View source for Federal Labor Relations Authority

{{Organization
|OrganizationName=Federal Labor Relations Authority
|OrganizationType=Independent Agencies
|Mission=To administer the labor-management relations program for non-postal federal employees, ensuring a productive and collaborative federal workforce through effective labor relations. It resolves disputes under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute.
|CreationLegislation=Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
|Employees=100
|Budget=Approximately $25 million (fiscal year 2024)
|OrganizationExecutive=Chairman
|Services=Labor relations disputes adjudication; unfair labor practice investigations; union representation elections; collective bargaining impasse resolution
|Regulations=Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute
|HeadquartersLocation=38.9024, -77.03238
|HeadquartersAddress=1400 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20424
|Website=https://www.flra.gov
}}
{{Short description|U.S. government agency}}

{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = Federal Labor Relations Authority
| nativename      = FLRA
| seal            = US-FLRA-Seal.svg
| seal_width      = 200px
| seal_caption    = 
| formed          = 1978
| jurisdiction    = [[Federal government of the United States]]
| headquarters    = 1400 [[K Street (Washington, D.C.)|K Street]], NW, [[Washington, D.C.]]
| employees       = 
| budget          = $31.8 m [[United States dollar|USD]] (2022)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flra.gov/system/files/webfm/FLRA%20Agency-wide/Public%20Affairs/CBJ/FLRA%202023%20CBJ%20-%20Final.pdf|title=FLRA 2023 CBJ &#124; FLRA}}</ref>
| chief1_name     = [[Susan Tsui Grundmann]]
| chief1_position = Chairman
| chief2_name     = [[Colleen Kiko]]
| chief2_position = Member
| chief3_name     = [[Anne M. Wagner]]
| chief3_position = Member
| chief4_name     = [[Charlotte A. Dye]]
| chief4_position = Acting General Counsel
| website         = {{official URL}}
}}

The '''Federal Labor Relations Authority''' ('''FLRA''') is an [[Independent agencies of the United States government|independent agency of the United States government]] that governs [[labor relations]] between the [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]] and its [[United States civil service|employees]].

Created by the [[Civil Service Reform Act of 1978]], it is a [[quasi-judicial body]] with three full-time members who are appointed for five-year terms by the [[President of the United States|President]] with the [[advice and consent]] of the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. One member is appointed by the President to serve as chairman, [[chief executive officer]], and [[chief administrative officer]] of the FLRA. The chairman is also ''[[ex officio]]'' chairman of the Foreign Service Labor Relations Board. The three members cannot be from the same political party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flra.gov/resources-training/resources/statute-and-regulations/statute/statute-subchapter-i-general-3|title=The Statute: § 7104. Federal Labor Relations Authority|website=www.flra.gov|access-date=2019-07-15}}</ref>

The Authority adjudicates disputes arising under the [[Civil Service Reform Act of 1978|Civil Service Reform Act]], deciding cases concerning the negotiability of [[collective bargaining]] agreement proposals, appeals concerning unfair labor practices and representation petitions, and exceptions to [[Grievance (labour)|grievance]] arbitration awards. Consistent with its statutory charge to provide leadership in establishing policies and guidance to participants in the Federal labor-management relations program, the Authority also assists Federal agencies and [[labor union|unions]] in understanding their rights and responsibilities under the Statute through statutory training of parties.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flra.gov/resources-training/training|title=Training - FLRA|website=www.flra.gov|accessdate=22 June 2019}}</ref>

In 1981, it [[decertification|decertified]]—that is, stripped it from its status as a representative union—the air traffic controllers' [[Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (1968)|PATCO]] union, after the [[1981 air traffic controllers strike]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Patco Decertification Vote Is Switched From 2-1 to 3-0|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1981-11-05|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950CE5DF1E39F936A35752C1A967948260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fA%2fAir%20Traffic%20Control}}</ref>

The agency is separate from the [[National Labor Relations Board]], which governs private-sector labor relations.

== Board members ==
The Board is composed of 3 members, nominated by the [[President of the United States]], with the [[List of positions filled by presidential appointment with Senate confirmation#Independent agencies_6|advice and consent of the Senate]], for a term of 5 years. The President can designate the Chairman with no separate Senate confirmation required.

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col" "width:20%" | Name
! scope="col" "width:15%" | Party
! scope="col" "width:15%" | Sworn in
! scope="col" "width:15%" | Term expires
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | {{sortname|Susan Tsui|Grundmann}} {{small|(Chair)}}
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
| {{dts|2022|05|17}}
| {{dts|2025|07|01}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | {{sortname|Colleen|Kiko}}
| {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican
| {{dts|2017|12|11}}
| {{dts|2027|07|29}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | {{sortname|Anne M.|Wagner}}
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
| July 30, 2024
| {{dts|2029|07|01}}
|}

The Board is supported by a General Counsel, who is also nominated by the [[President of the United States]], with the [[List of positions filled by presidential appointment with Senate confirmation#Independent agencies_6|advice and consent of the Senate]], for a term of five years. There has been no senate-confirmed General Counsel since Julia Akins Clark left the post in January 2017, and no Acting General Counsel between November 2017 and March 24, 2021, when President [[Joe Biden]] named Charlotte A. Dye to be Acting General Counsel.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biden Names Acting FLRA General Counsel, Ending Critical Trump Era Vacancy |url=https://www.govexec.com/management/2021/03/biden-names-acting-flra-general-counsel-ending-critical-trump-era-vacancy/172903/ |website=Government Executive |access-date=3 July 2021 |language=en}}</ref> In August 2021, President Biden nominated eight-year assistant general counsel Kurt Rumsfeld to the position.<ref name=FedTimes>{{cite news |last=Bur |first=Jessie |date=August 5, 2021 |title=Biden picks 2 officials for federal labor office with a case backlog |url=https://www.federaltimes.com/management/leadership/2021/08/05/biden-picks-two-experienced-officials-for-federal-labor-office/ |work=[[Federal Times]] |access-date=August 6, 2021}}</ref> However, the nomination was pulled, and in June 2023, President Biden nominated union attorney Suzanne Summerlin for the position.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wagner |first=Erich |date=June 6, 2023 |title=Labor Authority's General Counsel Post Could Finally Be Filled with a New Nominee |url=https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2023/06/flras-general-counsel-post-could-finally-be-filled-new-nominee/387190/ |work=Government Excecutive |access-date=October 29, 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations]]
* [[Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations]]
* [[National Labor Relations Board]]
* [[Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (United States)]]
* [[United States Merit Systems Protection Board]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.flra.gov Federal Labor Relations Authority]
*[https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/federal-labor-relations-authority Federal Labor Relations Authority] in the [[Federal Register]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060617205532/http://www.flra.gov/10.html FLRA Mission and Functions]

{{USGovernment|url=http://www.flra.gov}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Labor relations boards]]
[[Category:Civil service in the United States]]
[[Category:Independent agencies of the United States government|Labor Relations Authority]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1978]]
[[Category:1978 establishments in the United States]]