[ v41 p1143 ]
41:1143(89)CA
The decision of the Authority follows:
41 FLRA No. 89
Before Chairman McKee and Members Talkin and Armendariz.
I. Statement of the Case
This unfair labor practice case is before the Authority in accordance with section 2429.1(a) of the Authority's Rules and Regulations, based on a stipulation of facts by the parties, who have agreed that no material issue of fact exists.
The complaint alleges that the Respondent violated section 7116(a)(1), (5), and (8) of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute by failing and refusing to provide the Charging Party with the names and home addresses of bargaining unit employees represented by the Union. For the reasons stated below, we find that the Respondent committed the unfair labor practice as alleged.
II. Facts
The Union is the exclusive representative of a unit of employees employed by the Respondent. By letter dated October 26, 1990, the Union requested the Respondent to provide the Union with the names and mailing addresses of all bargaining unit members to enable the Union "to properly execute polling, distribution of news letters, voting by mail ballot, and required notification of relevant labor issues." Stipulation, Exhibit 1(d). By letter dated November 19, 1990, the Respondent refused to provide the Union with the requested information, stating "we believe honoring your request would violate the privacy rights of our employees." Stipulation, Exhibit 1(e).
The parties stipulated that the names and home addresses of bargaining unit employees are normally maintained by the Respondent in the regular course of business, are reasonably available within the meaning of section 7114(b)(4) of the Statute, and do not constitute guidance, advice, counsel or training provided to management officials or supervisors relating to collective bargaining.
III. Positions of the Parties
A. The Respondent
The Respondent disagrees with the Authority's decision in U.S. Department of the Navy, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 37 FLRA 515 (1990) (Portsmouth Naval Shipyard), application for enforcement filed sub nom. FLRA v. U.S. Department of the Navy, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, No. 90-1949 (1st Cir. Oct. 1, 1990). In that case, we reaffirmed the Authority's decision in Farmers Home Administration Finance Office, St. Louis, Missouri, 23 FLRA 788 (1986) (Farmers Home), and concluded that a union is entitled, under section 7114(b)(4) of the Statute, to the names and home addresses of bargaining unit employees. The Respondent asserts that the Authority should apply the reasoning of the court in FLRA v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service, 884 F.2d 1446 (D.C. Cir. 1989), cert. denied, 110 S. Ct. 863 (1990), to find that the Respondent was not required to supply the Union with the requested information.
The Respondent contends that the disclosure of employees' home addresses is prohibited by the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, and the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552. The Respondent argues, in this regard, that the requested information has not been established to be necessary, within the meaning of section 7114(b)(4) of the Statute, for the discharge of the Union's representational responsibilities.
Finally, the Respondent asserts that "[t]he system of records that will be used to supply the union with the requested information is a Navy system . . . not an OPM system . . . ." Respondent's Brief at 1. According to the Respondent, the "routine use disclosure provisions of the applicable Navy system of records . . . precludes[] the disclosure of employee home addresses to unions, especially if there are alternative means of communications available to the labor organizations." Id. The Respondent incorporated in, and attached to, its statement a brief filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, wherein the Department of Justice argues that (1) employee home addresses may not be disclosed from official personnel files pursuant to the routine use notice published by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and (2) the OPM routine use notice does not apply to "the Department of the Navy's payroll system of records, which would probably be the most accurate source of employees' current home addresses." Attachment to Respondent's Brief at 44 n.38.
B. The General Counsel
The General Counsel argues that the Authority's decisions in Farmers Home and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are dispositive of the issues in this case. Noting that the Respondent concedes that the requested information is normally maintained by the Respondent in the regular course of business, is reasonably available, and does not constitute guidance, advice, counsel or training provided for management officials or supervisors, within the meaning of section 7114(b)(4), the General Counsel asserts that the Respondent's admitted failure to furnish the Union with the requested information violates section 7116(a)(1), (5), and (8) of the Statute.
