Grievance Steps Step One (1) - Filing the Grievance with the Agency Director or Designee If an employee or the Union believes that he/she has been assigned duties not within his/her current classification, the employee or the Union may file a grievance with the Agency Director or designee. The Agency Director or designee shall investigate and issue a decision after review and approval by the Office of Collective Bargaining, within thirty-five (35) calendar days. A copy of the Director’s or designee’s decision and a legible copy of the grievance form shall be provided to the grievant and OCSEA Central Office. If the parties mutually agree, a meeting to attempt to resolve the grievance may be held at the grievant’s work site prior to the issuance of the decision of the Director or designee. A request by the Office of Collective Bargaining to discuss the resolution of the grievance shall not extend the twenty (20) day period within which the Union has a right to appeal the matter to arbitration under Step Two (2). If the Director or designee determines that the employee is performing duties which meet the classification concept and which constitute a substantial portion of the duties (i.e., twenty percent (20%) or more of the employee’s time if to a higher classification or eighty percent (80%) of the employee’s time if to a lower classification) specified in another classification specification, the Director shall order the immediate discontinuance of the inappropriate duties being performed by the employee, unless the parties agree to the reclassification of the person and position pursuant to the provisions of this Article. If the duties are determined to be those contained in a classification with a lower pay range than the employee’s current classification, no monetary award will be issued. If the duties are determined to be those contained in a classification with a higher pay range than that of the employee’s current classification, the Director or designee shall issue an award of monetary relief, provided that the employee has performed the duties as previously specified for a period of four (4) or more working days. The amount of the monetary award shall be the difference between the employee’s regular hourly rate of pay, and the hourly rate of pay at the applicable step of the higher pay range for the new classification. The applicable step shall be the step in the higher pay range which is approximately four percent (4%) higher than the current step rate of the employee. If a step does not exist in the higher pay range that guarantees the employee approximately a four percent (4%) increase, the employee will be placed in the last step of the higher pay range. The placement into the last step does not necessarily guarantee a four percent (4%) increase. If the higher level duties are of a permanent nature as agreed to by the Union and the Employer, the employee shall be reclassified to the higher classification. If the duties are determined to be those contained in a classification with a lower pay range eighty percent (80%) or more of the time than that of the employee’s current classification: 1.) the Director or designee shall issue an award to cease the assignment of the lower level duties, and take appropriate action to assign duties consistent with the employee’s current classification; or 2.) the parties mutually agree to reclassify the employee to the lower level classification, the employee may be reassigned to the appropriate classification; or 3.) if the duties cannot be assigned by the Employer, other actions, as appropriate, may be initiated under this Agreement. Management shall discuss options with the Union. In no event shall the monetary award be retroactive to a date earlier than four (4) working days prior to the date of the filing of the original grievance. The date of the filing of the grievance shall be determined by the postmark or other evidence of delivery, whichever is earlier, to the agency. Step Two (2) - Appeal to Arbitration Grievances which have not been settled under the foregoing procedure may be appealed to arbitration by the Union by providing a written appeal and a legible copy of the Working Out of Class grievance form to the Deputy Director of the Office of Collective Bargaining within twenty (20) days of the Step One (1) answer or the date such answer was due. If the Employer fails to issue the answer and legible copy of the grievance form to the Central Office, the Union may appeal the grievance to arbitration at such time as it discovers such failure to timely answer, but not more than one-hundred twenty (120) days from the original filing of the grievance. The parties shall schedule an arbitrator to determine if an employee was performing the duties which meet the classification concept and consist of a substantial portion of the duties (i.e., 20% or more of the employee’s time if to a higher classification or eighty percent (80%) of the employee’s time if to a lower classification) as specified in the classification specification other than the one to which the employee is currently assigned and for what period of time. Present at the hearing shall be a union representative, the grievant or the employee whose duties are being challenged, and a management representative and agency designee who will present their arguments to the arbitrator. The employee’s position description will be admitted into evidence at the hearing. If the Union disagrees with the accuracy of the position description, it may file objections with the Management advocate accompanied by its version of what actual duties were performed at least two
