at 197-98.

Based upon Authority precedent, because the award in this case would require the Agency to continue dues withholding for employees who are temporarily promoted to supervisory positions, it is contrary to section 7115(b)(1) of the Statute. We conclude, therefore, that the award is deficient under section 7122(a) of the Statute because it is inconsistent with law and that it must be set aside.

V. Decision

The award is set aside.

FOOTNOTES:
(If blank, the decision does not
have footnotes.)