Article 34
Space

Section 1. General

a. The Department recognizes that the quality of the workplace has a significant impact on the efficiency of DOL operations. In any design or redesign of the workplace, the Department will focus on improving the quality of the workplace. A quality workplace requires the efficient use of office space and attention to those factors which provide employees adequate space to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Space occupied by bargaining unit employees shall be arranged and maintained so as to ensure a quality workplace.
b. The Department agrees to eliminate, wherever practicable, plainly inequitable workspace allocations among employees in the bargaining unit.
c. The Department agrees that workspace configurations will conform to applicable safety and health codes.
d. The parties recognize that the General Services Administration (GSA) or tenant restrictions may impose limitations on space options.
e. The Department will notify Local 12 when a decision is made to reallocate space between DOL Agencies.

Section 2. Space Guidelines

In designing or redesigning the workplace, the Agency will use the following guidelines:

a. All bargaining unit employees shall have no less than sixty (60) square feet of working space.
b. Where possible, common use equipment shall not be located in employee workspace.
c. Except where the technology and methods or means of performing work dictate otherwise, the criteria for assigning available offices and/or workstations for bargaining unit employees will be decided by the employees themselves, acting through the Union. If the employees are not able to reach consensus on the criteria to be used, office space will be assigned based upon seniority, defined as length of service in the Agency. (For this purpose, "Agency" is defined as each major organization depicted in the most recent DOL Organizational Chart.)
d. When overall space is reduced, bargaining unit employees shall not bear a disproportionate burden of that reduction.
e. Where open space office arrangements are used, Management agrees that private offices on the windows will be kept to a minimum so that all employees have maximum access to daylight.

Section 3. Informal Discussion

It is the intent of the parties to resolve space issues at the lowest possible level. When a space change is to occur which will have an impact on bargaining unit employees, if the DOL Agency and the Union Agency Vice President mutually agree, the DOL Agency and the Union may informally communicate in regard to a planned space change. Following whatever discussions are held, if any, the Union will be given a copy of the final space plan.