AGREEMENT
BETWEEN LOCAL 12, AFGE, AFL-CIO
AND THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Effective
March 15, 1992 – March 20, 2005
Table
of Contents
Preamble
Article 1 Coverage and Recognition
Section 1. Recognition
Section 2. Contravention
Section 3. Coverage
Section 4. Exclusions from Coverage
Section 5. Definitions
Section 6. Disputes Over Unit Coverage
History
Article
2 Management Rights
Section 1. General
Section 2. Exceptions
Article
3 Employee Rights
Section 1. Respect in the Workplace
Section 2. Compliance With Laws, Rules, Regulations,
and Agreement
Section 3. Right to Join or Assist Union
Section 4. Conflict of Interest
Section 5. Right to Remedial Relief for Employees
in the Bargaining Unit 6
Section 6. Private Lives vs. Official Duties
Section 7. Campaigns or Drives--Solicitation of Employees
in the Bargaining Unit
Section 8. Studies
Section 9. Use of Personal Audio Devices
Section 10. Supervision and Assignment of Work
Section 11. Polygraph Tests
Section 12. Required Membership and Participation
in Professional Organizations
Section 13. Work Plans
Section 14. Services for Visually Disabled and/or
Hearing Impaired Employees
Section 15. Travel
Section 16. Personnel Records
Section 17. Complaints
History
Article
4 Flexible Work Plans
Section 1. General
Section 2. Definitions
Section 3. Timekeeping
Section 4. Committees
Section 5. Hours of Work
Section 6. Negotiations
Section 7. Part-Time Employees
Section 8. Pay Administration
Section 9. Shift Work
Section 10. Coverage of Office Functions
Section 11. Abuse
History
Article
5 Leave
Section 1. Annual Leave
Section 2. Sick Leave
Section 3. Leave Restriction
Section 4. Leaves of Absence for Full-Time Union Business
Section 5. Leave Without Pay (LWOP)
Section 6. Absence Without Leave (AWOL)
Section 7. Administrative Leave
Section 8. Court Leave
Section 9. Religious Leave
Section 10. Leave Transfer Program
Section 11. Lunch Period
History
Article
6 Family Leave and Dependent Care
Section 1. General
Section 2. Maternity, Paternity, and Child Rearing Leave
Section 3. Family Leave
Section 4. Adoptive Leave
Section 5. Types of Dependent Care Programs
Section 6. Local 12 Involvement
Section 7. Definition of Family Member
Article
7 Day Care
Section 1. Provision of Child Care Facility
Section 2. Management of Child Care Facility
Section 3. Priority on Admission
Section 4. Administrative Leave to Attend Meetings
Section 5. Reopening Negotiations
Article
8 Receipt of Pay
Article
9 Employee Wellness
Section 1. General
Section 2. Health Services Program
Section 3. Wellness/Fitness Programs
Section 4. Fitness Center in Frances Perkins Building
Section 5. Other Fitness Programs
Section 6. Renegotiation
Article
10 Flexiplace
Section 1. Purpose
Section 2. Types of Arrangements: Informal and Formal
Section 3. Eligibility for the Formal Program
Section 4: Coverage of Office Functions
Section 5: Time Frames
Section 6: Operating Principles
Section 7: Recall
Section 8: Termination
Section 9: Space
Section 10: Pre-existing Flexiplace Arrangements Under
the Pilot Program
Section 11: Grievability
Section 12: Issue Resolution
Section 13: Flexiplace Committee
Section 14: Employee Self-Certification Checklist
Section 15: Standard Individual Flexiplace Work Agreement
History
Article
11 Employee Assistance Program
Section 1. General
Section 2. Union-Management Cooperation
Section 3. Committee Functions
Section 4. Union Participation in Program Training
Section 5. Use of Sick Leave
Section 6. Relationship to Disciplinary and Adverse Action
Section 7. Union Responsibility
History
Article
12 Performance Management System
Section 1. Purpose and Objectives of Performance Appraisal
System
Section 2. Critical Element
Section 3. Performance Standards
Section 4. Criteria for Identifying Job Elements and
Establishing Performance Standards
Section 5. Initiating Appraisal Periods and Performance
Plans
Section 6. Grievability and Arbitrability of Job Elements
and Performance Standards
Section 7. Annual Rating of Record
Section 8. Details
Section 9. Summary Performance Ratings
Section 10. Feedback to Employees
Section 11. Special Circumstances
Section 12. Communication of Summary Ratings to Employees
Section 13. Determination of Reviewing Official
Section 14. Rating Certification
Section 15. Information Sharing
Section 16. Availability of Standards for Job Applicants
Section 17. Improving Unsatisfactory Performance
