Federal Agency Decisions
Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB), each with a plain-English summary, the law it cites, and whether it counts as precedent. More agencies are coming.
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T.B. and Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, Dallas, TX
T.B. (ECAB 13-0799): Wage-loss denial upheld; added conditions remanded
T.B. sought wage-loss compensation for several periods and asked OWCP to recognize additional wrist and arm conditions. The Board upheld denial of wage loss outside rehabilitation periods following accepted surgeries. It found that the evidence on the proposed additional conditions needed further…
A.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, White Plains, NY
A.T. (ECAB 13-0611): Carpal tunnel claim untimely
A.T. challenged OWCP’s finding that his carpal tunnel compensation claim was filed too late. The Board found that the claim did not meet FECA’s filing deadline. It affirmed OWCP’s August 7 and December 21, 2012 decisions.
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 331 (Union) and United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Center, Perry Point, Maryland (Agency)
Perry Point VA medical center and AFGE Local 331 (FLRA 0-AR-4932): Pre-shift pay award stands
Police officers at the Perry Point VA medical center sought pay for retrieving and returning equipment before and after their scheduled shifts. An arbitrator found that the potentially compensable tasks did not exceed ten minutes per workday and denied the union's grievance. The Authority held that…
Elk Run Coal Company v. Secretary of Labor
Safeguard challenge allowed before later citation
Elk Run Coal challenged a safeguard requiring controls for mud, ledges, and water in mine travelways before MSHA issued a later citation or order under that safeguard. The Secretary argued that the Commission lacked jurisdiction until a violation was cited. Judge William S. Steele held that the…
Mark Gray v. North Fork Coal Corporation
Remand hearing limited to handwriting experts
The Commission remanded Mark Gray's discrimination case because two handwriting experts had been excluded from the original hearing. Gray then sought a broader new trial with additional lay and mine-safety witnesses. Judge Priscilla M. Rae held that the Commission's remand was limited to the two…
Secretary of Labor, MSHA v. Blue Diamond Coal Company and Gary L. Jent, Agent
Secretary of Labor v. Blue Diamond Coal Company and Gary L. Jent (FMSHRC KENT 2008-592, et al.): Flagrant designations removed and agent case dismissed
MSHA alleged four flagrant ventilation-plan and roof-control violations at Blue Diamond Coal Company's Mine No. 77 and sought personal liability against foreman Gary L. Jent for one violation. Judge Alan G. Paez found that all four conditions violated the approved plans and upheld…
Matter of Ezzat H. ABDELGHANY, Respondent
Matter of Ezzat H. ABDELGHANY (BIA ID 3796): section 212(c) relief remains available for qualifying pre-1997 convictions
The Board reviewed an Egyptian respondent's appeal from a removal order and the denial of his request for section 212(c) relief. He became a lawful permanent resident in 1987 and was convicted by guilty plea in 1995 of conspiracy to commit arson, receiving a 24-month sentence that was later reduced…
R&S Roofing, LLC
Fall-protection citation affirmed for workers treated as employees
R&S Roofing used a crew to replace a rubber roof on a one-story commercial building in Ohio. Although the company called the roofers independent contractors, the judge found they were employees because R&S controlled the workplace and the manner and timing of their work, paid them hourly, provided…
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 331 (Union) and United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Center, Perry Point, Maryland (Agency)
Perry Point VA medical center and AFGE Local 331 (FLRA 0-AR-4965): Union exception denied
AFGE Local 331 challenged an arbitration award involving the Perry Point VA medical center. The Authority resolved the union's exception in an expedited, abbreviated decision. It concluded that the union had not established that the award was deficient under the ground raised. The Authority denied…
CFMOTO Powersports, Inc., CFMOTO America Inc., Zhejiang CFMOTO Power Co., Ltd., and ChunFeng Holding Group Co., Ltd.
