Category Archives: Grievance/Arbitration

A “PARTICULARIZED NEED” BARGAINING TABLE TIP See if you can figure out how the following situation could have been better handled by both parties—and the FLRA.  The union filed a grievance alleging the agency failed to pay unit employees for … Continue reading

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THE SETTLEMENT MOTIVATION One reason managers fail to settle grievances early is that they are unaware of the risks.  Although it would help everyone if agency leaders made them aware of the risk, unions carry some of the blame for … Continue reading

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NAMING GRIEVANTS: A SOURCE OF UNION POWER  Two members come to you, the union steward, complaining that the manager is no longer following the agreement’s provision about how to distribute overtime and they want to grieve.  After they leave, you … Continue reading

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TEST YOURSELF: Is There a Violation Here? Read over the facts below and identify what, if anything, the union can do to help. The answer is provided below the facts. FACTS: Assume that an employee’s administrative workweek starts in the … Continue reading

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TEST YOURSELF- The Missing Grievance Allegation? Let’s suppose that an irate member contacted her union rep on a Friday complaining that a month ago her manager had approved her taking one week of annual leave next week, but suddenly the leave that … Continue reading

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WHY 17,000 EEOC CHARGES MATTER TO UNION LEADERS One of organized labor’s biggest mistakes was to turn over to the government and private attorneys enforcement of the over 30 labor laws unions worked so hard to push through Congress.  As … Continue reading

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TAX-RELATED OVERPAYMENTS MAY BE WAIVED Here is a new one that surprises even us. A federal agency, ironically the IRS, failed to withhold from the biweekly salary checks of its employees in Florence, KY the full income tax amount they … Continue reading

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WINNING OVERTIME COMPENSATION GRIEVANCES The FLRA is obligated to impose remedies that make employees whole for harm suffered due to contract violations or ULPs as well as impose remedies that discourage continued violations. It recently reminded everyone what employees and … Continue reading

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WHEN NOT TO GRIEVE WIGI DENIALS In virtually every other situation, the rule of thumb is that the deadline for filing a grievance begins to run when the agency issues its written decision. But not when a WIGI is involved–and … Continue reading

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ARE YOU “GETTIN’ ENOUGH”— FROM GRIEVANCES? (Part 1) 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 … Continue reading

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