[ v06 p60 ]
06:0060(19)RO
The decision of the Authority follows:
6 FLRA No. 19 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH WASHINGTON, D.C. Activity and AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 41, AFL-CIO Petitioner Case No. 3-RO-57 DECISION AND DIRECTION OF ELECTION UPON A PETITION DULY FILED WITH THE FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY UNDER SECTION 7111(B) OF THE FEDERAL SERVICE LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS STATUTE (THE STATUTE), A HEARING WAS HELD BEFORE A HEARING OFFICER OF THE AUTHORITY. THE AUTHORITY HAS REVIEWED THE HEARING OFFICER'S RULINGS MADE AT THE HEARING AND FINDS THAT THEY ARE FREE FROM PREJUDICIAL ERROR. THE RULINGS ARE HEREBY AFFIRMED. UPON THE ENTIRE RECORD, INCLUDING BRIEFS FILED BY THE PARTIES, THE AUTHORITY FINDS: THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 41, AFL-CIO (THE PETITIONER), CLAIMING TO REPRESENT CERTAIN EMPLOYEES OF THE ACTIVITY, FILED A PETITION SEEKING AN ELECTION IN A UNIT COMPOSED OF "ALL NONSUPERVISORY, PROFESSIONAL AND NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH (OASH), PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELFARE /1/ LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA," EXCLUDING "MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, SUPERVISORS, EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN PERSONNEL WORK IN OTHER THAN A CLERICAL CAPACITY, CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYEES, AND TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES (AN APPOINTMENT OF 700 HOURS OR LESS WHERE THERE IS NO EXPECTATION OF CONTINUOUS EMPLOYMENT)." THE ACTIVITY CONTENDS THAT THE UNIT SOUGHT IS INAPPROPRIATE, AND THAT THE APPROPRIATE UNIT SHOULD INCLUDE ALL ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES OF THE ACTIVITY WHO ARE SERVICED BY THE OASH PERSONNEL OFFICE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE ACTIVITY CONTENDS THAT AN ELECTION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED AMONG ALL ELIGIBLE UNREPRESENTED OASH EMPLOYEES TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY WISH TO BE INCLUDED IN A BARGAINING UNIT OF NONPROFESSIONAL OASH EMPLOYEES LOCATED AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, FOR WHICH AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO, LOCAL 2923 (AFGE LOCAL 2923) IS CERTIFIED AS THE EXCLUSIVE BARGAINING REPRESENTATIVE. /2/ AFGE LOCAL 2923 DID NOT INTERVENE IN THIS CASE AND INDICATED AT THE HEARING THAT IT DID NOT WISH TO REPRESENT THE OASH EMPLOYEES LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA. /3/ OASH AND SIX HEALTH AGENCIES COMPRISE THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE (PHS), A PRIMARY NATIONAL SUBDIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. OASH, UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH (WHO ALSO HAS THE TITLE OF SURGEON GENERAL OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE), IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF PHS'S MISSION OF PROVIDING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING HEALTH STATISTICS AND HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER HEALTH-RELATED FUNCTIONS. THE APPROXIMATELY 1800 EMPLOYEES WITHIN OASH ARE LOCATED IN THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AREA (I.E., HYATTSVILLE AND ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, AND WASHINGTON, D.C.), AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, AND IN VARIOUS REGIONAL OFFICES. /4/ THE APPROXIMATELY 140 EMPLOYEES LOCATED AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK WORK FOR THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS (NCHS), ONE OF THREE CENTERS IN THE OASH ORGANIZATION. NCHS CONSISTS OF 13 DIVISIONS, AND THE EMPLOYEES AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK COMPRISE PORTIONS OF TWO OF THOSE DIVISIONS. OF THESE EMPLOYEES, APPROXIMATELY 100 ARE NONPROFESSIONALS EXCLUSIVELY REPRESENTED BY AFGE LOCAL 2923. THESE NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES ARE ENGAGED MAINLY IN DATA PREPARATION AND DATA STORAGE FUNCTIONS. APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK ARE CLASSIFIED AS CODING CLERKS, IN GRADES GS-3 THROUGH 5 (SERIES 357). THE REMAINDER OF THE UNIT EMPLOYEES ARE GENERAL CLERICAL AND SECRETARIAL EMPLOYEES, EXCEPT FOR TWO OR THREE STATISTICIANS. BY CONTRAST, SINCE THE DATA PROCESSING FUNCTIONS ARE PERFORMED AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, THERE ARE VIRTUALLY NO CODING CLERKS AT OASH IN THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA. RATHER, THE OASH EMPLOYEES IN THE UNIT SOUGHT ARE ENGAGED IN A WIDE VARIETY OF DUTIES DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE BROAD MISSION OF OASH IN THE AREA OF PROVIDING HEALTH POLICY, RESEARCH AND RELATED FUNCTIONS; THEY ARE MAINLY CLASSIFIED AS ARCHITECTS, STATISTICIANS, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, ANALYSTS, WRITERS AND EDITORS, AND TYPISTS. THE RECORD FURTHER INDICATES THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO TRANSFER OF "RANK-AND-FILE" EMPLOYEES BETWEEN RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK AND OASH IN METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON, AND THAT EMPLOYEES AT THE TWO LOCATIONS RARELY INTERACT IN THE NORMAL PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES. WITH RESPECT TO PERSONNEL MATTERS, THE RECORD SHOWS THAT THE OASH PERSONNEL OFFICE IN ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, SERVICES AND ESTABLISHES PERSONNEL POLICIES FOR ALL OASH EMPLOYEES IN THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AREA AND AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, ALTHOUGH THE EMPLOYEES AT EACH LOCATION ARE IN SEPARATE GEOGRAPHICALLY DESCRIBED COMPETITIVE AREAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDUCTIONS-IN-FORCE (RIF). HOWEVER, LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS MATTERS INVOLVING OASH ARE HANDLED BY THE PHS'S OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, WHICH HAS NEGOTIATED THE THREE SUCCESSIVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS ON BEHALF OF OASH COVERING THE UNIT OF NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK EXCLUSIVELY REPRESENTED BY AFGE LOCAL 2923 SINCE 1971, INCLUDING THE AGREEMENT CURRENTLY IN EFFECT. WHILE THE NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK ARE THE ONLY OASH EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN A UNIT OF EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITION, THE PETITIONER WAS PREVIOUSLY CERTIFIED IN 1973 AS THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, HEW, LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, BUT IN 1976 CEASED TO REPRESENT THOSE UNIT EMPLOYEES WHO WERE TRANSFERRED TO OASH AS THE RESULT OF A REORGANIZATION. SIMILARLY, IN 1976 THE PETITIONER WAS CERTIFIED AS THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL PROFESSIONAL AND NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES IN THE HEALTH RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION (HRA), AN ORGANIZATIONAL ENTITY WITHIN PHS, BUT IN 1978 CEASED TO REPRESENT THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO WERE TRANSFERRED FROM HRA TO OASH AS THE RESULT OF A REORGANIZATION. BASED ON THE FOREGOING CIRCUMSTANCES, THE AUTHORITY FINDS THAT THE UNIT WHICH THE PETITIONER SEEKS TO REPRESENT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITION UNDER SECTION 7112(A) OF THE STATUTE BECAUSE IT ENCOMPASSES EMPLOYEES WHO SHARE A CLEAR AND IDENTIFIABLE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST AND WILL PROMOTE EFFECTIVE DEALINGS AND THE EFFICIENCY OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE AGENCY. THUS, IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA DIFFER SUBSTANTIALLY FROM THOSE OF THE OASH EMPLOYEES LOCATED AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, WHILE THE EMPLOYEES IN THE UNIT SOUGHT ARE INVOLVED IN A WIDE VARIETY OF HEALTH POLICY AND RESEARCH MATTERS, THOSE IN RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK ARE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN CLERICAL POSITIONS AND PERFORM STRICTLY DATA PROCESSING DUTIES. MOREOVER, THERE HAS BEEN NO TRANSFER OF EMPLOYEES FROM ONE LOCATION TO THE OTHER, AND NO INTERACTION OR INTERCHANGE BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEES AT THE TWO LOCATIONS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DUTIES. SIMILARLY, THE EMPLOYEES AT EACH LOCATION ARE IN SEPARATE COMPETITIVE AREAS FOR RIF PURPOSES. HENCE, THERE IS A CLEAR AND IDENTIFIABLE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST AMONG THE OASH EMPLOYEES IN THE PROPOSED UNIT SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM THE EMPLOYEES AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK. FURTHER, THE PROPOSED UNIT WILL PROMOTE EFFECTIVE DEALINGS AND EFFICIENCY OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE AGENCY. IN THIS REGARD, WHILE THE OASH PERSONNEL OFFICE SERVICES THE EMPLOYEES AT BOTH LOCATIONS, THE AUTHORITY NOTES THAT THE EMPLOYEES AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK HAVE BEEN SEPARATELY AND EFFECTIVELY REPRESENTED BY AFGE LOCAL 2923 SINCE 1971 AND ARE PRESENTLY COVERED BY A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT NEGOTIATED ON BEHALF OF OASH BY LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVES AT THE PRIMARY NATIONAL SUBDIVISION (PHS) LEVEL. IT IS FURTHER NOTED THAT AFGE LOCAL 2923 HAS NOT INTERVENED BUT INSTEAD HAS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED ANY INTEREST IN REPRESENTING THE OASH EMPLOYEES IN THE PROPOSED UNIT. IN THE AUTHORITY'S VIEW, IT WOULD NOT PROMOTE EFFECTIVE DEALINGS OR THE EFFICIENCY OF AGENCY OPERATIONS TO REQUIRE SUCH UNREPRESENTED EMPLOYEES TO VOTE ON WHETHER THEY WISH TO BE INCLUDED IN THE UNIT OF NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES LOCATED AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, AS THE ACTIVITY CONTENDS. /5/ ACCORDINGLY, BASED ON ALL OF THE FOREGOING, THE AUTHORITY FINDS, SUBJECT TO THE RESULT OF THE SELF DETERMINATION ELECTION ORDERED INFRA, THE FOLLOWING UNIT TO BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITION UNDER THE STATUTE: ALL PROFESSIONAL AND NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, EXCLUDING ALL TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WITH AN APPOINTMENT OF 700 HOURS OR LESS WHERE THERE IS NO EXCEPTION OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, SUPERVISORS,(B)(2), (3), (4), (6) AND (7) OF THE STATUTE. IT IS NOTED THAT THIS UNIT INCLUDES PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES. AS PRESCRIBED BY SECTION 7112(B)(5) OF THE STATUTE, THE AUTHORITY IS PROHIBITED FROM INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES IN A UNIT WITH NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES UNLESS A MAJORITY OF THE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES VOTE FOR INCLUSION IN SUCH A UNIT. ACCORDINGLY, THE DESIRE OF THE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES AS TO INCLUSION IN A UNIT WITH NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES MUST BE ASCERTAINED BY A SELF DETERMINATION ELECTION. THE AUTHORITY, THEREFORE, DIRECTS SEPARATE ELECTIONS IN THE FOLLOWING GROUPS: VOTING GROUP (A): ALL PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, EXCLUDING ALL NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WITH AN APPOINTMENT OF 700 HOURS OR LESS WHERE THERE IS NO EXPECTATION OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, SUPERVISORS, AND EMPLOYEES AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 7112(B)(2), (3), (4), (6) AND (7) OF THE STATUTE. VOTING GROUP (B): ALL NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, EXCLUDING ALL PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WITH AN APPOINTMENT OF 700 HOURS OR LESS WHERE THERE IS NO EXPECTATION OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, SUPERVISORS, AND EMPLOYEES AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 7112(B)(2), (3), (4), (6) AND (7) OF THE STATUTE. THE EMPLOYEES IN THE NONPROFESSIONAL VOTING GROUP (B) WILL BE POLLED AS TO WHETHER THEY DESIRE TO BE REPRESENTED BY THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 41, AFL-CIO, OR BY NO UNION. THE EMPLOYEES IN THE PROFESSIONAL VOTING GROUP (A) WILL BE ASKED TWO QUESTIONS ON THEIR BALLOTS: (1) WHETHER THEY WISH TO BE INCLUDED WITH THE NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITION, AND (2) WHETHER THEY WISH TO BE REPRESENTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITION BY THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 41, AFL-CIO, OR BY NO UNION. IN THE EVENT THAT A MAJORITY OF THE VALID VOTES IN VOTING GROUP (A) IS CAST IN FAVOR OF INCLUSION IN THE SAME UNIT WITH THE NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, THE BALLOTS OF VOTING GROUP (A) SHALL BE COMBINED WITH THOSE OF VOTING GROUP (B). UNLESS A MAJORITY OF THE VALID VOTES OF VOTING GROUP (A) IS CAST FOR INCLUSION IN THE UNIT WITH NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, THEY WILL BE TAKEN TO HAVE INDICATED THEIR DESIRE TO CONSTITUTE A SEPARATE UNIT, AND AN APPROPRIATE CERTIFICATION WILL BE ISSUED INDICATING WHETHER OR NOT THESE EMPLOYEES DESIRE TO BE REPRESENTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITION BY THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 41, AFL-CIO. THUS, THE UNIT DETERMINATION IN THIS CASE IS BASED IN PART UPON THE RESULT OF THE ELECTION AMONG THE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES. HOWEVER, THE AUTHORITY MAKES THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS WITH REGARD TO THE APPROPRIATE UNIT: 1. IF A MAJORITY OF THE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES VOTE FOR INCLUSION IN THE UNIT WITH NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, THE FOLLOWING EMPLOYEES CONSTITUTE A UNIT APPROPRIATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITION WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 7112 OF THE STATUTE: ALL PROFESSIONAL AND NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, EXCLUDING ALL TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WITH AN APPOINTMENT OF 700 HOURS OR LESS WHERE THERE IS NO EXPECTATION OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, SUPERVISORS, AND EMPLOYEES AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 7112(B)(2), (3), (4), (6) AND (7) OF THE STATUTE. 