IV. Analysis and Conclusions
In Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we reaffirmed Farmers Home and concluded that the release of the names and home addresses of bargaining unit employees to their exclusive representatives is not prohibited by law, is necessary for unions to fulfill their duties under the Statute, and meets all of the other requirements established by section 7114(b)(4) of the Statute. We also determined that the release of the information is generally required without regard to whether alternative means of communication are available. We find that resolution of this case does not require consideration of whether alternative means of communication are available to the Union.
The parties stipulated that the requested information is normally maintained by the Respondent in the regular course of business, is reasonably available to the Respondent, and does not constitute guidance, advice, counsel, or training provided for management officials or supervisors relating to collective bargaining. Accordingly, based on the Authority's decision in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we conclude that the Respondent violated section 7116(a)(1), (5), and (8) of the Statute by failing to furnish the Union with the names and home addresses of unit employees represented by the Union.
We note, in this regard, the Respondent's argument that OPM's routine use notice does not apply to the "system of records that will be used to supply the union with the requested information . . . ." Respondent's Brief at 1. The Respondent does not specify the system of records to which it refers. Read in light of the Department of Justice brief attached to, and incorporated in, the Respondent's brief, however, we construe the Respondent's argument to be that the requested information would be supplied from the Respondent's payroll records because official personnel files, which are subject to the OPM's routine use notice, are not the most accurate source of current home addresses.
This argument is not relevant to our resolution of this case. There is no basis on which to conclude that the Union specifically requested the Respondent to provide the home addresses from its payroll records or from any other specific system of records. Moreover, the Respondent does not dispute that the requested information is available from the OPM system of records. As such, the possible availability of the requested information from other agency systems of records has no bearing on whether the information is properly releasable from the system of records subject to OPM's routine use notice. See U.S. Naval Ordnance Station, 40 FLRA 348, 350-51 (1991), application for enforcement filed sub nom. FLRA v. U.S. Naval Ordnance Station, No. 91-2519 (4th Cir. Apr. 24, 1991).
V. Order
Pursuant to section 2423.29 of the Authority's Rules and Regulations and section 7118 of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest Division, San Diego, California shall:
1. Cease and desist from:
(a) Refusing to furnish, upon request of the National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 2096, the exclusive representative of certain of its employees, the names and home addresses of all employees in the bargaining unit it represents.
(b) In any like or related manner, interfering with, restraining, or coercing its employees in the exercise of the rights assured them by the Statute.
2. Take the following affirmative action in order to effectuate the purposes and policies of the Statute:
(a) Furnish the National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 2096, the exclusive representative of certain of its employees, the names and home addresses of all employees in the bargaining unit it represents.
(b) Post at its facilities where bargaining unit employees represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 2096 are located, copies of the attached Notice on forms to be furnished by the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Upon receipt of such forms, they shall be signed by the Commanding Officer and shall be posted in conspicuous places, including all bulletin boards and other places where notices to employees are customarily posted, and shall be maintained for 60 consecutive days thereafter. Reasonable steps shall be taken to ensure that such notices are not altered, defaced, or covered by any other material.
(c) Pursuant to section 2423.30 of the Authority's Rules and Regulations, notify the Regional Director, San Francisco Regional Office, Federal Labor Relations Authority, in writing, within 30 days from the date of this Order as to what steps have been taken to comply.
WE WILL NOT refuse to furnish, upon request of the National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 2096, the exclusive representative of certain of our employees, the names and home addresses of all employees in the bargaining unit it represents.
WE WILL NOT, in any like or related manner, interfere with, restrain, or coerce our employees in the exercise of the rights assured them by the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute.
WE WILL furnish the National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 2096, the exclusive representative of certain of our employees, the names and home addresses of all employees in the bargaining unit it represents.
(Activity)
Dated: By:
(Signature) (Title)
This Notice must remain posted for 60 consecutive days from the date of posting, and must not be altered, defaced, or covered by any other material.
If employees have any questions concerning this Notice or compliance with its provisions, they may communicate directly with the Regional Director, San Francisco Regional Office, Federal Labor Relations Authority, whose address is: 901 Market Street, Suite 220, San Francisco, California 94103, and whose telephone number is: (415) 744-4000.
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