In re CFMOTO Powersports, Inc. and related respondents (EAB CAA Appeal No. 14-01C): Consent Agreement ratified
CFMOTO Powersports, Inc., CFMOTO America Inc., Zhejiang CFMOTO Power Co., Ltd., and ChunFeng Holding Group Co., Ltd. resolved an EPA Clean Air Act enforcement matter through a Consent Agreement. The Environmental Appeals Board incorporated the agreement into its Final Order and ratified it under…
J.S. and Department of Agriculture, Inspection Operations Program
J.S. (ECAB 13-1829): Suitable-work termination remanded
The late J.S. had appealed termination of wage-loss benefits after OWCP found he refused suitable work. The OWCP Director moved to remand because the decision had not fully considered his medical conditions or whether the offered job was available in his commuting area. The Board granted the…
D.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Spencer, IN
D.E. (ECAB 13-1298): Recurrence claim remanded for clarification
D.E. sought benefits after an accepted injury, but the record did not clearly show whether she claimed a medical recurrence, disability recurrence, or both. The OWCP Director moved to remand and cancel oral argument so the claim could be clarified. The Board set aside OWCP’s November 6 and December…
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 788 (Union) and United States Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Office of River Protection (Agency)
DOE River Protection Office and AFGE Local 788 (FLRA 0-AR-4943): Reduced performance awards upheld
The Department of Energy's River Protection Office reduced fiscal year 2012 performance awards after an executive-branch directive limited award spending. An arbitrator found that the parties' agreement tied awards to available funding and denied the union's grievance. AFGE Local 788 argued that…
National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 479 (Union) and United States Department of Air Force, 479th Flying Training Group, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida (Agency)
479th Flying Training Group and NFFE Local 479 (FLRA 0-AR-4902): Leave accrual grievance remains nonarbitrable
Several Air Force employees claimed that their prior federal service had been counted incorrectly for leave accrual. They received pay statements showing their rates before they joined a bargaining unit, but did not file under the agency's then-applicable grievance process. Their union later filed…
United States Department of Labor (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 12 (Union)
Department of Labor and AFGE Local 12 (FLRA 0-AR-4877): Bonus-pool bargaining order stands
The Department of Labor combined manager and nonmanager bonus pools and gave managers larger performance awards under a revised allocation. An arbitrator found that the agency could set award funding but should have bargained with AFGE Local 12 over the change's impact and implementation. He…
Secretary of Labor, MSHA v. Taft Production Company
Secretary of Labor v. Taft Production Company (FMSHRC WEST 2012-1484-M): Four housekeeping citations affirmed
MSHA cited four powder and material accumulations at Taft Production Company's California cat-litter mine under the housekeeping standard for workplaces and passageways. Judge James G. Gilbert rejected Taft's arguments that the milling areas fell outside Mine Act jurisdiction, that the areas were…
E.P. and Department of Education, Special Education Rehabilitation Services, Washington, DC
E.P. (ECAB 14-0278): Benefits termination remanded for evidence review
E.P. appealed termination of wage-loss and medical benefits after an accepted shoulder injury. The Board found that OWCP’s hearing decision had not addressed new medical reports submitted before the decision. It set aside the November 12, 2013 hearing decision and remanded for review of that…
A.V. and Department of the Navy, Naval Air Systems Command-Stations, Cherry Point, NJ
A.V. (ECAB 13-2174): Injury denial upheld; reconsideration remanded
A.V. claimed an occupational injury from his federal work. The Board upheld OWCP’s May 20, 2013 denial because the record did not establish the injury. It found that OWCP should have reopened the case for further merits review on reconsideration. It set aside the August 16, 2013 refusal and…
E.S. and Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Albuquerque, NM
E.S. (ECAB 13-2170): Thorn injury claim sent back for development
E.S., a firefighter, claimed a knee puncture from a thorn while pulling brush at work. The Board found that the record established an injury in the performance of duty, contrary to OWCP’s denial. It reversed the August 30, 2013 decision and remanded for further development.
S.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Newark, NJ
S.V. (ECAB 13-2149): Late reconsideration request denied
S.V. sought reconsideration of a postal injury claim after the filing deadline. The Board found that her request did not demonstrate clear evidence of error in the prior merits decision. It affirmed OWCP’s August 6, 2013 refusal to reopen.
V.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Nashville, TN
V.B. (ECAB 13-2067): Knee fall claim remanded for medical review
V.B. fell onto both knees while turning on the workroom floor. The Board found that OWCP had improperly treated the fall as a personal or unexplained event without supporting evidence. It set aside OWCP’s April 4 and August 26, 2013 denials and remanded for review of the medical evidence.
G.Y. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Austin, TX
G.Y. (ECAB 13-2042): Photocopier injury claim denied
G.Y. claimed several injuries after moving a photocopier while processing a passport application. The Board found that the physician’s opinion did not adequately explain how the incident caused the claimed conditions and relied on an incomplete medical history. It affirmed OWCP’s June 21, 2013…
D.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Eagleville, PA
D.F. (ECAB 13-2036): Claimed writing-related injury denied
D.F., a postal clerk, claimed arm and shoulder conditions after writing under pressure for several hours at work. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish that her employment caused the claimed conditions. It affirmed OWCP’s May 30, 2013 denial.
