Article 29
Space
History

Section 1. General

a. The Department recognizes that the quality of the workplace has a significant impact on the efficiency of DOL operations. In any design or redesign of the workplace, the Department will focus on improving the quality of the workplace. A quality workplace requires the efficient use of office space and attention to those factors which provide employees adequate space to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Space occupied by bargaining unit employees shall be arranged and maintained so as to ensure a quality workplace.
b. The Department agrees to eliminate, wherever practicable, plainly inequitable workspace allocations among employees in the bargaining unit.
c. The Department agrees that workspace configurations will conform to applicable safety and health codes.
d. The parties recognize that the General Services Administration (GSA) or tenant restrictions may impose limitations on space options.
e. The Office of Employee and Labor-Management Relations (OELMR) will notify Local 12 when a decision is made to reallocate space between DOL Agencies.

Section 2. Space Guidelines

In designing or redesigning the workplace, the Agency will use the following guidelines:

a. All bargaining unit employees shall have no less than sixty (60) square feet of working space.
b. Where possible, common use equipment shall not be located in employee workspace.
c. Except where the technology and methods or means of performing work dictate otherwise, the criteria for assigning available offices and/or workstations for bargaining unit employees will be decided by the employees themselves, acting through the Union. If the employees are not able to reach consensus on the criteria to be used, office space will be assigned based upon seniority, defined as length of service in the Agency.
d. When overall space is reduced, bargaining unit employees shall not bear a disproportionate burden of that reduction.
e. Where open space office arrangements are used, Management agrees that private offices on the windows will be kept to a minimum so that all employees have maximum access to daylight.

Section 3. Consultations

a. It is the intent of the parties to resolve space issues at the lowest possible level. When a space change is to occur which will have an impact on bargaining unit employees, informal notification will be given to the Chief Steward for the affected Agency. The Chief Steward or his/her designee shall arrange a meeting to consult with the appropriate Management official concerning the proposed space changes. Following these consultations, the Union will be given a copy of the final space plan. If there are no outstanding issues, the plan will be implemented.
b. The discussions should deal with all aspects of the changes being proposed by Management. The discussions should include, where appropriate, such issues as the following: size, design and location of offices and workstations; access to windows; common use space (break rooms, conference rooms, etc.); parking; furniture, carpets, paint, etc.; location of common use equipment; and storage or file space.
c. Whenever changes are proposed in an Agency, the elimination of existing space inequities within that Agency may be a legitimate topic for discussion.

Section 4. Negotiations

a. Upon receipt of the final space plan, the Union will have five (5) workdays from receipt of the plan to request negotiations. Such negotiations shall be conducted in accord with the provisions of Article 36.