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The Department has a diverse and complex multi-union environment, with approximately 40,500 employees in 65 bargaining units operating under different legislation. In this environment, the Department's challenge is to establish a cooperative and collaborative labor relations climate in which management and the unions work together to enhance the way the Department conducts business.
The Department's 10 unions hold exclusive recognition in the Department at the unit level. But some unions hold recognition at higher organizational levels.
Where a union has exclusive recognition, management is obligated to deal with the union, and only the union, regarding the conditions of employment of employees represented by the union. Such dealings, which must occur before management changes the conditions of employment of these employees, may occur in the context of collective bargaining.
Three unions have national consultation rights with the Department. They are:
- American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
- National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)
- Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS)
The Department must notify these unions before it makes substantive changes in Department-wide policies affecting conditions of employment of employees represented by these unions and give the unions an opportunity to provide their views on the changes. The Department must consider any union comments and respond to those unions providing comments. The Department's obligation is to consult; it is not obligated to negotiate with the unions over the changes. That obligation rests at the level of exclusive recognition.
Other unions representing Department employees are:
- Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE)
- National Association of Government Employees (NAGE)
- American Federation of State, Count, Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
- National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS)
- Professional Association of Aeronautical Center Employees (PAACE)
- National Union of Drug Abatement Inspectors (NUDAI)
- Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA)
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