Grievance Process (a) Either party, with the agreement of the other party, may submit a grievance to Grievance Mediation at any time within ten (10) working days after the Employer’s decision has been rendered at the step prior to arbitration. Where the matter is so referred, the mediation process shall take place before the matter is referred to Arbitrator.
(b) Grievance Mediation shall be scheduled within twenty (20) working days of the grievance being submitted to mediation, or longer period as agreed by the parties.
(c) No matter may be submitted to Grievance Mediation which has not been properly carried through the grievance procedure, provided that the parties may extend the time limits fixed in the grievance procedure.
(d) The parties shall agree on a mediator.
(e) Proceedings before the Mediator shall be informal. Accordingly, the rules of evidence will not apply, no record of the proceedings shall be made and legal counsel shall not be used by either party, unless otherwise mutually agreed.
(f) If possible, an agreed statement of facts will be provided to the Mediator, and if possible, in advance of the Grievance Mediation Conference.
(g) The Mediator will have the authority to meet separately with either party.
(h) If no settlement is reached within five (5) working days following Grievance Mediation, the parties are free to submit the matter to Arbitration in accordance with the provisions of the collective agreement. In the event that a grievance which has been mediated subsequently proceeds to arbitration, no person serving as the Mediator may serve as an Arbitrator, unless otherwise mutually agreed. Nothing said or done by the mediator may be referred to Arbitration.
(i) The Union and Employer will share the cost of the Mediator, if any.
Disciplinary Grievances If the grievance is not resolved at Step 2, the Union may file a request for mediation with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) in accordance with WAC 000-00-000, with a copy to the Office of Financial Management/SHR/Labor Relations Section (OFM/SHR/LRS) and the Human Resources Office within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the Step 2 decision. In addition to all other filing requirements, the request must include a copy of the grievance and all previous responses.
DISCIPLINARY AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES 16.1 The Employee is subject to the Company's disciplinary and grievance procedures, copies of which are available from the Group HR Manager. These procedures do not form part of the Employee's contract of employment.
16.2 If the Employee wants to raise a grievance, he may apply in writing to the CEO in accordance with the Company's grievance procedure.
16.3 If the Employee wishes to appeal against a disciplinary decision, he may apply in writing to the CEO in accordance with the Company's disciplinary procedure.
16.4 The Company may suspend the Employee from any or all of his duties for no longer than is necessary to investigate any disciplinary matter involving the Employee or so long as is otherwise reasonable while any disciplinary procedure against the Employee is outstanding.
16.5 During any period of suspension:
a) the Employee shall continue to receive his basic salary and all contractual benefits in the usual way and subject to the terms of any benefit arrangement;
b) the Employee shall remain an employee of the Company and bound by the terms of this agreement;
c) the Employee shall ensure that the CEO knows where he will be and how he can be contacted during each working day (except during any periods taken as holiday in the usual way);
d) the Company may exclude the Employee from his place of work or any other premises of the Company; and
e) the Company may require the Employee not to contact or deal with (or attempt to contact or deal with) any officer, employee, consultant, client, customer, supplier, agent, distributor, shareholder, adviser or other business contact of the Company.
CENTRAL GRIEVANCE PROCESS The following process pertains exclusively to grievances on central matters that have been referred to the central process. In accordance with the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act central matters may also be grieved locally, in which case local grievance processes will apply.
Disciplinary Process (a) Prior to disciplining an Employee, the Employer will notify the Unit 5 Chairperson, with a copy to the President of Unifor Local 5555, of the nature of the alleged offence.
(b) Following notification of the Unit 5 Chairperson, the Employer will meet with the Employee and a Union Representative. At this meeting, the Employer will advise the Employee of the alleged offence and provide the Employee with an opportunity to respond.
(c) Within 10 days following this meeting or any additional meeting that the Employer may require, the Employer will decide whether or not discipline is to be imposed, and, if so, at what level, and this decision will be communicated orally and in writing at a meeting with the Employee and Union Representative. A copy of the written decision will be provided to the Unit 5 Chairperson with a copy to the President of Unifor Local 5555. The 10-day timeline will be extended in circumstances where the Employee and/or the Union Representative are unable to meet within the timeline or where the nature of the investigation requires more time. The Employer will notify the Union as soon as practicable in these scenarios.
(d) In cases of suspension without pay, the suspension will be served beginning on one of the following two dates:
i. if the decision to suspend is not subject to a grievance, the first date the employee is scheduled to work following 5 Working Days from the date the suspension was communicated to the Employee; and
ii. if the decision to suspend is subject to a grievance, the first date the employee is scheduled to work following a denial of the grievance at Step 3.
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE A. A grievance shall be defined as an alleged violation, misinterpretation, or misapplication of this Agreement or written Board policies affecting working conditions of the member. Should a member/Association feel that there has been a violation, he/she will take the following steps:
Step 1: The member/Association, with or without a designated representative, shall discuss the grievance with the Supervisor informally within five (5) work days of the alleged violation and, if not resolved, shall file a written grievance with the Supervisor within fifteen (15) work days of the alleged violation and discuss the written grievance with the Supervisor within five (5) work days after the grievance is filed. If no satisfactory conclusion is reached within five (5) work days following the discussion of the written grievance with the Supervisor, the member/Association shall submit the written grievance within five (5) work days of the discussion with the Supervisor to Step 2. A grievance which is not within the scope of a Supervisor's authority may be filed initially at step 2. The written grievance, as required herein, shall contain:
a. it shall be signed by the grievant(s)/Association.
b. it shall be specific;
c. it shall contain a synopsis of the facts giving rise to the alleged violation;
d. it shall cite the section or subsections of this contract or written Board policy alleged to have been violated;
e. it shall contain the date of the alleged violation;
f. it shall specify the relief requested;
g. it shall indicate approval or disapproval by the Association.