C.W. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Philadelphia, PA
C.W. (ECAB 13-1897): Termination of injury benefits upheld
C.W. challenged termination of compensation for an accepted work injury. The Board found that OWCP met its burden to show the injury had resolved and that later evidence did not establish continuing work-related disability or residuals. It affirmed OWCP’s July 11, 2013 refusal to modify the…
H.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Little Rock, AR
H.A. (ECAB 13-1872): Claimed shoulder injury denied
H.A. claimed a right shoulder injury from a September 2012 work incident. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a compensable shoulder condition caused by that incident. It affirmed OWCP’s February 12, 2013 denial.
T.T. and Department of the Army, Fire Emergency Services, Fort Carson, CO
T.T. (ECAB 13-1717): Knee award and pay rate upheld
T.T., a firefighter, sought a right leg impairment award above two percent and challenged the pay rate used for his award. The Board’s analysis upheld the two percent medical rating and OWCP’s pay calculation. It also upheld refusal to reopen his claim. The printed conclusion says he had more than…
Secretary of Labor, MSHA v. US Silica Company
Secretary of Labor v. US Silica Company (FMSHRC WEVA 2013-425): Breaker-label citation vacated
MSHA cited an unlabeled two-switch breaker box in a paint trailer at US Silica's Berkeley Plant. Judge David Barbour did not decide whether the box was a principal power switch under section 56.12018. Instead, he found that the circuits could be readily identified by location because visible wiring…
Charles Smith, Jr. v. Mt. Mitchell, LLC
Smith v. Mt. Mitchell (BRB 13-0198): adult son's death benefits claim denied
Charles Smith, Jr. sought Longshore Act death benefits after his father, a pipefitter and welder, died. As an adult son with disabilities, Smith claimed he was wholly dependent on his father or qualified under the Act's other-dependent provision. The Board affirmed the denial because Smith received…
D.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Trenton, NJ
D.S. (ECAB 14-0010): Claimed back injury denied
D.S., a postal custodian, claimed a back injury after heavy lifting at work. The Board accepted a diagnosis but found that the medical evidence did not adequately link it to the July 10, 2013 incident. It affirmed OWCP’s September 4, 2013 denial.
J.V. and Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, Farmingdale, NY
J.V. (ECAB 13-2165): Shoveling injury claim denied
J.V., a cemetery caretaker, claimed low back pain while shoveling at work. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish a compensable injury caused by the December 14, 2012 incident. It affirmed OWCP’s May 22, 2013 denial.
C.C. and Department of the Navy, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Silverdale, WA
C.C. (ECAB 13-2162): Occupational hearing loss claim denied
C.C., an electrical supervisor, claimed hearing loss from workplace noise exposure. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish that his hearing loss was caused by federal employment. It affirmed OWCP’s July 12, 2013 denial.
W.H. and Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, Philadelphia, PA
W.H. (ECAB 13-2083): Left-ear hearing loss award upheld
W.H. sought a schedule award above 13 percent impairment of his left ear. The Board found that the audiometric evidence and applicable rating method supported the existing award. It affirmed OWCP’s June 12, 2013 decision.
Estate of M.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Bronx Veterans Medical Center
Estate of M.S. (ECAB 13-1913): Injury claim not reopened
The estate of M.S. pursued reconsideration of a claim arising from an accepted workplace fall. The Board found that the submissions did not meet the requirements for another merits review. It affirmed OWCP’s March 7, 2013 refusal to reopen.
T.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Dallas Performance Cluster, Coppell, TX
T.H. (ECAB 13-1324): Benefits termination upheld; overpayment remanded
T.H. challenged termination of benefits and a $27,821.72 overpayment determination. The Board upheld the termination, finding the accepted injury had resolved. It found that OWCP had not adequately explained the wage and workday figures used to calculate the overpayment or its waiver ruling. It set…
O.T. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Birmingham, AL
O.T. (ECAB 13-1104): Wage capacity upheld; pay rate remanded
O.T. challenged a wage-earning capacity determination and the pay rate used to calculate his compensation. The Board upheld the capacity finding but found that OWCP had not explained whether a 25 percent availability-pay premium should be included. It affirmed the challenged decisions in part, set…
V.D. and Department of the Navy, Human Resources Service Center Southwest, San Diego, CA
V.D. (ECAB 14-0298): Recurrence of disability claim denied
V.D. claimed a recurrence of disability from October 2011 through March 2012 after an accepted back injury. The Board found that the evidence did not establish disability from that injury for the claimed period. It affirmed OWCP’s October 29, 2013 denial.
