Purpose of ADR services. The Office of the General Counsel furthers its mission and implements the agency-wide Federal Labor Relations Authority Collaboration and Alternative Dispute Resolution Program by promoting stable and productive labor-management relationships governed by the Statute and by providing services that assist labor organizations and agencies, on a voluntary basis, to:

Develop collaborative labor-management relationships;

Avoid unfair labor practice disputes; and

Informally resolve unfair labor practice disputes.

Types of ADR Services. Agencies and labor organizations may jointly request, or agree to, the provision of the following services by the Office of the General Counsel:

Facilitation. Assisting the parties in improving their labor-management relationship as governed by the Statute;

Intervention. Intervening when parties are experiencing or expect significant unfair labor practice disputes;

Training. Training labor organization officials and agency representatives on their rights and responsibilities under the Statute and how to avoid litigation over those rights and responsibilities, and on using problem-solving and ADR skills, techniques, and strategies to resolve informally unfair labor practice disputes; and

Education. Working with the parties to recognize the benefits of, and establish processes for, avoiding unfair labor practice disputes, and resolving any unfair labor practice disputes that arise by consensual, rather than adversarial, methods.

ADR services after initiation of an investigation. As part of processing an unfair labor practice charge, the Office of the General Counsel may suggest to the parties, as appropriate, that they may benefit from these ADR services.