Comments requested on proposal to close NLRB Jacksonville office; Resident Agent would service area

National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Richard F. Griffin, Jr. announced that he is considering a proposal to close the Agency’s office in Jacksonville, Florida.  The Jacksonville office handles cases in Northern Florida and Southern Georgia, and is part of Region 12, which also has offices in Tampa, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. 
Under this proposal, it is contemplated that the sole employee from the Jacksonville office would become a Resident Agent, who would continue to serve this area of the country in a full-time capacity.  The Agency currently has Resident Agents in Providence, Rhode Island; Knoxville, Tennessee; Salt Lake City, Utah; Newport News,  Virginia; Western Massachusetts; and Spokane, Washington. 
This proposal is being considered in connection with the Agency’s ongoing efforts to reduce costs by decreasing office space and by taking advantage of new technologies and workplace innovations, which enable employees to work remotely.  No employees would be displaced under this proposal, and casehandling should not be adversely affected.  
General Counsel Griffin is interested in all feedback regarding this proposal.  He plans to thoroughly consider internal and external input, including from Agency staff, practitioners, members of the management-labor relations community, Members of Congress and other interested members of the public, before making a decision whether to present a formal proposal to the Board for approval. 
Please submit your comments, by no later than May 2, 2014, to Associate General Counsel Anne Purcell in the Division of Operations-Management by e-mail at feedback@nlrb.gov or by mail at the National Labor Relations Board, Division of Operations-Management, 1099 14th Street, NW, Suite 10206, Washington, DC 20570.