T.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Tulsa, OK
T.H. (ECAB 13-2065): Intermittent disability claim denied
T.H. sought compensation for intermittent work absences between September 2005 and February 2007 after an accepted injury. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish disability caused by that injury on the claimed dates. It affirmed OWCP’s July 10, 2013 denial.
B.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Hospital, Chillicothe, OH
B.W. (ECAB 13-2061): Claimed disability period denied
B.W. sought disability compensation from June 2011 through February 2012 after an accepted 2004 fall injury. The Board found that the evidence did not establish disability from the accepted injury during that period. It affirmed OWCP’s August 1, 2013 denial.
J.C. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Marion, IL
J.C. (ECAB 13-1945): Claimed traumatic injury denied
J.C. sought benefits for an alleged October 2009 workplace injury. The Board found that the evidence did not establish an injury in the performance of duty on that date. It affirmed OWCP’s June 20, 2013 denial.
D.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New York, NY
D.D. (ECAB 13-1916): Mail-route fall injury claim denied
D.D., a mail carrier, claimed several injuries after stepping into a hole near his mail truck. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a compensable traumatic injury from the August 2012 incident. It affirmed OWCP’s June 17, 2013 denial.
J.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Akron, OH
J.A. (ECAB 13-1896): No ratable leg impairment from accepted knee conditions
J.A., a postal mail handler, sought a schedule award for permanent impairment of both legs after OWCP accepted work-related aggravation of bilateral patella malalignment. OWCP denied the award. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish a ratable lower extremity impairment caused…
D.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Kensington, NY
D.I. (ECAB 13-1786): Reconsideration request must be evaluated
D.I. asked OWCP to reconsider its denial of claimed neck and back conditions arising from a postal work injury. OWCP declined merit review, saying his attorney had not identified which earlier decision he wanted reconsidered. The Board found that the attorney’s request expressly identified the…
B.T. and Department of the Navy, Bangor Naval Submarine Base, Silverdale, WA
B.T. (ECAB 13-1619): Overpayment amount requires a new calculation
B.T., a Navy shipfitter, received total disability compensation after he returned to work in June 2012. The Board agreed that this created an overpayment. OWCP had calculated the amount as $2,934.53, but it offset other benefit amounts before assessing recovery and waiver. The Board found that…
R.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Conneaut, OH
R.M. (ECAB 13-1221): Arm impairment rating sent back for medical clarification
R.M., a postal letter carrier, challenged the five percent schedule award for his left arm after a work injury. OWCP had sent an impartial specialist’s report to a medical adviser who had already participated on one side of the medical conflict. The Board found that this was improper and that the…
National Treasury Employees Union (Union) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (Agency)
FDIC and National Treasury Employees Union (FLRA 0-NG-3175): Negotiability petition dismissed
The FDIC and the National Treasury Employees Union negotiated contract language on how to consider internal and external applicants for vacancies. The union later asked the Authority to rule on different hiring proposals from the negotiations, while conceding that it was no longer seeking to…
Secretary of Labor, MSHA v. Remington LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Remington LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2009-1498): Unsupported-roof and preshift violations affirmed
At Remington's underground Winchester Mine, a punch-through cut left about 30 feet of unsupported roof without the reflectors required by the approved roof-control plan. The midnight-shift foreman then performed an inadequate preshift examination that missed or misreported the unsupported roof, an…
E.G. and Department of Defense, Defense Commissary Agency, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
E.G. (ECAB 13-2167): Late reconsideration request denied
E.G. asked OWCP to reconsider an earlier decision concerning her compensation after a work injury. OWCP received her request more than one year after its most recent merit decision. The Board found the request untimely and concluded that the submitted evidence did not show clear error in OWCP’s…
E.L. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, North Syracuse, NY
E.L. (ECAB 13-2119): Back injury claim lacked reasoned medical proof
E.L., a transportation security officer, reported back pain after bending during a passenger pat-down. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied the injury claim. The Board found that the medical reports did not adequately explain how the work incident caused a diagnosed back condition…
E.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Greenville Processing & Distribution Center, Greenville, SC
E.B. (ECAB 13-2088): Reduced light-duty hours require further review
E.B., a postal mail handler with accepted carpal tunnel syndrome, claimed wage-loss compensation after her work hours were reduced from eight to two per day. OWCP denied compensation for January 23 to 25, 2013 because the evidence did not show that her condition had worsened. The Board found that…
S.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Santa Clarita, CA
S.N. (ECAB 13-2069): Disability claim and continued medical benefits denied
S.N., a postal mail carrier, sought wage-loss compensation after an accepted sunburn and temporary aggravation of photodermatitis. She claimed total disability from November 5, 2012 through March 1, 2013. The Board found that the evidence did not establish disability during that period from the…
