Department Responsibilities The use of sick leave may properly be denied if these procedures are not followed. Abuse of sick leave on the part of the employee is cause for disciplinary action. Departmental approval of sick leave is a certification of the legitimacy of the sick leave claim. The department head or designee may make reasonable inquiries about employee absences. The department may require medical verification for an absence of three (3) or more working days. The department may also require medical verification for absences of less than three (3) working days for probable cause if the employee had been notified in advance in writing that such verification was necessary. Inquiries may be made in the following ways:
1. Calling the employee's residence telephone number or other contact telephone number provided by the employee if telephone notification was not made in accordance with departmental sick leave call-in guidelines. These inquiries shall be subject to any restrictions imposed by the employee under Section 14.4.a.
2. Obtaining the employee's signature on the Absence/Overtime Record, or on another form established for that purpose, as employee certification of the legitimacy of the claim.
3. Obtaining the employee's written statement regarding the sick leave claim and duration.
4. Requiring the employee to obtain a physician's certificate or verification of the employee's illness, date(s) the employee was incapacitated, and the employee's ability to return to work, as specified above.
5. In absences of an extended nature, requiring the employee to obtain from their physician a statement of progress and anticipated date on which the employee will be able to return to work, as specified above. Department heads are responsible for establishing timekeeping procedures which will insure the submission of a time card covering each employee absence and for operating their respective offices in accordance with these policies and with clarifying regulations issued by the Office of the County Administrator. To help assure uniform policy application, the Director of Human Resources or designated management staff of the County Human Resources Department should be contacted with respect to sick leave determinations about which the department is in doubt.
Areas of Responsibility The lateral and vertical limits of the respective areas of responsibility are as follows:
District Responsibilities With respect to all sums deducted by the District pursuant to authorization of the employee, whether for membership dues or equivalent fees, the District agrees promptly to remit such monies to the Association together with an alphabetical list of unit members for who such deductions have been made, categorizing them as to membership or non-membership in the Association, and indicating any changes in personnel from the list previously furnished.
Health and Safety Committees In order to provide a safe and healthful workplace, local unit level LMCs shall establish Health and Safety Committees. Each committee will be composed of an equal number of representatives appointed by the Union and the Employer and will be co-chaired by a Union and Employer representative. A Union representative must be a member of the unit but either party may be accompanied by staff and/or other subject matter experts who may participate, but not vote, at meetings. Each party shall prepare and submit an agenda to the other party one week prior to any scheduled meeting. If neither party submits an agenda, the meeting shall be canceled. Each committee’s general responsibility will be to provide a safe and healthful workplace by recognizing hazards and recommending the abatement of hazards and educational programs. Each committee will:
1. Meet on an established schedule;
2. arrange periodic inspections to detect, evaluate and offer recommendations for control of potential health and safety hazards;
3. appoint members of the committee to participate in inspections, investigations, or other established health and safety functions to the extent necessary;
4. receive and review a quarterly summary of job-related health and safety reports including accident reports and make appropriate recommendations;
5. investigate all types of employee job-related accidents and all types of occupational illnesses and make recommendations;
6. promote health and safety education;
7. study the use of VDTs and make appropriate recommendations to ensure the health and safety of employees regarding such use;
8. maintain and review minutes of all committee meetings; and
9. review the availability and adequacy of first aid supplies and equipment and address any inadequacies. In cases where summary reports are provided, a committee member may request and receive an individual case file or report. In no case will an employee’s records be provided when the law forbids disclosure. In addition, employees’ names will normally be deleted but may be provided to all committee members in instances where committee members need to know the name(s) of employee(s) to effectively represent the bargaining unit(s) and disclosure of name(s) is not prohibited by law. The Employer may require committee members and union representatives to sign confidentiality statements. Members of each Health and Safety Committee will be paid by the Employer while performing committee duties, including travel time, and will also be paid for any time spent in committee approved training related to health and safety. The Committee will develop an annual training program for its members. Each Health and Safety Committee will establish rules consistent with the above principles. A mechanism to coordinate the efforts of individual Health and Safety Committees will be established at each agency.
Function of Joint Health and Safety Committee All incidents involving aggression or violence shall be brought to the attention of the Joint Health and Safety Committee. The Employer agrees that the Joint Health and Safety Committee shall concern itself with all matters relating to violence to staff.
Scope of Responsibilities The Management Committee shall have the following responsibilities:
(a) Supervision and review of the work of the other ISO Committees;
(b) Review and determination of appeals from actions of the other Committees, and the ability to suspend an action by another Committee pending appeal if the Management Committee determines that such suspension is warranted;
(c) Development of procedures for the consideration and determination of requests for the stay of an action by another Committee;
(d) Development of positions on ISO operations, policies, rules and procedures and provision of recommendations to the other Committees and the Board;
(e) Preparation of the ISO capital and operating budgets for review and approval by the ISO Board; and
(f) Subject to Article 19, proposing changes to the ISO OATT, the ISO Services Tariff and this Agreement, reviewing and making recommendations with respect to tariff changes proposed by the ISO Board;
(g) Adoption of by-laws for the Management Committee and the review and approval of the by-laws of the other ISO Committees and amendments thereto;
(h) Development of procedures and policies for all ISO Committees for the handling of confidential information; and
(i) Such other responsibilities and powers conferred on it by the ISO Board. Decisions by the Management Committee may be appealed to the ISO Board by any Party.
