Definition of Seniority Seniority shall be defined as the length of an employee's continuous service with the County, in a regular position, and is based on most recent date of hire.
Reduction in Force and Recall Section 13.1. It is the intent of the parties, through this article, to establish an objective procedure by which a reduction in force (i.e., layoff or job abolishment) may be accomplished, should the need arise, and supersede the provisions of ORC 124.321 to 124.328, 124.37, OAC 123: 1-41-01 to 123: 1-41-22, and all local rules and regulations of the City of East Cleveland Civil Service Commission governing work force reductions.
Section 13.2. Employees may be laid off as a result of lack of work, lack of funds, or abolishment of position. In the event of a layoff, the Employer shall notify the affected employee thirty (30) calendar days in advance of the effective date of layoff. The Employer agrees to discuss with representatives of the FOP the impact of the layoff on the bargaining unit member. Any layoff in the bargaining unit shall be in accordance with departmental seniority, i.e., the most recent employee hired is the first employee laid off. Any employee laid off from a bargaining unit position may, at his option, displace a permanent part-time or intermittent employee in the same classification. Failure to bump or failure to accept a recall to a part-time or intermittent position shall not jeopardize an employee’s recall rights to a full-time position.
Section 13.3. Employees who are laid off shall be placed on a recall list for a period of three (3) years. If there is a recall, employees who are still on the recall list shall be recalled, in the inverse order of their layoff, provided they are presently qualified to perform the work in the work section to which they are recalled. Any recalled employee requiring additional training to meet the position qualifications in existence at the time of recall must satisfactorily complete the additional training required in this section. Such training shall be at the Employer’s expense.
Section 13.4. The recalled employee shall have ten (10) calendar days following the date of recall notice to notify the Employer of his intention to return to work and shall have fifteen (15) calendar days following receipt of the recall notice in which to report for duty, unless a different date for return to work has been otherwise agreed upon.
REDUCTION IN FORCE A. In any reduction in the bargaining unit as a result of budgetary actions or curriculum and/or administrative organization, every effort will be made to transfer affected teachers to other similar positions within the school system where vacancies exist and for which the affected teachers are certified.
B. If no similar positions are available, rehired retirees, provisionally certificated teachers and non- tenured teachers in the subjects and/or grade levels affected will be laid off or separated from the active employment rolls prior to tenured teachers in the same subjects and/or grade levels. If it becomes necessary to lay off tenured teachers, they shall be laid off in the inverse order of their seniority. An appropriate seniority list will be made available for inspection when a tenured teacher has been laid off and disputes a seniority ranking. The seniority list will be developed from the last date of employment and furnished to the Association. If there is a tie, the affected teachers will have seniority calculated as defined in Article I, Section B.7. Teachers on an unpaid leave of absence shall retain accrued seniority. Teachers on military leave, Association leave and on layoff shall continue to accrue seniority during that time. A countywide list of all certificated personnel employed as of July 1 of each year shall be compiled and available upon request of FCTA. The list will indicate name, date of first employment, date of current employment and department and location code.
C. Teachers on layoff shall be placed on a priority recall list in accordance with their seniority. The teachers shall be recalled as vacancies become available in accordance with their position on the list and their certification for said vacancies.
D. When vacancies become available, the teacher will be notified of the vacancy by phone and email sent to the last known address. The teacher so notified shall notify the responsible administrator, in writing, in not more than ten (10) days after receipt of notification of the vacancy as to whether or not the position will be accepted. The teacher may decline the first offer of employment. If the teacher declines the second offer of a position, reemployment rights shall be forfeited. All teachers shall remain on the priority recall list for a maximum of three (3) years.
E. While a layoff continues, no new teachers shall be hired except in those unique circumstances where (a) there are no teachers on the priority recall list qualified to fill the vacancy or (b) all qualified teachers on the priority recall list decline the offer to fill the vacancy.
F. Any layoff due to reduction in force shall not be subject to any dismissal procedure required elsewhere in this Agreement.
G. Teachers recalled under these provisions shall have restored to them all previously accrued sick leave and personal leave.
H. The Board and the Association recognize that appropriate governmental agencies that have jurisdiction may promulgate rulings and/or regulations that may impact this Article. If such rulings or regulations cause any provisions to be in conflict, the parties shall meet within ten (10) days for the purpose of renegotiating only the provision(s) held to be contrary.
REDUCTION IN FORCE (RIF 13.1 This Section 13 shall apply to all Covered Employees.
13.2 As provided in state law and Board policy, the Board may cancel the employment contracts of Covered Employees when there is a justifiable decrease in the number of covered employee positions as a result of a fiscal exigency or program change as determined by the Board. However, before any meeting of the Board at which the Board will consider a proposed resolution or decision that a fiscal exigency exists or a program change is to be made that may require the cancellation of the employment contract of one or more Covered Employees, the Superintendent shall convene a meeting of the Professional Council established pursuant to Section 7 above to consult regarding the nature and extent of the fiscal exigency or proposed program change, and regarding any plan then contemplated by the administration for reduction of covered employee positions.