Section 18. Removal of "Unacceptable" Performance
Information in Personnel Files
Section 19. Review of the Performance Appraisal System
Section 20. Derogatory Documents
Section 21. Assuring Deliverance of Performance Appraisal
Section 22. Other Provisions
Section 23. Use of Performance Appraisal in Merit
Staffing Actions
History
Article
13 Within-Grade Increases
Section 1. General
Section 2. Advance Notice
Section 3. When Performance is Less than Acceptable
Section 4. Negative Determination
Section 5. Effect of Change of a Negative Determination
Article
14 Performance Awards
Section 1. Purpose
Section 2. Rating of Record
Section 3. Pay Deciding Unit (PDU)
Section 4. Awards Budget
Section 5. Effect of a Summary Rating
Section 6. Awards
Section 7. Date of Awards
Section 8. Information Provided to Local 12
History
Article
15 Reduction in Grade and Removal Based on Unacceptable
Performance
Section 1. Employees Covered
Section 2. Applicability of this Article
Section 3. General
Section 4. Appeal Rights
Section 5. Employee Right to Review Material
Section 6. Initial Procedures
Section 7. Notice of Proposed Action
Article
16 Merit Staffing
Section 1. Preamble
Section 2. Introduction
Section 3. Definitions
Section 4. Locating Candidates and Publicizing Vacancies
Section 5. Determining Basic Eligibility
Section 6. Grouping of Candidates
Section 7. Certification and Selection
Section 8. Selection for Details
Section 9. Career Ladder Promotion Process
Section 10. Review of Merit Staffing Actions
Section 11. General
Section 12. Informing Employees About Opportunities
for Entrance Level Positions
Section 13. Personnel Records
History
Article
17 Promotional Opportunities for Attorneys
History
Article
18 Position Classification and Equal Pay for Equal
Work
Section 1. Desk Audits
Section 2. Classification Audits
Section 3. Classification Appeals
Section 4. Equal Pay for Equal Work
History
Article
19 Training and Career Enhancement
Section 1. General
Section 2. Agency-Wide Retention Plans
Section 3. Career Enhancement Program
Section 4. Career Fair
Section 5. Consultation
History
Article
20 Equal Employment Opportunity
Section 1. Statement of Purpose
Section 2. Management Commitment
Section 3. Sexual Harassment
Section 4. Training
Section 5. Committees and Consultations
Section 6. Affirmative Employment Plans and Programs
Section 7. Complaint Processing
Section 8. Special Emphasis Programs
Section 9. Meetings with Interest Groups on EEO Matters
History
Article
21 Temporary and Probationary Employees
Section 1. Temporary Employees
Section 2. Probationary Employees
Article
22 Part-Time Employment
Section 1. Annual Survey
Section 2. Part-Time Employment Roster
Section 3. Conversions
Section 4. Reports
Article
23 Job Sharing
Section 1. Definition
Section 2. Status
Section 3. Tour of Duty
Section 4. Other
Article
24 Injury Compensation
Section 1. Liaison
Section 2. Counseling
Section 3. Leave Buy-Back
Article
25 Medical Qualifications and Determinations
Section 1. General
Section 2. Prerequisite Conditions
Section 3. Procedures
Section 4. Counseling
Section 5. Accommodations
Section 6. Records
Article
26 Consultants and Experts and Contracting Out
Section 1. Consultants and Experts
Section 2. Contracts
History
Article
27 Reduction in Force or Transfer of Function
Section 1. General
Section 2. Notification
Section 3. Retention Registers
Section 4. Competitive Areas for Positions in the
Bargaining Unit
Section 5. Department of Labor Employee Placement
Assistance
Section 6. Transfer of Function
Section 7. Repromotion List
Section 8. RIF Contract Coverage
History
Article
28 Safety and Health
Section 1. General
Section 2. Committees
Section 3. Workplace Inspections
Section 4. Duty of Employees and Supervisors
Section 5. Employee Reports of Unsafe or Unhealthful Working
Conditions
Section 6. Management Information
Section 7. Training
Section 8. Health Service
Section 9. Employees with Disabilities
Section 10. Environment
Section 11. Smoking Policy
Article
29 Space
Section 1. General
Section 2. Space Guidelines
Section 3. Consultations
Section 4. Negotiations
History
Article
30 New Technology
Article
31 Video Display Terminals
Section 1. General
Section 2. Policy
Section 3. VDT Emissions Test
Section 4. Non-VDT Work Reassignment Request
Section 5. Vision Screening
History
Article
32 Parking Facilities
Section 1. General
Section 2. Assignment of Carpool Spaces
Section 3. Changes in Garage Operations
History
Article
33 General Provisions
Article
34 Governing Laws and Regulations
Section 1. General
Section 2. Agreement Governs
Section 3. New or Changed Rules or Regulations
Section 4. Bargaining Over New or Changed Rules or
Regulations
History
Article
35 Labor-Management Relations
Section 1. Statement of Purpose
Section 2. Levels of Consultation and Communication
Section 3. DOL Agency Labor-Management Relations Committees
Section 4. Department Labor-Management Relations Committee
Section 5. Organizational Changes
Section 6. Impact Bargaining
History
Article
36 Mid-Term Bargaining
Section 1. Bargaining Committees
Section 2. Departmental Mid-Term Negotiations
Section 3. Agency Mid-Term Negotiations
Section 4. Time Frames
Section 5. Mid-Term Bargaining Impasses
Section 6. Interest-Based Bargaining
History
Article
37 Standing Committees
Section 1. Scope and Functions of Committees
Section 2. Terms of Members
Section 3. Ad Hoc Committees
Section 4. Committee Representation
History
Article
38 Informational Reports
Section 1. Periodic Reports
Section 2. Lists of Employees
Section 3. Format
Article
39 Distribution of Agreement and Orientation of New
Employees by Exclusive Representative
Section 1. Distribution of Copies
Section 2. New Employees
Section 3. Expenses
Section 4. Lists of New Employees
History
Article
40 Dues Withholding
Section 1. Procedure for Authorizing Dues Withholding
Section 2. Automatic Reinstatement of Dues Withholding
Section 3. Terminations
Section 4. Change in Dues
Section 5. Remittance to Local 12
Section 6. Correction of Errors
Section 7. Reopener Clause
Section 8. Duration of Agreement
Article
41 Official Time
Section 1. General
Section 2. List of Officers, Stewards, and Other Representatives
Section 3. Performance of Union Functions and Stewards'
Area of Jurisdiction
Section 4. Official Time
Section 5. Training of Local 12 Representatives
Section 6. Preparing LM2 and Tax Forms
Section 7. Local 12 Union Officials
History
Article
42 Right to Representation
Section 1. General
Section 2. Investigative Examinations
Section 3. Meetings, Discipline, or Potential Discipline
Section 4. Adverse Actions
History
Article
43 Grievance Procedure
Section 1. Purpose
Section 2. Coverage and Scope
Section 3. Exclusions
Section 4. Rights
Section 5. Definitions
Section 6. Grievance Form
Section 7. Procedures
Section 8. Union Grievances
Section 9. Invocation of Arbitration
Section 10. Grievability/Arbitrability
Section 11. Termination of Grievance
Section 12. Modification of Procedures
Section 13. Stays of Certain Personnel Actions
History
Article
44 Arbitration
Section 1. Panel of Arbitrators
Section 2. Cost of Arbitration
Section 3. Scheduling of Arbitration Hearings
Section 4. Submission of Case for Decision by the
Arbitrator Without a Hearing
Section 5. Prehearing Procedures
Section 6. Hearing Site
Section 7. Expedited Arbitration
Section 8. Authority and Decision of the Arbitrator
Section 9. Grievability and Arbitrability
History
Article
45 Adverse and Disciplinary Actions
Section 1. Employees Covered
Section 2. General
Section 3. Employee Right to Review Material
Section 4. Counseling, Warnings, Reprimands, or Admonishments
Section 5. Notice of Proposed Action
Section 6. Adverse Action--Suspensions of Fourteen
(14) Days or Less
Section 7. Other Adverse Actions
Section 8. Pending Legal Charges
Section 9. Furloughs of Thirty (30) Days or Less
History
Article
46 Facilities and Services
Section 1. General
Section 2. Union Bulletin Boards--Kiosks
Section 3. Use of Departmental Telephones for Labor-Management
Business
Section 4. Parking
Section 5. Use of Departmental Photocopying Equipment
Section 6. Distribution of Union Handbills and Other
Solicitations
Section 7. Use of Departmental Meeting Rooms
Section 8. Meeting Space in Outlying Buildings
Section 9. Copies of Departmental Rules and Regulations
Section 10. Use of Internal Mail System
Section 11. Electronic Mail
History
Article
47 Duration
Section 1. Effective Date
Section 2. Duration
Section 3. Supplemental Agreement
Section 4. Dues Withholding
Section 5. Savings Clause
Appendix
Appendix A Ground Rules
Appendix B Merit System Principles
Under 5 U.S.C. 2301
Appendix C Prohibited Personnel
Practices Under 5 U.S.C. 2302
Appendix D Step 2 Grievance Officials
Appendix E Quality of Work Life in the Department of Labor
