Leave for Union Activities Upon request by the Union, leave without pay will be granted to any employee duly authorized to represent employees of this bargaining unit at:
a) Executive, Council meetings or Conventions of the Union and Labour Education Seminars. A written request for such leave shall be submitted at least twenty (20) days in advance. Such leave shall be limited to a total of four (4) employees at any one time, and to a maximum aggregate total of four hundred and fifty (450) working hours in any calendar year. The maximum leave for any individual Union official shall not exceed sixty (60) hours and one hundred (100) working hours for an Executive Officer. The Company will consider reasonable requests from the Union to increase the individual and/or aggregate maximum. Such leave shall not constitute a break in continuity of service in seniority, severance pay, or other benefits under this Agreement.
b) In order to attend the CEP National Convention every other year (or every third year) up to four (4) employees will be released and the maximum aggregate total of working hours may be increased by an additional one hundred thirty (130) working hours, exclusive of the individual limits in above to attend the CEP National Convention. The Company will be advised of the convention dates as far in advance as possible. A written request for such leave will be submitted to the Company at least sixty (60) days in advance.
c) It is understood that operational requirements may prevent the release of particular employee(s) under this Article and in such case the Local Union shall be allowed to name the alternate(s), however such requests for leave will not be unreasonably denied.
d) An employee on unpaid Union leave under this Article shall be compensated at his/her regular rate for the leave by the Company. The Company will then invoice the Union for reimbursement of such compensation which shall be paid by the Union within fifteen (15) days of the date of the invoice.
e) In addition, up to one (1) employee may accept a full-time elective position with the Union or an official labour body for a period not exceeding two (2) years. Any additional yearly periods may be granted at the Company’s discretion upon receipt of a written request from the employee and the President of the Union. The Company may hire temporary employees to fill the vacancies created by such leave of absence. During the employee’s leave and subject to the limitations of the various benefit plans, the employee may continue to participate provided the employee prepays all premiums and contributions. During such leave the employee shall not accumulate seniority for the purpose of annual leave credits and severance pay.
Time Off for Union Activities The employer agrees to grant the necessary time off, without discrimination or loss of seniority rights and without pay, to any employee designated by the Union to attend a labor convention provided that there is two-week notice of any union convention. Due consideration shall be given to the number of personnel affected in order that there shall be no disruptions of employer's operations due to lack of available employees.
Union Activities If the Contract Amount is $50,000 or more, no Judicial Council funds received under this Agreement will be used to assist, promote or deter union organizing during the term of this Agreement (including any extension or renewal term).
Union Activity Each employee shall have the right to join and while off work or on official release time, assist the Union freely, without fear of penalty or reprisal, and the Employer shall assure that each employee shall be protected in the exercise of such right.
Leave for Union Business The Hospital agrees to grant leaves of absence, without pay, to nurses selected by the Union to attend Union business including conferences, conventions and Provincial Committee meetings and to any nurse elected to the position of Local Co-ordinator. The cumulative total leave of absence, the amount of notice, the number of nurses that may be absent at any time from one area and the number of days (including those of the Local Co-ordinator) is set out in the Appendix of Local Provisions. During such leave of absence, a nurse's salary and applicable benefits or percentage in lieu of fringe benefits shall be maintained by the Hospital and the local Union agrees to reimburse the Hospital in the amount of the daily rate of the full-time nurse or in the amount of the full cost of such salary and percentage in lieu of fringe benefits of a part-time nurse except for Provincial Committee meetings which will be reimbursed by the Union. The Hospital will xxxx the local Union within a reasonable period of time. Part-time nurses will receive service and seniority credit for all leaves granted under this Article.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT A. The Board of Education agrees to pay the actual tuition costs of courses taken by a teacher at accredited colleges or universities up to three courses per two (2) year fiscal periods from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2008 and July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2010 respectively, except as follows:
1. No teacher may be reimbursed for courses taken during the first year of teaching in Vineland.
2. Teachers taking courses in the second and third years of employment in Vineland will not receive remuneration until tenure has been secured. The remuneration will then be retroactive and will be paid to the teacher in a lump sum within sixty (60) days after the teacher has secured tenure.