Occupational Health and Safety Committee
(a) The parties agree that a joint occupational health and safety committee will be established. The Committee shall govern itself in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations made pursuant to the Workers Compensation Act. The Committee shall be between the Employer and the Union, with equal representation, and with each party appointing its own representatives. The Union agrees to actively pursue with the other Health Care unions, where more than one union is certified with the Employer, a joint union/employer committee for the purposes of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
(b) Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages while attending meetings of the Joint Committee. Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages to participate in joint workplace inspections and joint accident investigations at the request of the Committee pursuant to the WCB Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. Committee meetings, workplace inspections and accident investigations shall be scheduled during normal working hours whenever practicable.
(c) The Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall have as part of its mandate the jurisdiction to receive complaints or concerns regarding workload problems which are safety-related, the right to investigate such complaints, the right to define the problem and the right to make recommendations for a solution. Where the Committee determines that a safety-related workload problem exists, it shall inform the Employer. Within 21 days thereafter, the Employer shall advise the Committee what steps it has taken or proposes to take to rectify the safety-related workload problem identified by the Committee. If the Union is not satisfied with the Employer's response, it may refer the matter to the Industry Trouble shooter for a written recommendation.
(d) No employee shall be disciplined for refusal to work when excused by the provisions of the
Health and Safety Committee Where required a committee will be formed and will meet where required by the Employer’s safety policies and by statute.
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY (APPLIES TO RNS ONLY 19.01 The parties agree that resident care is enhanced if concerns relating to professional practice and workload are resolved in a timely and effective manner, as set out below; In the event that the Home assigns a number of residents or a workload to an individual employee or group of employees, such that she or they have cause to believe that she or they are being asked to perform more work than is consistent with proper resident care, she or they shall:
i) At the time the workload issue occurs, discuss the issue within the Home to develop strategies to meet resident care needs using current resources. If necessary, using established lines of communication, seek immediate assistance from an individual(s) identified by the Home who has responsibility for timely resolution of workload issues.
ii) Failing resolution at the time of occurrence of the workload issue, complain in writing to the Union-Management Committee within twenty (20) calendar days of the alleged improper assignment. The chairperson of the Union-Management Committee shall convene a meeting of the Union-Management Committee within twenty (20) calendar days of the filing of the complaint. The Union-Management Committee shall hear and attempt to resolve the complaint to the satisfaction of both parties. The Employer will provide a written response to the Union, with a copy to the ONA representation within ten (10) calendar days.
iii) Prior to the complaint being forwarded to the Independent Assessment Committee, the Union may forward a written report outlining the complaint and recommendations to the Director of Resident Care and/or the Administrator.
iv) At any time during this process, the parties may agree to the use of a mediator to assist in the resolution of the Professional Practice issues.
v) Any settlement arrived at under 19.01 (a) i) – iii) shall be signed by the parties.
vi) Failing resolution of the complaint within twenty (20) calendar days of the meeting of the Union-Management Committee, the complaint shall be forwarded to an independent Assessment Committee composed of three (3) registered nurses; one chosen by the Ontario Nurses' Association, one chosen by the Home and one chosen from a panel of independent registered nurses who are well respected within the profession. The member of the Committee chosen from the panel of independent registered nurses shall act as Chairperson.
vii) The Independent Assessment Committee shall set a date to conduct a hearing into the complaint, within twenty (20) calendar days of its appointment, and shall be empowered to investigate as is necessary to properly assess the merits of the complaint. The Independent Assessment Committee shall report its findings, in writing, to the parties within twenty (20) calendar days following completion of its hearing.
(b) i) The list of Independent Assessment Committee Chairpersons is attached as Appendix “B”. The members of the panel shall sit in rotation as agreed by the parties. If a panel member is unable to sit within the time limit stipulated, the panel member next scheduled to sit will be appointed by the parties.
Scope of Responsibility Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, the Escrow Agent is obligated only to perform the duties specifically set forth in this Escrow Agreement, which shall be deemed purely ministerial in nature. Under no circumstances will the Escrow Agent be deemed to be a fiduciary to any Party or any other person under this Escrow Agreement. The Escrow Agent will not be responsible or liable for the failure of any Party to perform in accordance with this Escrow Agreement. The Escrow Agent shall neither be responsible for, nor chargeable with, knowledge of the terms and conditions of any other agreement, instrument, or document other than this Escrow Agreement, whether or not an original or a copy of such agreement has been provided to the Escrow Agent; and the Escrow Agent shall have no duty to know or inquire as to the performance or nonperformance of any provision of any such agreement, instrument, or document. References in this Escrow Agreement to any other agreement, instrument, or document are for the convenience of the Parties, and the Escrow Agent has no duties or obligations with respect thereto. This Escrow Agreement sets forth all matters pertinent to the escrow contemplated hereunder, and no additional obligations of the Escrow Agent shall be inferred or implied from the terms of this Escrow Agreement or any other agreement.
