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.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU STORM OUT OF AN ARBITRATION HEARING? Whether it is the union or management refusing to participate and whether it is a grievance arbitration or an interest arbitration, the answer is the same.  It is a very … Continue reading

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FLRA CHANGES POLICY ON POSTINGS VERSUS E-MAILS FLRA’s newest decision announced that in the future it will typically adopt a union request  that an agency guilty of a ULP be required to  send all involved employees an e-mail announcing its guilt and … Continue reading

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PIZZELLA’S POMPOSITY Newly-minted Member Pizzella has launched his FLRA career by largely lecturing the labor-management community on his loyalty to the fight against government waste. His latest sermonette (delivered as a concurring opinion in AFGE, 67 FLRA 218) condemns an AFGE local … Continue reading

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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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