[Request for Decision Concerning Recoupment of Erroneously Withheld Union Dues]

A government employees' union requested a decision regarding union dues recouped by the National Park Service (NPS) from the union and paid to an employee who was a member of the union prior to his transfer. After his transfer, the employee neglected to stop the withholding of union dues from his pay. Upon discovery of the error, NPS stopped withholding dues and paid the employee the amount withheld since the transfer. NPS then deducted this amount from its next payment to the union. GAO held that: (1) NPS was not required to recoup the erroneously withheld dues; (2) since the employee did not take steps to terminate his union membership, he should not have been repaid the erroneously withheld dues; (3) since the union accepted the erroneously withheld dues in good faith and without fraud or misrepresentation, recoupment of the dues could be waived and the union could be reimbursed.