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NASA Procedures and Guidelines

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NPR 3711.1A
Effective Date: July 02, 2012
Cancellation Date:
Responsible Office: LE

Federal Employee Labor Management Relations Program


Table of Contents

Preface

P.1 Purpose
P.2 Applicability
P.3 Authority
P.4 Applicable Documents and Forms
P.5 Measurement/Verification
P.6 Cancellation

Chapter 1. General

Chapter 2. Responsibilities

Chapter 3. Labor-Management Forums

Appendix A. Acronyms


Preface

P.1 Purpose

This NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) provides Agency direction regarding Labor-Management Relations. The NPR will be used in conjunction with the referenced statutory and regulatory requirements and any local Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA). This NPR recognizes that:

a. Fair, equitable, and respectful treatment of employees is a means to achieving NASA's mission.

b. Collaboration between management and labor is effective and efficient in identifying, resolving, and communicating questions, concerns, issues, and solutions affecting employee working conditions.

P.2 Applicability

a. This NPR is applicable to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities and Technical and Service Support Centers.

b. Any reference to Center Director(s) includes the Executive Director for Headquarters Operations and the Executive Director of the NASA Shared Services Center.

c. In this directive, all document citations are assumed to be the latest version, unless otherwise noted.

d. In this directive, all mandatory actions (i.e., requirements) are denoted by statements containing the term "shall." The terms: "may" or "can" denote discretionary privilege or permission, "should" denotes a good practice and is recommended, but not required, "will" denotes expected outcome, and "are/is" denotes descriptive material.

P.3. Authority

a. Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Act, 5 U.S.C. § 7101, et seq.

b. Creating Labor-Management Forums to Improve Delivery of Government Services (December 2009), Exec. Order No. 13522.

c. NPD 3000.1, Human Capital Management.

P.4 Applicable Documents and Forms

a. NPR 1441.1, NASA Records Retention Schedules.

b. NASA's Labor-Management Forum Implementation Plan.

P.5 Measurement/Verification

a. The Agency Labor Relations Officer (ALRO) shall annually review the Agency Labor Relations Program, to include the Agency Labor-Management Forum (LMF) metrics, and recommend significant changes to the Director, Workforce Management and Development Division, Office of Human Capital Management.

b. Centers shall periodically review their Labor Relations Program to include the operations of their LMF and make adjustments, as necessary.

P.6 Cancellation

NPR 3711.1, Federal Employee Labor-Management Relations Program, dated May 7, 1999.

/S/
Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, Jr.
Associate Administrator
Mission Support Directorate


Chapter 1. General

1.1 National Consultation Rights

1.1.1 NASA has granted national consultation rights (NCR) to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

1.1.2 NASA shall consult with unions granted NCR on all substantive changes in conditions of employment. Agency policy is the primary focus of this activity but is not the exclusive source of NCR topics.

1.1.3 A union holding NCR may raise personnel policy matters, including requested changes in personnel policies, practices, and procedures of interest to employees they represent. If the Labor Relations Officer (LRO) is not the first point of contact on such matters, the ALRO is to be informed immediately of the contact.

1.2 Exclusive Recognition

1.2.1 At Centers where exclusive recognition exists, the LRO is the primary point of contact for all issues relating to Labor-Management Relations.

1.2.2 Management and unions holding exclusive recognition have a mutual obligation through appropriate representatives to meet and bargain in good faith on negotiable matters. Such obligation does not compel either party to agree to any specific proposal advanced or require the making of a concession on any specific matter.

1.2.3 All negotiations and local Labor-Management interactions are subject to the local CBA(s).

1.3 All records shall be maintained in accordance with NPR 1441.1, NASA Records Retention Schedules.


Chapter 2. Responsibilities

2.1 The Assistant Administrator for Human Capital Management is responsible for final Agency determination as to the compelling need for regulations issued at the Agency level with respect to a bargaining proposal. This authority may not be redelegated, except by virtue of succession.

2.2 The Director, Workforce Management and Development Division, Office of Human Capital Management, shall:

a. Approve local CBA submitted for the 30-day Agency review required by the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Act.

b. Administer the Agency Labor-Management Relations Program.

2.3 The NASA ALRO shall:

a. Ensure unions that have been granted NCR are afforded the opportunity to exercise their national consultation rights and coordinate the consideration of the union's views and suggestions.

b. Ensure that current information on laws, regulations, case developments, and other relevant information is distributed to Center LROs.

c. Coordinate labor relations actions that may affect multiple NASA Centers.

2.4 Center Directors shall meet with labor representatives to discuss and, if possible, reach agreement on issues relating to the working conditions of employees subject to any conditions and limitations that may be imposed by higher authority.

2.5 Center Human Resources Directors shall ensure the Center Labor-Management Relations programs are administered.

2.6 Center LROs shall:

a. Notify the ALRO of significant Labor-Management Relationship issues, including, but not limited to, Unfair Labor Practices.

b. Communicate with Labor in accordance with the local CBA.


Chapter 3. Labor-Management Forums (LMF)

3.1 Per Creating Labor-Management Forums to Improve Delivery of Government Services (EO 13522), NASA has created LMFs at the Agency level and at the levels of exclusive recognition.

3.1.1 Agency LMFs are operated per NASA's Labor-Management Implementation Plan http://www.lmrcouncil.gov/plans/index.aspx.

3.1.2 Center LMFs are operated in accordance with the local agreement between management and labor.

3.2 Early and continuing engagement of labor helps to improve decision making and organizational performance. Therefore, to the extent practicable, where not prohibited by law, management shall engage labor representatives in pre-decisional discussions on matters concerning the working conditions of employees.

3.3 Agency and Center LMFs will operate for the duration of EO 13522 unless mutually agreed to by the parties.


Appendix A. Acronyms

AFGE American Federation of Government Employees
ALRO Agency Labor Relations Officer
CBA Collective Bargaining Agreement
EO Executive Order
IFPTE International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers
LMF Labor-Management Forum
LRO Labor Relations Officer
NCR National Consultation Rights
NPR NASA Procedural Requirements


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This Document is Obsolete and Is No Longer Used.
Check the NODIS Library to access the current version:
http://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov