Official time is to be used for representational tasks only. It is not to be used for conducting internal union business (such as union elections or conventions) or for any other purpose not tied directly to representation of bargaining unit employees in matters concerning conditions of employment. However, it is of concern to managers who might lose workers to collective bargaining activity during the day and who have reported having difficulty drawing lines between what activities are allowable and which are not.
Federal unions argue that official time is a necessary benefit to them in exchange for the obligation they bear to represent all employees in a bargaining unit, even those who do not pay union dues. But the practice has become the target of some House Republicans, with bills pending to limit or repeal the practice. The latest report, showing use of official time up by nearly 10 percent over just one year and a total cost in 2011 of more than $155 million, could add impetus to those efforts.
A House subcommittee held a hearing on similar bills in 2011, but the proposals have not advanced any farther legislatively.
A pending bill, HR-107, would repeal authority to use official time for bargaining, as well as a provision requiring the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine what percentage of time spent on union activity qualifies as official duty time.
