01A31052_r
09-11-2003
MeShonne Smith, Complainant, v. John E. Potter, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service, Agency.
MeShonne Smith v. United States Postal Service
01A31052
September 11, 2003
.
MeShonne Smith,
Complainant,
v.
John E. Potter,
Postmaster General,
United States Postal Service,
Agency.
Appeal No. 01A31052
Agency No. 1F-901-0211-97
DECISION
Complainant appeals to the Commission from the agency's October 31, 2002
decision finding no breach of a settlement agreement. On February 22,
2001, the parties resolved complainant's complaint by entering into a
settlement agreement which provided, in pertinent part, that complainant
would receive the following:
Complainant shall be offered an appointment as a PTF, Letter Carrier
provided she meets all pre-employment qualifications and attends a
fitness for duty examination and is able to perform the full duties of
the assignment.
Provided Complainant passes the probation period, she shall receive a
retroactive career appointment (to be determined by the Personnel Office
based on their records).
The Agency Representative in this proceeding agrees to maintain and
monitor the progress of this case.
By correspondence to the agency signed June 18, 2002, complainant
alleged that the agency was in breach of the settlement agreement.<1>
Specifically, complainant alleges that the agency breached the settlement
agreement when she was not paid for holidays or given annual leave
concomitant with her retroactive career appointment.
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 O 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).
Complainant argues that she has not received holiday pay or annual leave
relating to her retroactive appointment. The agency indicates that,
once complainant alleged breach of the settlement agreement, the agency
"submitt[ed] requests for adjustments in October 2002 to Accounting
to be forwarded to Minneapolis. . . [but] [t]o date, there has been no
information from Minneapolis that any adjustments are due." The agency
does not challenge that complainant is due the holiday pay or annual
leave pursuant to the settlement agreement. Without documentation as
to what was paid to complainant, the record is insufficient to make a
determination as to whether the agency breached the settlement agreement.
The agency's decision finding no breach of the settlement agreement is
VACATED and we REMAND the matter to the agency for further processing
in accordance with this decision and order below.
ORDER
The agency shall provide in the record documentation which indicates what
complainant was paid pursuant to the settlement agreement. Specifically,
the agency must submit evidence regarding holiday pay and annual leave.
The evidence should show what holidays were paid and what dates of
annual leave were paid concomitant with her retroactive appointment.
Based on the foregoing, the agency shall determine whether the settlement
agreement was breached. Within 30 days of the date this decision becomes
final, the agency shall issue a decision regarding whether the agency
is in breach of the settlement agreement and shall submit a copy of the
decision to the Compliance Officer as referenced herein.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMISSION'S DECISION (K0501)
Compliance with the Commission's corrective action is mandatory.
The agency shall submit its compliance report within thirty (30)
calendar days of the completion of all ordered corrective action. The
report shall be submitted to the Compliance Officer, Office of Federal
Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, P.O. Box 19848,
Washington, D.C. 20036. The agency's report must contain supporting
documentation, and the agency must send a copy of all submissions to
the complainant. If the agency does not comply with the Commission's
order, the complainant may petition the Commission for enforcement
of the order. 29 C.F.R. � 1614.503(a). The complainant also has the
right to file a civil action to enforce compliance with the Commission's
order prior to or following an administrative petition for enforcement.
See 29 C.F.R. �� 1614.407, 1614.408, and 29 C.F.R. � 1614.503(g).
Alternatively, the complainant has the right to file a civil action on
the underlying complaint in accordance with the paragraph below entitled
"Right to File A Civil Action." 29 C.F.R. �� 1614.407 and 1614.408.
A civil action for enforcement or a civil action on the underlying
complaint is subject to the deadline stated in 42 U.S.C. 2000e-16(c)
(1994 & Supp. IV 1999). If the complainant files a civil action, the
administrative processing of the complaint, including any petition for
enforcement, will be terminated. See 29 C.F.R. � 1614.409.
STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL
RECONSIDERATION (M0701)
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 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 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).
COMPLAINANT'S RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (R0900)
This is a decision requiring the agency to continue its administrative
processing of your complaint. However, if you wish to file a civil
action, you have the right to file such action in an appropriate United
States District Court within ninety (90) calendar days from the date
that you receive this decision. In the alternative, you may file a
civil action after one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days of the date
you filed your complaint with the agency, or filed your appeal with the
Commission. 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. 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:
______________________________
Carlton M. Hadden, Director
Office of Federal Operations
September 11, 2003
__________________
Date
1Although complainant alleged breach of
settlement agreement on a pre-complaint counseling form, it is apparent
that her intent was not to initiate a new complaint, but to allege breach
of the settlement agreement.