Step 2: The Superintendent or his/her designated agent shall arrange a meeting with the grievant and/or the designated Association representative within ten (10) work days after receipt of the grievance to discuss the grievance. Within ten (10) work days of the discussion, the Superintendent or his/her designated agent shall render his/her decision in writing, transmitting a copy of the same to the grievant, the Association representative, and appropriate Supervisor, and place a copy of same in a permanent file in his/her office. If the decision of the Superintendent is unsatisfactory to the Association, the Association may appeal same to the Board of Education by filing a written grievance, along with the decision of the Superintendent, with the officer of the Board in charge of drawing up the agenda for the Board's meeting, within ten (10) work days of receipt of the Superintendent's decision.
Grievance Procedures The AGENCY agrees to establish a formal written grievance process with procedures through which clients and recipients of services may present grievances to the governing authority of the AGENCY regarding services being provided under this Contract. Additionally, the AGENCY agrees to establish fair hearing procedures that ensure all persons will be advised of their rights to a fair hearing to appeal a denial or exclusion from services and/or the failure of staff to take into account the individual’s choice of service. The AGENCY’S internal grievance procedure must document and include, at a minimum, the following: date of grievance, a written response to the applicant sent within thirty (30) days, and the opportunity for the applicant to meet with the AGENCY Executive Director or designee. Upon request by the COUNTY, the AGENCY shall provide a written report as to the grievance outcome within five (5) normal COUNTY working days. The AGENCY will maintain these documents on file for review by the COUNTY.
Grievance Processing Union stewards or Union officials shall be permitted to have time off without loss of pay for the investigation and processing of grievances and arbitrations. Requests for such time off shall be made in advance and shall not be unreasonably denied. The Union will furnish the Employer with a list of Union stewards and their jurisdictions. The Union shall delineate the jurisdiction of Union stewards so that no xxxxxxx need travel between work locations or sub-divisions thereof while investigating grievances. Grievants shall be permitted to have time off without loss of pay for processing their grievances through the contractual grievance procedure, except that for class action grievances no more than three (3) grievants shall be granted such leave.
Informal Grievance Procedure Employees are encouraged to act promptly to attempt to resolve disputes with their manager/supervisor through an informal procedure. A meeting between the manager/supervisor and the employee should take place whenever requested by either party to assist, to clarify or resolve the grievance. The employee may be accompanied by his/her Union representative at the informal meeting. Any resolution reached at the informal step must be in accordance with the provisions of this agreement, or other rule or ordinance and shall not set precedent.
COMPLAINT AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE 9.01 Where a difference arises between the parties relating to the interpretation, application or administration of this Agreement, including any questions as to whether a matter is arbitrable, or where an allegation is made that this Agreement has been violated or whenever an employee who has completed the required probationary period and has been accepted by the Employer for employment in the permanent service, claims that he/she has been disciplined or discharged without reasonable cause, such difference, allegation or claim being hereinafter referred to as the grievance, the grievance procedure set forth below shall apply.
9.02 The Association shall name, appoint or otherwise select a Grievance Committee of no more than three (3) who shall be members of the Association and shall have reached at least the rank of First Class Fire Fighter and other advisors as deemed necessary at the expense of the Association. The Employer shall recognize and deal with the Grievance committee with respect to any matter or dispute which properly arises from a breach of the Collective Agreement from time to time during its term. This committee shall suffer no loss as a result of their attendance at such grievance meetings, hearings, etc.
9.03 No grievance will be considered where the circumstances giving rise to it occurred or originated more than ten (10) full working days before the submission of the grievance.
Step 1 - An employee having a grievance will take the matter up through their Association representative. The President or designate shall contact Fire Management to seek a resolution.
Step 2 - If the grievance is not settled within five (5) working days, the Association shall submit the matter in writing to the Fire Chief or designate within five (5) working days of receiving the reply from Step 1. The Fire Chief or designate shall render the written decision to the Association within five (5) working days after receiving the written grievance. In the context of this Article a working day shall be deemed to be Monday to Friday excluding designated holidays.
Step 3 - If the reply of the Fire Chief is not acceptable to the Association the grievance may be referred to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) or the Director of Human Resources within five (5) working days of the written decision of the Fire Chief. The CAO or the Director of Human Resources, who together with the Fire Chief and any other advisors deemed necessary, shall meet with the Association Representatives within 5 working days to consider the grievance. Within five (5) working days of the aforesaid, the CAO or the Director of Human Resources will render a written reply to the employee and the Association.
Step 4 - If no resolve is reached at Step 3, the matter shall be submitted to arbitration. Notice shall be given within 5 business days. The parties agree that, for the purposes of this collective agreement the words of the expedited arbitration provisions of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 as amended (Section 49), will be deemed to have been incorporated into this collective agreement. Accordingly and notwithstanding any other provisions of this article (the grievance/arbitration provisions); either party may refer a grievance to expedited arbitration in accordance with the provisions of Section 49. The parties further agree that neither party will raise any jurisdictional or other objection to the application of Section 49 to a grievance under this collective agreement as it pertains to the right to an expedited arbitration. Either party is entitled however, to raise any objection, with the arbitrator with respect to whether the provisions of Section 49 have been properly utilized in respect of any specific grievance (e.g. objections with respect to time limits etc.). Such an appointment by the Minister of Labour or his or her designate will be determined to be a joint appointment in accordance with Section 53(3) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.
9.04 Extensions to the time limits in 9.03 may not be unreasonably withheld.
9.05 The employee in all steps of the grievance procedure shall be confined to the grievance and redress sought as set forth in the written grievance initially filed as provided.
