FLRA NEWSFLRA NEWSThe General Counsel of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, Joe Swerdzewski, announced a Federal Register notice of proposed rulemaking (63 FR 45013-45019) to revise the regulations regarding the prevention, resolution, and investigation of unfair labor practice (ULP) disputes.In addition, the General Counsel announced a series of eight meetings across the country to solicit input on these proposed regulations from the FLRA's customers.
The General Counsel's proposed regulations are part of the FLRA's initiative to facilitate dispute resolution and to simply, clarify, and improve the processing of ULP charges. These proposed regulations complement ULP regulations enacted in July 1997 that addressed the processing of ULP complaints by the Authority. Both sets of ULP regulations support the FLRA's agency-wide collaboration and alternative dispute resolution initiative to assist labor and management parties in developing dispute resolution services in ULP, representation, negotiability, impasses, and arbitration cases.
General Counsel Swerdzewski announced that "these proposed revisions are intended to provide parties with a collaborative and alternative dispute resolution process to avoid ULP disputes as well as to resolve any ULP disputes that materialize prior to the filing of a ULP charge and prior to the issuance of a complaint." "I encourage our customers to provide their comments at one of our meetings and through written submissions."
The FLRA is in an independent agency that administers the labor-management relations program for 1.9 million federal employees worldwide, 1.1 million of whom are exclusively represented in more than 2,200 bargaining units. The Office of the General Counsel is the independent investigative and prosecutorial component of the FLRA. The General Counsel, Joe Swerdzewski, directs the FLRA's seven Regional Offices located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Comments regarding the proposed regulations must be received on or before October 19, 1998. The meetings will be held between September 17 and October 8, 1998 in the FLRA's seven Regional Offices. In addition, a meeting will be held at the Office of the General Counsel Headquarters in Washington, D.C. for national labor organization officials and agency national policy leaders on September 17, 1998. Specific information regarding all meetings appears below.
| Office | Location of Meeting | Date / Time |
Information / Meeting Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Federal Building, 1st Floor Auditorium, 10 Causeway Street, Boston, MA |
Sept. 17, 1998 9:30 a.m. |
Gary J. Lieberman Boston Regional Office Suite 1500 99 Summer St., Boston, MA 02110-1200 Telephone:(617) 424-5731 x 20 Fax:(617) 424-5743 |
| Washington, DC |
Suite 300 Conference Room, 1730 M Street NW., Washington, DC |
Sept. 17, 1998 9:30 a.m. |
Barbara S. Liggett Washington Regional Office Suite 400 1255 22nd St., NW., Washington, DC 20037-1206 Telephone:(202) 653-8502 x 23 Fax:(202)653-5091 |
| Atlanta | Summit Building, 31st Floor, 401 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA |
Sept. 17, 1998 9:30 a.m. |
Gail R. Hitchcock Atlanta Regional Office Suite 701 Marquis Two Tower, 285 Peachtree Center Avenue Atlanta, GA 30303-1270 Telephone:(404) 331-5212 x 17 Fax:(404) 331-5280 |
| Chicago | Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building, Room 328 77 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL |
Oct. 6, 1998 9:00 a.m. |
Philip T. Roberts Chicago Regional Office Suite 1150 55 West Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60603-9727 Telephone:(312) 886-3465 X 20 Fax:(312) 866-5977 |
| Dallas | A. Maceo Smith Federal Building Room 502 525 Griffin Street, Dallas, TX |
Sept. 17, 1998 9:30 a.m. |
Billie Jean Faulks Dallas Regional Office Suite 926, LB 107 525 South Griffin Street Dallas, TX 75202-5093 Telephone:(214) 767-6266 x 10 Fax:(214) 767-0156 |
| Denver | Room 700, 1244 Speer Blvd., Denver, CO |
Sept. 17, 1998 9:30 a.m. |
Timothy J. Sullivan Denver Regional Office Suite 100 1244 Speer Boulevard Denver, CO 80204-3581 Telephone:(303) 844-5226 x 12 Fax:(303) 844-2774 |
| San Francisco | Oakland Federal Building North Tower, 2nd Floor, Conference Rooms A & B 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, CA |
Oct. 8, 1998 9:00 a.m. |
Lisa C. Vandenberg San Francisco Regional Office Suite 220 901 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1791 Telephone:(415) 356-5002 x 18 Fax:(415) 356-5017 |
| OGC HQ, Washington, DC |
2nd Floor Agenda Room 607 14th Street, NW Washington, DC |
Sept. 17, 1998 9:30 a.m. |
Nancy Speight Office of the General Counsel Suite 210 607 14th St., NW., Washington, DC 20424-0001 Telephone:(202) 482-6680 x 205 Fax:(202) 482-6608 |
Questions regarding the proposed rules should be directed to David L. Feder, Deputy General Counsel at the Office of the General Counsel, or at (202) 482-6680 ext. 203. Questions regarding the meetings, including registration, should be directed to the specific Regional Office.