Court Opinion

ID: 9484399
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 09:52:40.876746+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:50:13.794992
License: Public Domain

RADER, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I agree with the court that the district court decision in National Ass’n of Postal Supervisors v. United States Postal Service, No. 76-1435 (D.D.C. March 30, 1978) (NAPS), did not control the MSPB’s jurisdictional determination. Thus I concur in Part IV of the court’s opinion. Because substantial evidence supports the Board’s factual determinations that appellants were not managers, supervisors, or confidential employees, however, I must dissent from the court’s judgment. I would affirm the MSPB’s dismissal of these appeals for lack of jurisdiction.
Appellants had the burden of showing that the MSPB had jurisdiction over their appeals. 5 C.F.R. § 1201.56(a)(2); Maddox v. Merit Sys. Protection Bd., 759 F.2d 9, 10 (Fed.Cir.1985). Specifically, each appellant had the burden of showing qualification as a supervisory, managerial, or confidential employee and completion of one year of continuous service. 39 U.S.C. § 1005(a)(4)(A)(ii). Once the majority determined that NAPS did not bind the Board, the MSPB’s jurisdictional determinations turned upon the record evidence.
Substantial evidence supports the Board’s determination that appellants had not shown that they performed managerial or supervisory duties or were confidential employees. Ms. Kintner relied solely upon the similarity of her position (Account Representative) to a position found supervisory and managerial in NAPS. Ms. Kintner produced no evidence that she performed supervisory or managerial duties and did not allege that she was a confidential employee. In addition, the Board found that Ms. Kintner had not established that she had completed" the required one year of current continuous service under 39 U.S.C. § 1005(a)(4)(A)(ii)(II). This fact alone deprives the Board of jurisdiction over Ms. Kintner’s appeal. Because the court does not find error in the Board’s current continuous service determination, the court should affirm the Board’s-jurisdictional holding as to Ms. Kintner for this additional reason.
Mr. Quittley, a Safety Specialist, admitted that he was not a supervisor. The record contains substantial evidence supporting the administrative judge’s findings that Mr. Quittley did not perform managerial duties. *1203Moreover any “confidential” aspects of Mr. Quittley’s job bore no relation to the field of labor relations or the collective bargaining process.
Like Ms. Kintner, Ms. McCandless solely relied on the NAPS decision to qualify as a supervisory or managerial employee. The record amply supports the Board’s determinations that Ms. McCandless, a personnel assistant, did not supervise or manage. The MSPB also correctly found that Ms. McCandless had presented no evidence that she acted in a confidential capacity in the field of labor relations or collective bargaining. The Board’s jurisdiction is controlled by statute, not by the stipulations of the parties.
In sum, the record substantially supports the Board’s determinations. I would affirm the Board.