USPTO, Patent Office Professional Association sign new collective bargaining agreement

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Patent Office Professional Association (POPA) have signed a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for the first time in more than 38 years. The CBA, which was last updated in 1986, sets a government-leading standard for federal government labor relations by guaranteeing pre-decisional involvement and labor-management collaboration.

Through the CBA and related labor-management relations efforts, the USPTO and POPA worked together to prioritize operational excellence while preserving employee flexibilities that make the USPTO one of the top agencies to work for in the federal government. The CBA, which immediately takes effect, carries a 5-year term with rollover provisions.

"This landmark agreement -a generational accomplishment-represents the USPTO's commitment to strengthening the partnership between members of POPA and management," said Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. "It supports our standards to create a space for thoughtful collaboration while also preserving the many characteristics that make the USPTO such a unique and vibrant place to work for years to come."

The CBA covers more than 9,600 employees in the POPA bargaining unit including patent examiners, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) attorneys, attorney advisors, patent classifiers, contract specialists, accountants, computer scientists, and more.

"This is an incredible accomplishment for our bargaining unit members," said Kathy Duda, President of Patent Office Professional Association. "This new CBA shows that the USPTO is committed to providing flexibilities that the 21st century workforce is demanding. This moment has been a long time coming, but I am hopeful that the provisions of this agreement will serve as the foundation for our continued relationship with USPTO management."

The USPTO's work to finalize a new agreement with POPA supports the Biden-Harris Administration's policy efforts to encourage collective bargaining and promote equality of bargaining power between employers and employees, as laid out in the Executive Order on Worker Organizing and Empowerment.

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