Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, any collective bargaining agreement must provide procedures for the settlement of grievances, including questions of arbitrability. Except as provided in paragraphs (d), (f), and (g) of this section, the procedures must be the exclusive administrative procedures for grievances which fall within its coverage.

Any collective bargaining agreement may exclude any matter from the application of the grievance procedures which are provided for in the agreement.

Any negotiated grievance procedure referred to in paragraph (a) of this section must be fair and simple, provide for expeditious processing, and include procedures that—

Assure an exclusive representative the right, in its own behalf or on behalf of any employee in the unit represented by the exclusive representative, to present and process grievances;

Assure such an employee the right to present a grievance on the employee's own behalf, and assure the exclusive representative the right to be present during the grievance proceeding; and

Provide that any grievance not satisfactorily settled under the negotiated grievance procedure is subject to binding arbitration, which may be invoked by either the exclusive representative or the Department.

The provisions of a negotiated grievance procedure providing for binding arbitration in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section must, if or to the extent that an alleged prohibited personnel practice is involved, allow the arbitrator to order a stay of any personnel action in a manner similar to the manner described in 5 U.S.C. 1221(c) with respect to the Merit Systems Protection Board and order the Department to take any disciplinary action identified under 5 U.S.C. 1215(a)(3) that is otherwise within the authority of the Department to take.

Any employee who is the subject of any disciplinary action ordered under paragraph (b)(2) of this section may appeal such action to the same extent and in the same manner as if the Department had taken the disciplinary action absent arbitration.

The preceding paragraphs of this section do not apply with respect to any matter concerning—

Any claimed violation of 5 U.S.C. chapter 73, subchapter III (relating to prohibited political activities);

Retirement, life insurance, or health insurance;

A suspension or removal under § 9701.613;

A mandatory removal under § 9701.607;

Any examination, certification, or appointment; and

Any subject not within the definition of grievance in § 9701.504 (e.g., the classification or pay of any position), except for any other adverse action under subpart F of this part which is not otherwise excluded by paragraph (c) of this section.

To the extent not already excluded by existing collective bargaining agreements, the exclusions contained in paragraph (c) of this section apply upon the effective date of this subpart, as determined under § 9701.102(b).

An aggrieved employee affected by a prohibited personnel practice under 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1) which also falls under the coverage of the negotiated grievance procedure may raise the matter under the applicable statutory procedures, or the negotiated procedure, but not both.

An employee is deemed to have exercised his or her option under paragraph (e)(1) of this section to raise the matter under the applicable statutory procedures, or the negotiated procedure, at such time as the employee timely initiates an action under the applicable statutory or regulatory procedure or timely files a grievance in writing in accordance with the provisions of the parties' negotiated grievance procedure, whichever event occurs first.

For matters covered by subpart G of this part (except for mandatory removal offenses under § 9701.707), an aggrieved employee may raise the matter under the appeals procedure of § 9701.706 or under the negotiated grievance procedure, but not both. An employee will be deemed to have exercised his or her option under this section when the employee timely files an appeal under the applicable appellate procedures or a grievance in accordance with the provisions of the parties' negotiated grievance procedure, whichever occurs first.

An arbitrator hearing a matter appealable under subpart G of this part is bound by the applicable provisions of this part.

Section 7121(f) of title 5, United States Code, is not waived, but is modified to provide that—

Matters covered by subpart G are deemed to be matters covered by 5 U.S.C. 4303 and 7512 for the purpose of obtaining judicial review; and

Judicial review under 5 U.S.C. 7703 will apply to the award of an arbitrator in the same manner and under the same conditions as if the matter had been decided by MSPB under § 9701.706, including the preponderance of the evidence standard.

In order to ensure consistency, the Department and representatives of those labor organizations granted national consultation rights may establish a mutually acceptable panel of arbitrators who have been trained and qualified to hear adverse action grievances under this part.

An employee may grieve a performance rating of record that has not been appealed in connection with an action under subpart G of this part. Once an employee raises a performance rating issue in an appeal under subpart G of this part, any pending grievance or arbitration will be dismissed with prejudice.

An arbitrator may cancel a performance rating upon a finding that management applied the employee's established performance expectations in violation of applicable law, Department rule or regulation, or provision of collective bargaining agreement in a manner prejudicial to the grievant. An arbitrator who has properly canceled an employee's appraisal may order management to change the grievant's rating only when the arbitrator is able to determine the rating that management would have given but for the violation. When an arbitrator is unable to determine what the employee's rating would have been but for the violation, the arbitrator must remand the case to management for re-evaluation. Except as otherwise provided by law, an arbitrator may not conduct an independent evaluation of the employee's performance or otherwise substitute his or her judgment for that of the supervisor.

This paragraph applies with respect to a prohibited personnel practice other than a prohibited personnel practice to which paragraph (e) of this section applies.

An aggrieved employee affected by a prohibited personnel practice described in paragraph (h)(1) of this section may elect not more than one of the procedures described in paragraph (h)(3) of this section with respect thereto. A determination as to whether a particular procedure for seeking a remedy has been elected must be made as set forth under paragraph (h)(4) of this section.

The procedures for seeking remedies described in this paragraph are as follows:

An appeal under subpart G of this part;

A negotiated grievance under this section; and

Corrective action under 5 U.S.C. chapter 12, subchapters II and III.

For the purpose of this paragraph, an employee is considered to have elected one of the following, whichever election occurs first:

The procedure described in paragraph (h)(3)(i) of this section if such employee has timely filed a notice of appeal under the applicable appellate procedures;

The procedure described in paragraph (h)(3)(ii) of this section if such employee has timely filed a grievance in writing, in accordance with the provisions of the parties' negotiated procedure; or

The procedure described in paragraph (h)(3)(iii) of this section if such employee has sought corrective action from the Office of Special Counsel by making an allegation under 5 U.S.C. 1214(a)(1).