AFGE Local 1409 and U.S. Army Adjutant General Publications Center (Authority decision, June 26, 1987)

Final FLRA decision. This is a final order of the Federal Labor Relations Authority resolving a negotiability appeal. An aggrieved person may seek judicial review by filing a petition in an appropriate United States court of appeals within 60 days after issuance under 5 U.S.C. § 7123(a). Filing a petition does not stay the Authority's order unless the court orders a stay under 5 U.S.C. § 7123(c).

Plain-English summary

AFGE Local 1409 proposed allowing probationary employees at an Army publications center to grieve terminations when they alleged discrimination. The Army argued that the proposal conflicted with federal law and regulations governing probationary employment. The Authority held that a materially similar proposal had already been found nonnegotiable because a negotiated grievance procedure could not cover a probationary employee's separation. It found this proposal contrary to law and regulation as well and dismissed the union's petition for review.

Decision snapshot

• Authority: Negotiability review under 5 U.S.C. § 7105(a)(2)(E).
• Outcome: Proposal found nonnegotiable; union's petition dismissed.
• Key point: The proposed grievance exception for discrimination allegations did not allow review of probationary terminations under the negotiated procedure.

Full text (FLRA public release)

[ v27 p869 ]
27:0869(95)NG

The decision of the Authority follows:

27 FLRA NO. 95

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO, LOCAL 1409

Union

and

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, U.S. ARMY
ADJUTANT GENERAL PUBLICATIONS
CENTER, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

Agency

Case No. O-NG-1390

DECISION AND ORDER ON NEGOTIABILITY ISSUE

I. Statement of the Case

This case is before the Authority because of a negotiability appeal filed under section 7105(a)(2)(D) and (E) of the Federal Service Labor - Management Relations Statute (the Statute) and concerns the negotiability of one proposal. We find that the proposal is nonnegotiable.

II. Proposal

Exceptions to Negotiated Grievance Procedure

Article 27, Section 27.02(d)(7), Scope

Termination of an employee during the 1-year probationary period, unless the grievance is an allegation of discrimination.

III. Positions of the Parties

The Agency contends that the proposal is nonnegotiable because it is contrary to law, 5 U.S.C. 3321, and regulation, 5 C.F.R. Part 315, Subpart H. In support of its contention, the Agency cites the Authority's decision involving a similar proposal in National Treasury Employees Union and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Midwest Region, 25 FLRA No. 90 (1987) (proposal 6), petition for review filed sub non. National Treasury Employees Union v. FLRA, Nos. 87-1166 and 87-1178 (D.C. Cir. April 15, 1987).

In the Union's view, the proposal would permit probationary employees to appeal terminations involving allegations of illegal discrimination through the parties' negotiated grievance procedure. The Union claims that the proposal is consistent with 5 U.S.C. 7121 of the Statute and is therefore negotiable. It further contends that the proposal is not inconsistent with 5 U.S.C. 3321 and 5 C.F.R. 315. More particularly, the Union disagrees with the Authority's decision in Food and Nutrition Service, Midwest Region. According to the Union, the Authority's reliance in that case on the court's decision in U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service v. FLRA, 709 F.2d 724 (D.C. Cir. 1983) is misplaced. In the Union's view, the proposal involved here, which is similar to proposal 6 in Food and Nutrition Service, Midwest Region, is distinguishable from the proposal in DOJ, INS.

IV. Analysis and Conclusion

The Union's proposal would subject the termination of probationary employees, where discrimination is alleged, to review under the parties' negotiated grievance procedure. We find that this proposal is to the same effect as proposal 6 in Food and Nutrition Service, Midwest Region. The proposal in that case would have subjected the termination of probationary employees, where discrimination is alleged, to the negotiated grievance procedure. Relying on the rationale and conclusion of the court in DOJ, INS, that coverage by a negotiated procedure of a grievance concerning the separation of a probationary employee is precluded by governing law and regulation, we found the proposal to be nonnegotiable because it was contrary to law and regulation.

As the proposal and arguments raised by the Union in this case are similar to those addressed in Food and Nutrition Service, Midwest Region, we find, for the reasons set forth in that case, that the proposal is likewise nonnegotiable because it is contrary to law and regulation.

V. Order

The Union's petition for review is dismissed.

Issued, Washington, D.C., June 26, 1987.

Jerry L. Calhoun, Chairman

Henry B. Frazier III, Member

Jean McKee, Member

FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY