[ v47 p651 ]
47:0651(60)NG
The decision of the Authority follows:
47 FLRA No. 60
FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY
WASHINGTON, D.C.
_____
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES, LOCAL R1-109
(Union)
and
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
MEDICAL CENTER, NEWINGTON, CONNECTICUT
(Agency)
0-NG-2106
_____
DECISION AND ORDER ON A NEGOTIABILITY ISSUE
May 19, 1993
_____
Before Chairman McKee and Members Talkin and Armendariz.
I. Statement of the Case
This case is before the Authority on a negotiability appeal filed under section 7105(a)(2)(E) of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (the Statute). It involves the negotiability of one proposal, which addresses medical and dental services rendered by the Agency. The Agency filed a statement of position. The Union did not file a reply brief.
For the following reasons, we find the proposal is not inconsistent with 5 U.S.C. § 7901 and 5 C.F.R. § 630.401, and does not directly interfere with the Agency's right to direct and assign employees under section 7106(a)(2)(A) of the Statute. It is, therefore, negotiable.
II. Preliminary Matters
The Agency's contention that the Union's petition for review should be dismissed for failure to comply with the requirement that the Union furnish an explicit statement of the meaning of the proposal cannot be sustained. By its plain wording, the proposal is sufficiently specific for us to determine its meaning. Additionally, we reject the Agency's contention that the petition for review should be dismissed for failure to include a written allegation of nonnegotiability by the Agency. The record reveals that an allegation of nonnegotiability by the Agency was made in a letter to the Federal Service Impasses Panel, and the letter was submitted by both parties as an attachment or exhibit in this proceeding. The request for dismissal on these bases is, therefore, denied.
III. Proposal
No bargaining unit member shall be billed or required to pay any costs, nor suffer any loss of pay or other benefits for any medical or dental services rendered by the employer.
IV. Positions of the Parties
A. Agency
The Agency argues that the proposal, by obligating management to provide free medical and dental services to employees, and by preventing management from placing employees on annual leave, sick leave, or leave without pay during absence for care in the Agency's facilities, is inconsistent with statute and regulation.
First, the Agency argues that the proposal is inconsistent with 5 U.S.C. § 7901 because it requires free medical care for employees regardless of the circumstances and nature of the care.(1) Further, the Agency notes that its appropriated funds may be used only to provide care to persons who are beneficiaries under the laws relating to veteran's benefits.
Next, the Agency argues that the proposal is inconsistent with 5 C.F.R. § 630.401, a Government-wide regulation.(2) The Agency asserts that the reference in the proposal to "loss of pay or other benefits" prohibits charging employees with sick leave or other leave during absence for health care, however long the duration of the absence. By prohibiting charges to sick leave, the Agency asserts that the proposal conflicts with section 630.401. The Agency argues, as an example, that under this proposal an employee suffering a heart attack at work would be entitled to extensive, long-term free medical care without charges to leave of any kind, however long or burdensome the absence to the Agency.
Finally, the Agency asserts that the proposal is nonnegotiable because it directly interferes with management's rights under section 7106(a)(2)(A) of the Statute to direct and assign employees. The Agency argues that the proposal's broad and mandatory requirement of health care, and the prohibition on charging leave or causing loss of pay or benefits to employees, would directly interfere with management's rights to direct and assign employees.
B. Union
The entire relevant portion of the Union's petition for review is as follows:
The Union's proposal provides a benefit related to conditions of employment which is under the control of the Agency, and over which the Agency has discretion to bargain.
Petition for Review at 1.
V. Analysis and Conclusions
The Union offered no explanation of its proposal and, as noted, did not file a reply brief. The parties to negotiability matters bear the burden of creating a record upon which the Authority can make a negotiability determination. National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 1487 and U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Office, Yuma Project Office, Yuma, Arizona, 44 FLRA 945, 949 (1992).
We find, as the Agency asserts, that the contested proposal has two components. First is the provision of health care to employees. Second is the prohibition of any charge, or loss of benefits to employees, as a result of receiving such health care.
Regarding the provision of health care, the Agency asserts that the proposal should be read as requiring it to provide employees with all medical and dental services, including those which are not employment-related. In this regard, the Agency asserts that the proposal is similar to one found nonnegotiable in National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 1827 and Defense Mapping Agency, Aerospace Center, 26 FLRA 785 (1987) (Defense Mapping), which provided:
The employer agrees to provide eye examinations to all unit employees who are advised to seek further examination or reimburse the employee for expenses if he/she goes to a private ophthalmologist.
Id. at 787. The Authority found the foregoing proposal nonnegotiable because it effectively required the Agency to provide routine eye care beyond that of an emergency or on the job nature, including private physician services. Id. at 790. The Authority reviewed the legislative history and stated purpose of 5 U.S.C. § 7901 in authorizing Federal employee health programs and concluded that:
[T]he statutory authorization to provide health services does not extend to treatment beyond that involving on-the-job illness and dental conditions of a minor nature or requiring emergency attention.
Id. at 789 (emphasis in original) (footnote omitted). The Authority found that the proposal in Defense Mapping was inconsistent with 5 U.S.C. § 7901 because it required the Agency to provide specific medical services exceeding the limited authorization of that section. Id. at 790.
By contrast, the proposal before us does not obligate the Agency to provide any health services. Instead, the proposal merely refers to that care which is rendered by the Agency. As the proposal does not require the Agency to provide any particular health care, we reject the Agency's argument that the proposal is substantively analogous to that in Defense Mapping. Moreover, as the contested proposal merely refers to those health services which the Agency may choose to offer its employees, we have no basis on which to conclude that the proposal is inconsistent with 5 U.S.C. § 7901.
The Agency next asserts that the proposal is inconsistent with 5 C.F.R. § 630.401 because it precludes any "loss of pay or benefits" as a result of receiving health care in the Agency facilities. Further, the Agency asserts that under the proposal, health services must be provided free of charge to the employees, as to do otherwise would result in a "loss of pay or other benefits." We agree with the Agency that, as leave is accrued as a benefit of Government service, the reference to "benefits" in the proposal logically encompasses any charges to leave. Moreover, the Union does not dispute the Agency's construction of the proposal in this respect.
5 C.F.R. § 630.401 addresses an agency's duty to grant sick leave in the circumstances set forth therein. U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Hampton, Virginia and National Association of Government Employees Local R4-17, 41 FLRA 642, 646 (1991). Clearly, the regulation requires agencies to grant employee requests for sick leave, in appropriate circumstances. The regulation is Government-wide, within the meaning of section 7117 of the Statute, and proposals inconsistent with it are nonnegotiable. See American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 2263 and Department of the Air Force, Headquarters, 1606th Air Base Wing (MAC), Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, 15 FLRA 580, 584 (1984).
However, we find no inconsistency between the proposal and the regulation. In this regard, it appears clear from the plain wording of the proposal that the Union is seeking only to enable employees to receive health care services rendered by the Agency without charge to leave. That is, we interpret the proposal as requiring the Agency to grant excused absence when employees receive such health care services.
Excused absence is an absence from duty, which is administratively authorized, without loss of pay and without charge to leave. Federal Personnel Manual (FPM) chapter 630, subchapter 11. Excused absences may be granted for such matters as participation in officially sponsored and administered health and physical fitness programs authorized under 5 U.S.C. § 7901. Id. As examples, agencies may grant excused absence for participation in officially authorized programs for disease prevention and for promoting and maintaining health and fitness, such as agency sponsored health screening or smoking cessation programs. FPM Letter 792-23 (June 25, 1992). Absences of this nature are termed "administrative leave" and may be granted in the discretion of each agency or department. Such discretion is subject to bargaining, insofar as proposals are otherwise negotiable. American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2902, and U.S. Department of the Army, Army Garrison, Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, 44 FLRA 3, 10 (1992).
As discussed above, the proposal applies only to health care which the Agency decides to offer its employees. Also as discussed above, agencies may, in their discretion, grant administrative leave to employees receiving such health care. As agencies may grant administrative leave for such health care, we conclude that such care need not be received while an employee is on sick leave. Accordingly, the proposal is not inconsistent with 5 C.F.R. § 630.401.
Finally, we reject the Agency's assertion that the proposal directly interferes with management's right to direct and assign employees under section 7106(a)(2)(A) of the Statute. The right to direct employees encompasses the right to "supervise and guide them in the performance of their duties on the job." National Treasury Employees Union and Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt, 3 FLRA 769, 775 (1980), aff'd sub nom. National Treasury Employees Union v. FLRA, 691 F.2d 553 (D.C. Cir. 1982). The Authority has held, however, that while the right to direct employees encompasses supervision and guidance in the performance of job duties, it does not encompass any and all instructions given to employees. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 3097 and U.S. Department of Justice, Justice Management Division, 42 FLRA 412, 467-68 (1991). Because the contested proposal does not involve issues of supervision and guidance in the performance of job duties, we conclude that it does not directly interfere with management's right to direct employees.
Additionally, the Authority has determined that management's right to assign employees under section 7106(a)(2)(A) of the Statute is the right to assign employees to positions. See American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 987 and U.S. Department of the Air Force, Warner Robins Air Force Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 35 FLRA 265, 269 (1990). Because the contested proposal does not involve or affect the Agency's right to assign employees to positions, we conclude that it does not directly interfere with management's right to assign employees under section 7106(a)(2)(A) of the Statute. Accord National Association of Government Employees Locals R14-22 and R14-89 and U.S. Department of the Army, Headquarters, U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, Fort Bliss, Texas, 45 FLRA 949, 955 (1992).
In sum, because the proposal is not inconsistent with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. § 7901, 5 C.F.R. § 630.401, or section 7106(a)(2)(A) of the Statute, we conclude that it is negotiable.
VI. Order
The Agency must, upon request or as otherwise agreed to by the parties, bargain concerning the proposal.
FOOTNOTES:
(If blank, the decision does not
have footnotes.)
1. 5 U.S.C. § 7901 provides, in pertinent part:
(a) The head of each agency of the Government of the United States may establish, . . . a health service program to promote and maintain the physical and mental fitness of employees under his jurisdiction. . . .
(c) A health service program is limited to- (1) treatment of on-the-job illness and dental conditions requiring emergency attention; (2) preemployment and other examinations; (3) referral of employees to private physicians and dentists; and (4) preventive programs relating to health. . . .
2. 5 C.F.R. § 630.401, entitled "Grant of Sick Leave" provides:
An agency shall grant sick leave to an employee when the employee:
(a) Receives medical, dental, or optical examination or treatment; (b) Is incapacitated for the performance of duties by sickness, injury, or pregnancy and confinement; (c) Is required to give care and attendance to a member of his immediate family who is afflicted with a contagious disease; or (d) Would jeopardize the health of others by his presence at his post of duty because of exposure to a contagious disease.