Court Opinion

ID: 9475354
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 05:24:33.944357+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:44:39.764387
License: Public Domain

SWYGERT, Senior Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
Because I believe that this case is directly controlled by National Treasury Employees Union v. Federal Labor Relations Authority, 721 F.2d 1402 (D.C.Cir.1983), I respectfully dissent.
NTEU is identical to the case at bar. As the panel in NTEU, 721 F.2d at 1404, observed, that case involved a request by nonunion members for legal representation in connection with “proposed removal actions,” which necessarily involved possible statutory appeals. In the case at bar, it is *1173undisputed that the NTEU refused to provide attorney representation even before it knew that the case might involve statutory appeals. In fact, the same administrative law judge decided both cases and found them to be indistinguishable. He mentioned the distinction between grievances and statutory appeals only briefly and in a limited context. Although there is some language in NTEU, which the majority quotes, that supports the position advanced by the Union and ultimately adopted by the majority here, see id. at 1406,1407, most of the language in that opinion is much broader and supports the view that the panel in that case found the Agency’s interpretation of section 7114(a), advanced here, to be reasonable, including its broad interpretation of “interests” to cover most, if not all, matters relating to employment. See id. at 1406. In fact, in that case, the panel expressly observed that section 7114(a)(1) contains a broad antidiscrimination provision not found in the National Labor Relations Act, and its analysis relied heavily on it. See id. at 1407. The result reached by the majority in the case at bar does not, in my view, adequately deal with this provision that the panel in NTEU, 721 F.2d 1402, found compelling.
Even if I were to agree with the majority that NTEU does not control, I would find that the FLRA’s interpretation is entitled to deference under Chevron, USA, Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 U.S. 837, 842-43, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 2781-82, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984) (Court should defer to agency’s interpretation of its enabling statute if Congress has not expressly precluded that interpretation and if it is a reasonable interpretation of the statute.) In my view, the FLRA’s interpretation is reasonable and does not expressly contravene congressional intent. I am simply not persuaded by the majority’s analysis in this case that, by adding the broad antidiscrim-ination provision and by failing to expressly demonstrate in the legislative history the precise contours of that provision, Congress could not possibly have intended a broader duty of fair representation applicable to public sector employees than is applicable to private sector employees.
Based on the foregoing, I believe this case is controlled by NTEU v. FLRA, 721 F.2d 1402, and that the FLRA’s interpretation is entitled to deference under Chevron, USA, Inc. As a result, the Federal Labor Relations Authority’s order should be enforced.