5 U.S.C. § 7101 - Findings and purpose

• Cite as: 5 U.S.C. § 7101

(a) The Congress finds that-

(1) experience in both private and public employment indicates that the statutory protection of the right of employees to organize, bargain collectively, and participate through labor organizations of their own choosing in decisions which affect them-

(A) safeguards the public interest,

(B) contributes to the effective conduct of public business, and

(C) facilitates and encourages the amicable settlements of disputes between employees and their employers involving conditions of employment; and

(2) the public interest demands the highest standards of employee performance and the continued development and implementation of modern and progressive work practices to facilitate and improve employee performance and the efficient accomplishment of the operations of the Government.

Therefore, labor organizations and collective bargaining in the civil service are in the public interest.

(b) It is the purpose of this chapter to prescribe certain rights and obligations of the employees of the Federal Government and to establish procedures which are designed to meet the special requirements and needs of the Government. The provisions of this chapter should be interpreted in a manner consistent with the requirement of an effective and efficient Government.

Cite as 5 U.S.C. § 7101

Source: Added Pub. L. 95-454, title VII, §701, Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1192.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 10/12/2021

EDITORIAL NOTES

PRIOR PROVISIONS

A prior section 7101, Pub. L. 89-554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 523; Pub. L. 91-375, §6(c)(19), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 776, related to right of postal employees to organize, prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 94-454.

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

EFFECTIVE DATE

Section effective 90 days after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 907 of Pub. L. 95-454 set out as an Effective Date of 1978 Amendment note under section 1101 of this title.

SHORT TITLE

This chapter is popularly known as the "Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Act".

EMPLOYEE SURVEYS

Pub. L. 108-136, div. A, title XI, §11281128,, 117 Stat. 1641, provided that:

"(a) IN GENERAL.-Each agency shall conduct an annual survey of its employees (including survey questions unique to the agency and questions prescribed under subsection (b)) to assess-

"(1) leadership and management practices that contribute to agency performance; and

"(2) employee satisfaction with-

"(A) leadership policies and practices;

"(B) work environment;

"(C) rewards and recognition for professional accomplishment and personal contributions to achieving organizational mission;

"(D) opportunity for professional development and growth; and

"(E) opportunity to contribute to achieving organizational mission.

"(b) REGULATIONS.-The Office of Personnel Management shall issue regulations prescribing survey questions that should appear on all agency surveys under subsection (a) in order to allow a comparison across agencies.

"(c) AVAILABILITY OF RESULTS.-The results of the agency surveys under subsection (a) shall be made available to the public and posted on the website of the agency involved, unless the head of such agency determines that doing so would jeopardize or negatively impact national security.

"(d) AGENCY DEFINED.-For purposes of this section, the term 'agency' means an Executive agency (as defined by section 105 of title 5, United States Code)."

EXECUTIVE DOCUMENTS

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 10988

Ex. Ord. No. 10988, Jan. 17, 1962, 27 F.R. 551, which related to employee-management cooperation in the Federal service, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 11491, Oct. 29, 1969, 34 F.R. 17605, set out below.

EX. ORD. NO. 11491. LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS IN THE FEDERAL SERVICE

Ex. Ord. No. 11491, Oct. 29, 1969, 34 F.R. 17605, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11616, Aug. 26, 1971, 36 F.R. 17319; Ex. Ord. No. 11636, Dec. 17, 1971, 36 F.R. 24901; Ex. Ord. No. 11838, Feb. 6, 1975, 40 F.R. 5743; Ex. Ord. No. 11901, Jan. 30, 1976, 41 F.R. 4807; Ex. Ord. No. 12027, Dec. 5, 1977, 42 F.R. 61851; Ex. Ord. No. 12107, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1055, provided:

WHEREAS the public interest requires high standards of employee performance and the continual development and implementation of modern and progressive work practices to facilitate improved employee performance and efficiency; and

WHEREAS the well-being of employees and efficient administration of the Government are benefited by providing employees an opportunity to participate in the formulation and implementation of personnel policies and practices affecting the conditions of their employment; and

WHEREAS the participation of employees should be improved through the maintenance of constructive and cooperative relationships between labor organizations and management officials; and

WHEREAS subject to law and the paramount requirements of public service, effective labor-management relations within the Federal service require a clear statement of the respective rights and obligations of labor organizations and agency management:

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States, including sections 3301 and 7301 of title 5 of the United States Code and as President of the United States, I hereby direct that the following policies shall govern officers and agencies of the executive branch of the Government in all dealings with Federal employees and organizations representing such employees.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 1. Policy. (a) Each employee of the executive branch of the Federal Government has the right, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal, to form, join, and assist a labor organization or to refrain from any such activity, and each employee shall be protected in the exercise of this right. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Order, the right to assist a labor organization extends to participation in the management of the organization and acting for the organization in the capacity of an organization representative, including presentation of its views to officials of the executive branch, the Congress, or other appropriate authority. The head of each agency shall take the action required to assure that employees in the agency are apprised of their rights under this section and that no interference, restraint, coercion, or discrimination is practiced within his agency to encourage or discourage membership in a labor organization.

(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not authorize participation in the management of a labor organization or acting as a representative of such an organization by a supervisor, except as provided in section 24 of this Order, or by an employee when the participation or activity would result in a conflict or apparent conflict of interest or otherwise be incompatible with law or with the official duties of the employee.

SEC. 2. Definitions. When used in this Order, the term-

(a) "Agency" means an executive department, a Government corporation, and an independent establishment as defined in section 104 of title 5, United States Code, except the General Accounting Office [now Government Accountability Office];

(b) "Employee" means an employee of an agency and an employee of a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the United States but does not include, for the purpose of exclusive recognition or national consultation rights, a supervisor, except as provided in section 24 of this Order;

(c) "Supervisor" means an employee having authority, in the interest of an agency, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or responsibly to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend such action, if in connection with the foregoing the exercise of authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment;

(d) [Revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 11838, Feb. 6, 1975, 40 F.R. 5743.]

(e) "Labor organization" means a lawful organization of any kind in which employees participate and which exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with agencies concerning grievances, personnel policies and practices, or other matters affecting the working conditions of their employees; but does not include an organization which-

(1) consists of management officials or supervisors, except as provided in section 24 of this Order;

(2) assists or participates in a strike against the Government of the United States or any agency thereof, or imposes a duty or obligation to conduct, assist, or participate in such a strike;

(3) advocates the overthrow of the constitutional form of government in the United States; or

(4) discriminates with regard to the terms or conditions of membership because of race, color, creed, sex, age, or national origin;

(f) "Agency management" means the agency head and all management officials, supervisors, and other representatives of management having authority to act for the agency on any matters relating to the implementation of the agency labor-management relations program established under this Order;

(g) "Authority" means the Federal Labor Relations Authority;

(h) "Panel" means the Federal Service Impasses Panel;

(i) "Assistant Secretary" means the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Labor Management Relations; and