General
Section 220(c)(4) of the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) (2 U.S.C. § 1351(c)(4)) allows the Board of Directors (Board) of the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR) to exercise the authorities of the Federal Service Impasses Panel under Section 7119 of title 5. Any request that would be presented to the Federal Service Impasses Panel under chapter 71 of title 5 shall, if made under this section, be presented to the Board.
The term “impasse” means that point in the negotiation of conditions of employment at which the parties are unable to reach agreement, notwithstanding their efforts to do so by direct negotiations and by the use of mediation or other voluntary arrangements for settlement. If voluntary arrangements, including the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service or any other third-party mediation, fail to resolve a negotiation impasse:
(a) Either party, or the parties jointly, may request the Board to consider the matter by filing a request as provided in the form; or the Board may, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 7119(c)(1), as applied by the CAA, undertake consideration of the matter upon request of:
(i) the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, or
(ii) the Executive Director of the OCWR; or
(b) The parties may jointly request the Board to approve any procedure, which they have agreed to adopt, for binding arbitration of the negotiation impasse by filing a request as provided in this form.
How to File
All requests to the Board should be addressed to the Executive Director, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. Please e-mail completed forms to LMR@ocwr.gov (preferred); or hand-deliver to Room LA-200, John Adams Building, 110 Second Street SE, Washington, DC 20540-1999; or fax to (202) 426-1913. Any party submitting a request or response for Board consideration of an impasse or a request for approval of a binding arbitration procedure shall file an original and one copy with the Board and shall serve a copy of such request upon all counsel of record or other designated representative(s) of parties, upon parties not so represented, and upon any mediation service which may have been utilized. For detailed information, see the OCWR Board’s Labor-Management Regulations at section 2471, Procedures of the Board in Impasse Proceedings.
