Money Found to Reactivate NLRB Operations : Labor: A budget crunch had forced suspension of some services but officials now say there is enough in the budget to keep work going for the moment.

National Labor Relations Board officials in Washington said Wednesday they are lifting restrictions that temporarily forced all of the agency’s field and regional offices to curtail operations, including unfair labor practice investigations, because of a budget crunch.

Local NLRB administrators were ordered Aug. 24 to cancel unfair labor practice hearings scheduled for September and warned employees of possible layoffs. Officials blamed the unprecedented action on a budget shortfall that threatened to bankrupt the agency before the start of the new fiscal year Oct. 1.

On Wednesday, NLRB General Counsel Jerry M. Hunter lifted the restrictions after an in-house audit of the agency’s financial records. According to a statement released by Hunter’s office, the review showed that the federal labor agency has enough funds to continue operating through the end of the current fiscal year, which ends in 11 days.

Hunter also said there are no layoffs planned for the remainder of the month.

“I made the decision to restrict certain case-handling operations in the field given the status of the budget as reported to me at the time and the necessity to exercise extreme caution in order to preclude budget deficiencies,” Hunter said in a written statement.

In order to avoid future budget crises, Hunter ordered a continuing “thorough review of the agency’s fiscal management and accounting procedures.”

Despite Hunter’s announcement, local NLRB officials remained concerned about the future.

“What happens after Oct. 1 is a different ballgame, and a different problem from the one we are facing in September,” said Robert Petering, acting resident officer of the San Diego NLRB office.

He added that since the White House and Congress have not agreed on a new budget, the agency is still not sure what its budget will be for the coming fiscal year.

In addition to canceling unfair labor practice hearings and investigations, local NLRB officials also cut back on travel and other expenses.

Petering said that his office is still under orders to pinch pennies. Travel is “severely restricted” and employees have to get approval in advance for “unusual and high expenses,” Petering added.

Victoria Aguayo, regional director of the NLRB office in Los Angeles, said that her office is required to send a daily tally of expenses to the agency’s Washington headquarters.

“We have been told that budget problems for this year seem to be coming into focus and are apparently resolved,” Aguayo said. “But travel is still very limited.”

The limitations on travel is forcing local NLRB investigators to ask witnesses to drive to downtown San Diego to be interviewed.

However, the lifting of the restrictions means that NLRB officials can begin scheduling unfair labor practice hearings next month.

One local hearing canceled in September was later rescheduled, Aguayo said. The hearing involved unfair labor practice charges that were leveled against the Union-Tribune Publishing Co. by the San Diego Newspaper Guild.

According to Aguayo, the trial ended this week but it will be several months before an administrative judge issues a decision. In the interim, both sides will have opportunities to file additional briefs for the judge’s benefit, she added.