M.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, St. Louis, MO
M.H. (ECAB 13-2051): Reconsideration denial affirmed
M.H., a postal letter carrier, asked OWCP to reconsider its decision about schedule awards for her arm and legs. OWCP denied the request without reopening the merits. The Board found that her submission did not present a new and relevant legal argument or medical evidence relevant to a higher…
L.M. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Corpus Christi, TX
L.M. (ECAB 13-2017): Wage-earning decision sent back for reasons
L.M. sought compensation for periods after OWCP found that her modified job left her with no loss of wage-earning capacity. OWCP denied modification of that finding. The Board found that OWCP recited the standard for modification but did not explain how the evidence failed it. It set aside the May…
A.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Columbus, OH
A.P. (ECAB 13-2014): Heart attack and stroke claim lacked causation proof
A.P., a postal mail carrier, collapsed while working in July 2012 and was diagnosed with a heart attack and later a stroke. OWCP accepted that the work incident occurred but denied the claim for those conditions. The Board found that the medical reports diagnosed the conditions without adequately…
A.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Jamesburg, NJ
A.A. (ECAB 13-1952): Falling ceiling tiles claim lacked medical causation proof
A.A., a postal sales associate, reported that ceiling tiles struck her at work in May 2013. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied her injury claim. The Board found that the medical reports did not adequately diagnose an injury and explain its connection to the incident. It affirmed…
J.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Tampa, FL
J.A. (ECAB 13-1892): Knee claim remanded to combine case files
J.A., a postal mail handler, claimed a right knee condition from his work. OWCP denied the claim while relying on another case file involving his knee. The Board found that the other file and its supporting evidence were missing from the record submitted for review. It set aside the July 3, 2013…
G.W. and Department of Homeland Security, National Protection & Programs Directorate, Federal Protection Service, New York, NY
G.W. (ECAB 13-1846): Timely reconsideration request requires review
G.W. asked OWCP to reconsider its denial of an occupational disease claim involving exposure after the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center collapse. OWCP treated the request as late and applied the clear evidence of error standard. The Board found that OWCP had received the request within one…
E.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Juan, PR
E.R. (ECAB 13-1800): Letter was a timely reconsideration request
E.R. challenged OWCP’s denial of an emotional condition claim in a letter sent within one year of the last merit decision. OWCP later treated a separate appeal form as the request and denied reconsideration as untimely. The Board found that the earlier letter sufficiently identified the challenged…
D.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Tulsa Processing & Distribution Center, Tulsa, OK
D.P. (ECAB 13-1721): Disability and reconsideration denials partly affirmed
D.P., a postal mail handler, sought total disability compensation for September and October 2012 and asked OWCP to reopen her claim. The Board found insufficient medical proof of total disability from the accepted conditions and upheld the refusal to reopen the merits. It found that the record was…
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1969 (Union) and United States Department of Veterans Affairs, St. Paul Regional Office, St. Paul, Minnesota (Agency)
St. Paul VA regional office and AFGE Local 1969 (FLRA 0-AR-5002): Union exceptions denied
AFGE Local 1969 challenged an arbitration award involving the St. Paul VA regional office. The Authority issued an expedited, abbreviated decision after considering the record and its precedent. It concluded that the union had not shown a deficiency in the award on the ground raised in its…
R.B. and Department of Agriculture, National Forest Service, Albuquerque, NM
R.B. (ECAB 13-2176): Reconsideration denial affirmed
R.B., a Forest Service firefighter, sought reconsideration after OWCP denied his shoulder injury claim. The Board’s review was limited to whether OWCP should have reopened the claim. It found no new and relevant legal argument or evidence requiring a merits review. It affirmed OWCP’s May 2, 2013…
What these documents are
- The agencies: Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB). Each decision page names its agency.
- Commission, Board and Authority decisions: Rulings by the agency's highest review level (the Commission at OSHRC and FMSHRC, the Authority at FLRA, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Review Board at Labor, and the Environmental Appeals Board at EPA). These are citable as precedent, though a decision may have been appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals after issuance.
- ALJ decisions: Rulings by the agency's Administrative Law Judges after a hearing. When no Commissioner directs review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order that binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent: under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j) at OSHRC, and after the 40-day window of 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1) at FMSHRC.
- Why finality matters: Every page here says which kind of decision you are reading, so you know whether it is precedent you can cite or a final order that only shows how one judge ruled on one set of facts.
- Where they come from: Every page links the official public release from the deciding agency, and the full text on the page is that release. The plain-English summaries are written by Ezel.