13.3 If the Board decides that the number of covered employee positions is to be reduced, normal attrition, retirement, and resignations shall be considered prior to any cancellation of Covered Employee employment contracts. In the event that cancellation of Covered Employee employment contracts is necessary to achieve the reduction required by the Board, the following shall be considered as significant factors in determining which particular employment contracts will be recommended for cancellation:
13.3.1 The needs of the district.
13.3.2 The best interest of the students enrolled in the district.
13.3.3 Education, licensing endorsements and other professional qualifications.
13.3.4 Job performance over the previous three year period as measured using the criteria and standards set by the Board for evaluation of Teachers and Counselors in accordance with applicable state law and state board of education rules governing evaluation of licensed personnel.
13.4 The probationary or non-probationary status of a Covered Employee, and the seniority of a Covered Employee, shall also be considered as additional factors in determining which employment contracts will be recommended for cancellation as a result of the decrease in covered employee positions, except that such additional factors may be considered only after the consideration of the factors set forth in the Paragraph 13.3 above, and only if consideration of such additional factors is in the best interest of the students enrolled in the district. The parties agree that such additional factors shall be applied as follows: (1) as between Covered Employees in the same endorsement area for whom the factors set forth subparagraph 13.3.1 to 13.3.4, above are not determinative as to whose employment contract should be cancelled, the Probationary I Covered Employees should be cancelled first, Probationary II Covered Employees second, and Probationary III Covered Employees third, before the employment contracts of Non-probationary Status Covered Employees are cancelled; and (2) as between Non-probationary Status Covered Employees in the same licensed and endorsement area for whom the factors set forth subparagraph 13.3.1 to 13.3.4, above are not determinative as to whose employment contract should be cancelled, the employment contracts of Non-probationary Status Covered Employees will be cancelled in the inverse order of seniority.
13.5 Covered Employees who have been subject to a RIF shall have the right to be recalled to a covered employee position, for which they are qualified, within the District for one (1) year from the date of RIF. Covered Employees shall be recalled in reverse order of RIF and previously accrued benefits shall be restored.
13.6 Probationary Covered Employees whose contracts will be canceled during, instead of at the end of, a school year; and Non-probationary Status Covered Employees whose contracts will be canceled either during, or at the end of, a school year, shall have a right to a hearing on the propriety of such cancellation in accordance with Board policy and regulations. If such a hearing is desired, the Covered Employee will request it in writing to the Board or Superintendent within ten (10) days after being notified of the proposed contract cancellation. If a hearing is requested, the Board will appoint an impartial hearing officer, who will specify the procedural rules to apply at such hearing. At the hearing, the Covered Employee may be represented by a person of the Covered Employee’s choice.
Termination of Seniority An employee's seniority shall terminate:
A. If the employee resigns
B. If the employee retires
C. If the employee is discharged
D. If the employee is laid off for a period of more than twenty-four (24) consecutive months
E. If the employee who has completed his/her probationary period fails to report to work as scheduled after any authorized absence or layoff, he may be terminated effective on the 4th calendar day following the scheduled return to work date
Retention of Seniority (a) Any employee, other than a probationary employee, whose employment ceases through no fault of his own, shall retain seniority and shall be recalled on the following basis:
(i) An employee with less than one year's continuous service shall retain these rights for six (6) months from the date of lay-off.
(ii) An employee with one or more year's continuous service shall retain these rights for twelve (12) months from the date of lay-off, plus two (2) additional months for each year's service up to an additional twenty-four (24) months.
(b) Failure of the employee to report for work within one (1) week of notice by registered mail at their last address reported to and received by the mill shall result in his termination of employment with the Company. Bona fide reasons for failure to report shall not deprive an employee of his recall rights.
Staff Reduction 11.1 When a reduction within the District is needed, the affected employee(s) and the Association will be notified as to which position(s) will be eliminated or reduced at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the reduction.
11.2 When a reduction within the District is needed, the Board will determine which position(s) will be eliminated or reduced. An employee whose position will be eliminated or reduced shall have the right to displace an employee in his/her present job classification or another job classification in accordance with the following:
a. The laid off or reduced employee has greater seniority than the employee to be displaced.
b. The laid off or reduced employee had an equal or greater number of hours in his/her regular schedule than the employee to be displaced.
c. The laid off or reduced employee presently has the necessary qualifications to perform the work.
d. The laid off or reduced employee elects to exercise his/her displacement rights within five (5) working days of notification of his/her layoff or reduction. An employee displaced under this section is also entitled to displacement rights under this section.
11.3 When filling vacancies which occur after a reduction in staff, laid off bargaining unit members who have been released less than two (2) years, shall be recalled in the order of seniority, with the most senior member being recalled first to any position for which he/she is qualified. Effective July 1, 1991, newly hired bargaining unit members shall be subject to recall for two (2) years. If the employee fails to report to work within ten (10) working days from the receipt of the recall notice via certified or registered mail, that person shall be considered a voluntary terminated employee. However, if an employee is recalled to a position of lesser hours, he/she shall have the option to refuse the position and shall not be removed from the recall list as a result of this action.
