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UNION REPRESENTATION AND OFFICIAL TIME
FOR REPRESENTATIONAL DUTIES
Section 1. Union Designation of Representatives.
a. The Union shall provide written designation of its
authorized representatives at the national, regional, and facility level to
the corresponding Employer level. The Union shall, in writing, notify the
Employer at the appropriate level of any subsequent changes.
b. National Representation. The Agency agrees to meet/deal at the national
level with the national officers of the Union and/or their designees.
c. Regional Representation. The Agency agrees to meet/deal, at the regional
level with the regional officers of the Union and/or their designees.
(1) The normal point of contact at the regional level
shall be the Air Traffic Division Manager.
(2) The NAATS Regional Director and the FAA Regional Administrator shall
meet annually.
d. Facility Representation.
(1) The Union may designate one principal facility
representative (FACREP) at each facility. This individual shall be the
primary point of contact for facility management officials.
(2) The Union may designate one alternate facility
representative per facility to represent the Union in the absence of the
principal FACREP. Where the Union designates an alternate FACREP, it may
limit the scope of authority, and/or define the duties and
responsibilities of this individual. The facility manager shall be
notified of any limitations.
(3) The Union may designate crew/team/tour representatives. These
representatives shall be limited to interaction with first level
supervisors only. Where the Union designates a crew/team/tour
representative, it may define the scope of authority, duties, and
responsibilities of this individual. The facility manager shall be
notified of any limitations.
(4) The Union may designate hub representatives (HUBREPS). Where the Union
designates HUBREPS, it will determine the scope of authority, duties, and
responsibilities and notify the appropriate levels of management.
(5) Where the principal FACREP is not available to the facility manager
and the manager needs to contact the Union on an issue, the alternate
FACREP shall be the next point of contact providing the issue is not
outside the alternate�s scope of authority, otherwise the NAATS Regional
Coordinator or Regional Director shall be contacted.
e. Limitations or Restrictions on Authority to Bargain.
Each Party agrees to notify the other at the appropriate level of any
restrictions to an individual�s scope of authority when they provide a
designee to meet.
Section 2. When the Union designates a nonresident
Facility Representative, his/her availability to carry out his/her functions
under this Agreement is subject to the operational requirements of the
facility at which he/she is employed. A nonresident Facility Representative is
entitled to official time to perform Facility Representative duties, but is
not entitled to official time for travel or to travel and per diem allowances.
The management representative assigned to the facility at which the Union has
designated a nonresident Facility Representative shall deal with the
nonresident Facility Representative in person, via telephone, by letter or
otherwise mutually agreeable method, on all matters covered under this
Agreement or otherwise required by law.
Section 3. During meetings between the Air Traffic Manager, and/or
his/her designee and the principal Union representative and/or his/her
designee, if such representative desires, he/she may be accompanied by one (1)
other representative. The Union shall be afforded representatives in equal
numbers. When meeting/conducting negotiations, designated Union
representatives will be on official time, if otherwise in a duty status.
Section 4. When other qualified employees are available, the principle
Facility Representative or his/her designee shall not be required to
temporarily perform supervisory duties. When a Facility Representative is
detailed to a supervisory position, the Union will name a designee to act in
his/her place as a Union representative.
Section 5. Authorized Representatives. The Union representatives
designated in writing by the Union as specified in the preceding sections of
this article are the only individuals authorized to represent the Union in
dealings with FAA officials at the respective levels. Management officials
shall not meet/deal with any other Union official, other than the designated
Union official at their respective level, unless otherwise agreed to by the
Parties.
Section 6. The principal Facility Representative and/or his/her
designee shall be granted official time, if otherwise in a duty status, to
deal with the Air Traffic Manager and/or his/her designee. Such meetings shall
be held at mutually agreeable times. At any meetings called by the facility
manager and/or his/her designee, Union representatives shall be on official
time.
Section 7. Union officials shall be permitted to visit air traffic
facilities, subject to prior notification.
Section 8. Unless operational requirements do not permit, the principal
Facility Representative and/or his/her designee shall be granted annual leave,
leave without pay (LWOP), compensatory time, or the use of credit hours at
his/her option to attend Union activities.
Section 9. Once annually, principal Facility Representatives or their
designees may be granted excused absence for short periods of time, ordinarily
not to exceed sixteen (16) hours at a time to receive information, briefings,
or orientation by the Union and/or Employer relating to the Federal Labor
Relations Program. Such meetings may be held locally, regionally, or
nationally. The Parties shall exchange agendas for meetings under this Article
to the appropriate official. Determinations as to whether an individual can be
spared from duty shall be made by the Employer, based solely on operational
requirements.
