Thursday, January 31, 2019

The Impending Death of Auer Deference Predicted, Again


Kisor v. Wilkie is now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.  The question presented is:
Whether the court should overrule Auer and Seminole Rock. 
Auer v. Robbins and Bowles v. Seminole Rock & Sand Co. simply hold that an administrative agency will get deference in the interpretation of an ambiguous regulation “unless plainly erroneous or inconsistent with the regulation.”  From my count, there are at least five justices that are ready to overrule Auer and Seminole Rock. 

Kisor filed his opening brief on the merits last week.  Kisor argues that Auer and Seminole Rock were wrongly decided.  Seminole Rock threw the deference doctrine out into the jurisprudence without analysis and lay dormant for decades until given life support in 1989 (Robertson v. Methow Valley Citizens Council) and revived in 1997 (Auer).  Kisor argues that the deference doctrine is inconsistent with the Administrative Procedures Act; destabilizes administrative law because agencies can change the application or interpretation of the stable regulation without notice and comment; violates the separation of powers doctrine; and is not fairly within the ambit of the Chevron doctrine, which rests on notice and comment.  

Kisor argues that the Court should not shackle itself to stare decisis.  Auer and Seminole Rock were wrong when decided; they do not interpret a statute or the Constitution; private parties do not rely on the continued application of Auer and Seminole Rock; and circumstances have changed warranting rejection of stare decisis.

It is really the third point on private party reliance on Auer and Seminole Rock that I have slight disagreement.  My response is simple, “sometimes.”  Sometimes private parties do rely on the publication of a sub-regulatory promulgation for enforcement of the regulation.  An example would be Social Security Ruling 00-4p. 

That ruling harmonized a split in the circuits for the proposition that administrative notice required the ALJ to resolve conflict between the vocational expert and the Dictionary of Occupational Titles as well as the Selected Characteristics of Occupations.  Prior to the ruling, most circuits required resolution of the conflict; one circuit arguably did not require resolution; and one circuit clearly allowed the ALJ to accept deviant VE testimony.  SSR 00-4p normalized the application of the resolution and expanded the regulation to require an inquiry and inclusion of the SCO in the process.  For claimants claiming DOT/SCO error, the expanded nature of the ruling going beyond the four corners of the regulation is helpful. 

But the ruling gave and took away.  While the administrative notice regulation lists sources other than the DOT is primary and requiring resolution, it does not list the Occupational Outlook Handbook or County Business Patterns.  At least one circuit court rejects post hoc reliance on conflict with the OOH and CPB as a basis for reversing the ALJ decision.  That isn’t the only problem with SSR 00-4p.  The ruling misrepresents that maximum-typicality nature of the DOT listings.  The ruling treats the DOT/SCO as primary to the exclusion of other reliable data.  If the Commissioner had published the ruling through notice and comment, the public could have pointed out the deficiencies and the Commissioner would have been forced to address those problems and concerns in the final rule.  And that my friends is why Auer and Seminole Rock need to die.  The rulings would continue to bind the ALJ but would not bind the claimants or the court. 

How the Court comes down after the Solicitor General weighs in next month and hears argument this Spring is the open question.  Mark this observer down as optimistic that this case will chip away at the overreach of administrative agencies and the Social Security Administration. 

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Medium Exertion and Standing/Walking Six Hours in an Eight-Hour Day

That is the common state agency finding, common consultative examiner finding, and frequent ALJ assessment of residual functional capacity.  The claimant can stand/walk for six of eight hours during the workday.  The problem is simple:  standing/walking for six hours does not permit the full range of medium work or even most unskilled medium jobs.

We start with the Dictionary of Occupational Titles because the Commissioner treats the DOT as the holy grail of vocational resources.  The DOT says:
M-Medium Work - Exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for Light Work.
Nothing about six hours of standing/walking in the DOT. 

Occu Collect has a free summary DOC/SCO report just for signing up.

The Commissioner cannot claim the privilege of construing the DOT but she does promulgate regulations:
Medium work. Medium work involves lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds. If someone can do medium work, we determine that he or she can also do sedentary and light work.
 Nothing about six hours of standing/walking in the regulations.  The Commissioner construes her own regulations.  SSR 83-10:
3. Medium work. The regulations define medium work as lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds. A full range of medium work requires standing or walking, off and on, for a total of approximately 6 hours in an 8-hour workday in order to meet the requirements of frequent lifting or carrying objects weighing up to 25 pounds. As in light work, sitting may occur intermittently during the remaining time.
 There it is.  Six hours in an eight-hour workday.  Pretty definitive except that is required just to perform the frequent lifting required of medium work.  The second phrase that is important is that "sitting may occur intermittently during the remaining time."

May is one of those words that strips all meaning out of everything that follows.  May in this context means that the person might sit in the remaining two hours.  But even if the worker does sit, the ruling does not imply that the person sits for the remaining two hours.  Instead, SSR 83-10 states that the worker might sit intermittently during the remaining time.  So might sit some of the remaining two hours of the workday.

If the person cannot perform more than six hours of standing/walking in an eight-hour day, that person cannot perform the full, wide, or any portion of medium work based solely on administrative notice.  The person must stand/walk for six hours and have the ability to stand/walk intermittently in the other two hours with scattered sitting in between.

We see this in current ALJ decisions.  The ALJ will find that the person can perform medium work as defined in the regulations.  But the medical evidence says six hours or about six hours.  Failure to reconcile the medical evidence to the fact finding is error.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Light Helpers - Production Workers

We addressed the existence of sedentary, unskilled Helpers - Production Workers.  As part of that process, we estimated the number of full-time, unskilled, light Helper jobs along with the sedentary variety:


51-9198.00 - Helpers--Production Workers
No. of Jobs
% Full-Time
No. Full-Time
426,000
94%
400,440
No. Full-Time
% Unksilled
No. of Unskilled
400,440
65.30%
261,487
No. of Unskilled
% Light
No. Light
261,487
10.20%
26,672

No. of Unskilled
% Sedentary
No. Sedentary
261,487
0%
0


Here is the list of 157 light, unskilled DOT codes that make up that 26,672 jobs:

DOTCode
DOTTitle
STRENGTH
SVP
230.687-010
ADVERTISING-MATERIAL DISTRIBUTOR
L
2
361.687-026
SHAKER, WEARING APPAREL
L
2
361.687-030
WASHER, HAND
L
2
362.687-010
GLOVE CLEANER, HAND
L
2
362.687-014
LINING SCRUBBER
L
2
362.687-018
SHAVER
L
2
363.687-014
IRONER, SOCK
L
1
363.687-018
PUFF IRONER
L
1
363.687-022
STRETCHER-DRIER OPERATOR
L
2
369.687-018
FOLDER
L
2
502.687-018
LEAD-CASTER HELPER
L
2
520.687-046
MEXICAN FOOD MAKER, HAND
L
2
520.687-066
BLENDING-TANK TENDER HELPER
L
2
521.686-010
BOLTER HELPER
L
2
521.686-054
SLICE-PLUG-CUTTER-OPERATOR HELPER
L
2
521.687-042
EGG BREAKER
L
2
521.687-098
PICKER
L
2
521.687-102
PICKING-TABLE WORKER
L
1
521.687-110
SHAKER
L
1
521.687-118
SHELLER I
L
1
521.687-130
SKULL GRINDER
L
2
521.687-134
STEMMER, HAND
L
2
521.687-138
TABLE HAND
L
2
522.687-042
WRAPPER-HANDS SPRAYER
L
2
524.686-014
NOVELTY WORKER
L
2
524.687-014
GARNISHER
L
1
524.687-018
RACKER
L
1
525.687-050
NECK SKEWER
L
2
525.687-094
SHAVER
L
2
525.687-098
SINGER
L
2
525.687-110
STEAMER
L
1
529.686-014
CANNERY WORKER
L
2
529.687-010
BASKET FILLER
L
1
529.687-166
ODD BUNDLE WORKER
L
2
530.384-010
MIXER HELPER
L
2
539.587-010
LABORER, RAGS
L
2
540.687-010
SEAL MIXER
L
2
550.686-026
MIXER HELPER
L
2
551.687-010
BONE PICKER
L
1
551.687-030
SIFTER
L
2
553.687-010
DRIER HELPER
L
2
553.687-014
FURNACE HELPER
L
2
559.687-054
SKEIN-WINDING OPERATOR
L
1
569.687-014
LOG WASHER
L
2
574.667-010
DUST BOX WORKER
L
2
575.687-010
BALCONY WORKER
L
2
581.687-014
DRYING-ROOM ATTENDANT
L
1
582.687-014
DYER
L
2
582.687-018
FELT-HAT STEAMER
L
1
583.687-010
PRESS HAND
L
2
585.687-018
CLOTH-EDGE SINGER
L
2
585.687-026
SHADE-CLOTH FINISHER
L
2
587.686-010
CLOTH-SHRINKING-MACHINE-OPERATOR HELPER
L
2
589.687-022
FABRIC-LAY-OUT WORKER
L
2
589.687-042
TUBE CLEANER
L
2
589.687-058
SHAKER
L
2
590.667-010
STOVE-BOTTOM WORKER
L
2
599.687-014
BOOKER
L
1
652.687-026
PASTER, SCREEN PRINTING
L
2
665.686-018
VENEER-JOINTER HELPER
L
2
669.686-026
SLAT-BASKET MAKER HELPER, MACHINE
L
2
681.687-014
LOOSE-END FINDER, BOBBIN
L
2
683.687-014
DROP-WIRE HANGER
L
2
683.687-022
HOOK PULLER
L
1
689.687-010
BAGGING SALVAGER
L
1
689.687-018
BUNDLE BREAKER
L
2
689.687-038
END FINDER, ROVING DEPARTMENT
L
2
689.687-042
END FINDER, TWISTING DEPARTMENT
L
2
689.687-050
OIL-SPOT WASHER
L
2
689.687-066
RUG CLEANER
L
2
689.687-074
SPANNER
L
2
699.687-022
ROPE CLEANER
L
2
700.687-030
CUTCH CLEANER
L
2
700.687-046
MOLD SHEET CLEANER
L
2
700.687-050
MOLD-MAKER HELPER
L
2
705.687-010
JIGGER
L
2
709.687-010
CLEANER AND POLISHER
L
2
709.687-046
TIN-CONTAINER STRAIGHTENER
L
1
712.687-030
SUTURE POLISHER
L
2
715.687-102
PARTS REMOVER
L
2
715.687-106
RACKER
L
2
715.687-126
WASHER
L
2
723.687-022
WIPER
L
2
727.687-014
ACID FILLER
L
2
729.687-014
ELECTRODE CLEANER
L
1
729.687-018
LAMINATION SPINNER
L
2
729.687-026
PLATE STACKER, HAND
L
2
731.587-010
FINISHER, HAND
L
2
731.687-018
HACKLER, DOLL WIGS
L
2
734.687-022
BOBBIN DISKER
L
2
735.687-010
DIPPER
L
2
735.687-026
RACKER
L
2
737.687-050
IGNITER CAPPER
L
1
737.687-082
MANUAL-PLATE FILLER
L
2
739.687-058
CLEANER
L
2
739.687-098
FLOOR WORKER
L
1
749.587-010
RACKER
L
2
754.687-014
SEQUINS STRINGER
L
2
763.687-010
BLOW-OFF WORKER
L
2
764.687-030
BARREL MARKER
L
2
769.687-038
PUTTY MIXER AND APPLIER
L
1
770.687-030
PULVERIZER
L
2
781.687-022
CUTTER HELPER
L
2
781.687-062
STAMPER I
L
2
781.687-066
STENCILER
L
2
782.687-010
BASTING PULLER
L
2
782.687-014
BUTTONER
L
1
782.687-026
PINNER
L
2
782.687-034
RAVELER
L
1
783.687-030
TABLE WORKER
L
1
784.687-010
BRIM RAISER
L
2
784.687-078
STRAW-HAT-WASHER OPERATOR
L
1
784.687-086
HAT CONDITIONER
L
2
788.687-018
BRUSHER
L
2
788.687-050
FOLDER, HAND
L
2
788.687-058
HEEL DIPPER
L
2
788.687-062
INSOLE-AND-HEEL-STIFFENER
L
2
788.687-070
LACER I
L
2
788.687-086
LAST PULLER
L
2
788.687-126
SHOE COVERER
L
2
788.687-130
SHOE TURNER
L
2
788.687-146
TACK PULLER
L
2
789.687-014
BAG LINER
L
2
789.687-018
BONER
L
2
789.687-046
FINAL ASSEMBLER
L
2
789.687-058
FOLDER
L
2
789.687-062
FRINGER
L
2
789.687-066
GARMENT FOLDER
L
2
789.687-074
GARMENT TURNER
L
2
789.687-094
LACER
L
2
789.687-110
PAIRER
L
1
789.687-122
PILLOW CLEANER
L
1
789.687-134
RAG SORTER AND CUTTER
L
2
789.687-138
RAKER
L
2
789.687-166
SEAM STEAMER
L
1
789.687-182
TURNER
L
2
794.687-038
PATTERN RULER
L
2
806.667-010
HELPER, METAL HANGING
L
2
869.667-014
SIGNALER
L
2
910.687-026
TRACK OILER
L
2
911.667-014
HATCH TENDER
L
2
920.587-014
LABEL CODER
L
2
920.686-010
BANDER-AND-CELLOPHANER HELPER, MACHINE
L
2
920.687-062
CARDBOARD INSERTER
L
1
920.687-098
HANDKERCHIEF FOLDER
L
2
920.687-106
LABEL REMOVER
L
2
920.687-138
PAPER INSERTER
L
2
920.687-186
TABLE-COVER FOLDER
L
2
920.687-190
TIE BINDER
L
2
929.587-010
NUT-AND-BOLT ASSEMBLER
L
2
929.686-014
BAND SALVAGER
L
1
929.687-018
LABORER, HIGH-DENSITY PRESS
L
2
929.687-026
LINER INSERTER
L
2
929.687-038
RETURNED-CASE INSPECTOR
L
2
952.667-010
STREET-LIGHT CLEANER
L
2
955.687-018
STREET CLEANER
L
1
979.687-014
PHOTOSTAT-OPERATOR HELPER
L
2


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