Listed below is the initial opening proposal presented to the Horizon Air management on September 4, 2009. This is not a final product of negotiations. The parties have the right to negotiate changes, additions, modifications, deletions, or propose new items. The employees will have an opportunity to vote on whatever FINAL changes are made during negotiations.
ARTICLE 1
PREAMBLE
This Agreement is made and entered into in accordance with the provisions of Title II of the Railway Labor Act, as amended, by and between Horizon Air Industries Inc. hereinafter referred to as the “Company” and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, hereinafter referred to as the “Union” representing the employees composing the Craft and Class of Mechanics and related, as certified by the National Mediation Board in case R-7196 on April 21, 2009.
ARTICLE 2
PURPOSE, SCOPE and STATUS of AGREEMENT
TO BE DETERMINED
ARTICLE 3
DEFINITIONS
A. Introduction
The definitions contained in this Article are provided for the convenience of the parties and are intended to facilitate a quick reference to different terms used in this Agreement. They are not intended to add to, delete from, or otherwise alter or affect the terms and conditions of employment provided for in this Agreement. Those terms and conditions are contained in the substantive Articles of this Agreement. Certain Articles may refer to this Article for the purpose of defining specific terms.
B. STATION
A “Station” means an airport, or facility not at an airport location, where the Company has permanently placed a covered employee.
C. SHIFT
A “Shift” is the scheduled period of work during the twenty four (24) hour work day. The shifts are described in Article 6, Workweek and Hours of Service.
D. Work Day
A Work Day is a twenty four (24) hour period during which an employee is regularly scheduled to work, beginning with the employee’s regularly scheduled starting time.
- Day
The term “Day” as used herein means calendar day unless otherwise noted.
- Work Week
The term “Work Week” refers to the number of regularly scheduled consecutive work days within each seven (7) consecutive day period. The types of Work Weeks are described in Article 6, Workweek and Hours of Service.
G. Week
The term “Week” as used herein means a Calendar week beginning at 0001 Sunday and ending at 2359 the following Saturday. Weeks are used for pay periods, vacation bidding, etc.
ARTICLE 4
SENIORITY
A. New Employees shall be considered on probation for the first six (6) months of employment in a classification under this Agreement. Having once passed the probation period, the Employee shall be added to the system seniority roster as of the first day of employment. An employee on probation shall not be entitled to utilize the grievance and Board of Adjustment procedures of this Agreement with respect to any disciplinary action taken against him, including discharge. In any case, should a probationary employee ever be afforded a grievance or System Board hearing, by mutual agreement of the Company and the Association, by law or otherwise, the Company shall not be required to prove "just cause" in any disciplinary or discharge grievance or System Board hearing. If the employee is afforded such a grievance or System Board hearing, the Company would be required to provide an explanation for its decision, which cannot be arbitrary or capricious. If hire dates are equal, listing will be determined by the last four digits of the Employee's social security number, highest number being first. An Employee shall not be required to serve more than one (1) probationary period.
A. All newly hired employees covered under this Agreement shall be regarded as probationary for the first one hundred eighty (180) calendar days of their employment. During the probationary period the employee shall receive progress reviews by his supervisor on the sixtieth (60th), one hundred twentieth (120th) and one hundred seventy ninth (179th) day. There is only one probationary period for each employee except that an employee who leaves the service of the Company will be treated as a new hire, including the serving of another period of probation. Employees may be discharged during their probationary period without a fact finding meeting or recourse to the grievance procedure. Having once passed the probationary period the employee shall be added to the system seniority roster as of the first day of employment. When two or more employees hold the same classification date their seniority ranking will be established based on their adjusted company service date. When two or more employees hold the same adjusted company service date the seniority ranking will be determined by placing the employees in the order in which their birth dates fall in the calendar year with the earliest date in the year being the most senior. If two or more employees hold the same classification date, adjusted company service date and birth date their seniority ranking will be established by the last four digits of the employees social security number highest number being first.
B. Company Seniority
Company seniority is length of service with the Company determined in accordance with Company policies of general applicability.
1. Company seniority is the date the employee was placed on the payroll when he was most recently hired by Horizon Airlines. The company service date reflects adjustments for periods of inactive service as defined herein. The adjusted company service date is retained until the employee is separated from Horizon Air employment.
2. Company Seniority shall be used by the Company for computing years of service for determining personal time off accrual rate, total accrued extended leave, and vesting in other benefit programs. Such as pass boarding priority, service pins/awards, eligibility for on-line and interline reduced rate travel benefits, and for any other purpose that is not inconsistent with any specific provision of this Agreement.
3. The Company shall not compute Company Seniority (company service) more favorably for any other recognized group of Horizon employees.
C. Classification Seniority
Classification Seniority is length of service in a classification covered by this Agreement, determined in accordance with this Agreement.
1. Classification Seniority shall begin to accrue on the first day an employee reports for paid employment in a classification.
2. Classification Seniority shall end on the last day an employee is employed by the Company in a classification covered by this Agreement, unless extended in case of furlough, leave of absence, or as otherwise described in this Agreement. Employees successfully bidding to a higher ranked classification covered by this Agreement shall retain and accrue seniority in their vacated classification(s). Employees voluntarily bidding to a lower ranked classification shall retain but no longer accrue seniority in the higher classification vacated.
3. Classification Seniority shall be used, as described in other Articles of this Agreement, in the determination of pay rates (step on the scale), bidding shift and day off pattern, filling of vacancy(s), furlough and recall, and transfers.
4. The Classifications/ sub classifications and rankings to be recognized for Seniority purposes shall be as listed below and described in Article 5.
a. AIRCRAFT TECNICIAN
(1) Lead Inspector
(2) Lead Aircraft Technician
(3) Inspector
(4) Aircraft Technician
b. GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT (GSE) TECHNICIAN
(1) Lead GSE Technician
(2) GSE Technician
c. AIRCRAFT PAINTER
(1) Lead Aircraft Painter
(2) Aircraft Painter
d. MAINTENANCE CLEANER
(1) Lead Maintenance Cleaner
(2) Maintenance Cleaner
e. FLEET SERVICE AGENT
(1) Lead Fleet Service Agent
(2) Fleet Service Agent
D. The Company shall maintain Seniority lists showing employee's name, job title, company seniority, and classification seniority of the employees in the Aircraft Technician, Ground Support Technician, Aircraft Painter, Maintenance Cleaner, and Fleet Service Agent classifications covered by this Agreement. These lists shall be updated quarterly and posted at all locations where employees covered by this Agreement are employed and made available on the Company web site.
C. Attached hereto are the Seniority lists, which are accurate and binding as of November 30, 2005
E. An Employee may grieve any alleged omission or incorrect posting affecting any Employee's seniority, within the time limits for filing a grievance . The time shall begin on the date the Seniority list is posted except that an employee on a Leave of Absence or Vacation shall have such time period begin on the date of return to duty. If corrections are made a new list will be posted within seven days.
F. SUPERVISORY OR SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT
1. When an employee transfers / is assigned to another unposted Company position or one not covered by this Agreement (except for a temporary promotion as described in G. below), his classification seniority will stop accruing on the date of the transfer / assignment (the date the employee reports to a position not covered by this Agreement) and the employee will retain his accrued seniority in each classification he has held. The employee will have no right to rehire to any job covered by this agreement, but if rehire is permitted he must fill a current un-bid job posting.
G. Employees covered by this Agreement who are temporarily promoted to a Management position will retain and continue to accrue classification seniority during the period of the assignment so long as the assignment does not exceed one year. If the assignment exceeds one year, it shall not be considered a temporary transfer, and the employees classification seniority will be adjusted back to the original date of assignment to the temporary position. If an employee is promoted to a temporary management position within six (6) months of the end date of a prior temporary management assignment, the time in the second assignment shall be considered a continuation of the prior assignment for purposes of determining the length of the assignment. Upon request, the Company will provide to any employee the dates that any employee works in a temporary management assignment. Any changes in assignment to or from temporary management positions shall be submitted in writing to the Airline Representative.
2. Employees, covered by this Agreement who are temporarily promoted on a temporary / permanent basis to any management or administrative position will continue to retain and accrue seniority in the classification(s) they vacated, but will accrue such seniority for only the first six (6) months while working in a management or administrative position. Employees returning to the bargaining unit prior to the six (6) months shall return to their previously held position including shift and days off. If a shift bid takes place during their promotion they shall not be allowed to bid but shall assume the same shift and days off of the least senior employee in their previously held work area upon return.
3. The six (6) months referenced above shall be cumulative and shall not exceed six (6) months in a rolling twenty four (24) month period.
4. Any time an hourly employee temporarily assumes the duties of a management or administrative position a change in status (P2) form shall be generated for tracking purposes and an electronic copy shall be generated and sent to the Chief Stewards office.
5. Upon request the Company shall furnish to any employee the dates that any employee works in a management / administrative position.
6. When employees in a management or administrative position, exceeding the six (6) months in a rolling twenty four (24) month period, desire to return voluntarily to a classification covered by this Agreement, in which they retain seniority, they may use their retained Classification seniority to bid for available vacancies in said Classification, but in no event will an employee be displaced, furloughed or bumped from his location as a result of the return to the unit of a management or administrative employee.
7. When employees in management or administrative positions are involuntarily demoted, or reduced due to a reduction in force, they may exercise their classification seniority to return to positions in classification(s) in which they hold seniority, but in no event will an employee be displaced, furloughed or bumped from his location as a result of the return to the unit of a management or administrative employee.
8. Employees covered by this Agreement have priority to vacancies over those not covered by this Agreement, including employees in management or administrative positions who desire to return to a classification covered by this Agreement
G. LOSS OF CLASSIFICATION SENORITY
Classification seniority will be lost and the employees name will be removed from the seniority list for the following reasons:
1. Resignation or Termination, or
2. Retirement, or
3. Discharge for just cause, or
4. Failure to return to active service from a leave of absence, unless failure to return was due to verifiable circumstances beyond the control of the employee, or
5. Failure to accept recall from a lay-off within fourteen (14) calendar days of written notice received by the employee, or failure to report to work within fourteen (14) calendar days after acceptance of recall. Notice will be sent Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, to the last address on record with the company. It shall be the responsibility of the employee to maintain their current address with the company, or
6. The employee does not return from a Medical Leave of Absence within five (5) years or the employees length of service whichever is greater or as specified by law
ARTICLE 5
COVERED CLASSIFICATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS
CLASSIFICATIONS
For the purpose of this Agreement, the following are brief descriptions of the job titles and the work recognized as coming within the classifications covered by the bargaining unit;
A. AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN CLASSIFICATION: shall be comprised of the following job titles Lead Inspector, Lead Aircraft Technician, Inspector and, Aircraft Technician.
1. LEAD INSPECTOR: A Lead Inspector may be charged by his Quality Control Supervisor or Manager of Quality Control for assigning, leading and directing the work of other Inspectors. Lead Inspectors shall not be responsible for leading or directing the work of Aircraft Technicians. Lead Inspectors shall be accountable for the oversight and support of shift Inspectors. The work of a lead inspector will consist of assigning, leading, and directing the work of other inspectors and performing such inspection work as may be required. Lead inspectors must hold valid Federal Airframe and Powerplant Certificates and other Certificates as required by state or federal law.
2. LEAD AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN: A lead aircraft Technician is an employee who has held the position of technician and who, as a working member of a group may be charged by his Supervisor with the responsibility of planning, leading, directing, coordinating, instructing on the job training, overseeing, and delegating the work of his assigned group. Lead Aircraft Technicians must hold such valid License/Certificates as required by Federal Law for their assigned work.
Lead Aircraft Technician: Lead Aircraft Technician is an employee who has held the position of a technician and who, as a working member of a group, may be charged by his Supervisor with the responsibility of planning, leading, directing, coordinating, instructing on the job training, overseeing, and delegating the work of his assigned group. Lead Aircraft Technicians must hold such valid Licenses/Certificates as are required by Federal Law for their assigned work area.
3. INSPECTOR: The work of an inspector will consist of performing inspections of Required Inspection Items (Rll) and of the work of other technicians when required, including the overall inspection of work performed by Aircraft Technicians, including aircraft overhauls and major repairs of assembled power plant and related systems during and subsequent to major repairs and after installation in aircraft, including inspection work in the Base Maintenance support shops. Inspectors will generally perform General Visual Inspection, Detailed Visual Inspection, Non-Destructive Testing, borescope function, and/or OK to install/close on periodic aircraft checks; all above aircraft check inspections will include initial, buy-back, and package close-out. Duties may also include parts and materials receiving inspections and new progressive inspection technology developed and subsequently implemented by Horizon Air. Inspectors must hold valid Federal Airframe and Powerplant Certificates. No Technician/Lead Technician will be upgraded to perform Inspection functions as described in this paragraph at stations where inspectors are staffed.
4. AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN: An Aircraft Technician is an employee who repairs, services, or otherwise works on aircraft, aircraft components, or related parts of an aircraft in conformance with task cards, manufacturer's manuals and F.A.A. requirements. The work of technicians shall include all work recognized as Aircraft Technicians work performed in and about Company shops, maintenance bases, overhaul bases and other Company buildings. Including, but not limited to; avionics, aircraft engine run-up, taxi, tow, mechanical work involved in dismantling; overhauling; repairing; fabricating; assembling; welding (including but not limited to, MIG, TIG, oxy-acetylene, Heli-arc), and other tools of the trade; paint removal, preparation, and application; and erecting all parts of airplanes, airplane engines, radio and electronic equipment, avionic systems, electrical systems, hydraulic systems and machine work, including but not limited to, the operation of saws, grinders, milling machines, lathes, rotary table, boring head machinery, computer numerical control (CNC) machinery, precision measuring equipment, portable tooling, and other tools of the trade, and can fabricate, repair, grind, and machine aircraft parts or tooling in connection therewith.
B. GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT (GSE) TECHNICIANS CLASSIFICATION shall be comprised of the following job titles: Lead GSE Technician, GSE Technician
1. LEAD GSE TECHNICIAN: A lead GSE technician is an employee who, as a working member of a group, may be charged by his Supervisor with the responsibility of assigning, leading, directing and approving the work of GSE technicians.
2. GSE TECHNICIAN: A GSE technician is an employee who performs repairs and preventative maintenance on all ground support equipment. GSE duties shall include, but are not limited to, servicing, dismantling, overhauling, repairing, fabricating, erecting, assembling, welding, troubleshooting, and maintaining of all parts of vehicles and equipment, engines, subassemblies, ground operations equipment, and other mechanical and electrical devices or parts thereof.
C. AIRCRAFT PAINTER CLASSIFICATION shall be comprised of the following job titles: Lead Aircraft Painter, Aircraft Painter.
1. LEAD AIRCRAFT PAINTER: A Lead Aircraft Painter is an employee who has held the position of Aircraft Painter and, as a working member of a group, may be charged by his Supervisor with the responsibility of assigning, leading, directing and approving the work of Painters.
2. AIRCRAFT PAINTER: An Aircraft Painter is an employee whose duties include, but are not limited to, paint removal, preparation, and application of paint on all parts of aircraft, aircraft engines, parts and components, GSE equipment, and support shop equipment.
D. MAINTENANCE CLEANER CLASSIFICATION shall be comprised of the following job titles Lead Maintenance Cleaner and Maintenance Cleaner.
1. A Lead Maintenance Cleaner is an employee who as a working member of the group may be charged by his Supervisor with the responsibilities of assigning, leading, directing and approving the work of Maintenance Cleaners.
2. MAINTENANCE CLEANER: A maintenance cleaner is an employee whose duties include, cleaning aircraft and engine components and subassemblies, degreasing parts, preparation and cleaning of parts including abrasive and solvent cleaning, and preparation of parts for painting or inspection. Maintenance Cleaners shall not assemble and/or disassemble aircraft components and/or assemblies and/or parts normally recognized as Technicians work
E. FLEET SERVICE AGENT CLASSIFICATION shall be comprised of the following job titles: Lead Fleet Service Agent, Fleet Service Agent.
1. LEAD FLEET SERVICE AGENT: A lead fleet service agent is an employee who, as a working member of a group, may be charged by his Supervisor with the responsibility of assigning, leading, directing and approving the work of Fleet Service Agents.
2. FLEET SERVICE AGENT: A Fleet Service Agent is an employee who cleans aircraft (interior and exterior). On a full time basis, but excludingthose who perform overnight “touch up” interior and exterior cleaning as an additional duty A Fleet Service Agent may also perform servicing and purification of potable water systems; removal, cleaning, and installation of aircraft carpets and passenger seat covers; receipt and distribution of aircraft service equipment and supplies; and laundering of items such as blankets, napkins, rags, etc.
F. It is understood by both parties the "Aircraft Technician", "GSE Technician" and "Fleet Service Agent" classifications under this Agreement are the same as “Aircraft repairman”, ‘Maintenance Shop Repairman” and “Fleet service Aircraft Cleaner” classifications under the Agreement that became effective May 18, 1998, and that the word “Technician” and are synonymous with the words mechanic or repairman as used in all Company, governmental and manufacturer manuals, policies, documents and other materials.
F. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall prevent the Company from assigning any employee covered by this Agreement to assist other employees covered by this Agreement, in the performance of their job duties on a temporary basis(cross utilization), provided that such assistance does not constitute a preponderance of the employee's duties over the course of a thirty (30) day period his scheduled work week Employees under this agreement who are qualified to perform the work of another classification and who are being cross-utilized in such other classifications shall be paid their normal wage or the wage of the classification in which they are working, whichever is greater. All Cross Utilized work shall be distributed on a fair and equitable basis among the individuals on the crew from where the employees are taken.
G. If there are employees to be hired in the mechanic and related Classifications during the term of this Agreement in classifications which are not covered by this Agreement, the parties agree that the rates of pay, rules and working conditions for such employees will be mutually agreed upon prior to the establishment of any new Classification(s).
QUALIFICATIONS
H. To be considered fully qualified for a particular position, an employee must meet the requirements listed below, except that any employee, including an employee whose work has been transferred to a recognized or redefined Work Area, who has previously completed the Qualifying period, as provided in Article five (5), will be considered qualified regardless of the qualifications (including license requirements) listed below.
I. Subsequent to the ratification of this Agreement, any employee currently holding a position with qualifications less than those required, shall be “grandfathered” into his current position so long as he remains in that position. If an employee voluntarily moves to another position, and completes his ninety (90) day job trial period, he shall lose the “grandfather” privilege.
Classification Required License Qualifications / Experience
1. Lead Inspector A & P and Twelve (12) months as an Inspector on Horizon Air Aircraft Fleet type.
2. Inspector A & P and Twenty four (24) months as an Aircraft Technician on Horizon Air Aircraft Fleet type.
3. Lead Inspector NDT Shop A & P and Twelve (12) Months as an NDT Shop Inspector.
4. Inspector NDT Shop A & P and Twenty four (24) months as an Aircraft Technician on Horizon Airlines Aircraft Fleet type or be an Inspector.
5. Line Maintenance Lead A & P and Twelve (12) months as a Line Maintenance or Base Technician onHorizon Air Aircraft Fleet type or be a current Lead in Line or Base or Heavy Ck.
6. Base Lead A & P and Twelve (12) months as an Aircraft Technician on Horizon Air Aircraft Fleet type or be a current Lead in Line or Base or Heavy Ck.
7. Heavy Check Lead A & P and Twelve (12) months as an Aircraft Technician on Horizon Air Aircraft Fleet type or be a Current Lead in Line or Base.
8. All shop Leads A & P and Twelve (12) Months as a Technician related to the
Classification or be a Lead In another shop.
9. Aircraft Technician
a. Line / Base / Heavy Check A & P
b. Sheet Metal Shop A
1. Composite Shop A
2. Weld Shop A
c. Accessory Shop A
d. Wheel / Brake Shop A
e. Engine / Prop. Shop P
f. Battery Shop A
g. Avionics Shop A or FCC
h. Line Avionics A & P
10. GSE Lead High School, Twelve (12) months as a GSE ASE or Technician. equivalent Degree, and
11. GSE Technician High School, Six (6) months experience on ASE or gas or diesel engines or equivalent motorized equipment Diploma, or supporting airport ground handling operations.
12. Paint Shop Lead Twelve (12) months as a Horizon Air Paint Shop Technician.
14. Paint Shop Technician A or Six (6) months as an Aircraft / Automotive Painter or has utilized two part paints.
15. Lead Fleet Service Agent / Cleaner Able to read, write and understand the English language.
16. Fleet Service Agent / Cleaner Able to read, write and understand the English language.
ARTICLE 6
WORKWEEK AND HOURS OF WORK
SECTION I: WORKWEEK
A. The Company, considering, among other factors, the desires of the Employees involved, will determine the basic workweek.
B. The basic workweek for full-time employees will consist of forty (40) hours per week, scheduled on a four (4) or five (5) day basis as follows.
1. Four consecutive ten-hour days, each day consisting of ten (10) consecutive hours exclusive of a thirty (30) minute unpaid lunch period as close to the shift midpoint as operationally practical and two (2) break periods consisting of fifteen (15) minutes in each half of the shift, followed by Each employee will have three consecutive regularly days scheduled as regular days off.
2. Five consecutive eight-hour days, Each day consisting of eight (8) consecutive hours of service exclusive of a thirty (30) minute unpaid lunch period as close to the shift midpoint as operationally practical and two ten (10) minute break periods each half of the shift followed by Each employee will have two regularly scheduled consecutive days scheduled as regular days off.
C. The basic workweek for a full-time employee may be decreased to no less than 30 hours At no time shall the Company schedule an employee for less than forty (40) hours per week, except as required by law or for the following reasons:
The foregoing shall not prevent The establishment of 80-hour biweekly work schedules where special circumstances exist, provided that the two-week period contains no more than 8 workdays, no workday of less than eight hours, and no single days off.
Mutual agreement between the employee(s), Unionand the Company.
3. Short term reduced work requirements, in lieu of furlough: The Company and Union shall meet to discuss and mutually agree on reduced work requirements taking into consideration, among other things, the employees point of view. Before instituting a reduced work requirement, the Company will endeavor to reduce the excess hours by offering offer voluntary time off (See Article 11 Furlough and Recall). The Company will meet with the Association to determine the most appropriate means to meet the short term reduced work requirements, taking into consideration the employees' point of view.
D. Part-time Employees: An Employee who is normally scheduled to work at least 20, but not more than 30 hours per week shall be classified as part-time subject to the following limitations:
No more than thirty twenty five (25) percent of the Fleet Service Agents may be part-time employees. Only full-time Fleet Service Agents, excluding Leads, shall be included in the calculation for determining the allowable number of part-time Fleet Service Agents.
Mutual agreement between the employee(s), Unionand the Company, with respect to other classifications covered by this Agreement.
E. A Fleet Service Agent may be classified as less than part-time (Variable Time) only if he regularly works less than 20 hours per week (excluding voluntary pick-up of work) and only by mutual agreement between the, Union, employee and the Company.
SECTION II: WORK DAY
A. The starting time for shifts shall be established in accordance with the needs of the Company at each bid location. There may be multiple starting times within a shift. Shifts shall be defined as follows:
Commencing Between
Day Shift 0400 -1159 1059 Local Time
Swing Shift 1200 -1959 1100 – 1659 Local Time
Grave Shift 2000 1700 - 0359 Local Time
B. All employees covered by this Agreement scheduled to work a shift of four hours or more will have a meal period. Company will schedule at least 1/2 hour for lunch as close to shift midpoint as practical and consistent with operational needs on a day-to-day basis.
1. If the Company requires an employee to work through miss his lunch period due to operational needs, at his option he shall:
a. be given the opportunity to leave one half hour prior to the normal shift end time with pay early or
b. receive one half hour overtime pay and leave work at the normal shift end time.
C. The Company may, if concurrence is reached with the Local Union Representative, establish a paid meal period for any or all of a given work group.
D. Starting and ending times of each shift whether eight (8) or ten (10) hours, will be posted at each shift bid and will under ordinary circumstances remain unchanged until the next shift bid. Should the starting/ending times be changed by one (1) hour or more, all shifts in that work area will be re-bid.
C. All employees shall be given a ten-minute break for resting during the 1st and 2nd half (four hour minimum) of their shift without loss of pay.
E. General
1. Employees covered by this agreement, qualifications permitting, shall be permitted shift and day trades as follows: subject to rules and restrictions established by the Company.
a. Trade one or more of their day(s) off with each other (“Day Trade”)
b. Exchange shifts on the same day, or another day (“Shift Trade”)
c. Trade one of his normally scheduled work days for one of his regularly scheduled days off (“Self Trade”)
d. Trade a shift to another employee without the other employee doing likewise (“One Way Trade”). Employees on a one way trade off will be allowed to use vacation/PTO time to make up for all hours on the unpaid trade day off.
e. Employees may trade for a maximum of four (4) additional shifts in any work week. Of these four (4) additional shifts, employees will be allowed to work a maximum of two (2) back-to-back (double) shifts per week.
f. Employees working a trade day will be considered as working a normal shift and will be eligible for PTO, Rescue Missions, Field Work, prior and following shift overtime, etc.
g. If one employee is on ten (10) hour shifts and the other is on eight (8) hour shifts, then both employees will work each other’s assigned shifts. The foregoing trades may result in an employee working more than four (4) days (in the case of ten (10) hour shifts) or five (5) days (in the case of eight (8) hour shifts) in a work week, and/or more than eight (8) or ten (10) hours, as the case may be, in a twenty four hour period. In all such cases those employees will be paid straight time.
h. When reporting for a trade the employee must report to the work area and crew of the employee he traded with prior to the start of the shift and advise the Supervisor on duty who he is trading with.