2. IF A MAJORITY OF THE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES DO NOT VOTE FOR INCLUSION IN A UNIT WITH NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, THE FOLLOWING TWO GROUPS OF EMPLOYEES CONSTITUTE SEPARATE UNITS APPROPRIATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITION WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 7112 OF THE STATUTE: (A) ALL PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, EXCLUDING ALL TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WITH AN APPOINTMENT OF 700 HOURS OR LESS WHERE THERE IS NO EXPECTATION OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, SUPERVISORS, AND EMPLOYEES AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 7112(B)(2), (3), (4), (6) AND (7) OF THE STATUTE. (B) ALL NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, EXCLUDING ALL TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WITH AN APPOINTMENT OF 700 HOURS OR LESS WHERE THERE IS NO EXPECTATION OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, SUPERVISORS, AND EMPLOYEES AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 7112(B)(2), (3), (4), (6) AND (7) OF THE STATUTE. DIRECTION OF ELECTION ELECTIONS BY SECRET BALLOT SHALL BE CONDUCTED AMONG EMPLOYEES IN THE VOTING GROUPS DESCRIBED ABOVE, AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT NOT LATER THAN 60 DAYS FROM THE DATE BELOW. THE APPROPRIATE REGIONAL DIRECTOR SHALL SUPERVISE OR CONDUCT THE ELECTIONS, AS APPROPRIATE, SUBJECT TO THE AUTHORITY'S RULES AND REGULATIONS. ELIGIBLE TO VOTE ARE THOSE IN THE VOTING GROUPS WHO WERE EMPLOYED DURING THE PAYROLL PERIOD IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE BELOW, INCLUDING EMPLOYEES WHO DID NOT WORK DURING THE PERIOD BECAUSE THEY WERE OUT ILL, OR ON VACATION OR FURLOUGH, INCLUDING THOSE IN THE MILITARY SERVICE WHO APPEAR IN PERSON AT THE POLLS. INELIGIBLE TO VOTE ARE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE QUIT OR WERE DISCHARGED FOR CAUSE SINCE THE DESIGNATED PAYROLL PERIOD AND WHO HAVE NOT BEEN REHIRED OR REINSTATED BEFORE THE ELECTION DATE. THOSE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE WITHIN THE APPROPRIATE UNIT OR UNITS SHALL VOTE WHETHER THEY DESIRE TO BE REPRESENTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITION BY THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 41, AFL-CIO, OR BY NO UNION. ISSUED, WASHINGTON, D.C., JUNE 17, 1981 RONALD W. HAUGHTON, CHAIRMAN HENRY B. FRAZIER III, MEMBER LEON B. APPLEWHAITE, MEMBER FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY --------------- FOOTNOTES: --------------- /1/ AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELFARE WAS DESIGNATED AS THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. /2/ AFGE LOCAL 2923 WAS CERTIFIED ON JULY 6, 1971 AS THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FOLLOWING UNIT: INCLUDED: ALL GENERAL SCHEDULE AND WAGE GRADE EMPLOYEES OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS, RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NORTH CAROLINA. EXCLUDED: ALL MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN FEDERAL PERSONNEL WORK IN OTHER THAN A PURELY CLERICAL CAPACITY, GUARDS AND SUPERVISORS AS DEFINED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 11491, AS AMENDED, AND TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES. /3/ INASMUCH AS LOCAL 2923 DID NOT INTERVENE AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED ANY INTEREST IN REPRESENTING THE PETITIONED FOR EMPLOYEES, THE AUTHORITY FINDS THAT AFGE LOCAL 2923 IS NOT A PARTY WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 2421.11 OF THE AUTHORITY'S RULES AND REGULATIONS (5 CFR 2421.11). /4/ OASH EMPLOYEES LOCATED IN THE REGIONAL OFFICES ARE SERVICED BY THE PERSONNEL OFFICES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE RESPECTIVE REGIONAL DIRECTORS WITHIN THE AGENCY (SUPRA, N. 1) AND NOT BY THE OASH PERSONNEL OFFICE. NEITHER THE PETITIONER NOR THE ACTIVITY CONTENDS THAT THESE REGIONAL EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN AN APPROPRIATE UNIT OF OASH EMPLOYEES. /5/ BY CONTRAST, THE PETITIONER HAS HISTORICALLY REPRESENTED PROFESSIONAL AND NONPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF THE AGENCY IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA WHO WERE ADMINISTRATIVELY TRANSFERRED TO OASH AS THE RESULT OF REORGANIZATIONS.