PREAMBLE

Pursuant to the policy set forth by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and E.O. 12871 regarding Federal Labor-Management Relations, the following articles of this Basic Agreement, together with approved supplemental agreements and /or amendments which may be agreed to at later dates, constitute a total agreement by and between the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Geologic Discipline, Reston Library, hereafter referred to as the Employer, and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 1309, hereafter referred to as the Union, for the employees in the Bargaining Unit described in Article I, hereafter referred to as the Employees. The Union and the Employer will be jointly referred to as the Parties.

This Agreement is entered into pursuant to the Certification of Representation dated November 21, 2000, which granted AFGE Local 1309 exclusive representation rights within the Reston Library as clarified by the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) on November 21, 2000 in case number WA-RP-00110.

Employees of the Reston Library shall adhere to the Standards of Conduct.

It is the intent and purpose of the parties to set forth a Basic Collective Bargaining Agreement which promotes the ethical and merit principles and a common understanding of expectations, personnel policies, procedures, practices and other conditions of employment. The resulting Agreement provides a means for further discussion or adjustment of these matters which facilitates the efficiency of the Government by providing methods for and encourages the amicable, informal/formal and expedient settlement of disputes and grievances involving conditions of employment.

The Parties agree to support, by their actions, all efforts to improve performance and processes, improve the efficient operations of the Government and to promote good will and collaborative relations among the Employer, Employees and the Union.