Duane E. Taughinbaugh, Complainant,v.William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionJul 5, 2000
01a03172 (E.E.O.C. Jul. 5, 2000)

01a03172

07-05-2000

Duane E. Taughinbaugh, Complainant, v. William J. Henderson, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.


Duane E. Taughinbaugh v. United States Postal Service

01A03172

July 5, 2000

Duane E. Taughinbaugh, )

Complainant, )

)

v. ) Appeal No. 01A03172

) Agency No. 4J-480-0220-99

William J. Henderson, )

Postmaster General, )

United States Postal Service, )

Agency. )

____________________________________)

DECISION

Complainant filed a timely appeal with this Commission from a final

decision (FAD) by the agency dated February 24, 2000, finding that it

was in compliance with the terms of the September 23, 1999 Settlement

Agreement into which the parties entered.<1> See 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644,

37,659, 37,660 (1999)(to be codified and hereinafter referred to

as EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. � 1614.402); 29 C.F.R. � 1614.504(b);

and 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659 (1999)(to be codified at 29 C.F.R. �

1614.405).

The Settlement Agreement provided, in pertinent part, that:

(6)(C) Complainant will be returned to work no later than September

27, 1999. The period between August 28, 1999 and September 27, 1999

will be unpaid.

Complainant will be provided the opportunity to enroll in health benefits

plan, consistent with regulations stated in the ELM � 524.523 during

the open season beginning in November 1999.

Complainant will be provided with the following training materials:

Requisite OTJ Carrier training - 24 hours - with the certified Carrier

Training see attachment Handbook EL-701A.

Training on St. Clair city carrier routes 3, 5, 7, and 8 to consist of

one day each, to include casing, pull-down, and delivery. Training

will be provided within 30 days of complainant's return to work and

prior to his assignment to the routes named.

Complainant will be provided with maps of St.Clair carrier routes 1-8.

The maps shall be clearly marked to indicate the stop points and

designated line of travel of each loop at each park point. The maps

will be readable and legible.

By letter to the agency dated January 15, 2000, complainant alleged that

the agency was in breach of the Settlement Agreement, and requested that

the agency specifically implement its terms. Specifically, complainant

alleged that the agency failed to: (a) provide him an opportunity to

enroll in the health benefits plan; (b) properly train him on city route

5; (c) provide maps for city routes 2,3,5, and 6; (d) provide the Fleishi

award for retroactive pay for the 1999 year.

In its February 24, 2000 FAD, the agency concluded that the Settlement

Agreement had not been breached. In reaching this conclusion, the agency

stated that it was complainant's responsibility to enroll in the health

benefits plan during the open season beginning in November of 1999.

With regard to allegation (b), the Postmaster stated that complainant

was given all of the necessary training on October 8, 1999. However,

because of �sick calls�, complainant was unable to be trained in the

field on that same day. The agency stated that complainant agreed to

an extension of training and it was rescheduled for November 4, 1999.

However, another unexplained situation arose and complainant could not

be trained on that date either. Since November 15, 1999, complainant

had been off duty. The agency stated that the complainant would be

rescheduled for training upon his return to duty.<2> With regard to

allegation (c), the Postmaster stated that she observed complainant at

the copying machine and that complainant indicated to the Postmaster that

he was making copies of maps. The Postmaster assumed that complainant

was making copies of the maps in question for himself. The agency

stated that upon his return to duty, the Postmaster will provide the

complainant with a copy of the maps. With regard to allegation (d),

the Fleishi agreement reads, in pertinent part, that �in order to be

eligible to receive a cash payment, an hourly employee must be in a pay

status during the pay period immediately prior to the effective date

of the cash payment, i.e., September 19, 1999) (Article 9, Section 3

(C)(1)). The agency stated that complainant was not entitled to the

Fleishi lump sum payment award since complainant was not paid during

the period between August 28 and September 27, 1999.

64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,656 (1999)(to be codified and hereinafter

referred to as EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. � 1614.504(a)) provides that any

settlement agreement knowingly and voluntarily agreed to by the parties,

reached at any stage of the complaint process, shall be binding on both

parties. The Commission has held that a settlement agreement constitutes

a contract between the employee and the agency, to which ordinary rules

of contract construction apply. See Herrington v. Department of Defense,

EEOC Request No. 05960032 (December 9, 1996). The Commission has further

held that it is the intent of the parties as expressed in the contract,

not some unexpressed intention, that controls the contract's construction.

Eggleston v. Department of Veterans Affairs, EEOC Request No. 05900795

(August 23, 1990). In ascertaining the intent of the parties with regard

to the terms of a settlement agreement, the Commission has generally

relied on the plain meaning rule. See Hyon v. United States Postal

Service, EEOC Request No. 05910787 (December 2, 1991). This rule states

that if the writing appears to be plain and unambiguous on its face,

its meaning must be determined from the four corners of the instrument

without resort to extrinsic evidence of any nature. See Montgomery

Elevator Co. v. Building Eng'g Servs. Co., 730 F.2d 377 (5th Cir. 1984).

