Opinion ID: 186122
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Negotiability Ruling

Text: 18 The decision in Cherry Point makes it clear that a union cannot bargain over the conditions of employment of non-unit personnel. See 952 F.2d at 1441-43. In that case, we reviewed a decision of the Authority holding that two union proposals were within the employer's duty to bargain because they vitally affected the conditions of employment of bargaining unit employees. See id. at 1436. We reversed the Authority's ruling, finding that the proposals [sought] to establish and regulate the conditions of employment of employees in other bargaining units and supervisory personnel. Id. at 1441. The proposals therefore exceeded the representation rights of the union and were not within the scope of mandatory bargaining. See id. ; see also Am. Fed'n of Gov't Employees, Local 32 v. FLRA, 110 F.3d 810, 815 (D.C.Cir.1997) ( AFGE ) (explaining that under Cherry Point, a proposal is nonnegotiable if it would govern the working conditions of supervisors and employees in other bargaining units). 19 Because a union is the exclusive representative of employees in the certified or recognized unit, and those employees only,  an employer has no obligation to bargain with a union over the conditions of employment of employees in another bargaining unit. Cherry Point, 952 F.2d at 1442. Similarly, because the Statute excludes supervisors and management officials from any authorized bargaining unit, the same policies that prevent a union from purporting to regulate the conditions of employment of persons in other units apply with equal force to supervisory personnel. Id. (citing 5 U.S.C. § 7112(b)(1)). Conversely, under Cherry Point, a union may negotiate the conditions of employment of its own bargaining unit employees, even if those conditions affect personnel outside of that bargaining unit. See AFGE, 110 F.3d at 815; Cherry Point, 952 F.2d at 1440-41. 20 The Authority's decision in this case rests primarily on its determination that ACT's proposal directly determines the conditions of employment of supervisory personnel by dictating the forms of address they may use during negotiations and is therefore outside the duty to bargain under Cherry Point. Ass'n of Civilian Technicians, 57 F.L.R.A. 939, 2002 WL 1769264, at -5, App. 17-18. This analysis fundamentally misapplies the Statute and misconstrues our decision in Cherry Point. ACT's proposal in this case relates to the terms of the interactions between union and management representatives during collective bargaining negotiations and in grievance proceedings. The clear purpose of the proposal is to ensure that employees who act as agents for members of the bargaining unit are treated as equals while serving in their representative capacities at the bargaining table or in grievance proceedings. The proposal thus does not come within the proscription of Cherry Point. The Union here is not seeking to regulate the substantive conditions of employment of non-unit persons; rather, it is proposing to reach agreement on how the parties' representatives deal with one another during bargaining and grievance processing. 21 The FLRA has long recognized that parties in a collective bargaining relationship may propose ground rules for negotiations or grievance processing and that such proposals fall within the statutory duty to bargain in good faith. See, e.g., 375th Combat Support Group, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., 46 F.L.R.A. 640, 665, 1992 WL 357703 (1992); Dep't of Def. Dependents Sch., 14 F.L.R.A. 191, 193, 1984 WL 35618 (1984). A proposed ground rule generally may encompass any guide for the conduct of ... negotiations. Am. Fed'n of Gov't Employees, 16 F.L.R.A. 602, 613, 1984 WL 35247 (1984), remanded on other grounds, 784 F.2d 1131 (D.C.Cir.1986), and aff'd, 21 F.L.R.A. 786, 1986 WL 54754 (1986). And the FLRA assesses the propriety of such proposals by asking whether they are offered in good faith and whether they are designed to further the bargaining process. See United States Dep't of the Air Force Headquarters, Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 36 F.L.R.A. 524, 533, 1990 WL 151132 (1990). 22 ACT's proposal prescribes how Union representatives should be addressed solely in the context of collective bargaining negotiations and in grievance proceedings. As such, it is akin to any ordinary ground rules proposal or routine regulation of negotiation procedures. Neither the Guard nor the Authority has asserted that the Union offered this proposal in bad faith. Nor can it be said that the proposal would hinder the bargaining process. To the contrary, by prohibiting references to Union representatives' subordinate military ranks, the proposal contributes to the equality of the parties' representatives in collective bargaining and is therefore consistent with a primary goal of the Statute. See, e.g., Am. Fed'n of Gov't Employees v. FLRA, 750 F.2d 143, 148 (D.C.Cir.1984) (noting the statutory goal of equalizing the positions of labor and management at the bargaining table). Accordingly, the proposal clearly falls within the Guard's duty to bargain. 23 Finally, even if ACT's proposal is viewed as establishing a substantive condition of employment, the proposal clearly relates to a condition of employment of bargaining unit employees, not their managers. As such, it remains negotiable under the literal terms of Cherry Point. Properly understood, Cherry Point prohibits union proposals that directly implicate the interests of management officials by regulating the terms of the employment relationship between managers or supervisors and their employer. A union that advances such proposals is inappropriately attempting to bargain on behalf of individuals it does not represent. Cherry Point does not, however, prohibit proposals that regulate the conditions of employment of bargaining unit employees merely because those proposals have some effect on managers or supervisors. AFGE, 110 F.3d at 815. 24 The proposal here seeks to ensure that the employees' bargaining agents retain the full appearance of equal status at the bargaining table and in grievance proceedings. Plain and simple, this is a beneficial condition of employment for bargaining unit employees who serve as representatives in collective bargaining negotiations or in grievance proceedings. Of course, if the parties adopt the Union's proposal, management officials will be obliged to comply with the terms of the parties' agreement. But this is true of any union proposal that beneficially changes the conditions of employment of bargaining unit personnel. The fact that management personnel are obligated to conform their behavior during negotiations to these procedural requirements does not establish a substantive condition of employment for those personnel. Such compliance has never been thought to be a condition of employment for management under the Statute. We therefore hold that the Authority erred in holding that the proposal was not negotiable.