2. Employees working during daylight savings time changeover shall receive pay for their actual hours worked.
ARTICLE 7
OVERTIME
A. All overtime shall be scheduled, approved, authorized and called by Management personnel or their designee.
B. For pay purposes an employee’s twenty four (24) hour day begins with the starting time of that employees regularly scheduled shift. Overtime rates shall be computed on an actual minute basis adjusted to the nearest one tenth (1/10th) of an hour, with a minimum of one (1) hour overtime at the applicable rate. When computing overtime, the employee’s straight time compensation will include the schedule “A” (base) rate, any licenses, premiums and differentials that the employee normally receives for each regularly scheduled hour, during the employee’s regularly assigned shift.
C. Overtime authorized by management shall be paid under any of the following circumstances to a full-time or part-time Employee:
1. All work in excess of forty (40) paid hours worked in any one workweek.
2. An Employee scheduled to work a forty (40) hour week shall be paid overtime for all work in excess of an his assigned shift (eight (8) hour minimum shift) either eight (8) or ten (10) hours.
3. An Employee scheduled to work a forty (40) hour week shall be paid overtime for all work performed at Company request on a scheduled day off.
4. Call-back after leaving Company premises for duty not continuous with the regular shift.
5. Insufficient Rest: An Employee, who has not received eight (8) hours of rest from his previous release of duty, will be paid the applicable overtime rate for all hours worked until such rest is obtained. To obtain the eight (8) hours rest the Company may adjust the employee's release or next reporting time. If there are less than four hours remaining of the employee's next regular shift after completion of unscheduled work that partially
overlaps the employee's regular shift, the employee may will be given the rest of the shift off without loss of pay. If an Employee remains off-duty during part of his or her regular shift to obtain the minimum required rest of eight (8) hours, then he or she will be paid straight-time for the scheduled shift hours missed.
D. All scheduled day-off or before shift, after shift or callback work assignments will be guaranteed a minimum of four (4) hours pay at the applicable overtime rate except in the following instances.
1. An Employee called back to complete documentation of his work needed to return the aircraft for service for further progress or completion of the project he or she was working on may be paid for only the time needed to complete the documentation requested by the Company.
2. If the Company does not need the Employee for the full four hours of a call back an overtime assignment as noted above, and the Employee would rather leave early even if paid for less than the full four hours, the Employee's supervisor and the Employee may, by agreement, shorten the period of work and pay.
E. Overtime shall not be paid for excess hours as a result of voluntary', authorized exchanges of hours or shifts. . The overtime provisions of this Article shall not apply where the excess hours are worked due to a change in shifts through the exercise of seniority by employees or due to an approved exchange of shifts and/or day trades done for the convenience of the employees.
D. No Employee shall be entitled to work overtime for overtime pay when the Company can get the work done to its satisfaction without the assignment of such overtime.
F. Distribution of Overtime
1. Overtime opportunities shall be distributed as equally as possible among those available qualified employees, within a Work Area, who are shown on a list as having accrued the least number of accepted and/or refused overtime hours during a calendar year.
2. The following procedures will be followed in the administration of overtime:
a. On January 1st of each year the overtime hours of each employee will be reduced to zero (0), and in each Work Area a list of employees in seniority order will be posted. This will constitute the initial overtime call sheet.
b. For each Work Area subject to these rules, the Company will maintain and make available upon request, accurate daily records of all overtime worked and all overtime refused. An overtime hour for the purposes of overtime equalization, shall be computed and recorded as the overtime hour worked or refused, unless spelled out differently herein, multiplied by the amount of overtime compensation.
c. Employees transferring by bid, being recalled, displacing into, returning from Leave of Absence or returning from a Temporary Assignment, will be given the number of overtime hours they have obtained in the current calendar year from their previous work location(s). New hires entering a Work Area will not be eligible for overtime during their probation. After probation they shall be given the highest number of overtime hours in the Work Area.
d. The Company will provide a n daily overtime sign-up sheet (hardcopy or electronic) for employees on each crew in each Work Area to indicate their availability for the type of overtime assignments they want to be offered (e.g., after scheduled shift, before scheduled shift, regular day off (RDO), etc.). Sign up sheets shall be made available so that employees may indicate their desire to work overtime on any day up to thirty (30) days in advance. To be eligible to work overtime employees must sign up on the sign up sheet correctly, in ink if hard copy, initialing any subsequent changes in ink. A phone number(s) shall be listed at which the employee can be contacted if not at work when the overtime callout is made. All entries on the sign up sheet must be accurate and legible. At an appropriate point on the sign up sheet a line shall be drawn to allow interested qualified employees from other Work Areas to sign up below the line indicating their desire for the overtime opportunity. If an insufficient number of employees from the overtime sign-up sheet choose to accept the overtime, the company will award the overtime to the required number of employees from those listed on the overtime sign-up sheet in reverse seniority order. An employee who has indicated availability on the overtime sign-up sheet for an overtime assignment may not refuse an award of overtime for which he has indicated he is available.
e. If the need for overtime arises in a particular Work Area in conjunction with a shift in progress, and the need is for four (4) hours, the overtime will be offered to those employees who are then working on the shift in question and who have signed the sign up sheet. The person with the least amount of overtime hours will be offered first and the remaining need will be met by offering the overtime to the employees in the Work Area, on shift, in ascending order of their overtime hours. If two or more employees have the same number of overtime hours charged the offering will be made in seniority order.
(1) Except as provided for in subparagraph “e” above all other overtime will be offered to employees using the sign up sheet. In making an overtime callout, the Company will contact the employee on the sign up sheet who can cover the shift or overtime requirement (early O.T.) and has the least amount of overtime first, next least second, etc. Employees will be considered able to cover the shift, as stated above, so long as their normal shift ending time and the start time of the overtime request does not exceed one hundred eighty (180) minutes. If there are insufficient employees from the Work Area on the sign up sheet to fill the overtime requirement, the Company will allow qualified employees who have signed below the line to work the overtime. If employees below the line are called for the overtime, they shall be called in ascending order of their charged overtime hours.
(2) If, after exhausting the call out for overtime utilizing the above paragraphs, there still exists a need for overtime, the Company shall be free to offer the overtime opportunity to any covered qualified employee without regard to Work Area or overtime hours charged.
f. When the need arises to call employees for overtime who are not on duty, the Company will contact a Shop Steward or his designee at the time of the callout, and begin contacting the employee(s) by phone, at the number(s) listed by the employee on the call sheet. If the Company is unable to contact the employee in person at the phone number(s) listed, the Union Steward will then redial the number(s) himself verifying the response that was indicated by the Management representative, initialing his verification and the employee will be bypassed
3. Job Continuity, overtime assignments caused by the need to complete a job that is in progress will be made to the Employee(s) already on duty assigned the job, but if completion of the job is anticipated to take more than two hours, it will be offered to Employees in accordance with paragraph 3 below. 2.e above. No shift shall be involuntarily extended by overtime for more than four hours (except Rescue Missions, Field Trips, See Article 8).
4. When the Company forms a special project crew, overtime for the special project will be offered to employees on the special project crew, in accordance with paragraph F above
3. Pre-shift, post-shift, and regular day off (RDO), (including call back) overtime work will be offered in seniority order to the qualified Employees in the crew who have indicated on the overtime sign-up sheet they want to be called for such overtime assignments.
a. If there are insufficient volunteers in the crew, the Company may ask any employee already on shift to work post-shift overtime, or those who are scheduled to work the oncoming shift for pre-shift overtime in the station to perform post-shift and pre-shift work.
b. RDO overtime for which there are insufficient volunteers from the crew, will be offered in seniority order to Employees who are qualified to perform the anticipated work, first to employees at the station on their days off, then to employees off shift at the station, then to employees from other stations on their days off, who have indicated they want to be called for such overtime work.. then, if more overtime is needed, in seniority order to Employees who are qualified to perform the anticipated work, first, to employees at the station on their days off, then to employees off shift at the station, then to employees from other stations on their days off, who have indicated they want to be called for such overtime work.
5. If no Employee will volunteer for an overtime assignment, the junior Employee that is available and qualified for the assignment will be assigned. Individuals may request that they not be assigned to overtime if such assignment will cause extraordinary hardship. The manager shall consider such requests on a case-by case basis and will exercise managerial discretion in making the assignment. Employees will not be required to work overtime against their wishes, except in emergencies. The term emergency as used in this Article shall mean “Acts of God”, “Acts of War” (as declared by Congress), national emergency, natural disaster, revocation of the Company’s operating certificate, the grounding of a significant portion of the Company’s fleet, a shutdown of any significant portion of the air transportation system, danger posed by the elements of weather, or any other unexpected circumstance posing significant danger to persons, property or the business. In such cases, no employee will be required to work an overtime assignment which would require him to work more than twelve (12) hours for an employee normally scheduled for eight (8) hour shifts, or fourteen (14) hours for an employee who normally works a ten (10) hour shift, in any twenty four (24) hour period.
4. For purposes of this paragraph:
a. Qualified means having demonstrated the capability of performing the planned work assignment without additional training, instruction, or assistance.
b. Available means able to be contacted and to report for the assignment at the time specified by the Company.
6. The Director of Quality Control may restrict Inspectors from performing Aircraft Technician overtime assignments.
G. The standard overtime pay rate shall be one and a half times (1&1/2 X) the rate the employee would receive if working at straight time, including any license pay, lead or inspector premium (if worked in that job title), and any shift premium applicable to the shift on which the work is performed (in the case of RDO overtime) or the shift that is extended (in the case of pre-shift or post-shift overtime) under the following circumstances:
1. The first four (4) overtime hours on a normally scheduled eight (8) hour work day or
2. The first two (2) overtime hours on a normally scheduled ten (10) hour work day or
3. The first eight hours worked on either of the employees RDO’s for an employee working a normal eight (8) hour shift or
4. The first ten (10) hours worked on one of the employees RDO’s for an employee working a normal ten (10) hour shift.
H. The standard overtime pay rate shall be two times (2X) the rate the employee would receive if working straight time, and any shift premium applicable to the shift on which the work in performed (in the case of RDO overtime) or the shift that is extended (in the case of pre shift or post shift overtime) under the following circumstances:
1. All hours worked in excess of twelve (12) on a regularly scheduled work day or
2. All hours worked on the employees second RDO provided he worked a normal eight (8) or ten (10) hour shift his first RDO or
3. All hours worked on the employees third RDO provided he worked a normal eight (8) or ten (10) hour shift on either his first or second RDO.
I. Employees will be given a break period of ten (10) minutes every two (2) hours, and if working overtime in conjunction with a regular shift, will be given a ten (10) minute break between the shift worked and the overtime assignment. Employees required to work two (2) continuous hours or more, either before or after regular hours, shall be afforded an additional thirty (30) minute paid meal period, or pay in lieu thereof. For each additional four (4) hour period of continuous overtime service an additional thirty (30) minute meal period will be allowed within the following hour. Time for such meal periods shall not break the continuous service period.
J. At the time the overtime is worked, at the employees option, he may choose to accept the monetary equivalent of overtime as compensated time off, i.e. eight (8) hours overtime worked equals twelve (12) hours banked.
K. If An employee who has been by-passed for overtime in violation of the overtime distribution procedures set forth herein and, files a grievance within the time limits set forth in Article 20, shall be paid an amount equal to the amount he would have earned had he worked the overtime. An employee paid a by-pass shall have an equal number of hours as those awarded, added to his accrued overtime equalization hours., he will be offered the next similar length overtime assignment for which he is qualified and has indicated his availability, irrespective of the seniority of the others who have indicated their availability, provided he has brought the by-pass to the Company's attention during his next regular shift assignment after the by-pass.
ARTICLE 8
FIELD WORK, RESCUE MISSIONS,
FIELD TRIPS AND TRAINING
A. Field Trips
A Field Trip is any assignment away from the employee’s home station utilized for restoring and/or maintaining aircraft to a serviceable condition. A Field Trip can be of an unplanned variety (Rescue Mission) or a planned variety (Field Work).
B. Field Work and Rescue Missions
1. Field Work is a planned temporary work assignment away from the employee's base station. Employees volunteering for and being assigned to Field Work may have their shift and days off established at the time of assignment. If more than one employee is assigned to Field Work they will have the option of selecting, in seniority order, from the available shifts and days off for the duration of the Field Work assignment. is accomplished with scheduled shifts, as designated by the Company for the Field Work assignment. A Rescue Mission is an unanticipated assignment away from the employee's base station for the purpose of returning airplanes or equipment to service. A Rescue Mission work assignment is continuous until the airplane or equipment is returned to service, or until the Company converts the project to Field Work.
2. An employee assigned to a Rescue Mission will be paid for all hours away from his base, from the time he is assigned until he returns to base (except for the time he is relieved from duty and provided a hotel room pursuant to paragraph 6, below), or until the Rescue Mission is converted to Field Work, if he remains a member of the Field Work crew.
a. Hours on a Rescue Mission shall be paid at the applicable rate of pay.
b. Rescue Mission hours will count as hours toward forty hours in a week for overtime pay purposes.
c. If an employee's assignment is converted from Rescue Mission to Field Work, he shall continue to be paid at the Rescue Mission rate for all hours worked until relieved from duty for eight hours rest pursuant to Paragraph 6, below.
3. When employees covered by this Agreement engage in Field Work they shall be paid for such work on the same basis as at their base station, with a minimum of eight (8) hours at straight time rate for each twenty four (24) hour period. Their scheduled hours for the workweek shall be no less than their scheduled regular shift work hours. However, their scheduled hours of work may be adjusted from their normal work schedule.
a. While on a Field Work assignment, the overtime pay rate shall apply to all hours worked in excess of eight (8) hours in a workday.
b. When an employee's workday on a Field Work assignment is split the following will apply:
(1) There will be a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of six (6) hours between the split shifts.
(2) In lieu of any other shift premium related to start times of his work periods, He will be paid a split shift premium of $0.75 per hour.
(3) The duration of a split shift schedule will not exceed sixteen (16) fourteen (14) hours in a twenty-four (24) hour period which will include the working shifts and the time off between shifts. The employees twenty four (24) hour day will begin with the starting time of the first assigned shift at the start of the Field Work assignment and, continue each twenty four (24) hour period for the duration of the assignment.
4. When two or more employees are assigned to a Field Work assignment or Rescue Mission, the Company may will appoint one as Lead in accordance with the upgrade procedures described in Article 9 paragraph L, if no Lead is available in the crew assigned.
5. Subject to the Company's regular staffing needs, an employee, by mutual agreement, may be excused from further regular shift work during the workweek upon completion of a Field Work assignment or Rescue Mission if he has already worked at least forty (40) hours during that workweek without regard to the overtime paid.
6. An Employee will be provided single occupancy lodging at a hotel normally utilized by flight crews for crew rest, at Company expense, when relieved of duty for eight hours or more. Employees assigned to Field Work or Rescue Missions for periods in excess of five (5) days shall have single occupancy lodging at company expense provided on their days off unless mutually agreed otherwise. An Employee may not be assigned to Field Work for more than sixteen consecutive hours without being relieved from duty for eight (8) hours or more. If required to complete a An employee assigned to a Rescue Mission an Employee, by mutual agreement, may have his duty time extended beyond sixteen hours.
7. Employees shall be required to travel to Field Work assignments by air only on U.S. carriers operating under FAR part 121, or scheduled carriers under FAR part 135 (or successor regulations) or foreign air carriers who are members of IATA, or with the employees concurrence, compatible air carriers (e.g., Lear Jet operators). When Field Work or a Rescue Mission requires the use of chartered aircraft, the aircraft used shall be multi-engined, unless agreed upon between the employee and the Company.
8. When a Rescue Mission or Field Work assignment cannot be performed by only one (1) employee due to heavy lifting requirements, safety, or other factors which require more than one (1) employee to accomplish the work, then the company shall dispatch the employees necessary to accomplish the Field Trip.
9. For Field Work or Rescue Missions within a two hundred (200) mile radius of the employee’s home station, by mutual consent a company supplied vehicle may be utilized for transportation.
7. For Field Work assignments, the Company will ask for volunteers. The Field Work will be given to the senior qualified and available volunteer(s). In the event there are no qualified volunteers, the Company will assign the Field Work in inverse order of seniority of the qualified and available employees. Individuals may request that they not be assigned to Field Work if such assignment will cause extraordinary hardship. The Company shall consider such requests on a case-by-case basis and will exercise managerial discretion in making the assignment. Individuals involuntarily assigned to Field Work will be limited to fourteen (14) days away from their home base and cannot be involuntarily re-assigned to a Field Work assignment for thirty (30) days.
8. Rescue Mission solicitation will normally be limited to employees currently on duty. In the event there are no qualified volunteers, the Company will assign the Rescue Mission in inverse order of seniority of the qualified and available employees. Individuals may request that they not be assigned to Rescue Missions if such assignment will cause extraordinary hardship. The Company shall consider such requests on a case-by case basis and will exercise managerial discretion in making the assignment.
9. For purposes of this Section, qualified and available shall have the same meaning as in the Distribution of Overtime Section of Article 7.
10. The Company will maintain Field Trip records, including archives of at least one (1) year, and will make them available to the Union upon request. These records will be separate and apart from the overtime records. Records will be maintained separately for each Work Area. The Company will maintain Field Trip books or their electronic equivalent containing Field Trip sign-up records/sheets and the list used for each Field Trip call-out. Field Trip sign-up sheets and lists will contain the following information:
a. Employee Name and Number
b. Classification Seniority Date
c. Contact Phone Number(s)
d. Current Shift and Days Off
e. Date Employee Signed Up
f. Visa/Passport Information
g. Any Special Authorizations Held (such as Engine Run-Up and Taxi, RII, LLM, Airworthiness Release, etc.)
(1). The authorizations may be used to determine the qualifications necessary for a specific field trip assignment. The number of employees required to possess certain special authorizations on any given Field Trip shall be equal to the amount necessary as governed by either the Horizon Air General Policy Manual (as it relates to paperwork and procedures, airworthiness releases, RII, engine run-up and taxi, LLM, etc) and/or international law (as it relates to Visas and Passports) and/or any applicable Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs).
NOTE: Whenever it is known that an inspector is required on a Field Trip and no inspectors are available at the location of the field trip, the inspector will be selected in accordance with this article from the inspection department.
(2). An Employee who has been required to use a passport and/or Visa in conjunction with travel for a Field Trip shall be entitled to reimbursement from the Company for the cost of those documents.
11. Employees desiring to participate in Field Trips will be required to sign up in the Field Trip book or its electronic equivalent. The existing manner of assigning Field Trips will be utilized for the first two (2) calendar months following ratification of this agreement to allow for sign-up in the new book. Thereafter, all names in the new book will be sorted in seniority order by Work Area. As employees accept (unless the field trip assignment is canceled) or refuse a Field Trip their names will be moved to the bottom of the list. Employees past over due to lack of special qualifications/authorizations will remain in the same position on the list until they are selected for or refuse a Field Trip. Employees will not be bypassed for lack of qualifications/authorizations unless all remaining Field Trip positions require such qualifications/authorizations. Employees desiring to participate in Field Trips after the sign up period, as well as new or transferring employees will have their names placed at the bottom of the list. It will be the responsibility of each employee to make sure their current shift and day-off pattern is current in the Field Trip book when they change such shift and/or day-off pattern.
12. The Company will determine which work area each individual Field Trip is assigned to and which shift shall receive the Field Trip in accordance with the following:
a. For Rescue Missions, departure time of the Rescue Mission shall govern the shift to be selected as follows:
(1) 0700 – 1459 Days
(2) 1500 – 2259 Swing
(3) 2300 – 0659 Graves
b. For Field Work assignments, selection will be from the Field Trip list without regard to shift, keeping in mind that employees on their regular days off or at home (off shift) may be eligible for a Field Work assignment.
13. The Company designee will determine the Work Area from which employees are to be sent and will contact the next available qualified employee who has signed the Field Trip book. If the assignment is refused the next employee in line will be contacted, etc., until the required number of employees is obtained. If the required number of employees are not obtained and an entire shift’s list has been called the subsequent shifts will be utilized. If the required number of employees is still not obtained, employees from another station and/or work area may be utilized. If the required number of personnel are still not obtained, the trip is assigned to the junior qualified employee in the appropriate shift/Work Area, Individuals involuntarily assigned to a Field Trip will be limited to forty (40) work hours away from their home station and cannot be involuntarily re-assigned to a Field trip for thirty (30) calendar days, or at the company’s option the Field Trip may be canceled.
14. When the need arises to call employees for Field Work, the company will contact a shop steward or his designee at the time of the call-out and begin contacting the employee(s) either in person, or by phone at the number(s) listed by the employee in the Field Trip book. If the company is unable to contact the employee in person at the phone number(s) listed the Union Steward will verify the call and may then redial the number(s) himself verifying the response that was indicated by the management representative, and the employee will be bypassed.
15 Any and all overtime worked in conjunction with a Field Trip will be transferred onto the employee’s overtime hours as defined in Article 7 Overtime.
C. Training and Company Required Meetings
1. The time an employee is required to spend in training/meetings is considered work time. If the training or meeting is on a regularly scheduled work day, an employee should not be paid for fewer hours (including both travel time and work time) than what he was scheduled for that work day. If the travel or meeting is on an employee's day off, he will be paid at the applicable overtime rate, unless his work schedule is adjusted for the workweek in which the training/meeting occurs such that his workweek, including training days does not exceed 40 hours.
2. When an employee attends training/meetings away from his station, he shall be provided single occupancy hotel accommodation at a hotel normally utilized by Flight Crews for Crew rest if required to stay overnight, and will receive per diem for each day that meals are not provided.
3. Training opportunities shall be posted and seats signed by thnot ase Company shall be filled in seniority order subject to the Company's workload needs. If seats are available, in no event shall an employee be denied a training opportunity for the same instructions on more than two occasions.
4. The Company shall keep the Technicians and Inspectors currently trained in their skills in order to perform all inspections and work required for their current positions.
5. An employee who has applied for, but not been selected for, training (pursuant to paragraph 3 above) that is; required technical qualification on a job posting, may invoke; right to waive that training requirement. If the waiver results in him being the successful bidder, he shall be prohibited from bidding for another vacancy for a period of twenty-four (24) months unless the Company waives the time requirement.
6. An employee will be provided with at least an eight (8) hour rest period at the employee’s home station prior to the start of the employee’s next regular work schedule after attending company training classes. In the event the rest period extends into the employees regular work shift, the employee shall be paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay for that time lost from the employee’s regular work shift. If the employee is not afforded such rest period, the employee shall receive the applicable overtime rate of pay until such time as the employee is relieved for such rest period.
D. Travel
1. All hours spent in traveling, working, waiting, including travel to and from training, meetings and field trips work, shall be treated as travel time, as regular working hours and will, under normal circumstances be scheduled during the employee’s normal working hours. Hours in excess of the employees regular work hours shall be paid at the applicable overtime rate and, will be paid at the employee's straight time rate (including all premiums he is normally entitled to) license premium), when travel is required on an employees regular day off (RDO) he shall be paid at the applicable overtime rate. When travel is by air, travel time will be based on published flight time for both departing and returning portions of the trip plus one hour. for each portion to allow for shuttle and other miscellaneous wait time. Travel time by ground transportation, (personal automobile, train, or bus,) in excess of travel time by air shall only be paid if such travel mode is required by the Company. Travel time on a Rescue Mission is work time, eligible for overtime pay rate."
2. Employees will not be required to use their personal automobile for Company business. When travel by personal automobile is authorized by the Company, the employee shall be reimbursed for use of personal vehicles in accordance with the mileage reimbursement rate specified by the IRS code.
3. Employees traveling in connection with field trips work and training shall be provided round trip, positive space travel on Alaska Airlines and/or Horizon Air if direct or connecting routing is available. Employees traveling to their home station at the conclusion of a training assignment shall be granted a guaranteed seat on the first scheduled flight following the conclusion of the training class. An Employee traveling for Field Work or training that extends for more than two (2) weeks shall be provided a round trip, positive space pass to return to his home station during one of his off-day periods on Alaska Airlines and/or Horizon air if direct or connecting routing is available.
E. Travel Expenses
1. All employees covered by this Agreement who are required to perform work, attend training, or in any other reason be away from their home station shall receive an expense allowance (per diem) for time away from their home station for each hour (or fraction thereof) from the scheduled or actual report time of departure, up to the time the employee returns to his home station. The hourly per diem for domestic locations (including Canada and Mexico) shall be two dollars ($2.00) per hour and International locations (other than Canada and Mexico) shall be two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per hour. Should pilots or flight attendants receive a per diem rate greater than two dollars ($2.00) per hour for domestic or two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per hour for international during the term of this Agreement, employees covered by this Agreement will receive the same greater rate, effective on the date such rate becomes effective for the pilots and/or flight attendants. Employees will receive per diem pay at a rate of one dollar ($1.00) for each hour away from their home station with the following exceptions:
a. When a Company provided credit card has been issued to the employee and is utilized to pay has been used to pay for his meal(s) and all sundry expenses.
b. When the assignment is a one day assignment completed within a time period that does not extend the employee's regular shift hours. by more than two hours.
2. A minimum of twelve dollars ($12.00) per diem will be paid for any Rescue Mission in excess of four hours.
3. At the request of the employee, Advance per diem may will be paid by the Company for any trip over three days.
F. GENERAL
1. When an employee attends training of more than one (1) day, is assigned to Field Work, is assigned to a rescue mission (where time off will be authorized), or is in any way assigned to a station other than his home station for a period of more than one (1) day, upon request the Company will provide a reasonable sized rental car, or a Company vehicle for up to three (3) employee(s) so long as the employee provides receipts for the rental.
2. Employees assigned away from their home station shall be required to provide an expense report including per-diem hours. When an expense report is complete and properly submitted, including receipts (laundry, gas, miscellaneous items, etc) the employee shall be reimbursed within fourteen (14) calendar days.
ARTICLE 9
VACANCIES
A. Definitions
For the purpose of administration of this Agreement:
1. "Station" means the combination of all work areas at a single Company location, i.e., BOI, DEN, EUG, GEG, LAX, PDX, PSC, SEA. A station may or may not be located at an airport.
2. "Work Area" means the physical location, area of assignment, or specific job duties determined by the Company where a crew, or Employee, normally performs their, or his, duties, (e.g., Engine Shop, Heavy Check, Base Line Maintenance, Sheet Metal Shop, Fleet Services, Wheel and Brake Shop, Paint Shop, Accessory Overhaul Shop, Avionics, Inspection, Non-Destructive Testing, Portland Gate Maintenance (PDR), Fleet Service Shop, Ground Support Equipment Shop, Aircraft Maintenance Support Shop, Line Maintenance (BOIMTX, GEGMTX, PSCMTX, SEAMTX, DENMTX). Means the specific work location and/or crew an employee reports to on a daily schedule. Work Areas are generally smaller divisions (i.e. Heavy Check, Engine Shop, Line Maintenance, GSE, etc) of a larger defined group(i.e. Technicians).The Company shall provide the Association Union a complete and current list of work areas, as they are created, eliminated, or consolidated from time to time and prior to each Shift Bid.
B. Vacancies
All vacancies at any station in classifications covered by this Agreement shall be posted where employees covered by this Agreement are assigned. Such posted vacancies shall be referred to as a job posting. Qualifications and certificates/authorizations as described in Article 5 for a position, including required experience and/or training, and/or certificates and authorization, preferred experience and/or training, and/or certificates and authorizations, and other important factors to be considered, shall be specified in the Job Posting in advance of bidding. The Association will be given the opportunity to review and make suggestions with respect to the qualifications prior to the Job posting to assure the criteria are reasonable, and how they may be uniformly applied. Job postings will also be posted on the Company's web site with an electronic copy to the Union so that Employees who are on vacation when a job is posted may have knowledge of, and are able to bid on, the position.
C. Eligibility
1. All AMFA non probationary IBT represented Horizon Air employees, including those in layoff status, shall be eligible to bid on posted positions, except those currently employees within the same sub-classification assigned to the work area to which the job posting applies. The prohibition from bidding for a position in the Employee's work area does not apply when the posting is for an upgrade (i.e. Lead) position.
2. An Employee who successfully bids to a work area may not bid to another work area for a period of six (6) months unless the work area is new since the Employee's previous bid, or unless the Company waives the six (6) month requirement.
D. Job Posting
1. The posting shall state the number of vacancies at a work area to be filled, position (classification and job title), crew (shift), job (day off pattern), place where bids are to be sent, and the last date on which they may be submitted. The last date will be a minimum of seven days after the Job Posting.
2. Bids are to be filled out using a two-part bid form supplied by the Company. The original will be delivered or sent by facsimile to the designated Company representative as stated on the Job posting. The copy will be signed by the Company representative and returned to the employee as evidence of submission.
3. Notwithstanding paragraphs 1 and 2 above, postings for Fleet Service Agent positions shall be made in accordance with the Company's web-based internal applicant process. However, Lead Fleet Service Agent positions will be posted in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
E. Bid Awards
1. All bid awards shall be to the senior qualified bidder(s). When there is more than one employee who meets all the required and preferred technical qualifications with respect to their training, experience and certificates/authorizations, Classification Seniority shall govern when filling vacancies unless the Company can show that any less senior employee who is selected is quantifiably superior with respect to the other important factors. When no bidder meets all the required qualifications, and preferred technical qualifications with respect to their training, experience and certificates/authorizations, the Company may elect not to fill the position, or to amend the qualifications and re-post the Job Posting in accordance with 2 below. or to select the bidder(s) that it determines is (are) the best qualified, taking into account the other important factors, as well as the preferred qualifications sought, provided any employee selected must meet all the required technical qualifications regarding training, experience and authorizations/certificates.
2. Provided the same standards for filling the vacancy are used as were listed on the original posting, a vacancy which is not filled may be staffed with either an interested employee not covered by this Agreement within the Company or a new hire. Alternatively, the qualifications may be reduced, changed, or eliminated by mutual agreement between the Company and Union, and the job reposted, for bargaining unit employees to bid on with the altered qualifications prior to filing the job posting with a new hire.
3. The bid award will be given to the employee(s) which shall include station, work area, classification of job, job title, day off pattern, report date, shift, start time, and Immediate Supervisor. The Company shall contact any employee that is the successful bidder on two or more Job Postings, closing on the same day, and the employee must then select only one position before the posting of the award. Unsuccessful bidders shall be notified of the Bid Award.
F. Lead Selection
The process for filling open Lead GSE, Lead Fleet Service, Lead Aircraft Maintenance Technician, Inspector, or Lead Inspector positions is as follows: The relative weight of seniority versus qualifications in the selection process for filling open Lead GSE, Lead Fleet Service, Lead Aircraft Maintenance Technician, Inspector, or Lead Inspector positions, and the process by which this weighting is applied in the selection process is as follows:
1. Persons Eligible to Bid:
a. All IBT covered employees meeting the qualifications as described in Article 5 QUALIFICATIONS, shall be eligible to bid for open Lead and/or Inspector positions.
1. Any Aircraft Technician may bid for a posted Lead Aircraft Technician or Inspector position.
2. Only persons currently classified as Inspectors, or Aircraft Technicians who have been classified as Inspectors within the past 12 months may bid for a Lead Inspector position.
(3) Any Fleet Service agent may bid for a posted Lead Fleet Service position.
(4) Any GSE technician may bid for a posted Lead GSE position.
2. Selection Criteria:
For each open position there shall be three selection criteria, weighted as follows:
a. Seniority
Less than three years - 0 points
Three to five years - 5 points
Each full year over five - % point
b. Written test,
maximum score - 50 points. The Company and Union shall jointly develop a series of three hundred (300) or more multiple choice questions for each of the following, Lead Aircraft Technician, Lead Inspector, Inspector, Lead Fleet Service and Lead GSE, which will be redefined/adjusted on an as needed basis. The questions shall cover Each candidate shall be scored on his answers to a written test prepared by the hiring manager and reviewed with the AMFA Airline Representative, or his designee, covering the use of the Manuals relevant to their job responsibilities, specific knowledge needed for the particular open position, and, in the case of lead positions, leadership skills. When a Lead position is posted a company representative and Union representative shall randomly pick, from the three hundred (300), fifty (50) questions to be given to the candidates. Each candidate shall receive the same series of questions. Employees receiving a grade of eighty (80) percent or better shall receive the fifty (50) points, those grading less than eighty (80) percent shall receive zero (0) points.
c. Panel interview,
maximum score - 40 50 points. Each candidate shall be interviewed by a four-person selection panel consisting of the AMFA Airline Representative IBT Business Agent or his designee, another representative appointed by the IBT Business Agent AMFA Airline Representative, the manager responsible for the open position, and the Director of Personnel or the Director's designee. Each applicant will be asked to answer an identical series of questions prepared by the hiring manager and approved by the Business Agent or his representative relating to the experience, qualifications, skills, ability and work habits required for the position. Each candidate will be provided the opportunity to discuss with the panel the reasons the candidate wants the position, why the candidate should be selected, and any on the job or off the job accomplishments. Each panel member may ask each candidate questions with regard to the employee's work experience and performance at Horizon or at other jobs that are related to the qualification, skills, ability or work habits required for the position. Following the interview the panel members may discuss their determination as to the candidates’ answers, each panel member shall then secretly vote as to whether the candidate passed or failed the interview with a majority vote needed to fail the candidate. Candidates passing the interview shall receive fifty (50) points, those failing shall receive zero (0) points.
d. Candidate selection
The candidate selected shall be the senior employee receiving the highest number of points. one with highest number of points totaled from the points earned from each of the three selection criteria. The score for the panel interview shall be determined by dropping the high and low scores from the panel members and taking the average of the two remaining scores.
e. Before announcing the name of the successful candidate, the hiring manager will review the scoring of each candidate with the AMFA Local Executive Officer Business Agent or his designee.
G. Transfer
1. An employee awarded a position at his station shall be placed in his new position within ten (10) business days from the date of the posting of his award, or within whatever other time period may be mutually agreed upon between the Company and the employee, not to exceed sixty (60) calendar days. If the new position consists of an upgrade and the transfer is delayed, the employee shall receive any increase in wages, during the delay period, he would have been entitled to had the transfer been made within the ten (10) business days.
2. An employee awarded a position at another station, shall be placed in his new position in not less than ten (10), nor more than fifteen (15) business days from the date of posting of his award, or within whatever time period may be mutually agreed upon between the Company and the employee, not to exceed sixty (60) calendar days. If the new position consists of an upgrade and the transfer is delayed, the employee shall receive any increase in wages, during the delay, he would have been entitled to had the transfer been made within the ten (10) to fifteen (15) days.
H. In the case of “temporary vacancies positions” covered by this agreement, not expected to exceed six months, the Company may select an employee who desires to fill this vacancy on a temporary basis. The selection will be based on seniority and qualifications as described in Article 5 QUALIFICATIONS in so far as practical. The employee that fills the temporary position shall be paid the normal higher wages and premiums associated with the temporary position or his previous position whichever is greater. Vacancies in excess of six months must be filled in accordance with paragraphs B-E above.
I. An employee under this Agreement assigned to a temporary job under paragraph G of this Article shall, upon such discontinuance of such temporary job, be returned to the job in his former classification and work area.
J. Moving Expenses: The Company shall pay moving related expenses in connection with involuntary bid relocations as provided in the Transportation section of Article 23.
K. In the event of a vacancy in one of the classifications as set forth on the seniority lists as referenced in Article 4, those employees whose names appear on the various other seniority lists shall be allowed to bid on that job before a new employee is hired into that vacancy. The Company may only hire a new employee if he meets the required qualifications for the position and there is no bidder that meets the required qualifications for
the position.
L. An employee who, through the bidding process, is awarded a vacancy to a Work Area or Classification in which he has never worked, will be permitted to hold a the new job for a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days worked and no more than 90 calendar days worked on a trial basis in order to demonstrate his ability to perform the work required by the job. This assessment trial period will include a written performance review between the Employee and Immediate Supervisor at thirty (30) and sixty (60) calendar days. At the end of the 90- eighty ninth (89th) day assessment trial period, if the Employee's Supervisor determines that the Employee does not have the ability to efficiently perform the duties of the new position, with the Unions concurrence the company may extend an employee’s trial period up to thirty (30) days, If the Employee still does not have the ability to perform the duties, he will be reclassified to the former position at his former station, Work Area, Shift and day’s off. If that position no longer exists the employee shall be eligible to exercise his rights under the reduction in force procedure as described in Article11 Such a reclassification will not preclude an Employee from bidding for a change in Job Title or Classification following a six-month waiting period the reclassification.
M. TEMPORARY UPGRADES AND ASSIGNMENTS
1. If the need arises to temporarily upgrade an employee to a Lead position, the temporary vacancy will be filled by either an available Lead on overtime, or offering it to the senior qualified employee in the Work Area, shift and permanent crew. If he refuses the offer, then the next senior qualified and so on. If no employee on the crew volunteers for the position, the temporary vacancy will be filled by the junior qualified employee in that Work Area, shift and permanent crew. If the upgrade is filled by utilizing an upgrade from the crew, overtime shall not be utilized for the position vacated for the upgrade.
2. The Company shall not temporarily upgrade to a Lead position, within the same Work Area, more than thirty (30) days in a rolling twelve (12) month period except for unanticipated absences.
N. Voluntary Reduction in Classification
Inspectors and Leads in all classifications may voluntarily downgrade permanently, to a different/ lower classification in any work area in which they maintain seniority. This may be done in the following manner:
- If a vacancy exists, after recall and reduction in force procedures have been complied with in that order, an inspector or lead may fill the vacancy on a permanent basis prior to its being filled by a less senior bidder. If two or more employees at a station wish to downgrade at the same time, any competition between them for a vacancy shall be resolved by classification seniority, with the most senior being awarded the vacancy. Any inspector or lead who downgrades in this manner is prohibited from bidding for, or accepting, an inspector or lead position, as the case may be, for a period of one (1) year beginning from the date of his downgrade. Downgrading employees do not have recall rights to the position they have vacated. The resulting vacancy in the lead or inspector classification will be filled using the procedures outlined in this article.
ARTICLE 10
SHIFT REALIGNMENT
A. Semi-Annual Realignment - Aircraft Technician Classification
1. All employees covered by this Agreement have, within their Classification, an assigned Work Area they were hired into or they have been the successful bidder for. Within the Work Area all employees work an awarded shift with scheduled days off. Within the Work Areas, in some instances, may be different Crews. In those instances all employees will have the option to bid, by seniority, onto different crews within the same Work Area during the local shift bid. Each employee shall have the same starting time on each of his regularly scheduled work days.
2. With no intent or purpose by the Company to reduce or increase the working force in a position (job title within a classification), in a work area, All jobs of all crews (shifts, start times, and days off) shall be re-bid semi-annually by classification seniority in accordance with the procedures set forth in paragraphs 3 2 through 7 5 below.
a. Except as provided in b. below with respect to the Portland Base Line Maintenance and Heavy Check work areas, the semi-annual realignment bid shall be done for each work area separately.
b. Employees assigned to the Heavy Check work area at the Portland station are frequently cross utilized assigned to work in the Base Maintenance work area, and vice versa, depending on the daily workload. and not limited by the temporary assignment provisions in the Article 5, Classification of Work, Section G. During the semi-annual realignment bid, positions may be moved between these work areas so that the staffing of the two work areas is more closely matched with the anticipated workloads during the upcoming months. Because of the cross utilization between these Work Areas, the similarity of work and experience gained, employees assigned to the Portland Base Maintenance and Heavy Check Work Areas shall have the right to bid a shift and day off pattern on either Work Area during the semi-annual shift bid.
c. Employees assigned to the Portland Base Inspection and Portland Heavy Check Inspection shall be accorded the same privilege as described in “b” above.
(1) When the Company plans to move positions from one of these work areas to the other in a semi-annual realignment, it will post a notice of the number of positions it intends to move no less than two weeks before the start of the realignment process as set forth in paragraph A.2.below, and provide employees in the work area that will be scaled back, the opportunity to bid for the opportunity to realign with the work area that will be expanding.
(2) The most senior bidders will be assigned to the expanding work area for the realignment bid; however, if there are less bidders than the number needed in the expanding work area, the most junior employees in the scaled back work area who have completed their probationary periods shall be assigned to make up the deficiency.
c. In order to provide an opportunity for Technicians in the Base Line Maintenance and Heavy Check work areas to gain additional diversity of work experience, making them more qualified for assignment in either work area, a minimum of four (4) positions will be available for transfer between the work areas at each semi-annual shift realignment. These positions are in addition to the movement positions described in paragraph b. above, and employees will be selected for the move in advance of the shift bid. Selected employees will then
participate in the shift bid in their new work area.
(1) An employee who has transferred work areas pursuant to this paragraph c. shall not be eligible to bid for another transfer pursuant to this paragraph c. for two (2) years. However, if there are fewer than four eligible bidders this restriction will be waived, in seniority order, to allow the exchange of four employees to take place.
(2) To the limited extent necessary to avoid the loss of a needed qualification, skill or ability in the work area the Company may delay the transfer of employee for the time necessary to train another employee(s), but not more than eight weeks.
2. The Company shall provide a current seniority list by position (job title and classification) for each work area. The Company will also provide a list of all positions by job title in the classification that shall include, shifts, start times, and days off in each work area no later than the 1st of March and the 1st of September of each year. Employees in each position (job title and classification), shall re-bid all the shifts, start times, and
days off within their work area by classification seniority order.
3. At least twice a year (i.e., on a semi-annual basis, generally near the spring and fall time changes) each Work Area will have a “Rebid for shift and days off”. The Company will confer with the Local Union at each station regarding shift/day off patterns in each work area prior to posting the shift bid.
2.The re-bid shall occur twice per year from the ^0tt through the 15th of March and September.
4. Shift bids and current seniority lists for each Work Area will be posted by the Company at least twenty one (21) days before bidding starts in each Work Area. Results of the shift bid will be posted by the Company at least seven (7) days before its effective date. To minimize disruption of work schedules, the effective date of a shift bid will be the first day of the first pay period in April and October.
5. Employees on an assessment period shall be allowed to bid, however, for the remainder of the assessment period the Company may assign them where needed. Upon completion of the assessment period he shall assume the shift and days off he was awarded on the shift bid.
6. Employees scheduled to work more than four (4) or five (5) consecutive days (depending on an eight (8) or ten (10) hour shift), or more than eight (8) or ten (10) hours in a twenty four hour period, during the transition to a new shift/days off schedule will be paid straight time. Conversely, an employee, who, because of a shift bid, is scheduled for less than a forty (40) hour week, will be allowed to work a shift(s) at straight time in order to obtain forty (40) hours of straight time.
3. Positions shall be awarded, and the re-bid results shall be posted on or before March and September 20th, and shall go into effect on the 1st day of the 1st pay period in April and October.
7. The Company shall utilize a telephone call-in bidding system with a written backup (Shift/Days off Bid Preference form) as described below:
a. A copy of the shift/days off pattern and a seniority list will be posted for each work area.
a. Prior to the Shift Rebid, each employee should complete a bid preference form and submit it to his designated management representative who will provide the employee written confirmation of receipt.
b. Each Technician will then be assigned a minimum ten (10) minute call-in time. The Company shall post the designated call in number and location of the rebid station a minimum of twenty one (21) calendar days prior to the start of the bid. Each employee shall then either appear in person or by phone at the designated station to indicate his preference for Work Area, shift and days off as applicable. He will have to be available to call in to request his preferred slot within his work area. He will be awarded the first available slot of his choosing.
c. Should a Technician, due to extenuating circumstances, be unable not appear in person or to call at their designated time, the Shift/Days off Bid Preference form will be used to determine the employee's preference.
d. A Technician who misses the call-in time and has not submitted a preference form by that time shall be presumed to want to work the days off and shift regularly being worked during the preference period. If the Technician is unable to hold his prior days off and shift, he will be awarded any days off and shift that were not awarded to another Technician.
d. If during the awarding process an employee does not show in person, call in or have a bid preference form on file the employee may bid on remaining available slots at the time he notifies the appropriate office.
B. Shift Realignment - for all other Classifications
1. With no intent or purpose by the Company to reduce or increase the working force in a job title within a classification at a work area, all shifts, start times, and days off for all employees shall be re-bid semi-annually by classification seniority.
2. The Company shall provide a current seniority list by job title and classification for each work area. The Company will also provide a list of all open positions by job title in the classification that shall include, shifts, start times, and days off no later than the 1st of March and the 1st of September of each year. Employees in the job title, and the classification, shall re-bid all shifts, start times, and days off within their work area by seniority order.
3. The re-bid shall be twice per year from the 1st through the 15th of March and September.
4. Positions shall be awarded, and the re-bid results shall be posted on or before March and September 20th, and shall go into effect on the 1st day of the 1st pay period in April and October.
5. The Company shall utilize a written process for bidding as described below:
a. A copy of the shift/days off pattern and a seniority list will be posted for each work area.
b. Each Employee will complete a Shift/Days off Bid Preference form showing all available positions.
c. Shift/Days off will be awarded in seniority order.
d. An Employee who does not submit a preference shall be presumed to want to work the days off and shift regularly being worked during the preference period. If the Employee is unable to hold his prior days off and shift, he will be awarded any days off and shift that were not awarded to another Employee.
B. Work Area Balancing Realignments
1. If, due to its operational needs, the Company identifies that it has an excess number of positions in one work area and a deficiency of the same number of positions in another work area at the same station, it may realign Technicians within the affected station by utilizing the above language in paragraph 4 through 7. The Company will notify the union of any planned Work Area balance realignment a minimum of 30 days prior to the implementation of said balance realignment. The
notification will include the number of Technicians to be affected, and the anticipated duration of the realignment.
2. New (open) positions in a Work Area balancing realignment shall be made available through the Vacancies Job Postings procedure in Article 9, Section D.
3. Bids for the new (open) positions will be limited to Technicians with the same job title and classification at the Station.
4. Selection for the new (open) positions shall be awarded in accordance with the Vacancies Bid Award procedure in Article 9, Section E.
4. To the extent that the new (open) positions are not awarded to Technicians from the work area in which the excess positions existed, the most junior Technicians in such work area may select the positions vacated, in seniority order.
5. The Work Area Balancing procedures described above shall not be applicable to the movement of Aircraft Technicians between the Heavy Check and Base Line Maintenance work areas, as the balancing between those work areas is specifically addressed in Section A. above.
D. Bidding Employees shall be responsible for making the transition to newly assigned day off and shifts, and no overtime pay shall be paid to them on account of extra hours worked within the day or week of a shift or day off change on account of the days off or shift change.
2. There shall be no bidding between full-time and part-time positions on semi-annual realignment shift bids.
3. Working shifts will be scheduled and posted at each station, shop or hangar. There shall be no alterations to an employee's normally scheduled regular days off, shift, or start times other than that provided for in this Article, Article 6 section II paragraph D or by mutual agreement between the employee and his Supervisor.
ARTICLE 11
FURLOUGH AND RECALL
A. Reduction In Force
1. When it becomes necessary to reduce the working force, classification seniority, in addition to the ability to do the work, shall govern. Reduction in force shall be in inverse seniority order by job title of those in the work area at the station where a reduction is made. provided the employees that remain in the work area have the ability to do the work available after the reduction in force. Any senior employee
displaced from a work area on the basis of inability to do the work shall have the option of either attempting a "Qualification Period" in his work area as provided in A.3.b.below, or the options in A.2. below, but not both.
2. The Company shall give at least fourteen calendar days advance notice, or pay in lieu thereof for all workdays less than such advance notice, to employees who are to be laid off by the Company in a reduction in force in a station, and a list of such employees will be furnished to the representative of the Union designated by the Union for this purpose.
h. The fourteen day notice shall begin on the first succeeding day after notification of layoff is handed to an employee, on duty, in person or
i. When written notification is sent Certified Mail, (return receipt requested) to the current address on file with the Company, the date following the postmark date shall be considered the date of delivery to the employee and the next succeeding day shall begin the fourteen (14) day notice.
j. If the notice is served by mail and the date of delivery as defined above falls on a Sunday, Holiday, or other day on which postal deliveries are not provided by the Post Office Department, the date of delivery will be the day following the day on which postal deliveries are not provided and the first day of the fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice will be the next succeeding day.
k. The above shall apply to all employees covered by this Agreement at all times excepting employees on vacation or Leave of absence. If an employee scheduled for vacation or Leave of Absence is given notice either by hand directly or by mail prior to the day he begins his vacation or Leave of Absence, he shall be considered under notice as provided in items a, b, and c above. An employee already on vacation or Leave of Absence, however, shall not be given notice of layoff earlier than his first scheduled work day after completion of his authorized vacation or Leave of Absence. If an employee not on vacation or Leave of Absence is laid off under this procedure before an employee junior to him who is on vacation or Leave of Absence, no grievance or wage claim shall be allowed because of the deviation from seniority in the order of layoff.
3. The fourteen (14) days notice or pay in lieu thereof may be waived if the reduction in force is caused by an emergence as described in Article 3.beyond the control of the Company, such as an act of God, an act of war, a natural disaster, a strike affecting the Company's business, picketing of Company premises, a government grounding of Company aircraft, or other circumstances beyond the Company's control.
4. In the event the Company believes that a mandatory Prior to a reduction in force, will be of short duration the Company will work with the Union to promote voluntary labor reductions, such as individual voluntary reduced work schedules, early out packages and voluntary time off without pay. In no case shall employees covered by this agreement be offered separation packages less than any other group within the Company.
