Civil Service FAQ Federal Labor Relations and Unions 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary federal law governing labor-management relations for most civilian federal employees?
- The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (Title 5, Chapter 71) (Correct answer)
- The National Labor Relations Act of 1935
- Executive Order 10988 issued by President Kennedy
- The Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act
Correct 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.
Question 2: Which independent federal agency is responsible for overseeing labor-management relations in the federal sector?
- Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) (Correct answer)
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
- Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
- Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)
Correct 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.
Question 3: Under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, federal employees have the right to:
- Form, join, or assist labor organizations and bargain collectively (Correct answer)
- Strike or picket federal facilities during contract disputes
- Negotiate their pay rates and General Schedule salary levels
- Veto agency reorganization plans through their union
Correct 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.
Question 4: Which of the following matters is generally EXCLUDED from collective bargaining in the federal sector?
- Pay rates and General Schedule salary levels (Correct answer)
- Grievance and arbitration procedures
- Employee work schedules and tour of duty
- Disciplinary action appeal procedures
Correct 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.
Question 5: "Official time" as defined under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute refers to:
- Time granted to union representatives during work hours to perform representational activities (Correct answer)
- Annual leave hours used by employees to attend union conferences
- The designated period during which formal contract negotiations must occur
- Paid administrative leave for union officers during authorized work stoppages
Correct 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.
Question 6: The Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) is empowered to:
- Resolve collective bargaining impasses between federal agencies and exclusive representatives (Correct answer)
- Investigate and prosecute unfair labor practice charges against agencies
- Certify or decertify union representation through supervised elections
- Review and set aside arbitration awards that conflict with law
Correct 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.
Question 7: An "exclusive representative" in federal labor law is best defined as:
- A labor organization certified by the FLRA to represent all employees in a bargaining unit (Correct answer)
- Any union that represents at least 10% of employees within an agency
- A union selected by management to serve as the employees' representative
- An attorney exclusively authorized to handle federal labor arbitration cases
Correct 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.
Civil Service FAQ Federal Labor Relations and Unions 1
What is the primary federal law governing labor-management relations for most civilian federal employees?