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  • American Federation of Government Employees, Local 446 (Union) and United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Center, Asheville, North Carolina (Agency)

American Federation of Government Employees, Local 446 (Union) and United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Center, Asheville, North Carolina (Agency)

[ v57 p579 ]

57 FLRA No. 107

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 446
(Union)

and

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS, MEDICAL CENTER
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
(Agency)

0-AR-3450

_____

DECISION

October 31, 2001

_____

Before the Authority: Dale Cabaniss, Chairman, and
Carol Waller Pope and Tony Armendariz, Members

      This matter is before the Authority on exceptions to an award of Arbitrator Robert W. Kilroy filed by the Union under § 7122(a) of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (the Statute) and part 2425 of the Authority's Regulations. The Agency did not file an opposition to the Union's exceptions.

      Under § 7122(a) of the Statute, an award is deficient if it is contrary to any law, rule, or regulation; or it is deficient on other grounds similar to those applied by federal courts in private sector labor-management relations. Upon careful consideration of the entire record in this case, and Authority precedent, the Authority concludes that the award is not deficient on the grounds raised in the exceptions and set forth in § 7122(a). See United States Dep't of Labor (OSHA), 34 FLRA 573, 575 (1990) (award not deficient as failing to draw its essence from the parties' collective bargaining agreement where excepting party fails to establish that the award cannot in any rational way be derived from the agreement; is so unfounded in reason and fact and so unconnected to the wording and purpose of the agreement as to manifest an infidelity to the obligation of the arbitrator; does not represent a plausible interpretation of the agreement; or evidences a manifest disregard of the agreement). See also United States Dep't of the Air Force, Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colo., 48 FLRA 589, 594 (1993) (award not deficient as based on a nonfact where excepting party either challenges a factual matter that the parties disputed at arbitration or fails to demonstrate that the central fact underlying the award is clearly erroneous, but for which a different result would have been reached by the arbitrator).

      Accordingly, the Union's exceptions are denied.