LAY-OFFS When a lack of work exists and it becomes necessary to reduce the work force, employees shall be selected as surplus in the inverse order of their seniority from the classification and shall be considered for placement to another job for which the employee is qualified to perform efficiently within a reasonable training period in the order of the following successive steps:
2.1 on vacancies in the employee's classification,
2.2 displace in the employee's classification another employee who has the shortest seniority and further provided that the surplus employee has more seniority than the employee to be displaced. If the employee is not thus placed, then
2.3 in the next lower classification and in the same manner in successively lower classifications.
2.4 A surplus employee who cannot be placed in accordance with the above shall be laid off. However, employees subjected to layoff shall not suffer any loss of seniority, provided the employee returns to work within a six (6) month period.
2.5 A surplus employee may elect to fill a vacancy in a lower classification or be laid off.
2.5.1 “Must hire” process
a. In the event that insufficient appropriated funding to work locations within the District results in the displacement of bargaining unit employees, the District will assign employees as “must hires.”
b. Employees will be offered placement in openings within their job title and classification nearest the location from which they were displaced. Seniority will determine priority in placement. The employee may choose an alternate vacancy in the event of multiple vacancies. A list of all job placements will be provided monthly to the Union. If there are no vacancies in the employee’s job title, the employee may choose to enter another job classification for which he/she is qualified to perform. In accordance with Article 15, paragraph 3, if there is a vacancy in a higher classification, the employee may apply in accordance with Article 12, paragraph 4.
c. When the District declares a “hiring freeze” to all outside personnel, all vacancies will be open to transfer until they are filled. Jobs will be posted for current employees. Once it has been determined that there is an internal “qualified” applicant, the vacancy will be filled in accordance with Article 12, paragraphs 3 and 4.
d. This section gives direction only to displaced employees by creating an end of month summary of job placements and establishing a process by which positions are offered.
