Guidelines for GSA’s new rule on union access

      As Set-Aside Alert reported in its Sept. 9 edition, the GSA issued a final rule on Sept. 2--effective immediately--allowing certain union activity at GSA-controlled facilities. The rule allows unions to provide information to federal contractor employees in those facilities.

      The rule was exempt from advance notice-and-comment requirements because it relates to agency management.

      PilieroMazza PLLC recently published guidelines for contractors to comply with the National Labor Relations Act under the new rule, which they said would make it “much easier for union organizers to meet with employees at the worksite.” Here are PilieroMazza’s guidelines:

• Employers cannot lawfully prevent union-related conversations in non-working areas (such as breakrooms or parking garages) during non-working time, like lunch breaks.
• During a union campaign, “supervisors should never interrogate employees, make promises about their terms of employment, conduct surveillance of employees, or threaten employees about voting for a union,” PilieroMazza attorneys wrote.
• Policies “that chill employee speech and unionizing activities can land companies with a costly unfair labor practice charge.”
• Many GSA contracts are subject to the Service Contract Act as well, with additional rules regarding collective bargaining.

Read more:
PilieroMazza client alert: https://bit.ly/3UnleYZ
Final rule: https://bit.ly/3f79g5O

Single-use plastics rule deadline extended

      The deadline to comment on GSA’s proposed rule on single-use plastics in packaging and shipping related to GSA contracts has been extended to Sept. 27.

Read more at:
Notice of extension: https://bit.ly/3QTC5j7

Surplus for small biz in US territories

      The SBA issued a final rule to make small businesses located in U.S. territories eligible to receive government surplus property distributions and special treatment in SBA’s Mentor-Protege Program. The rule is effective on Oct. 18.

      The rule is from the national defense bill for fiscal 2021. It affects small firms in the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Puerto Rico is already covered under a previous rule.

Read more at:
Final rule: https://bit.ly/3xwMkDq

Inside this edition:

SBA seeks 50+ updates to fed’l small business contracting rules

DOD deviation for SAM delays

Time extended for FOIA data

GSA releases RFPs for SDVOSB & HUBZ pools in Polaris GWAC

NDAA labor items opposed

GSA extends pricing fix

CR expected in Congress

Column: GovCon Small Business M&A Update--Reasons to Remain Optimistic in Fiscal 2023

Washington Insider:

Coronavirus Update