(a) Filing and service of request.

(1) Any party submitting a request for Panel consideration of an impasse or a request for approval of a binding arbitration procedure shall file an original and one copy with the Panel, unless the request is filed electronically as discussed below. A clean copy may be submitted for the original. Requests may be submitted in person, electronically through use of the eFiling system on the FLRA's Web site at www.flra.gov, or by registered mail, certified mail, regular mail, or commercial delivery. Requests also may be accepted by the Panel if transmitted to the facsimile machine of its office. A party submitting a request by facsimile shall also file an original for the Panel's records, but failure to do so shall not affect the validity of the filing by facsimile, if otherwise proper.

(2) The party submitting the request shall serve a copy of such request upon all counsel of record or other designated representative(s) of parties, upon parties not so represented, and upon any mediation service which may have been utilized. Service upon such counsel or representative shall constitute service upon the party, but a copy also shall be transmitted to the party. Service of a request may be made in person or by registered mail, certified mail, regular mail, or commercial delivery. With the permission of the person receiving the request, service may be made by electronic or facsimile transmission, or by any other agreed-upon method. When the Panel acts on a request from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service or acts on a request from the Executive Director under §2471.1(a), it will notify the parties to the dispute, their counsel of record, if any, and any mediation service which may have been utilized.

(b) Filing and service of other documents.

(1) Any party submitting a response to, or other document in connection with, a request for Panel consideration of an impasse or a request for approval of a binding arbitration procedure shall file an original and one copy with the Panel, with the exception of documents filed simultaneously with the electronic filing of a request through use of the FLRA's eFiling system. Documents may be submitted to the Panel in person or by registered mail, certified mail, regular mail, commercial delivery, or, in the case of documents submitted simultaneously with the electronic filing of a request for Panel assistance, may be uploaded electronically through use of the FLRA's eFiling system at www.flra.gov. Documents may also be accepted by the Panel if transmitted electronically or to the facsimile machine of the Panel's office, but only with advance permission, which may be obtained by telephone. A party submitting a document by facsimile shall also file an original for the Panel's records, but failure to do so shall not affect the validity of the submission, if otherwise proper.

(2) The party submitting the document shall serve a copy of such request upon all counsel of record or other designated representative(s) of parties, or upon parties not so represented. Service upon such counsel or representative shall constitute service upon the party, but a copy also shall be transmitted to the party. Service of a document may be made in person or by registered mail, certified mail, regular mail, or commercial delivery. With the permission of the person receiving the document, service may be made by electronic or facsimile transmission, or by any other agreed-upon method.

(c) A signed and dated statement of service shall accompany each document submitted to the Panel, unless the document is a request under §2471.5(a) that is filed electronically through use of the FLRA's eFiling system. For requests under §2471.5(a) that are filed electronically through use of the FLRA's eFiling system, the filing party shall certify, in the FLRA's eFiling system and at the time of filing, that copies of the request and any supporting documents have been served as required. The statement of service, however filed, shall include the names of the parties and persons served, their addresses, the date of service, the nature of the document served, and the manner in which service was made.

(d) The date of service or date served shall be the day when the matter served, if properly addressed, is deposited in the U.S. mail or is delivered in person or is deposited with a commercial-delivery service that will provide a record showing the date the document was tendered to the delivery service. Where service is made by electronic or facsimile transmission, the date of service shall be the date of transmission.

(e) Unless otherwise provided by the Panel or its designated representatives, any document or paper filed with the Panel under this section, together with any enclosure filed therewith, shall be typewritten on 81⁄2 × 11 inch plain white paper, shall have margins no less than 1 inch on each side, shall be in typeface no smaller than 10 characters per inch, and shall be numbered consecutively. Nonconforming papers may, at the Panel's discretion, be rejected.

[48 FR 19694, May 2, 1983, as amended at 61 FR 41294, Aug. 8, 1996; 77 FR 5988, Feb. 7, 2012]