Author Archives: AdminUN

About AdminUN

FEDSMILL staff has over 40 years of federal sector labor relations experience on the union as well as management side of the table and even some time as a neutral.

WHEN IS A MAXIFLEX EMPLOYEE TARDY? MSPB just overturned the removal of an employee on a Maxiflex schedule.  The agency thought the employee had been tardy when he failed to report to work at an early enough time to fulfill … Continue reading

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WHAT IS A MICRO-UNION? Check out this article on micro-unions. While they are unlikely to appear in the federal sector, they might help revive the private sector.

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NBA PLAYERS ELECT “INCLUSIVE” CEO USATODAY published one of those rare articles looking at how members want their unions run.  In short, the players tossed out a paternalistic, territorial and secretive leader who listened only to a small, but powerful … Continue reading

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THE “SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE” ULP DEFENSE An agency can unilaterally implement a change in working conditions without notice to or bargaining with the union if it can show that under other laws gave had the sole and exclusive discretion to … Continue reading

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HOW UNION LEADERS KILL PARTNERSHIP POTENTIAL Although it is fashionable among unions to blame managers for the widespread failure of partnership, there is a decent argument that union leaders themselves helped pound the stake through the heart of that very … Continue reading

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WHEN ADVOCATES COMPLAIN TOO LITTLE Although this is hardly something new, it is worth repeating.  If an arbitrator sustains a grievance, but denies the union’s desired remedy on three different grounds, it is not enough to file exceptions attacking only … Continue reading

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AFGE SEALS 6101 SHIELD AGAINST SHADDY SHIFT SCHEMES Here is how FLRA described the scheme, “The Agency planned a seventy-fifth anniversary celebration on a Saturday at the Shenandoah National Park (the event). Several weeks before the event, the Agency scheduled all … Continue reading

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PIZZELLA AGHAST OVER 76 YEAR OLD PRECEDENT An ALJ found an agency discriminated against an employee when it denied her request to telework from home while she recovered from a broken ankle.  When the judge failed to require the agency … Continue reading

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THE FORWARD-LOOKING NEGOTIATOR Federal employee unions have been bargaining for over 35 years now—and a few for over 50 years.  So, it is reasonable to ask when all the reasonable issues will have been addressed and there is little to … Continue reading

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THE AUTOMATED FORMAL DISCUSSION The statute has been in place for over 30 years now, but FLRA case law guidance on what is and is not a formal discussion is still next to useless for practitioners.  (Check out “FLRA FUBAR: … Continue reading

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