Article 39
Labor-Management Cooperation

In the spirit of labor-management cooperation, Union and Management mutually recognize and endorse the involvement of affected employees and their representatives as early as possible. To this end, the parties agree that forums or processes for Union or employee involvement in Management’s deliberative processes which exist at the time this Collective Bargaining Agreement goes into effect may voluntarily continue. Such cooperative dealings remain voluntary to both Management and Labor and do not constitute past practices under this Agreement. At any time during the life of this Agreement, either party may unilaterally terminate such voluntary forums or processes and no bargaining obligation will incur. It is understood that AFGE Local 12, in agreeing to the continuation of such forums or processes, does not waive any statutory or contractual rights including, but not limited to, formal discussions, notifications of Management changes which impact on working conditions of bargaining unit employees, and the right to bargain, consistent with the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, in regard to the impact and implementation of such Management changes.

No later than four months after the effective date of this Agreement, the parties will exchange information and compile a single definitive list of all such forums or processes at all levels of the Department which existed at the time the previous Agreement expired and which both Union and Management desire to continue. At any time during the life of the Agreement, when either party elects to terminate such arrangement, it will notify the other party through the existing channels of labor-management communication. The parties may by mutual agreement develop new arrangements of this type during the life of the Agreement. All such new arrangements must be approved by the Union and Management at the Departmental level.