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FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY (FLRA)
The independent agency responsible for administering the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS). As such, it decides, among other things, representation issues (e.g., the bargaining unit status of certain employees), unfair labor practices (violations of any of the provisions of the FSLMRS), negotiability disputes (i.e., scope of bargaining issues), exceptions to arbitration awards, as well as resolves disputes over consultation rights regarding agency-wide and Government wide regulations.
FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE (FMCS)
An independent agency that provides mediators to assist the parties in negotiations. FMCS also maintains a roster of qualified private arbitrators, panels of which are referred to the parties upon request.
FEDERAL SERVICE IMPASSES PANEL (FSIP or Panel)
Entity within FLRA that resolves bargaining impasses, chiefly by ordering the parties to adopt certain contractual provisions relating to the conditions of employment of unit employees. It was created as a strike-substitute.
FEDERAL SERVICE LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS STATUTE (FSLMRS)
5 USC 7101 - 7135. The statute can be downloaded from www.flra.gov.
FORMAL DISCUSSION
Under 5 USC 7114(a)(2)(A), the exclusive representative must be given an opportunity to be represented at any formal discussion between one or more representatives of the agency and one or more employees in the unit or their representatives concerning any grievance or any personnel policy or practices or other general condition of employment.
