MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT
GROUND RULES FOR LOCAL NEGOTIATIONS
BETWEEN
DLA ACTIVITIES AT THE HDI FEDERAL CENTER, BATTLE CREEK, MI
AND
AFGE LOCAL 1626
Articles 5 and 38 of the Master Labor Agreement (MLA)

Representatives of the (AFGE Local 1626), hereinafter referred to as the “Union,” and
representatives of DLA Activities located at the Battle Creek, MI, HDI Federal Center,
hereinafter referred to as the “Agency” and jointly referred to as the “Parties.”

. The Parties agree that these ground rules shall govern the conduct of all local
negotiations, in accordance with Articles 5 and 38 of the 2022 Master Labor Agreement
(MLA), between the Union and Agency located at the Battle Creek, MI, HDI Federal
Center during the term of the MLA.

. The Agency can determine the amount of people on their negotiating team. The Local
Union President can determine the total number of members on the Union’s negotiating
team.

Members of the Negotiating Teams, who are employees of the Agency, will be on official
time during negotiation sessions, IAW Article 38, Section B. The employer will grant
official time to the Union bargaining team members for the time spent in face-to-face
negotiations. If face-to-face negotiations are not feasible, then the Parties will meet
virtually.

. The Union will bear all travel and per diem costs (to include rental vehicle(s)) for their
negotiating team members as well as travel and per diem costs (to include rental
vehicle(s)) for any third-party proceedings.

. The Parties will exchange a list of full names, titles, e-mail addresses, and telephone
numbers of their respective team members no later than 5 workdays prior to the date set
for the commencement of negotiations. This list will include alternates to the team in
case of emergencies. Although the parties may replace team members as necessary,
both parties agree stability of the negotiating teams is important for effective
negotiations. If a party must make a change to their initial list of team members, then that
party must notify the other party in writing as soon as practicable. Such notification will
include the full name, title, work address, e-mail address, and telephone number of the
new team member. Each team is entitled to observers, if the number of observers added
exceeds the number of people for official time, they will need to take leave.

. Upon receipt of a proposed change, the President of AFGE Local 1626, or his/her
designee, may, within 10 calendar days submit a demand to bargain. The demand to
bargain will include the Union’s proposals. Failure to submit the demand to bargain and
proposals within the 10-calendar day time period constitutes a waiver, and the Agency
may implement the change anytime thereafter. If the demand to bargain and negotiable


12.

proposals are not submitted within the allotted timeframe, then the Agency will proceed
with the proposed change. Formal negotiations will commence on a mutually agreeable

date no later than twenty (20) calendar days after the parties’ submittal of proposal
identified for formal negotiations.

Negotiations will be scheduled for three days each week, on Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday, not to exceed eight (8) hours a day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00
p.m. except as modified by mutual agreement between the Parties. Short breaks and
recesses during the negotiations will be by mutual consent. Lunch periods will be one
hour. Negotiations will not be held on Federal holidays. The Parties are expected to be
punctual and remain at the table throughout bargaining. Negotiation sessions will be two
weeks on, one week off, unless a change is mutually agreed to by the Parties.

The negotiations will be held in an agency provided local location, which will include
caucus rooms. Space for negotiations will be at a neutral location, agreed upon by
both the agency and the union. The Agency will not pay for offsite meeting space for
negotiations. The parties encourage the use of electronic communications methods
(e.g., video teleconferences, telephone conferences, office communicator) where
appropriate and practicable for these negotiations and for pre-negotiations.

. Either party may call caucuses. However, caucuses will be held to the shortest time

necessary. If a caucus is likely to exceed 30 minutes, then the party calling the caucus
will notify the other party of the situation and discuss whether there will be an extended
caucus, recess, or other arrangement the caucusing party requests so that time is not
wasted. The caucusing party will make every reasonable effort to avoid delaying the
negotiations unnecessarily. The party calling the caucus will remain at the negotiating
table and caucus in the negotiation room. Extended caucus periods will not alter or
extend the period allotted to complete negotiations.

The Parties will initial and date agreed-upon MOAs as they are completed. After
initialing or signing the MOA, it will not be subject to further discussion unless there is
mutual agreement to reopen the agreed-upon MOA.

There will be no official transcripts of the negotiations. Each party may take and maintain
their own notes. No recording devices are permitted in the negotiations.

. It is the intent of the Parties to hold any individual article, and/or sections of articles on

which agreement cannot be reached until all negotiable items on which agreement can be
reached are disposed of. At that time, the Parties will make a diligent effort to resolve all
outstanding articles and/or sections. If the diligent effort does not result in agreement, the
services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will be requested by either or
both parties. If the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service do not
resolve the impasse, either party may request the Federal Services Impasses Panel (FSIP)
to settle the dispute in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 7119.

. Once negotiations have commenced, any changes to these procedures may be made only

by mutual consent of the Chief Negotiators. Any new or modified terms agreed to will


be reduced to writing and signed and dated by the Chief Negotiators.

15.Upon completion of negotiations the Agency will prepare the local agreements in final
draft and provide to the AFGE Local 1626. The AFGE Local will have 10 workdays to
ratify the agreement. AFGE Local 1626 will encourage ratification in its meeting with
the AFGE Local members. If the union fails to ratify the agreement the Chief
Negotiators will mutually agree when to resume negotiations. Any individual agreement
not ratified will be subject to renegotiation.

16. Following ratification by AFGE Local 1626 and signature by the “Union” and the
“Agency” in accordance with Article 38, section 5 A, all local agreements will be
forwarded to HQ DLA and Council 169 for review. The national parties have 30 days to
identify provisions which are in conflict with this Master Agreement, statute or
government-wide regulation. If HQ DLA or Council-169 disapproves any portion of the
agreement, the remaining portions will go into effect. The parties will begin negotiations
within 15 days of receipt of the HQ DLA or Council-169 allegations of no negotiability
regarding the provisions found to be nonnegotiable. Once agreement has been reached
on those provisions, and approved by HQ DLA and Council-169, they will be included in
the parties agreement.

17. In the event FSIP asserts jurisdiction over any of the Local Agreements at impasse, any
decisions rendered will be forwarded to HQ DLA and Council 169 for review and will be
made effective either after approval or after 30 days has elapsed.

18. This Memorandum of Agreement becomes effective upon DLA HQ and Council 169
review or after 30 days from the signing of the agreement and expires when the MLA

expires.
For the Union: For Agency:
TOUSSAINT.ANDRE. $obseXn?asare.awan.inn
Fy i - . a a) i. ( LAMAR.1171810210 8229 sona8-o100
Robin L. Nichols, President Andre Toussaint, COL. USA
American Federation of Government Employees DLA, Disposition Services-Battle Creek MI
AFGE Local 1626 HDI Federal Center

Date: LU 1262 % Date: