FLRA NEWSFLRA NEWSFLRA General Counsel Joseph Swerdzewski today issued a Representation Case Handling Manual. The Manual is a comprehensive procedural and operational guide for Office of the General Counsel staff in processing representation cases. In addition, the Manual provides assistance to parties in understanding the representation process and the regulatory requirements.
"The Manual is a part of the Office of General Counsel's effort to provide guidance in the processing and resolution of representation cases. It is intended to assist the parties in resolving the difficult issues that arise in representation cases," said General Counsel Swerdzewski.
The Manual is formatted to assist Regional Office personnel in identifying and resolving representation issues raised by a petition. The Manual tracks and explains the steps taken to process a petition in a Regional Office: providing prefiling assistance to filing a petition, identifying procedural and substantive issues, investigating and resolving the underlying representation matters, and to issuing a certification or taking other final action. The Manual consists of two parts: Part One contains substantive information providing policy guidance, checklists and techniques for processing representation petitions; Part Two consists of a table that cross-references by subject matter the Statute, the Regulations, and pertinent sections of the Manual. The Manual also includes flow charts, appendices, forms and sample figures.
The Manual is intended to be used in conjunction with, and refers to, the Hearing Officers Guide which was issued in March of 1996 for use in representation proceedings. The Hearing Officers Guide provides procedural and operational guidance to the Office of General Counsel staff in conducting hearings in FLRA representation cases. The Guide discusses issues to be considered and techniques available for use by the Hearing Officer in preparing and conducting the hearing, and developing a record. The Guide includes discussions of substantive issues, including relevant citations to applicable representation cases.
The Federal Labor Relations Authority is an independent agency that administers the labor-management relations program for 1.9 million federal employees world-wide. Only the FLRA may certify a labor organization to act as the exclusive representative of an appropriate unit of employees for collective bargaining or, thereafter, amend a certification or clarify matters relating to employee representation. The Office of the General Counsel, through its Regional Offices, conducts union elections and processes representation petitions. The three-member Authority resolves representation cases concerning union elections and bargaining unit determinations.
The new Representation Case Handling Manual and the Hearing Officers Guide are available from the Government Printing Office. The Manual (RCHM) and the Guide (RHOG) may be purchased from the Government Printing Office by calling (202) 512-1800.