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23 SECTION 5. e Union may initiate bargaining on personnel policies, practices, and matters affecting working conditions during the term of this Agreement on matters not expressly covered by this Agreement in accordance with the Federal Service Labor- Management Relations Statute. When the Agency has received a written proposal from the Union, if required, a meeting will be scheduled within fieen (15) days to review the Union's proposal. e Agency may submit written counter proposals within thirty (30) days of the Union's proposal. e Parties shall meet at mutually agreeable times and places to conduct negotiations. If no agreement is reached, or the Agency fails to respond, the provisions of Section 3 of this Article shall apply. SECTION 6. e Union, under this Article, will be authorized an equal number of representatives on official time for the conduct of negotiations in accordance with 5 USC 7131. e time limits under this Article may be extended by mutual agreement of the Parties. SECTION 7. Nothing in this Article is intended to preclude the Parties from formulating ground rules for mid-term bargaining issues. SECTION 8. e Parties agree that they will not assert, as a defense to a demand for bargaining over a proposed mid-term change in conditions of employment, that the proposed change is inseparably bound up with and thus plainly an aspect of a subject covered by this Agreement, but they may assert the first prong of the FLRA "covered by" doctrine that the matter is expressly contained in this Agreement. SECTION 9. Except where the Parties have reached agreements and understandings during the course of the negotiations of this Agreement, upon the effective date of this Agreement, all memoranda of agreement, memoranda of understanding, past practices, and other written or oral agreements whether formal or informal, shall have no force or effect and shall not be binding on the Parties in any respect. e foregoing applies at the local, regional/ service area, and national levels. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as a waiver of the Union's right to mid-term bargaining under this Article.

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