11.4 An employee may elect to accept layoff rather than exercise his/her bumping rights.
11.5 For the purposes of this agreement, qualified shall be defined as capable of skillfully and efficiently performing the job duties as summarized in the job description in a competent manner with minimal instruction. The District reserves the right to test employees as needed. Qualified includes the following:
a. Any licenses, certification and training necessary to perform the job, and
b. demonstrated skills and merits. The most senior qualified employee shall be selected, excepting that a less senior candidate may be selected if he/she has greatly superior training and skills. The burden of proof of greatly superior training and skills shall be on the Board.
WORKFORCE REDUCTION SECTION 1 Layoffs
(A) When employees are to be laid off as defined in the F.S., the state shall implement such layoff in the following manner:
(1) The competitive area for the bargaining unit shall be statewide unless the Department and PBA agree otherwise.
(2) Layoff shall be by class or occupational level within the Security Services Bargaining Unit.
(3) An employee who has not attained permanent status in his current position may be laid off without applying the provision for retention rights.
(4) No employee with permanent status in his current position shall be laid off while an employee who does not hold permanent status in his current position is serving in that class or level unless the permanent employee does not elect to exercise his retention rights or does not meet the selective competition criteria.
(5) All employees who have permanent status in their current positions shall be ranked on a layoff list for the affected class or level based on the total retention points derived as follows:
(a) Length of service retention points shall be based on one point for each month of continuous service in a Career Service position.
1. An employee who resigns from one Career Service position to accept employment in another Career Service position is not considered to have a break in service.
2. An employee who has been laid off and is reemployed within one year from the date of the layoff shall not be considered to have a break in service.
3. Moving from Career Service to Selected Exempt Service or Senior Management Service and back to Career Service does not constitute a break in service unless the employee’s break in service is more than 31 calendar days. Only time spent in the Career Service is counted in calculating retention points.
(b) Retention points deducted for performance not meeting performance standards or work expectations defined for the position shall be based on the five years immediately prior to the agency’s established cutoff date. Five points shall be deducted for each month an employee has a rating below performance expectations.
(6) The layoff list shall be prepared by totaling retention points. Employees eligible for veterans’ preference pursuant to section 295.07(1)(a) or (b), F.S., shall have 15 percent added to their total retention points, those eligible pursuant to section 295.07(1)(c), (d), or (e), F.S., shall have 10 percent added to their total retention points, and those eligible pursuant to section 295.071(1)(f), or (g), F.S., shall have five percent added to their total retention points.
(7) The employee with the highest total retention points is placed at the top of the list, and the employee with the lowest retention points is placed at the bottom of the list.
(8) The employee at the top of the list shall bump the employee at the bottom of the list. The next highest employee on the list and the remaining employees shall be handled in the same manner until the total number of filled positions in the class to be abolished is complete.
(9) Should two or more employees have the same combined total of retention points, the order of layoff shall be determined by giving preference for retention in the following sequence:
(a) The employee with the longest service in the affected class.
(b) The employee with the longest continuous service in the Career Service.
(c) The employee who is entitled to veterans’ preference pursuant to section 295.07(1), F.S.
(10) An employee who has permanent status in his current position and is to be laid off shall be given at least 14 calendar days’ notice of such layoff or two weeks’ pay, or a combination of days of notice and pay. Any payment will be made at the employee’s current hourly base rate of pay. The notice of layoff shall be in writing and sent to the employee by certified mail, return receipt requested. Within seven calendar days after receiving the notice of layoff, the employee shall have the right to request, in writing, a lateral action, reassignment, or demotion within the competitive area in lieu of layoff to a position in a class within the bargaining unit in which the employee held permanent status, or to a position in a class at the level of or below the class in the bargaining unit in which the employee held permanent status.
(11) An employee’s request for lateral action, reassignment, or demotion shall be granted unless it would cause the layoff of another employee who possesses a greater total of retention points.
(12) An employee adversely affected as a result of another employee having a greater number of retention points shall have the same right of lateral action, reassignment or demotion under the same procedure as provided in this section.
(13) If an employee requests a lateral action, reassignment, or demotion in lieu of layoff, the same formula and criteria for establishing retention points for that class shall be used as prescribed in this section.
(B) If there is to be a layoff of employees, the state shall take all reasonable steps to place any adversely affected employees in existing vacancies for which they are qualified.
(C) If work performed by employees in this unit is to be performed by non-state employees, the state agrees to encourage the employing entity to consider any adversely affected unit employees for employment in its organization if the state has been unable to place the employees in other positions within the State Personnel System.
Definition of Total Disability Total disability means that the employee is unable, because of sickness or accident, to perform the duties of their regular occupation. This definition applies for the first twenty-four (24) months of payments. After this time, the inability to perform an occupation for which the employee is reasonably fitted by training, education or experience will constitute total disability. It is not required that an employee be confined to home, but they must be under the regular care of a physician.
Application of Seniority Seniority shall be the controlling factor in the following situations:
