Voluntary Demotion An employee requesting a voluntary demotion from a higher-rated position and who is subsequently demoted to the lower-rated position, shall be paid on the increment step appropriate to the employee’s continuous service with the Employer. A voluntary demotion shall not change an employee’s anniversary date.
Voluntary Demotions For purposes of this Section, the term “opening” shall apply to any permanent vacancy in a classification. An employee may vacate from his current classification once per year given there is an opening and the employee is qualified to perform in the lower classification to which the employee has requested a demotion. The Department will assign voluntarily demoted employees beginning with the next employee pay cycle. Employees will have thirty (30) days to certify for position openings. No employee shall be displaced from the Department through a voluntary demotion. Employees who voluntarily demote to a lower classification will be placed in the new payline for the lower classification based on their years of service in the lower classification. Employees that voluntarily demote to the classification of Firefighter will receive credit for total time spent in the Department when being placed on that payline.
Involuntary Demotion An employee assigned to a lower rated position shall continue to be paid at the employee's current rate of pay until the rate of pay in the new position equals or exceeds it.
Discipline for Cause No member shall be reduced in pay or position, suspended, removed, or reprimanded except for just cause. In the event of a grievance, employees shall appeal disciplinary actions which result in time-off without pay, or removal to Step Three of the grievance procedure within seven (7) calendar days after written notice of such action is served upon the affected member. Probationary removals or reductions are not appealable to the grievance procedure. Employees given written reprimands of record may, upon request, meet with the Chief Deputy and/or the Sheriff (or designee) to discuss the discipline. This meeting can be conducted with or without Union representation. The results of such meetings shall not be subject to appeal through the grievance procedure. If a member disagrees with the verbal or written reprimand, the member may write a memorandum to the Sheriff explaining the reason(s) for the disagreement. The memorandum will be attached to the reprimand.
Disciplinary Notice Each employee shall receive a copy of any formal disciplinary notice that is to be placed in his/her personnel file. With the consent of the employee concerned, notification shall be given to the Local Union that a disciplinary notice is being served on the employee.
Right to Grieve Disciplinary Action Employees shall have the right to grieve written censures or warnings, and adverse employee appraisals. Employees shall have the right to rebut in writing any disciplinary notice and that rebuttal will be placed in the employee file, but will not be part of the formal disciplinary record. Should an employee dispute any such entry in his/her file, he/she shall be entitled to recourse through the Grievance Procedure and the eventual resolution thereof shall become part of his/her personal record.
