Federal Labor Relations and Unions Flashcards
7 cards from real Civil Service FAQ practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Federal Labor Relations and Unions flashcards as text
What is the primary federal law governing labor-management relations for most civilian federal employees?
Answer: The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (Title 5, Chapter 71)
The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 codified the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute at Title 5, Chapter 71, which is the primary governing law for most federal civilian employee labor relations.
Which independent federal agency is responsible for overseeing labor-management relations in the federal sector?
Answer: Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA)
The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) is the independent agency that administers the federal labor-management relations program, handles unfair labor practice charges, and oversees union elections.
Under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, federal employees have the right to:
Answer: Form, join, or assist labor organizations and bargain collectively
Federal employees have the statutory right to form, join, or assist a labor organization and to engage in collective bargaining, but striking, salary negotiation, and veto powers over reorganization are not permitted.
Which of the following matters is generally EXCLUDED from collective bargaining in the federal sector?
Answer: Pay rates and General Schedule salary levels
Pay rates for most federal employees are set by statute (e.g., the General Schedule) and cannot be negotiated in collective bargaining agreements, unlike conditions of employment such as grievance procedures or schedules.
"Official time" as defined under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute refers to:
Answer: Time granted to union representatives during work hours to perform representational activities
Official time is paid time granted to federal employees who are union representatives to perform authorized representational activities during their normal work hours, as established by law and negotiated agreements.
The Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) is empowered to:
Answer: Resolve collective bargaining impasses between federal agencies and exclusive representatives
The Federal Service Impasses Panel assists federal agencies and unions in resolving negotiation impasses, and can impose binding solutions when the parties cannot reach agreement on their own.
An "exclusive representative" in federal labor law is best defined as:
Answer: A labor organization certified by the FLRA to represent all employees in a bargaining unit
An exclusive representative is the union certified by the FLRA after winning a majority vote in an election, giving it the sole right and obligation to represent all employees in that bargaining unit, regardless of union membership.