§7114 Representation Rights and Duties

Summary

A recognized union must represent and bargain for all employees in the unit it covers. The union must treat everyone fairly, no matter whether they belong to the union. The union has the right to attend any formal talk between the agency and employees about grievances, workplace rules, or other conditions. If an employee thinks an investigatory interview could lead to discipline and asks for a representative, the union must be allowed to be there. Agencies must tell employees about this right once each year. An employee can still hire an attorney or another representative for a grievance or appeal and can use legal or rule-based appeal rights, except when the grievance process was set up by a negotiated agreement. Agencies and the union must bargain honestly and work to reach a contract. They must send authorized people who are ready to negotiate, meet when reasonably needed, and avoid needless delays. The agency must, when asked and where allowed by law, give the union ordinary business records and other available facts needed for bargaining. If they agree on terms, they must put the agreement in writing when asked and act to carry it out. The agency head must approve a written agreement within 30 days; if no decision is made in 30 days, the agreement goes into effect. Local agreements that are covered by a higher-level agreement follow the higher-level rules or the agency’s regulations.