On June 19, 2009 IAFF Local F-147 filed an Unfair Labor Practice against Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire & Emergency Services when the Region announced that our firefighters would no longer be offered light duty assignments when the injury/illness in question was sustained off duty, as guaranteed in our Collective Bargaining Agreement. This ULP was filed after the Region ignored, on two separate occasions, our reminders of the Region’s obligation to follow the correct procedure for re-negotiating, or amending, the article in our CBA that outlines the procedures for light duty. 

The Federal Labor Relations Authority determined that the Region acted inappropriately in this matter on two accounts. First, the CBA, which guarantees us light duty, is a contract between Local F-147 and the base, not Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. This means that neither the Region nor its officers may enact policies or procedures that directly contradict our CBA. Secondly, should either of the parties between whom the contract was drafted wish to amend any portion of the contract, the party in question is required to submit a formal request to negotiate to the other party. The FLRA was able to convince the Region that they failed to follow proper procedures and in fact had/has no authority to amend any portion of our CBA. As a result, the Region conceded. On August 18, 2009 I was notified by the District Chief that our CBA will be honored, and light duty will continue to be offered to firefighters who have sustained an injury and or illness either on or off the job.