Federal Manager's Daily Report

Following their confirmation by the Senate, all three members of the FLRA governing board have been installed. Member Ernest DuBester was sworn in for a third term, and now is joined by new chairman Colleen Duffy Kiko and member James T. Abbott.

Kiko previously served as the agency’s general counsel during the Bush administration and has held positions in the Labor Department, Justice Department, the House and a U.S. Attorney’s office. Abbott served as chief counsel to three prior FLRA chairmen and also has experience in labor issues with Congress and several Defense Department components.

The FLRA interprets federal labor-management policies, including issues of negotiability and recognition of bargaining units. About 1.2 million of the 2.1 million executive branch employees outside the Postal Service and intelligence agencies are represented in 2,200 bargaining units.

Meanwhile, the MSPB, which decides on challenges to disciplinary decisions against federal employees, is nearing the one-year anniversary of having only one member and being unable to issue decisions of appeals from its hearing officers.