[ Home ]   [ Decisions ]    [ Search ]   [ Site Map ]  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20424-0001 June 29, 2001

Mr. David Childs
Office of Management and Budget
NEOB Room 9013
725 17^th St., NW
Washington, DC 20503

Dear Mr. Childs:

Enclosed is the Federal Labor Relations Authority's (FLRA) FY 2001 Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act (FAIR) inventory of commercial activities performed by Federal employees.

Annual Management Report

The FLRA is an independent regulatory agency responsible for directing the labor-management relations program for 1.9 million non-postal Federal employees world-wide, nearly 1.1 million of whom are exclusively represented in approximately 2,200 bargaining units. The FLRA is charged by the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (the Statute) with: providing leadership in establishing policies and guidance relating to Federal sector labor-management relations; resolving disputes arising among Federal agencies and unions representing Federal employees; and ensuring compliance with the Statute.

The authorized FY 2001 staffing level is 215 full time equivalents (FTE's), approximately 75 percent of whom are attorneys, labor relations specialists or paralegal/legal technicians who perform inherently governmental activities related to the program we administer. To complete FLRA's FY 2001 FAIR Act inventory, we extensively reviewed the entire agency employment complement as well as past restructuring efforts. The FLRA has for several years contracted with private sector vendors for computer system programming and help desk functions. Additionally, we have contracted with other Federal agencies for accounting system support, travel voucher processing, and payroll and personnel processing. Most of the retained commercial activities FTE's listed on the inventory in large part interface with contract support. It was concluded that there were no additional positions which could be contracted out. The FLRA has not received any FAIR administrative challenges or appeals.

Inherently Governmental Activities

As described above, the mission of the FLRA is to administer the labor-management relations program for Federal agencies, unions representing Federal employees, and Federal employees. In this regard, the FLRA resolves questions of union representation for Federal employees, investigates unfair labor practice charges against Federal agencies and Federal employee unions, determines what collective bargaining proposals Federal agencies must negotiate over, reviews arbitration awards over the meaning an application of agreements between Federal agencies and Federal employees unions, and resolves impasses in bargaining between Federal agencies and Federal employee unions. The employees determined by the FLRA to be performing inherently governmental activities are agency supervisors, the attorneys and labor-management relations specialist who perform this work, and the legal/paralegal support positions which entail direct involvement in the labor-management relations cases processed by the FLRA. In the FLRA's view, the activities performed by these employees fall within the category of "act of governing," the "discretionary exercise of Government authority," in that FLRA's attorneys labor relations specialist, and case handling clerical support are investigating, prosecuting, and performing quasi-judicial functions with respect to Federal agencies and unions representing Federal employees.

Summary Information

For FY 2001, the FLRA has an appropriation level of $25,003,000 and 215 FTE's. Approximately 3 percent ($828,000) of the FLRA's appropriation is already committed to service contract support.

The FLRA's central point of contact for the inventory, and for agency challenge and appeal filing instructions is Mr. Harold Kessler who can be reached at (202) 482-6690, extension 440.

Enclosures:

 Inventory of Inherently Governmental Activities, FY 2001
 Fair Inventory of FLRA Commercial Activities, FY 2001