Veterans Administration Hospital, Asheville, North Carolina and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 446 (Authority decision, June 2, 1983)

Final FLRA decision. The Authority dismissed exceptions to an arbitration award under 5 U.S.C. § 7122 without a merits ruling. Judicial review of an arbitration order is generally excluded by 5 U.S.C. § 7123(a)(1) unless it involves an unfair labor practice under § 7118. This decision does not address an unfair labor practice.

Plain-English summary

The union filed exceptions to an arbitration award involving the Asheville Veterans Administration hospital. The award was dated April 7, 1983, making the filing deadline May 6 under the 30 day rule. The union's exceptions reached the Authority on May 9. Because the deadline could not be extended or waived, the Authority dismissed them without reviewing the award.

Decision snapshot

• Authority: Arbitration exception filing limit under 5 U.S.C. § 7122(b).
• Outcome: Union exceptions dismissed as untimely; award not reviewed on the merits.
• Key point: The exceptions had to be received by May 6, not merely prepared by then.

Full text (FLRA public release)

[ v12 p101 ]

12:0101(27)AR

The decision of the Authority follows:

12 FLRA No. 27

VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL,
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
(Activity)

and

LOCAL 446, AMERICAN FEDERATION
OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO
(Union)

Case No. O-AR-551

ORDER DISMISSING EXCEPTIONS

This case is before the Authority on exceptions to the award of Arbitrator William G. Haemmel filed on behalf of the union pursuant to section 7122(a) of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute and section 2425.1 of the Authority's Rules and Regulations. For the reasons stated below, it has been determined that the union's exceptions must be dismissed as untimely filed.

Under section 7122(b) of the Statute and section 2425.1 of the Authority's Rules and Regulations, the time limit for filing an exception to an arbitration award is 30 days beginning on and including the date of the award. Additionally, under section 2429.21 of the Rules and Regulations, any such exceptions must be received by the Authority before the close of business on the last day of the prescribed time limit.

The arbitrator's award in this case, as included in the union's submission, is dated April 7, 1983. Therefore, under the Statute and the Authority's Rules and Regulations, the union's exceptions had to be filed, i.e., received in the national office of the Authority, no later than the close of business on May 6, 1983. However, the exceptions were not filed until May 9, 1983. In that regard, and as provided in section 2429.23(d) of the Rules and Regulations, the time limit for filing exceptions to an arbitration award may not be extended or waived by the Authority.

Accordingly, as the union's exceptions were untimely filed, they are hereby dismissed. For the Authority. Issued, Washington, D.C., June 2, 1983 James J. Shepard, Executive Director