FLRA NEWS

FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY · WASHINGTON, DC · 20424

September 4, 1996 · PR 115-96
Contact: Helenann Hirsch
202-482-6500

The FLRA’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC) today announced a move to speed up decisions on appeals to the General Counsel from dismissals of unfair labor practice (ULP) charges and appointed a new program Director to manage the process. After making the announcements, the General Counsel also answered some commonly asked questions about the appeals process.

Beginning October 1, 1996, the review of dismissals of ULP charges will be decentralized and integrated with the OGC’s recently issued Quality and Scope of Investigation Policies. All final decisions on the appeal will continue to be made by the General Counsel. However, OGC regional employees from throughout the country will now take part in the review.

FLRA General Counsel Joseph Swerdzewski emphasized that the move was part of the agency’s continued commitment to do more with less: "We are dedicated to ensuring that every party who files an unfair labor practice charge gets a fair and timely review of their allegations," said Swerdzewski. "At the same time, we needed to address the fact that over the years, the staff assigned to process these appeals has dropped by more than 85%, while the number of appeals filed have only dropped by about 20%. The changes we’ve made in the review process are aimed at addressing these staff reductions and providing quicker service for federal agencies, unions and employees nationwide."

The effort will be led by Carol Waller Pope, the newly-appointed Director of Appeals and Special Programs in the OGC. Pope recently served as Executive Assistant to the General Counsel, performing a broad range of administrative, organizational and managerial responsibilities. Before that, she worked for 14 years in the FLRA’s Boston Regional Office, investigating, settling and litigating unfair labor practice charges for the General Counsel. A recipient of numerous special service awards, Pope graduated from Simmons College and received her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts.

After announcing the program and the new Director, Swerdzewski answered a series of questions about the appeals process, noting that "by explaining how the appeals process operates and clarifying the current standards for review, parties will know what to expect and what their own obligations are when presenting arguments." Questions answered include:

• What happens after a party files an appeal;
• What the standards are for granting an appeal;
• What circumstances allow a party to submit new evidence; and
• How long it will take to get a decision.

Copies of the questions and answers about the appeals process are attached.

The Office of the General Counsel is the independent investigative and prosecutorial component of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) which investigates, settles or prosecutes unfair labor practice charges. After a charge is filed, the FLRA’s Regional Directors make the initial determination whether to issue an unfair labor practice complaint. A party may appeal a Regional Director’s dismissal of an unfair labor practice charge to the General Counsel, whose decision to grant or deny the appeal is final. Last year, the OGC received over 6,200 unfair labor practice charges and decided over 560 appeals.

For information about the appeals process call: (202) 482-6680. For copies of any OGC policies, including the recently issued Quality and Scope of Investigations policies, send a request to: FLRA, Office of the General Counsel, 607 14th Street, N.W., Suite 210, Washington, D.C. 20424-0001 or fax your request to: 202-482-6608. Please list your name, title, organization, mailing address and policies requested.