With regard to allegation (a), the Settlement Agreement stated that

complainant will be provided the opportunity to enroll in the health

benefits plan during the open season. It did not state that complainant

would automatically be enrolled or that the agency enroll him. Because

the Agreement did not explicitly express this intent, we find that

complainant failed to show how the Agreement was breached in this regard.

As stated by the agency, it was complainant's responsibility to enroll

in the health benefits plan during the open season. With regard to

allegations (b) and (c), the record shows that the agency made efforts to

resolve these issues with complainant in accordance with the Agreement.

However, complainant's absence from duty has made it impossible for

the agency to do so. Moreover, the agency indicates that it has every

intention of completing complainant's training and providing him with

the maps in question upon his return to duty. In light of the agency's

actions and his absence from duty, we find that complainant has failed to

show how allegations (b) and (c) were breached. Finally, with regard

to allegation (d), the Agreement makes no mention of the Fleishi award;

therefore, because the Agreement makes no mention of this award, we find

that the complainant has failed to show how this portion of the Agreement

was breached. Accordingly, we affirm the agency final decision.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL

RECONSIDERATION (M0300)

The Commission may, in its discretion, reconsider the decision in this

case if the complainant or the agency submits a written request containing

arguments or evidence which tend to establish that:

1. The appellate decision involved a clearly erroneous interpretation

of material fact or law; or

2. The appellate decision will have a substantial impact on the policies,

practices, or operations of the agency.

Requests to reconsider, with supporting statement or brief, MUST BE FILED

WITH THE OFFICE OF FEDERAL OPERATIONS (OFO) WITHIN THIRTY (30) CALENDAR

DAYS of receipt of this decision or WITHIN TWENTY (20) CALENDAR DAYS OF

RECEIPT OF ANOTHER PARTY'S TIMELY REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION. See 64

Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,659 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter referred

to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.405); Equal Employment Opportunity Management

Directive for 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 (EEO MD-110), 9-18 (November 9, 1999).

All requests and arguments must be submitted to the Director, Office of

Federal Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, P.O. Box

19848, Washington, D.C. 20036. In the absence of a legible postmark, the

request to reconsider shall be deemed timely filed if it is received by

mail within five days of the expiration of the applicable filing period.

See 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644, 37,661 (1999) (to be codified and hereinafter

referred to as 29 C.F.R. � 1614.604). The request or opposition must

also include proof of service on the other party.

Failure to file within the time period will result in dismissal of your

request for reconsideration as untimely, unless extenuating circumstances

prevented the timely filing of the request. Any supporting documentation

must be submitted with your request for reconsideration. The Commission

will consider requests for reconsideration filed after the deadline only

in very limited circumstances. See 29 C.F.R. � 1614.604(c).

COMPLAINANTS' RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S0400)

You have the right to file a civil action in an appropriate United States

District Court WITHIN NINETY (90) CALENDAR DAYS from the date that you

receive this decision. If you file a civil action, YOU MUST NAME AS

THE DEFENDANT IN THE COMPLAINT THE PERSON WHO IS THE OFFICIAL AGENCY HEAD

OR DEPARTMENT HEAD, IDENTIFYING THAT PERSON BY HIS OR HER FULL NAME AND

OFFICIAL TITLE. Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of your

case in court. "Agency" or "department" means the national organization,

and not the local office, facility or department in which you work. If you

file a request to reconsider and also file a civil action, filing a civil

action will terminate the administrative processing of your complaint.

RIGHT TO REQUEST COUNSEL (Z1199)

If you decide to file a civil action, and if you do not have or cannot

afford the services of an attorney, you may request that the Court appoint

an attorney to represent you and that the Court permit you to file the

action without payment of fees, costs, or other security. See Title VII

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. � 2000e et seq.;

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. �� 791, 794(c).

The grant or denial of the request is within the sole discretion of

the Court. Filing a request for an attorney does not extend your time

in which to file a civil action. Both the request and the civil action

must be filed within the time limits as stated in the paragraph above

("Right to File A Civil Action").

FOR THE COMMISSION:

July 5, 2000

Date Carlton M. Hadden, Acting Director

Office of Federal Operations

CERTIFICATE OF MAILING

For timeliness purposes, the Commission will presume that this decision

was received within five (5) calendar days after it was mailed. I certify

that this decision was mailed to complainant, complainant's representative

(if applicable), and the agency on:

Equal Employment Assistant Date

1On November 9, 1999, revised regulations governing the EEOC's federal

sector complaint process went into effect. These regulations apply to all

federal sector EEO complaints pending at any stage in the administrative

process. Consequently, the Commission will apply the revised regulations

found at 64 Fed. Reg. 37,644 (1999), where applicable, in deciding the

present appeal. The regulations, as amended, may also be found at the

Commission's website at www.eeoc.gov.

2 The record does not indicate if complainant has returned to duty as

of the date of this decision.