Civil Service Supervisor Exam Labor Relations and Union Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A union employee files a grievance claiming a supervisor violated the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The supervisor's FIRST step should be to:
- Review the specific CBA provision cited in the grievance before responding (Correct answer)
- Immediately refer the grievance to the HR department without review
- Deny the grievance in writing to preserve management rights
- Meet with the employee informally to resolve it without documentation
Correct answer: Review the specific CBA provision cited in the grievance before responding
Understanding the exact CBA language cited ensures the supervisor's response is accurate and defensible.
Question 2: Under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, federal employees' right to organize and bargain collectively is administered by the:
- Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) (Correct answer)
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
- Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
- Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)
Correct answer: Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA)
The FLRA oversees labor-management relations for federal civilian employees, a role separate from the NLRB which covers private-sector workers.
Question 3: Which of the following is generally considered a mandatory subject of bargaining in public sector labor relations?
- Wages, hours, and working conditions (Correct answer)
- Agency mission and strategic goals
- Appointment of senior management
- Budget levels and revenue sources
Correct answer: Wages, hours, and working conditions
Wages, hours, and working conditions are the core mandatory bargaining subjects that management must negotiate in good faith.
Question 4: A supervisor denies a union steward's request to meet with an employee during a disciplinary investigation. This action may violate the employee's:
- Weingarten rights to union representation during investigatory interviews (Correct answer)
- Due process right to an attorney
- FMLA rights under federal law
- ADA accommodation rights
Correct answer: Weingarten rights to union representation during investigatory interviews
Weingarten rights entitle union employees to request union representation during investigatory interviews that could lead to discipline.
Question 5: A supervisor who bypasses the union and negotiates directly with individual employees about terms covered by the CBA is committing:
- An unfair labor practice (Correct answer)
- A grievance procedure violation
- A personnel rules infraction
- A merit system bypass
Correct answer: An unfair labor practice
Bypassing the exclusive bargaining representative to deal directly with employees on CBA-covered matters is an unfair labor practice.
Question 6: When a collective bargaining agreement expires and no new agreement has been reached, a civil service supervisor should generally:
- Continue following the expired agreement's terms until a new one is ratified (Correct answer)
- Revert to pre-union employment conditions immediately
- Implement proposed new terms unilaterally
- Suspend all disciplinary actions until a new agreement is signed
Correct answer: Continue following the expired agreement's terms until a new one is ratified
Status quo must be maintained during negotiations; changing terms while bargaining is ongoing constitutes an unfair labor practice.
