USAFSAM/OEHRS Preliminary Guidance On Contamination Control, 17 Feb 2011, and AFMC/A4SG Compliance Memo, undated

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        26 April 2011

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA)

On

USAFSAM/OEHRS Preliminary Guidance on Contamination Control,

17 Feb 2011, and AFMC/A4/SG Compliance Memo, undated

1.  The America Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 214 and Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), hereafter referred to as the Union and Management, hereby enter into this Memorandum of Agreement regarding subject directive/guidance documents as they apply to bargaining unit employees covered by the Master Labor Agreement (MLA) between the parties.

2.  The USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Health Assessment Section (USAFSAM/OEHRS) preliminary guidance, “Occupational Hygiene: Contamination Control and Housekeeping,” outlines recommended measures to (1) control contaminants at the point of generation, (2) keep work areas clean of contamination spread from regulated areas, (3) verify housekeeping plans are operating as designed, and (4) use swipe sampling to assess the adequacy of contamination controls and housekeeping measures.  The AFMC/AF/SG memorandum “Compliance with OSHA Expanded Standard Chemical Federal Requirements” directs all AFMC maintenance units to scrutinize compliance with OSHA requirements, and optimize cleaning programs to address expanded standard dust concerns.  It directs chemical dust generating work-centers to implement robust housekeeping plans and consider physically separating contaminant generating processes from general maintenance areas.     

3.  The Union and Management agree there is an urgent need to address contamination issues in our maintenance facilities.  The Union supports AFMC intention to disseminate subject guidance and the associated compliance memo without delay.  These measures are essential to minimizing employee exposure to hazardous metals and chemical dusts.  Recognizing this is not the only contamination issue that needs to be addressed; the Union approves implementation of these measures, subject to the following provisions:

1. Local Presidents will be briefed on the installation’s Occupational Hygiene improvement efforts at its outset.   The union will be invited to participate pre-decisionally in the development of local plans for contamination control, housekeeping, verification, and swipe testing.  Bargainable aspects of these plans will be subject to local bargaining.  Revision to local plans will be handled the same way. 

1. The contamination levels found in workplace swipe samples will be reported to the local union promptly once results are compiled into a functional and accurate measure that depicts the hygiene status of an area.

4.  The Parties acknowledge these measures only deal with some workplace issues involving contaminants.  Other issues, including the identification, evaluation, and treatment of employees who may have been exposed to expanded standard chemicals need to be addressed.  The lack of an objective standard for acceptable levels of trace contamination remains a problem in evaluating the adequacy of housekeeping.  In lieu of addressing the full range of contamination issues at this time, the Parties agree to bargain them as single issues or comprehensively at such time as the Union submits proposals.  

5.  All remedies available under the MLA or 5 U.S.C. 71 will remain available to the parties if concerns cannot be cooperatively resolved.

For Management / Date                                  For the Union/Date

__/ signed  /___________                            ____/ signed /___________

for Brenda Thomas                                         Scott Blanch

Labor Relations Specialist,                           President

HQ AFMC/A1KL                                                AFGE Council 214

___/ signed /_________                              ___/ signed /____________

Col. Mark Smallwood                                    Tom Robinson

AFMC/SGP                                                      Executive Assistant

                                                                        AFGE Council 214