Labor Relations Training Courses

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With one Executive Order, President Joseph R. Biden created a dramtic shift in the world of federal labor relations, resciding numerous Trump Executive Orders, including those regarding official time, bargaining topics, negotiation timeframes, and union responsibilities to pay for things they never had to pay for before.  FELTG’s Labor Relations training will help you understand what these changes mean to you, whether you’re an attorney, L/ER specialist, or supervisor. FELTG courses instruct practitioners on how to safely and legally navigate the complex terrain of federal labor relations, while providing fundamental understanding and practical application to the daily requirements of those employed in this field.


LR-1: Fundamentals of Federal Labor Relations: Nuts & Bolts (1-2 days)

Do you have someone on your staff who is working with unions for the first time? Do you have seasoned L/ER practitioners looking for a refresher? Did employees in your organization recently organize and form a union, or change unions? No matter which applies, this is the course for you. Because of the significant changes in federal labor relations in the past few months, this course will get you immediately up to speed with the world of federal labor relations. Attendees will learn about the foundations of the federal labor relations system, from who the major players are (FLRA, FSIP) to how the grievance and arbitration processes work, and they will leave the training with a working understanding of the major labor relations issues of the day.

Course Topics: An overview of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA); fundamental employee, union, and management rights; Weingarten meetings; formal discussions; a bargaining unit employee’s right to be represented by the union in certain meetings.


LR-2: Handling Grievances & Arbitration (1 day)

Government and private sector arbitration are two very different processes. After this full-day training, you’ll understand the unique aspects of the federal sector grievance and arbitration processes. You’ll also learn how arbitration awards, while usually binding, may be reviewed for legal sufficiency.

Course Topics: Invoking arbitration under the collective bargaining agreement; the agency grievance process vs. the negotiated grievance process; the arbitration process; selecting an arbitrator; rules of evidence; educating the arbitrator.


LR-3: Navigating Negotiability Issues (1 day)

Negotiability may be the most complex topic in federal sector labor relations, and an understanding of which topics are negotiable, and which topics are not, is fundamental to helping determine the legality of your negotiations and contract provisions. Attendees will learn what subjects must be bargained, what subjects may not be bargained, and what subjects may be bargained at the agency’s discretion.

Course Topics: FLRA process and procedures; management rights; mandatory bargaining; permissive topics; intersection of grievances, MSPB appeals, and EEO complaints; bargaining styles; impact and implementation bargaining; bringing the bargaining process to closure.


LR-4: Effective Negotiation Techniques & Strategies (1-2 days)

It’s a new era in federal labor relations. Ensure you know where the law stands and that you have the right skills for negotiations with your union. This one- or two-day training will cover it all — everything from understanding management rights and management maybes to handling emotion (both yours and others) at the bargaining table.

Course Topics: Bargaining procedures related to collective bargaining agreement (CBA) timelines; impact and implementation bargaining; management-union relationships; position vs. interest-based bargaining; good and bad ways to implement bargaining; effective word choices; choosing your battles.


LR-5: Labor Relations Meetings, Official Time & ULPs (1 day)

Not all meetings are created equally. In fact, some meetings can get your supervisors in trouble, despite their good intentions This training will provide a detailed explanation of when meetings become formal discussions or Weingarten meetings, Brookhaven meetings, and management and employee rights. Plus, the program will cover what constitutes an Unfair Labor Practice, complete with an explanation of ULP procedures start to finish.

Course Topics: Agency obligations; Weingarten and Brookhaven meetings; formal discussions; official time – what is covered by law and what is bargained for; unfair labor practices; procedures; common legal missteps; practical strategies.


LR-6: Legal Writing Skills for LR Practitioners (1 day)

Whether you’ve been to law school or not, you can always use a refresher on legal writing, particularly for the specialized craft of writing in federal sector labor relations. Let FELTG’s experienced instructors sharpen your team’s skills and provide them with the tools necessary to produce effective and legally sound documents.

Course Topics: Legal writing overview; writing a Memorandum of Understanding; pre-ULP writing considerations; drafting arguments under contract interpretation; persuasive legal writing.

 

Upcoming Labor Relations Training Events


May
6
Mon
Virtual Training Event – FLRA Law Week
May 6 – May 10 all-day

Course Description

Official time. Bargaining topics. Negotiation timeframes. Meetings. Union responsibilities. Management rights.

Anyone who has worked in Federal labor relations for any amount of time knows that it’s an always-changing and ever-challenging field. It’s absolutely necessary to continually update and refresh your knowledge and skills. So why not get that important training from two instructors with a combined 40 years of experience working at the Federal Labor Relations Authority and even more years of experience in the federal employment law world?

This training will bring you up to speed on where the current law stands, and share best practices on how to effectively navigate it in your day-to-day work, whether you’re a labor attorney, labor relations specialist or union representative.

FLRA Law Week provides attendees with a firm foundation of the historical perspective and precedence of FLRA decisions, as well as a strategy for taking advantage of any new approaches that are coming out of the FLRA.

There’s no other place where you can get in-depth guidance on hot-button LR issues to guide you through this dynamic time. So join us for this class May 6-10, where the entire world of Federal labor relations will be discussed.

Daily Agenda

Monday, May 6

Basic Management and Employee Rights: An overview of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; the current status of Executive Orders 13836 and 13837; fundamental employee, union, and management rights; bargaining unit definition; the union organizer’s role; information requests; official time.

Tuesday, May 7

Labor Relations Meetings and Bargaining: More on official time; formal discussions; union representative rights; the collective bargaining process; the three categories of bargaining: mandatory, permissive, and prohibited; introduction to negotiability.

Wednesday, May 8

Unfair Labor Practices and Negotiability: Employee rights vs. Management rights; the anatomy of an Unfair Labor Practice; an overview of the Federal Services Impasse Panel; negotiability appeals.

Thursday, May 9

The Psychology of Bargaining, Plus Grievances and Emerging Issues: Selecting a bargaining strategy; interest based bargaining as compared to hard ball bargaining; grievances; exceptions to arbitration awards.

Friday, May 10

Understanding the FSIP and Arbitration: Panel members, FSIP procedures, recent FSIP developments, the arbitration process overview; binding the arbitrator; how federal government arbitration is different from private sector arbitration and appeals; educating the arbitrator.

Date and Time

May 6 – 10, 2024

12:30 – 4:30 pm ET each day (with a 30-minute break)

Instructors

Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Pricing

Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.

Early Bird Tuition (register by April 6):

  • 5 days = $1695
  • 4 days = $1465
  • 3 days = $1095
  • 2 days = $825
  • 1 day = $495

Standard Tuition (register April 7 and later):

  • 5 days = $1795
  • 4 days = $1565
  • 3 days = $1195
  • 2 days = $925
  • 1 day = $595

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom for this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person. No split registrations.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals for the full event. Group discounts are available through April 6.
Jul
17
Wed
Virtual Training Event – Supervising in a Unionized Environment
Jul 17 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Course Description

This interactive and engaging course provides a road map for Federal supervisors who oversee bargaining unit employees. After a brief overview and history of Federal labor law, you’ll be guided through how to manage challenges such as requests for information, official time, and union presence in meetings. You will leave the session with a solid understanding of employee, union, and management rights.

Learning Objectives

  • Handle information requests from the union.
  • Identify when official time is allowed, and when it isn’t.
  • Recognize when a meeting is a formal discussion or a Weingarten investigation.

 

Date and Time

July 17, 2024, 1 – 3 pm ET

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by June 17): $345
  • Standard Tuition (register June 18-July 17): $385
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through June 17. Contact FELTG.

 

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals. Group discounts are available through June 17. 

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

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