3. All courses must be pre-approved by the Superintendent or his designee subject to the following requirements:
(a) A teacher must provide official documentation that he/she has obtained a grade of B or better;
(b) Reimbursement shall be paid only for courses directly related to teacher’s teaching field which increase the teacher’s content knowledge and are related to the teacher’s current certification, as determined by the Superintendent or his/her designee in his/her sole discretion; no reimbursement shall be paid for courses leading to a post graduate or professional degree in a field other than education or teaching. Further, effective September 1, 2010, all newly hired teachers shall not be eligible for reimbursement until they are tenured, and they shall not be eligible for retroactive reimbursement upon gaining tenure for courses taken prior to being tenured.
(c) The maximum total payments to be made by the Board shall not exceed $130,000.00. Courses shall be applied for no earlier than the following dates: Summer Session - April 1 Fall/Winter Session - June 1 Spring Session - October 1 Courses must, as set forth hereinabove in this sub-article 18.A.3, be pre-approved by the Superintendent or his designee, prior to the teacher commencing the course(s); and
(d) Teacher taking courses shall sign a contract requiring them to reimburse the Board for all tuition paid for a course if the teacher shall voluntarily leave the employ of the Board within one (1) full school/academic year of completion of said course, except that reimbursement shall not be required when the teacher shall voluntarily leave the employ of the Board due to a significant, documented life change.
4. Tuition reimbursement costs shall be a sum not to exceed the actual cost of college credits charged in an accredited public State college/University of the State of New Jersey.
B. When the Superintendent initiates in-service training courses, workshops, conferences and programs designed to improve the quality of instruction, the cooperation of the Vineland Education Association will be solicited. Notwithstanding the above, the initiation of in-service training courses, workshops, conferences and programs shall be determined solely at the discretion of the Board.
C. One professional leave day may be granted to a teacher upon request, according to the following guidelines:
1. The professional day may be for attendance at a workshop, seminar or visit to another school for the expressed purpose of self professional improvement for the job.
2. The request shall arrive in the office of the Superintendent of Schools at least ten (10) working days prior to the date requested and shall be reviewed by the immediate supervisor prior to submission. The Board reserves the right to deny a professional leave day before or immediately following a holiday or on a day which by its nature suggests a hardship for providing a substitute.
3. No more than two teachers from any one elementary school or from any one department in the secondary schools may be granted a professional leave for a given day.
4. The teacher may be required to submit a report to the Superintendent of Schools, Assistant Superintendent, supervisor (s), principal and staff regarding the activity of the professional day.
5. Costs incurred by the teacher for the professional day authorized under this Section shall be the teacher’s responsibility.
6. A maximum of 90 professional leave days may be authorized for the school year which shall be apportioned as follows: elementary, 35; grades seven and eight, 20; and high school, 35.
D. If the Board initiates a teacher’s attendance at a professional workshop, seminar or visit, the expenses shall be the responsibility of the Board. Further, this day shall not be subtracted from the 90 professional leave days granted to teachers of the Association.
E. The Board agrees to pay the full cost of courses taken by secretaries related to skills and knowledge improvement when such courses are required and approved by the Board.
F. The Board and the Association agree that it is important to communicate when developing and implementing current and future learning technologies, including but not limited to distance and on-line learning.
Employer Union Relations No employee or group of employees shall undertake to represent the Union at meetings with the Employer without the proper authorization of the Union. To implement this, the Union shall supply the Employer with the names of its officers and similarly, the Employer shall supply the Union with a list of its supervisory or other personnel with whom the Union may be required to transact business.
No Discrimination for Union Activity The Employer and the Union agree that there shall be no discrimination, interference, restriction, or coercion exercised or practised with respect to any employee for reason of membership or activity in the Union.
EMPLOYER AND UNION SHALL ACQUAINT NEW EMPLOYEES The Employer agrees to acquaint new employees with the fact that a Collective Agreement is in effect and with the conditions of employment set out in the Articles dealing with Union Security and Dues Check-off. The Employer agrees to provide the name, worksite phone number, and location of the new employee's xxxxxxx in the letter of hiring. Whenever the xxxxxxx is employed in the same work area as the new employee, the employee's immediate supervisor will introduce her to her xxxxxxx. The Employer agrees that a Union xxxxxxx will be given an opportunity to interview each new employee within regular working hours, without loss of pay, for thirty (30) minutes sometime during the first thirty (30) days of employment for the purpose of acquainting the new employee with the benefits and duties of Union membership and the employee's responsibilities and obligations to the Employer and the Union.
Educational Leave Leave without pay may be granted for educational leave for the duration of actual attendance in an educational program.
