ARTICLE 6

UNION RIGHTS AND REPRESENTATION

1. EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATION. In accordance with the applicable provisions of the Federal Service Labor/Management Relations Statute, the Union has been recognized as the exclusive representative of the employees included in the bargaining unit described in Article 1, Unit Designations. The level at which the Union holds exclusive representation is the Chief, Librarian in accordance with statute and FLRA certification.
   

   The Union has the right to act for and to negotiate Agreements covering all the Employees in the bargaining unit in accordance with the governing laws, rules, regulations and the provisions and procedures of this Agreement. The Union is responsible for representing the interests of all bargaining unit Employees in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

2. INVESTIGATORY REPRESENTATION. Upon the proper election of a bargaining unit Employee to exercise his/her Weingarten rights, the Union shall be afforded reasonable notice of and the opportunity to provide a representative for investigatory interviews. Requests for a specific Union representative for Weingarten investigatory meetings will be considered on a case-by-case basis in view of the nature of the investigation, the need for immediate information or action, the seriousness of the situation, etc. Management will make every effort to accommodate such requests. The Employer and the Union representative will refrain from prohibited conduct during the investigation.
   
3. FORMAL DISCUSSIONS. The Employer will give the Union President reasonable advance notice, at least 24 hours, of all formal discussions so that the Union may provide representation. A formal discussion is any meeting between one or more representatives of the Agency and one or more bargaining unit Employees concerning any grievance or any personnel policy or practices or other general conditions of employment. The Union representative may actively participate and present the views of the Union during the discussions. The Employer will treat the Union representative with common courtesy and respect.
   
4. COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCES. The Union has the exclusive right to represent an employee, a group of employees or itself in presenting a grievance. Only the Union or the Employer may invoke arbitration. An Employee or a group of Employees may chose to present a grievance personally, without Union representation or concurrence.
   

   The Union has sole discretion to choose its representative and/or to approve a representative chosen by an Employee(s). The Union agrees to notify the Employer in writing of the representative chosen or approved in advance of that representative’s participation in meetings, requesting information, etc.

   Day-to-day conversations between an Employee and his or her supervisor will not be monitored by the Union. However, when an Employee(s) personally presents a grievance in accordance with Article 8, the Union will be notified of and given an opportunity to attend any meetings to present, discuss, or resolve the grievance, and upon request, will be provided with any written responses, agreements, or settlements.

   Nothing in this Article or Agreement shall preclude an Employee from exercising his/her right to a representative of his/her own choosing when exercising a right to a statutory appeal other than a grievance under Article 8.

5. ONGOING REPRESENTATION. The Parties agree that it is to their mutual benefit to afford bargaining Employees an opportunity to meet with Union officials to discuss conditions of employment. The Employer agrees that the Union office will be staffed by one (1) Union official from the Library for up to two (2) hours each workweek. The Parties agree to work around the scheduling needs of the Union Official’s position requirements. The Union will post a schedule which indicates the time and the name of the Union official for each day on a bi-weekly basis. Individuals who wish to meet with their Union representative must obtain prior supervisory approval before leaving their worksite, if on duty. Union officials must also secure appropriate approval prior to staffing the Union office.

6. PROTECTION FOR EMPLOYEES. There will be no restraint, coercion or discrimination against any Union official because of the performance of duties in consonance with this Agreement and the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 or against any Employee for exercising any right under this Agreement, the Act, or applicable government-wide regulations such as filing a complaint or acting as a witness.
   
7. NATIONAL RECOGNITION. The Employer will recognize representatives of the AFGE National Office.
   
8. OFFICIALS AND STEWARDS. The Employer agrees to recognize the President, three (3) Vice Presidents, a Secretary/Treasurer, a Chief Steward, and a maximum of one (1) steward per twenty (20) bargaining unit Employees. The Union agrees to provide a listing of all officials and stewards on an annual basis during the month of January, and to provide updated information as changes occur. Official time granted to the Union will be granted in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. Officials and stewards of the Union have the right to use a reasonable amount of official time in the performance of their representational responsibilities. Specific information regarding the use of official time can be found in Article 11.
   
9. INFORMATIONAL PICKETING. The Employer recognizes the Union’s right to participate in informational picketing which does not interfere with the Agency’s operations. In exercising this right, the Union agrees that it shall not call or participate in a strike, work stoppage or slowdown, or condone any of these actions by failing to take action to prevent or stop them.

10. COMMITTEES. The Union may appoint members to all Reston Library Employee-related committees that exist or are created that deal with working conditions of bargaining unit Employees, such as equipment distribution, awards, space, etc.