Association Business Duly authorized representatives of the Association shall be permitted to transact official Association business on school property at all reasonable times provided that such activities shall not interfere with normal school operations.
Leave for Association Business The Hospital agrees to grant leaves of absence, without pay, to nurses selected by the Association to attend Association 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 Association 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 Association. The Hospital will bill the local Association within a reasonable period of time. Part-time nurses will receive service and seniority credit for all leaves granted under this Article.
Time Off for Union Business (a) Leave of absence without pay shall be granted upon request for the reasons set out below unless it would unduly interrupt the Employer's operations: (1) to an elected or appointed representative of the Union to attend conventions of the Union and bodies to which the Union is affiliated, to a maximum of 21 days per occurrence; (2) for elected or appointed representatives of the Union to attend to union business which requires them to leave their general work area; (3) for employees who are representatives of the Union on a bargaining committee. (b) Long-term leave of absence without pay shall be granted to employees designated by the Union to transact union business for specific periods of not less than 21 days unless this would unduly interrupt the operation of the department. Such requests shall be made in writing sufficiently in advance to minimize disruption of the department. Employees granted such leave of absence shall retain all rights and privileges accumulated prior to obtaining such leave. Seniority shall continue to accumulate during such leave and shall apply to such provisions as annual vacations, increments and promotions. (c) When leave of absence without pay is granted pursuant to Part (a) or (b), the leave shall be given with pay and the Union shall reimburse the Employer for salary and benefit costs, including travel time incurred, within 60 days of receipt of the invoice. It is understood that employees granted leave of absence pursuant to this clause shall receive their current rates of pay while on leave of absence. Leave of absence granted under this clause shall include sufficient travel time. The pay and benefits received by the employee and reimbursed by the Union under this article shall be based on the number of hours to which the Union indicates, in writing, the employee is entitled. This provision does not apply to employees on extended leaves of absence who are employed by the Union on a full-time basis. (d) Leave of absence with pay and without loss of seniority will be granted to an employee called to appear as a witness before an arbitration board, provided the dispute involved the Employer. On application, the Arbitration Board may determine summarily the amount of time required for the attendance of any witness. (e) The Union shall provide the Employer with reasonable notice to minimize disruption of the operation and shall make every reasonable effort to give a minimum of 14 days’ notice prior to the commencement of leave under (a) or (b) above. The Employer agrees that any of the above leaves of absence shall not be unreasonably withheld.
