The Statute

Title VII of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 also known as the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute or the Statute, is published in 5 C.F.R. Chapter XIV, Sections 2420-2472.  The Statute allows certain non-postal federal employees to organize, bargain collectively, and to participate through labor organizations of their choice in decisions affecting their working lives.  [The Postal Reorganization Act (P.L. 91-375, Aug. 12, 1970) governs labor-management relations in the Postal Service.]  The Statute defines and lists the rights of employees, labor organizations, and agencies so as to reflect the public interest demand for the highest standards of employee performance and the efficient accomplishment of Government operations.  [5 U.S.C. §7101(a)(2)] Specifically, the Statute requires that its provisions "should be interpreted in a manner consistent with the requirement of an effective and efficient Government."  [5 U.S.C. §7101(b)]  The Statue defines the universe of organizations that most directly rely on the FLRA:  the Federal agencies that employ workers eligible to be represented by labor organizations and the labor organizations that have been recognized as the exclusive representatives of these employees.  The agencies, labor organizations, and Federal employees accorded rights by the Statute, comprise the individual “customers” of the FLRA.  Agency employers subject to the Statute include not only the Executive Branch agencies and the Executive Office of the President but also various independent agencies and certain legislative branch agencies, for instance, the Library of Congress and the Government Printing Office.