Bypassing the Union The Federal Service Labor-Management

Bypassing the Union The Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute

Bypass Defined “Dealing directly” with unit employees concerning any matter affecting the employees’ conditions of employment. AFGE, Nat’l Council of HUD Locals 222, 54 FLRA 1267 (1998). “Dealing directly” with employees interferes with the union’s rights under § 7114(a)(1) of the Statute “to act for . . . all employees in the unit,” and violates § 7116(a)(1) and (5) of the Statute. U.S. DOJ, Bureau of Prisons, FCI, Bastrop, Tex., 51 FLRA 1339 (1996).

Bypass Occurs When: An agency communicates directly with bargaining unit employees concerning grievances, disciplinary actions where the agency knows the employee is represented by the union, and other matters relating to the collective bargaining relationship. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Fed. Corr. Inst., Bastrop, Tex., 51 FLRA 1339 (1996); Dep’t of HHS, SSA, Balt., Md. & SSA, Reg. X, Seattle, Wash., 39 FLRA 298 (1991).

Actions Held to be a Bypass Negotiating a change in working conditions directly with an employee. SSA, 55 FLRA at 978 (1999); Air Force Accounting and Fin. Ctr., Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colo., 42 FLRA 1226 (1991). Providing a disciplinary decision to employee rather than the union representative who represented employee. Dep’t of the Air Force, Sacramento Air Logist. Ctr., McClellan AFB, Cal., 35 FLRA 345 (1990); 438th Air Base Group (MAC), McGuire AFB, N.J., 28 FLRA 1112 (1987). Communicating with an employee regarding a grievance that falls within the scope of the negotiated grievance procedure. U.S. DOJ, INS, N.Y. Office of Asylum, Rosedale, N.Y., 55 FLRA 1032 (1999).

Actions Held NOT to be a Bypass Polling: Management may directly solicit information from employees about its operations, so long as it does not attempt to use a poll or survey to bargain directly with them about matters subject to bargaining with the union. Dep’t of Treasury, IRS, Wash., D.C., 31 FLRA 832 (1988). Agency dealings with employees where a union has no statutory rights do not constitute direct dealing in violation of the Statute. U.S. GPO, 23 FLRA 35 (1986) (EEO complaint with personal representative who was not also a union representative).