Retraining (a) Where a skill shortage is identified, the employer may offer a surplus employee retraining to meet that skill shortage with financial assistance up to the maintenance of full salary plus appropriate training expenses. It may not be practical to offer retraining to some employees identified as surplus. The employer needs to make decisions on the basis of cost, the availability of appropriate training schemes and the suitability of individuals for retraining.
(b) If an employee is redeployed to a position which is similar to his or her previous one, any retraining may be minimal, taking the form of "on the job" training such as induction or in service education. Where an employee is deployed to a new occupation or a dissimilar position the employer should consider such forms of retraining as in-service education, block courses or night courses at a technical institute, nursing bridging programmes, etc.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY (a) It is a mutual interest of the parties to promote health and safety in workplaces and to prevent and reduce the occurrence of workplace injuries and occupational diseases. The parties agree that health and safety is of the utmost importance and agree to promote health and safety and wellness throughout the organization. The employer shall provide orientation and training in health and safety to new and current employees on an ongoing basis, and employees shall attend required health and safety training sessions. Accordingly, the parties fully endorse the responsibilities of employer and employee under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, making particular reference to the following:
Pregnancy and Parental Leave (a) Pregnancy/Parenting leave will be granted in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Standards Act, except where amended in this provision.
(b) If possible the employee shall give written notification at least one (1) month in advance of the date of commencement of such leave and the expected date of return.
(c) The employee shall reconfirm her intention to return to work on the date originally approved in subsection (b) above by written notification received by the Employer at least four (4) weeks in advance thereof. The employee shall be reinstated to her former position, unless the position has been discontinued in which case she shall be given a comparable job.
(d) An employee who is on pregnancy leave as provided under this Agreement, who has completed five (5) months of continuous service and has applied for and is in receipt of Employment Insurance pregnancy/ parental benefits pursuant to the Employment Insurance Act shall be paid a supplemental employment benefit. That benefit will be equivalent to the difference between seventy-five percent (75%) of her regular weekly earnings (which for part-time employees shall include percentage-in-lieu) and the sum of her weekly Employment Insurance benefits and any other earnings. Such payment shall commence following receipt by the Employer of the employee's Employment Insurance cheque stub as proof that she is in receipt of Employment Insurance pregnancy/ parenting benefits, and shall continue while the employee is in receipt of such benefits for a maximum period of seventeen (17) weeks. The employee will endeavour to provide a copy of the Employment Insurance cheque stub within two (2) weeks of receipt of the employee’s EI benefit. The employee's regular weekly earnings shall be determined by multiplying her regular hourly rate on her last day worked prior to the commencement of the leave times her normal weekly hours. The normal weekly hours for an employee working less than seventy-five
Family and Medical Leave (FMLA FMLA leave shall be granted pursuant to applicable law.
Family and Medical Leave Act The Family and Medical Leave Act will be followed in approving a Leave of Absence. Contract provisions that provide greater benefits than the Family and Medical Leave Act will be followed.
Family and Medical Leave The Employer shall provide employees with the benefits of the Family and Medical Leave Act on a fair and equitable basis in accordance with applicable law and regulation.
Employee Safety
A. All incidents of workplace violence, unsafe equipment or job conditions shall be brought to the attention of the immediate supervisor, or in their absence, the next higher level of supervision. Should the unsafe condition not be corrected within a reasonable time, the equipment or job practice shall be brought to the attention of the Safety Committee. Additionally, employees shall report any exposure to known or suspected carcinogens in writing on a separate form. A copy of the form shall be sent to the Local Safety Committee. Employees have the right to file complaints with the State Department of Labor and Industry OSHA Division.
B. Any protective equipment or clothing, e.g., safety glasses or other types of eye protection (including prescription lenses and frames when required), safety helmets, safety vests, welding gloves and aprons, safety shoes, ear protection, protective gloves, etc., shall be provided and maintained by the Appointing Authority whenever such equipment is required as a condition of employment either by the Appointing Authority, by OSHA, or by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. The employee shall have the responsibility to use all such provided protective equipment (see Article 20, Section 11).
