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.

FSIP, DE FACTO NEGOTIABILITY DISPUTES & ULP’s Agencies are obligated by executive order to refuse to negotiate over certain union proposals. So, what happens if a union makes proposals that directly clash with the provisions of Trump’s executive orders? One … Continue reading

Posted in Bargaining Negotiability, FSIP, Strategy/tactics | Tagged | 3 Comments

EEOC ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE ADDRESSING THE ADA, REHABILITATION ACT AND COVID-19 Union reps need to stay abreast of information like this that will determine whether and how they can help their members.

Posted in Disability | Tagged | 1 Comment

ARE YOU “GETTIN’ ENOUGH”— FROM GRIEVANCES? One of the first mistakes a union can make when drafting a grievance is to not ask for enough of a remedy. Not only does the grievant potentially lose something she might have been … Continue reading

Posted in Grievance/Arbitration, Remedies | Tagged | Leave a comment

MAKING NEW PROPOSALS AFTER BARGAINING BEGINS There is a little-known court case that authorizes union negotiators to make totally new proposals in the middle of negotiations.

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THE “GET OUT OF FSIP FREE” CARD      FSIP is the center of the known labor relations universe these days.  Agency negotiators are busting vital organs trying to rush negotiation disputes there because they know the fix is in.  Unions, on … Continue reading

Posted in Bargaining Impasse, Bargaining Law, Bargaining Tactics, FSIP | Tagged | 1 Comment

THE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION SEARCH AREA How far must an agency search in seeking a position to which it can reassign an employee needing a reasonable accommodation?  Here is what EEOC said recently. “We emphasize that a federal agency’s obligation under … Continue reading

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UNLAWFUL DISCLOSURE OF EMPLOYEE EEO ACTIVITY TO OTHERS EEOC just wrote that the statutory anti-retaliation provisions prohibit any adverse treatment that is based on a retaliatory motive and is reasonably likely to deter a reasonable employee from engaging in protected … Continue reading

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IS AFGE THE UNION OF THE CENTURY?   That is what one reader suggested.  So, we decided to look into how it has done since the year 2000.  The most powerful piece of evidence supporting the reader’s claim is the increase … Continue reading

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ATTORNEY FEE INSANITY MUST STOP We will admit that the greed-bordering-on thievery of two particular attorneys has launched us on a now four-year long effort to bring some change to how fees are awarded. Of course, systemic flaws in the … Continue reading

Posted in Attorney Fees | Tagged | 2 Comments

HOW FAR BACK CAN A BACK PAY CLAIM GO? We are getting questions about how far back an arbitrator can order an agency to grant back pay as if there is some legal limit on it.  We are not going … Continue reading

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