B. Exercise of Current Classification Seniority at the Station
1. The Company will identify the positions held by the most junior employees (in classification) at the station equal in number to the number of employees who have indicated a desire to displace at the station pursuant to A.2.a. or A.3.above, and the displacing employees shall bid for the positions held by the most junior employees. The positions will be awarded by seniority except as follows:
a. Subject to the right to avail himself of a Qualification Period under A.3.b. above, the employee must be qualified to perform the duties of the position and of the employee he displaces, unless there are sufficient other employees in the crew with the qualifications of the displaced individual to do the work available after his replacement. However an employee will not be held to a higher performance
standard than any of the employees currently working in that position.
b. In order to displace a lead or inspector, the employee must have held the position for at least one year.
C. Exercise of Seniority on the System
An Employee who has been laid off or displaced in a Reduction in Force at a station under A above, and who is unable to remain in his classification at his station, may elect to displace a more junior employee in another classification (in which he holds seniority) at his station or at another station in his current classification or any other classification(s) in which he holds seniority in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph C.
Company representatives involved in the administration of employees' exercise of seniority will furnish
such employees, within two business days, current information as to the stations, bid locations, and work areas in the classification(s) to which they are eligible to exercise seniority.
1. Employees that will be affected by the furlough shall, qualifications permitting (see Article 5 QUALIFICATIONS), at their option: have the following options:
a. Displace ing a junior employee in any Work Area in his classification/Sub Classification, as described in Article 4.c, at his station, or pursuant to paragraph B below.
b. Displace a junior employee in any Work Area within his Classification/Sub Classification, as described in Article 4.c at any other station on the system, or
c. If unable to exercise seniority in his classification in his own station, he May displace a junior employee in any Work Area in another classification (in which he holds seniority) at his own station or at another station,. in his classification, or in any classification in which he holds seniority pursuant to paragraph C below. See #7 below
d. Apply ing for open positions within the Company.
e. Accept ing furlough.
3. Limitations on Displacement
a. An employee affected by a furlough may not displace into a position for which he does not possess an essential qualification, (e.g., NDT certification, license or machinist experience).
b. If, for reasons other than those set out in a. above, the Company asserts that a senior employee is unqualified to hold a position and intends to retain a less senior employee, the Company will identify, and notify the Association in writing, the necessary qualifications held by the junior employee that would result in his retention over the senior employee. If there is no other position to which he has the seniority and is qualified to displace under 2. above, the senior employee will be allowed a "Qualification Period" of 160 working hours of active employment measured from the date of furlough notice in which to demonstrate his ability to satisfactorily perform the work. During the Qualification Period, the Company may retain the qualified junior employee. If he is successful, the senior employee will be retained, but if he is unsuccessful, he will be furloughed.
2. An Employee desiring to displace another employee or apply for another position (options 1. a - e 2.a.- c. or 3.b. above) must file a written notice of intent with a designated Company representative within seven calendar days forty-eight (48) of being notified of furlough.
1. No later than fifteen business days after issuance of his notice of layoff or after notification of his displacement, an employee who desires to exercise seniority must file with the Company a written notice of exercise of seniority as described in paragraph c. below. For an employee who is on vacation or authorized leave on the date of issuance of his notice of layoff or displacement, this filing time limit will be extended to end five (5) business days after the last day of such vacation or approved leave.
2. An employee must file his notice of exercise of seniority with a designated Company representative.
3. The notice of exercise of seniority will be on a standardized Company supplied form, and the employee shall identify, in order of his preference, the Work Areas, stations, and/or other classifications that the employee wishes to transfer to. exercising seniority will accept.
4. An exercise of seniority is final and complete on the date and time that the employee files his notice of exercise of seniority with the Company's designated representative. However, an exercise of seniority will be voided upon cancellation by the Company of the underlying layoff, or upon acceptance (before his report date) of a system bid award by the employee exercising seniority.
5. The Company will place the employee in the position at the station, or other classification and Work Area in accordance with his preference priorities. , subject to the following:
(1) Subject to the right to avail himself of a Qualification Period under A.3.b. above, the employee must be qualified to perform the duties of the position and of the employee he displaces unless there are sufficient other employees in the crew with the qualifications of the displaced individual to do the work available after his replacement. However an employee will not be held to a higher performance standard than any of the employees currently working in that position.
(2) In order to displace a lead or inspector, the employee must have held the position for at least one year.
f. If there has been more than one exercise of seniority filed, on the same day, the employees' preferences will be considered in seniority order. The employees preferences shall be considered by the latest filed.
6. The exercise of seniority will displace the most junior employee at the station or in the classification and Work Area in a position that the employee exercising seniority can displace has chosen to displace into.
7. The effective date of transfer of an employee who has exercised seniority shall be the effective date of his assignment to his new job. Such transfer shall be accomplished within fifteen business days from the date of his exercise of seniority. The employee will remain on payroll status through the date of assignment to his new job.
8. Employees shall not be allowed to bump or displace into a higher Classification (i.e. Technician to Lead, Technician to Inspector, Fleet Service to Technician) unless they have previously held that Classification.
9. Employees transferring to another station due to a reduction in force shall be entitled to receive moving expenses in accordance with the transportation section of Article 23
C. FOLLOW YOUR WORK
1. If the Company decides to move work from one company location to another on a permanent basis (i.e. sixty days or more), resulting in a net head count loss at the location losing the work, beginning with the most senior employee in the affected Work Area, the net number of affected employees in the affected Work Area shall have the option to exercise seniority to follow that work to the new location or locations to which it is transferred, before vacancies are offered to other employees, including those with recall rights or new hires, at the location or locations. An employee who declines to exercise his seniority and becomes excess in the Work Area shall then become surplus within that location and shall be afforded his furlough and recall rights.
D. Notice of Exercise Of Seniority
D. Notice to Displaced Employee of Displacement
1. The Company will, within two business days, of completing the “exercise of seniority” forms notify an employee affected by an exercise of seniority of the fact that he is being has been displaced and the date of his last shift to be worked, and the name of the employee displacing him. Notice of displacement will be given to an employee in writing.
2. The displaced employee shall be given the same rights and privileges as described in “B” above.
b. A displacement is final and complete on the date and time an employee is given notice of his displacement by a Company representative. However, a displacement will be voided upon cancellation by the Company of the underlying layoff or upon acceptance (before his report date) of a system bid award by the employee exercising seniority. Displaced employees shall be able to exercise their seniority in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
3. An employee who is laid off by the Company or displaced by a senior employee in a reduction in force will not be required to exercise seniority in order to preserve his seniority and may accept layoff at his station.
4. An employee who does not exercise seniority within the seven calendar day time limit set forth in subparagraph 3.a. B.2 above shall thereby lose his right to exercise seniority and will be placed on layoff status on the date specified in his layoff notice or the date of his last shift worked following his displacement. He shall not again be permitted to exercise seniority to displace a junior employee at some later date. He will, however, be eligible while on layoff status to bid on system wide job postings and be eligible for recall in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
5. An employee who has exercised seniority:
a. To another station and who fails to report to his new crew within fifteen business days after the date of his assignment, or
b. Within his station and who fails to report to his new crew within five business days of the date of his assignment; will remain on layoff status at his original station and shall not again be permitted to exercise seniority to displace a junior employee at some later date. He will, however, be eligible while on layoff status to bid on system wide job postings and be eligible for recall in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
E.. Severance Allowance
An employee who has completed at least one (1) year of compensated service with the Company prior to being laid off, through no fault or action of his own, shall receive severance allowance, as follows:
a. One week of pay for each completed year of service, paid as pay continuation.
b. Six months flight privileges on Alaska Air Group.
c. Medical benefits shall continue until the end of the month in which pay continuation ceases
E. Recall
1. An employee who is furloughed shall have a right of recall in accordance with his Classification Seniority to open positions in his classification(s) (permanent or temporary) at any station. During the period he retains seniority, an employee furloughed for lack of work shall be offered recall prior to hiring additional employees. However, an employee will not be recalled to a position that requires a credential (e.g. FAA
certificate or license) that he does not have.
2. Employees on furlough may bid for any posted position Vacancy.
3. Employees may waive recall to any position other than that which they previously held.
4. The Company shall advise furloughed employees of their right to recall by certified mail (return receipt requested) at the current address on file with the Company, with a minimum twenty one (21) calendar ten business days advance notice prior to reporting from the date of receipt.
5. The Company shall make reasonable efforts to notify an employee of a recall opportunity (including Vacancies for which he may bid) by certified mail. The employee shall have seven (7) days from delivery of his right to recall letter by certified mail (return receipt requested) to the most recent address he has provided to the Company, to notify the Company of his desire to return to work or to bid on the Vacancy.
6. A Furloughed employee must inform the Company (Employee Resources) via certified mail if his address and/or telephone number changes. Failure to do so will result in termination of employment if recall notices or recall opportunity notices are returned or not responded to.
7. An Employee who declines recall to the position that he previously held, or who is not recalled within two (2) 5 years or his length of service with the Company, which ever is greater, years after his furlough date, will be considered to have resigned from the Company and his/her name shall be removed from the seniority list. Notice of resignation will be sent to such employee.
8. A furloughed employee exercising seniority for recall at a station that is different from the station from which he was furloughed shall be entitled to moving and/or transfer expenses payment as provided in the Transportation Section of Article 23 Employee Benefits.
9. An employee accepting recall shall return to work on the effective date of the recall or another date mutually agreed to, but in no event shall a required return date be less than fourteen (14) twenty one (21) calendar days from the date the employee accepts the recall to return to work.
10. An employee furloughed for lack of work, but who is recalled within the time limits described in 7 above two (2) years, shall have his/her seniority accrued up to the date of furlough reinstatement ed.
F. Recall to Temporary Work
1. An employee may without penalty decline recall to an open temporary position.
2. An offer of recall to a temporary position will specify its anticipated minimum and maximum duration.
ARTICLE 12
HOLIDAYS
A. The following legal holidays are recognized by the Company for all employees covered by this Agreement:
New Year's Day Observed January 1
Memorial Day Observed the last Monday in May
Independence Day Observed July 4
Labor Day Observed the first Monday in September
Thanksgiving Day Observed the fourth Thursday in November
Thanksgiving Friday Observed the fourth Friday in November
Christmas Day Observed December 25
Two Floating Holidays
The Holiday shall be observed on the day designated by Federal pronouncement except New Years day will be observed on January 1st and Christmas will be observed on December 25th.
B. During the year, subject to the needs of the service, the employee may request Floating Holiday(s) for a specific day or sequence of days if the employee has Floating Holiday(s) available. Requests may not be submitted more than sixty (60) days in advance, but should be made at least seventy two (72) hours in advance. The Supervisor shall have an answer to the employee’s request by the end of the employees work day on the day the request was made.
1. Once a request has been properly made and approved, the Floating Holiday(s) must be taken as scheduled unless agreed to otherwise by the employee and the Supervisor.
2. Floating Holidays cannot be scheduled on any other holiday.
3. Floating Holidays will be approved on a first come first served basis. If two or more employees submit a request on the same day, for the same day off, and the Supervisor can grant only one employee the time off, seniority shall prevail.
C. For holiday staffing purposes, all employees regularly scheduled for duty will be expected to report for work on their regularly scheduled shift. The Company will endeavor to reduce the work load on a holiday, therefore, a volunteer list with the number of employees required per shift and Work Area will be posted by the Company in each Work Area at least twenty one (21) days before the holiday. Within thirteen (13) days of posting employees must indicate in writing their preference to work by signing the volunteer list. Only those employees assigned to the Work Area and normally scheduled to work on that day will be eligible to sign its respective volunteer list. If there are insufficient volunteers to work the holiday, and reduced staffing is authorized, awarding of the day off will be in seniority order, beginning with the most senior employee, and will be posted seven (7) days before the holiday. If there are more volunteers to work than are needed for holiday staffing purposes, assigning of the day off will be in inverse seniority order, beginning with the most junior employee (including probationary employees).
D. If an employee works on a holiday he will be paid two times (2 X ) his hourly base rate of pay, including all premiums he normally receives, for all hours worked, in addition to eight (8) or ten (10) hours, depending on his regular schedule, of straight time holiday pay.
E. If a holiday falls on an employee’s regular scheduled work day and the employee is excused from working that day, the employee will receive eight hours pay at the employees normal hourly rate of pay if the employees regular schedule is eight (8) hours and ten (10) hours pay at the employees normal hourly rate if the employees regular schedule is ten (10) hours.
F. If a holiday falls on an employees regularly scheduled day off the following will occur:
1. At the employees option, he will be given another day off immediately before or after the employees regularly scheduled day off with eight (8) or ten (10) hours pay depending on the employees regularly scheduled shift, or
2. The employee may defer the holiday to be taken later in the year. Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Friday and Christmas may be deferred to the current or succeeding year, or
3. The employee will receive eight (8) or ten (10) hours pay at his normal hourly rate for the holiday, depending on whether the employee works a normal eight (8) or ten (10) hour shift.