C. All employees who are injured or who are involved in an accident during the course of their employment shall file a first report of injury and/or an accident report, on forms furnished by the Appointing Authority, no matter how slight the incident. A summary of the first report of injury and/or accident report shall be furnished to the Safety Committee. All such injuries shall be reported to the employee's immediate supervisor and any necessary medical attention, including transportation if required, shall be arranged. The Appointing Authority shall provide assistance to employees in filling out all necessary Workers' Compensation forms, when requested.
D. Any medical examination required by the Appointing Authority shall be at no cost to the employee and the Appointing Authority shall receive a copy of the medical report. Upon request, the employee shall receive a copy of the medical report.
E. During every four (4) hour period in which an employee spends all their time on a computer, the employee will be given a five (5) minute alternative work assignment or if this is not practicable, a five (5) minute rest period scheduled to interrupt continuous operation of the machine. This five (5) minute rest period is in addition to the formal rest period provided in Article 5, is not cumulative, and cannot be used at the beginning or end of a shift, formal rest breaks, or a lunch period.
F. Any pregnant employee assigned to work with Department of Corrections' inmates, may request reassignment to alternate work within her seniority unit. The Appointing Authority will attempt to accommodate such a request. Such reassignment shall not be subject to the provisions of Article 12, Section 4. In the event that such reassignment is not practicable, the employee shall have the right to request an unpaid leave of absence, pursuant to Article 10, Section 0X.
Industrial Relations Training Leave Union Delegate/Employee Representative shall have access to industrial relations training in accordance with Appendix E hereof.
Family Care and Medical Leave An unpaid Family Care and Medical Leave shall be granted, to the extent of and subject to the restrictions as set forth below, to an employee who has been employed for at least twelve (12) months and who has served for 130 workdays during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the effective date of the leave. For purposes of this Section, furlough days and days worked during off-basis time shall count as "workdays". Family Care and Medical Leave absences of twenty (20) consecutive working days or less can be granted by the immediate administrator or designee. Leaves of twenty (20) or more consecutive working days can be granted only by submission of a formal leave application to the Personnel Commission.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY 34.01 The parties recognize the need for a safe and healthy workplace. The Employer shall be responsible for providing safe and healthy working conditions. The Employer and Employees will take all reasonable steps to eliminate, reduce or minimize all workplace safety hazards. Occupational health and safety education, training and instruction provided by the Employer, shall be paid at the Basic Rate of Pay, to fulfill the requirements for training, instruction or education set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation or Code.
(a) There shall be an Occupational Health and Safety Committee (Committee), which shall be composed of representatives of the Employer and representatives of the Local and may include others representing recognized functional bargaining units. This Committee shall meet once a month, and in addition shall meet within 10 days of receiving a written complaint regarding occupational health or safety. An Employee shall be paid the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay for attendance at Committee meetings. A request to establish separate committees for each site or grouping of sites shall not be unreasonably denied. The Employer shall provide training at no cost to all Employees on the Committee to assist them in performing their duties on the Committee. Training shall be paid at the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay.
(b) Minutes of each meeting shall be taken and shall be approved by the Employer, the Local, and other bargaining groups, referred to in (a), prior to circulation.
(c) The purpose of the Committee is to consider such matters as occupational health and safety and the Local may make recommendations to the Employer in that regard.
(d) If an issue arises regarding occupational health or safety, the Employee or the Local shall first seek to resolve the issue through discussion with the applicable immediate supervisor in an excluded management position. If the issue is not resolved satisfactorily, it may then be forwarded in writing to the Committee.
(e) The Committee shall also consider measures necessary to ensure the security of each Employee on the Employer’s premises and the Local may make recommendations to the Employer in that regard.
(f) (i) Should an issue not be resolved by the Committee, the issue shall be referred to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A resolution meeting between the Local and the CEO, or designate(s), shall take place within 21 calendar days of the issue being referred to the CEO. The CEO or designate(s) shall reply in writing to the Local within seven (7) calendar days of the resolution meeting.
