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.

WANT TO TELEWORK AS A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION? Then you will have to build a strong case because the courts and most employers are far from sold on the idea. Employees and unions are in the process of breaking new ground … Continue reading

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ARE DISABLING BUT TEMPORARY INJURIES PROTECTED BY THE ADA? No, they are not.  So, if an employee traveling to work fell and broke both legs, forcing him into bed for six weeks and limiting his walking for seven more months … Continue reading

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DID MSPB JUST EXPAND USERRA PROTECTION? We will leave that to those who argue about how many angels can fit on the head of a pin.  As union reps, it is important to know that the Board has apparently held … Continue reading

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AN OPEN LETTER FROM UNION REPRESENTATIVES Outlined below is a draft of an e-mail message, flyer, posting, etc. that any union could use to remind the average unit employees how much more power union representatives have than employees, private attorneys, … Continue reading

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MSPB OVERTURNS PROMOTION DEMOTION What can an employee do when she is demoted because management says it improperly promoted her in violation of regulations?  As if that is not bad enough, what can she do if aside from the demotion … Continue reading

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TEST YOURSELF: The Specific Notice Obligation We have said it often before.  The biggest process mistake management can make while bargaining is to violate this obligation, and aggressive enforcement of this obligation by the union increases its visibility, credibility, and … Continue reading

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HOW TO BLOCK FSIP FROM TAKING JURISDICTION There are a variety of reasons why a union might want to block FSIP from taking jurisdiction over its bargaining dispute. One way is to piggyback on Interpretation and Guidance, 11 FLRA 626 (1983) wherein … Continue reading

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A RESPONSE TO PATRICK PIZZELLA AND THE BROTHERS Patrick Pizzella is the newest member of the FLRA, filling the minority party seat. Yesterday, he signed his first decision (AFGE, 67 FLRA 107) and did something quite strange. After agreeing with the … Continue reading

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MSPB MODIFIES DIRECTED REASSIGNMENT CASE LAW  Not long ago we posted a story entitled, “Directed Reassignment Case Law Overhauleds ruling and the Board has made issued a clarification.  OPM argued that the MSPB was wrong to state that an agency has … Continue reading

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LESBIAN RUMOR COSTS HOMELAND SECURITY $100,000. When rumors started to spread about a lesbian relationship among three women and favoritism by the manager among them, one of those women complained to agency managers asking them to make the rumors stop.  … Continue reading

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