The Agency agrees to adhere to FLRA case law regarding the Union's right to negotiate those aspects of EEO case settlements that conflict with the collective bargaining agreement or otherwise trigger a bargaining obligation. To minimize post-settlement bargaining when a bargaining obligation exists, the Agency will discuss such contemplated settlements with the Union prior to their completion.

Any negotiations necessitated by these settlement terms will be conducted in accordance with the Parties' agreement in Article 9, Union/Management Relationship. However, recognizing the importance of settling EEO complaints, and the fact that the EEO process has timeframes outside of the control of the Agency and the complainant, Parties will try to conclude such bargaining as quickly as possible.

If the complainant objects to sharing information about his/her settlement agreement with the Union pursuant to paragraph 1. because of privacy reasons, the Agency will notify the Union of the terms of the agreement before it is signed, without disclosing the name of the complainant or information that would reveal the complainant�s identity.

Both Parties will respect the privacy of the complainant(s). Neither Party will share or disclose the terms of any settlement agreement without the written consent of the complainant, except as provided by law, rule or regulation.