6/6/12: This week, the Federal Labor Relations Authority issued another unfair labor practice complaint against the SEC for failure to bargain with the union over changes to employees' job duties in the Los Angeles Regional Office (LARO). The matter has been scheduled for an evidentiary hearing on August 29, 2012.

The case involves management's changes to the duties of several employees in the LARO. According to the FLRA's complaint, the agency implemented these changes without sufficient prior notice to the union and an opportunity to bargain. In addition, the complaint alleges that management engaged in formal meetings with these employees concerning their working conditions without affording them the opportunity to be represented by the union.

This is the second time this year that the FLRA has charged the SEC -- itself a federal law enforcement agency -- with violating federal labor laws. As the union previously reported here, the FLRA also filed a complaint against the SEC just a few weeks ago, alleging that the SEC was engaging in an unfair labor practice by failing to negotiate with the union in good faith in connection with the collective bargaining agreement negotiations. That matter is scheduled for an evidentiary hearing on June 26.

"It is our hope that the SEC will not continue to pursue a strategy of engaging in behavior that draws formal complaints from the FLRA," Chapter 293 President Greg Gilman said today. "The union is very much interested in working with the SEC to create a better environment at the agency," he added. "We do not view these types of conflicts as beneficial to the agency's culture."