Section 10. A Facility Representative or his/her designee shall be
allowed up to sixty (60) minutes for confidential orientation of new facility
employees to explain the role and responsibilities of the Union. For larger
groups, additional time may be allowed for this purpose.
Section11. Principal Facility Representatives shall be granted sixteen
(16) hours of excused absence to receive orientation on the meaning of
Articles of this Agreement. In the event any of these representatives are
officially replaced, their successor shall be granted sixteen (16) hours of
excused absence to receive orientation on the meaning of the Articles of this
Agreement.
Section12. If otherwise in a duty status, each principal Facility
Representative shall be granted official time, not to exceed sixteen (16)
hours, on a one-time basis, in order to attend the NAATS Representative School
for the mutual benefit of the Union and the Employer. The Union shall normally
provide a minimum of forty-five (45) days advance notice for scheduling
purposes unless otherwise mutually agreed to by the Parties.
Section13. Unless prohibited by operational requirements, each
principal Facility Representative shall, on request, be granted the following
amounts of official time, per pay period, to prepare for meetings with
Management and perform other representational duties:
a. eight (8) hours in facilities with 1-15 bargaining unit
employees;
b. sixteen (16) hours in facilities with 16-35 bargaining unit employees;
c. twenty-four (24) hours in facilities with 36-69 bargaining unit
employees;
d. thirty-two (32) hours in facilities with 70-125 bargaining unit
employees;
e. fifty-four (54) hours in facilities with 126 or more bargaining unit
employees.
This grant of time is exclusive of time provided for by the
Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute and other provisions of
this Agreement. Principal Facility Representatives may delegate their official
time to Union designees at their facility. Should a principal Facility
Representative elect to delegate his/her official time, such delegation shall
be made in writing to the facility Manager or his/her designee and shall
include: the name of the Union designee and the number of hours delegated.
Delegations shall be approved unless prohibited by operational requirements.
Principal Facility Representatives or their designees who are granted official
time may pursue their representational duties off the premises when on
official time, unless there is a particular reason to anticipate a need for
them to resume work (e.g., an imminent severe weather disturbance). The
Principal Facility Representative should notify the facility manager of
his/her intention to leave the premises, and the manager may impose some
reasonable requirement as to periodic call-ins or similar communication as a
protection against unexpected emergency need for the representative's return
to duty.
Section 14. Official time in the amount of 3584 hours annually is
authorized for Union national officers.
Section 15. Each pay period, the Union shall be granted 80 hours
official time for the Regional Director in each region. Unless prohibited by
operational conditions each Regional Coordinator in each region shall be
granted eight (8) hours of official time to perform representational duties of
their positions at the regional level. This grant of time is exclusive of time
provided for by the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute and
other provisions of this Agreement.
a. Regional Directors may, at their option, use official
time away from the facility.
b. Regional Coordinators may use official time away from the facility when
operational requirements permit.
c. No travel time or travel and per diem expenses are authorized for
representational duties unless specifically stipulated within this Agreement
or mutually agreed by the Parties.
d. Representatives operating off-site in duty status shall provide a
telephone number so they may be contacted in case of emergency.
e. The time granted under this Section may be delegated to other Union
representatives within the same region. Such delegation shall be made in
writing to the regional Air Traffic Division manager or his/her designee and
shall include: the name of the Union designee and the number of hours
delegated. Delegated hours shall be approved unless prohibited by
operational requirements.
Section16. At facilities with one hundred (100) or
less Union members, one (1) Union delegate shall be granted annual leave, LWOP,
compensatory time or credit hours to attend the Union�s annual convention. At
facilities with more than one hundred (100) members, one (1) additional
delegate shall be granted such leave for each additional fifty (50) Union
members. Annual leave, compensatory time or credit hours for other employees,
who wish to attend the convention, may be approved unless operational
requirements do not permit. Leave requests under this Section, shall be
submitted six (6) weeks in advance. Any questions regarding the number of
Union Members shall be resolved using dues withholding figures pursuant to
this Agreement.
Section17. The Employer recognizes the right of duly recognized
representatives to express the views of the Union, provided those views are
identified as Union views.
Section18. Hearings or conferences held by state or federal offices and
having a direct bearing on or in reference to a specific facility shall
entitle the principal Facility Representative or his/her designee to attend by
being granted annual leave, LWOP, compensatory time or credit hours for said
hearings or conferences, unless operational requirements do not permit.
Section19. The amounts of official time contained in this Agreement may
not be increased or decreased. Exceptions to this section may be agreed to
only by the Parties at the national level.
Section 20. The Parties recognize that official time usage must be
documented. Prior to conclusion of negotiation of this agreement, the Parties
will identify the proper forms for this purpose.
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