All full-time Eligible Employees will receive holiday pay up to a maximum of ten (10) hours at the straight time rate plus shift differential.
1. All such Employees whose work schedule is unaffected by the holiday (i.e., those who were not scheduled to work on the holiday and who did not work on the holiday) will receive eight (8) hours of holiday pay;
2. Any such Eligible Employee who is excused from working on a holiday on which he or she normally would have worked and those who work on the holiday will receive holiday pay for the number of hours he or she was scheduled to work.
G. For each holiday worked, an Employee may take a compensatory defer his straight time holiday pay for use as an additional day off to be taken later in the year. in lieu of the holiday premium paid for each holiday worked. Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Friday and Christmas may be deferred to the current or succeeding year. Any additional day off must be approved by the Company. and may be cancelled if the workload in the shop becomes greater than anticipated when the approval was given.
4. When a holiday falls on an employees scheduled day off, he may ask to take another day off without pay.
H. Part time Eligible Employees shall be paid holiday pay equal to ten percent (10%) of their regular (non overtime) hours worked during the two-week payroll period that includes the holiday.
D. To be an "Eligible Employee," an Employee must work on his/her last scheduled shift before the holiday and first scheduled shift after the holiday, unless excused by management.
I. All Employees who work the holiday will receive double time for all hours actually worked on the holiday. However, there shall be no overtime premium payable for any hours for which the holiday premium is paid, (i.e., There shall be no compounding of holiday and overtime premiums.)
1. If the Company reduces the work schedule for a holiday, then the Employees who would have worked that day had it not been a holiday will be provided an opportunity to bid for the shifts, and the Company shall award the shifts that are available in accordance with the Distribution of Overtime provisions for pre-shift and post-shift overtime (Article 7.E.3. and 7.E.5.) of this Agreement utilizing classification seniority.
2. A bid list of positions to be worked on each shift in each work area will be posted at least two weeks before the holiday. The sign-up sheet shall remain posted for a minimum of four calendar days. Employees awarded the position to work shall be notified at least seven calendar days in advance of the holiday. Employees awarded to work the holiday shall be provided the opportunity to work the entire shift.
J. Legal holidays will be observed the night preceding the holiday by "Graveyard" shift Employees.
K. If an employee is on any type of paid leave (i.e. sick leave, jury duty, bereavement leave, PTO, etc), the employee will receive holiday pay, but the employee will not receive leave pay.
L. If an employee calls in PTO on a holiday he is scheduled to work, the employee will be treated as follows:
1. The employee will receive eight (8) hours holiday pay at his normal hourly rate of pay if the employee’s regular schedule is eight (8) hours and ten (10) hours pay at his normal hourly rate of pay if the employee’s regular schedule is ten (10) hours.
2. The absence will be an accountable instance for attendance purposes. Subsequent contiguous absences due to PTO will be considered the same instance.
M. When an employee is scheduled to work on a holiday and does not call in or report, holiday pay will not be paid absent extenuating circumstances.
N. The Company recognizes that certain employees will request time off to observe a religious holiday not recognized by the Company as a normal holiday. Employees who wish to take time off to observe a religious holiday not recognized by the Company should first attempt to arrange their work schedule so that they will not have to work on the religious day. The employee may arrange to work on one of the established holidays, and then defer the day to be taken on the religious day, or arrange a trade day with another employee in the same week he wishes to observe the religious day. Employees unable to make alternate arrangements should notify their Supervisor in writing at least two (2) weeks prior to the day they wish to be absent. The Company will accommodate a request for time off.
ARTICLE 13
PERSONAL TIME OFF
A. Personal Time Off (PTO) shall be used by Employees to compensate for work hours they would otherwise have been scheduled to work, but do not, due to scheduled vacation or Day-at-a-Time (DAT) time off, absence due to an illness or injury to either themselves or a family member, during the waiting period specified in Article 14 for Extended Leave (EL), or absence for any other reason not covered by other provisions of the Agreement while in an active employment status (e.g., Bereavement Leave, Jury Duty fishing, hunting, family picnic, etc).
B. Personal Time Off is earned for every paid hour beginning on the first day of the pay period following an Employee's date of hire. The accrual rate, the maximum accrual per biweekly pay period, and the maximum total accrual for Full-time and Part-time employees increase with the Employee's Company Seniority as shown in the table below:
Company
Seniority | Hours Per
Paid Hour | Maximum
Accrual Per eighty(80) hour
Biweekly Pay
Period (Hours)
| Maximum
Total
Accrual
(Hours/8 hr
Days)
|
First five years
After five years | 0.065375
0.084625 | 5.23
6.77 | 208 26
248 31
|
After ten years
After eleven years
| 0.088500
0.092250 | 7.08
7.38 | 256 32
264 33
|
After twelve years
| 0.096125 | 7.69 | 272 34
|
After thirteen years
| 0.100000 | 8.00 | 280 35
|
After fourteen years
| 0.103875 | 8.31 | 288 36
|
After fifteen 0. 107750 8.62
Years
After twenty 0.12775 10.22
Years
The accrual rate and maximum accrual per biweekly pay period for a Variable-Time Employee are as shown above for the first five years, regardless of Company seniority.
C. Employees unused PTO hours are cumulative from year to year and at the end of each calendar year (December 31) PTO hours in excess of those allowed for vacation plus forty (40) hours may, at the employees option:
1. Be transferred into the employee’s Extended Leave (EL) Bank effective January 1 of the subsequent year, or
2. The employee may, elect to contribute the excess hours to his 401(K) Savings Plan account in lieu of taking the time off. Contributions shall be made in the first quarter of the following year, shall be treated as employee contributions only, and are subject to Internal Revenue Code limits, or
3. The employee may, during the annual benefits enrollment elect to use the excess hours to defer his monthly benefits cost in lieu of taking the time off. The PTO value will be calculated using the employee’s rate on January 1 of the subsequent year, and applied in twelve (12) prorata portions to offset benefits costs each month of that year. In the event that the value of the PTO exceeds the benefit cost the excess will be included as a cash payment on the employee’s regular paychecks. Should an employee leave the employee of the Company during the course of the year in which he has used PTO to offset benefit costs, the amount remaining for the balance of the year will be included in his final paycheck, or
4. The employee may elect to donate PTO under the Company's PTO/vacation Donation program to be used by other employees with a hardship who have no PTO or EL to cover their time missed, or
5. The employee may elect to donate PTO to another employee of his choice on an hour for hour basis.
D. An employee shall cease accruing PTO when an employee reaches his maximum total accrual as shown in the table above. He shall stop accruing PTO until his total accrual falls below the maximum. An employee may elect to transfer accrued PTO to his EL bank or Employees must use their accrued PTO for time off, and will not be compensated in lieu of time off for unused PTO during the course of their employment. An employee's current PTO accrual shall be displayed on his regular paycheck "paystub."
E. Vacation
Number of
Company Seniority Vacation Weeks
Less than five years 2 weeks
Five years, 3 weeks
Fifteen years 4 weeks
Twenty years 5 weeks
Employees who have successfully completed their probationary period may schedule vacation each year. While on vacation, an Employee shall be paid from his/her accrued PTO for the number of straight time hours he/she would have worked each day up to a maximum of forty (40) hours per payroll week (Sunday through Saturday). Vacation hours will be compensated for at the employee's base pay, including all premiums and differentials that he would have been entitled to receive if he had worked instead of being on vacation.
- Employees shall be allowed to take the allotted vacation as defined above effective with his anniversary date in the year he attains the company seniority.
For vacation bidding purposes, a vacation period shall be defined as the period from 0001 Sunday to midnight the following Saturday. On November 1 of each year, employees will be notified of the amount of vacation they should be entitled to bid during the forthcoming calendar year, and all employees will bid for their vacation preference in weekly increments during the month of December according to their Company seniority, by classification at each work area, on each crew. The shift for bidding purposes will be determined based on the employee's shift on November 15. An employee shall make his selection in person or by proxy within two days, or he shall forfeit his right to select in turn and shall follow the last employee who has selected. Approved vacation selections will be posted at the various Stations by December 31, and once posted a senior employee will not be permitted to take a vacation already assigned a junior employee. While on vacation, an Employee shall be paid from his/her accrued vacation at his/her regular rate for the number of straight time hours he/she would have worked each day up to a maximum of forty (40) hours per payroll week (Sunday through Saturday). For example, Ten-hour shift employees shall take their vacation in four day increments and the employee shall be charged ten hours for each vacation day paid.
F. VACATION BIDDING
1. Vacations will be bid by shifts in a Work Area, except that in any Work Area having less than twenty (20) employees, vacations shall be bid by Work Area. When mutually agreed between the Company and Local Business Agent vacations may be bid by groupings other than those listed herein. Provided that the Company will not unreasonably withhold agreement to such grouping as the Local Business Agent advocates. It shall not be unreasonable for the Company to withhold agreement if the proposed grouping can be reasonably expected to materially affect the operation or any portion thereof.
2. In each vacation bidding group, the Department head or Designee shall determine the total number of vacation weeks to be taken including regular earned vacation and deferred Holidays. For determining weeks to bid, two (2) days or less will not constitute as a week.
3. If the total number of weeks to be taken is forty eight (48) weeks or less, only one (1) person will be awarded a vacation in any given week (considered a column)
4. If the total number is greater than forty eight (48) weeks, a full fifty two (52) week column will be available for bidding each forty eight (48) weeks, and if necessary a partial column will be available for any remaining weeks in the last column. This method is used to avoid scheduling more people than necessary to be on vacation in any specific week.
5. Once a year, beginning on the Monday closest to the fifteenth (15) of November, employees will bid for available vacation in the succeeding year based on Company seniority. The Company will post notice of where and when employees will bid their initial and subsequent rounds of vacation. Employees shall be given a fifteen (15) minute time slot to allow time to peruse the available vacancies prior to bidding. Employees will at that specific time have three (3) ways to bid. They may show up in person, or telephone in their preference, or submit a written pre-bid to the designated management representative prior to any particular bid round. Written confirmation will be provided to employee’s submitting written pre-bids. Once the entire vacation biding process is completed the vacation listings will be posted no later than December 15th.
6. Employees may bid one (1) continuous vacation period, which may include all or any portion of the vacation to which he is entitled. However if the employee is eligible for less than ten (10) working days the employee may not split the available vacation. Once an employee is eligible for ten (10) working days or more, the employee may split the employee’s vacation into separate periods of complete weeks and if a partial week remains, it shall be taken in conjunction with one (1) of the employee’s complete weeks.
7. Once each employee has had the opportunity to bid, additional rounds of bidding will be permitted following the same procedure used on the initial round.
8. If an employee does not bid at all, during any given round, the employee will not be given the opportunity to bid until the next round. However if an employee misses his bid time but calls or shows up to bid before that round is completed, he will be allowed to bid at that time from the remaining available weeks. If the employee fails to bid, any open weeks may be assigned by the Supervisor to grant the earned vacation after the entire bidding process is completed.
9. If an employee is a member of the Military Reserve and will attend a two (2) week training assignment during the bid year, the employee may set aside one (1) or two (2) weeks of vacation to be taken during the employees Military leave period.
10. Although vacation weeks are bid using the Sunday date, the actual vacation begins with the first scheduled day off in that week except employees with Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday off will start their vacation in conjunction with their days off at the beginning of the week, unless the employee and Supervisor agree otherwise.
11. Employees working in Work Areas that bid vacation by shifts will retain and carry with them their bidded vacation week(s) if they move to another Work Area and/or shift during the Calendar year.
12. Unless employees are allowed to retain their bidded vacation, additional columns or partial columns will be opened during the year to accommodate additional vacations because of an increase in complement (transfers) or changes in the Work Group which increases the number of weeks to be taken. In all other cases, any open weeks on the vacation schedule will be available for employees within the vacation bid group who wish to switch their scheduled weeks of vacation.
13. Employees must notify their Supervisor in writing of any requested vacation change. If two or more employees request the same week(s), on the same day, seniority shall prevail, the Supervisor shall approve the request and the posted vacation schedule will be revised accordingly.
14. Any vacation period vacated on the vacation schedule will remain open for seventy two (72) hours prior to being awarded to the senior eligible bidder within the vacation group. In the Work Areas where vacations are bid by shifts, no vacation will be bid for seventy two (72) hours after shift bid change. Then the senior bidder on the shift or coming on the shift will bid first.
a. The number of weeks that an Employee may bid is the lesser of: (1) his anticipated total vacation hours accrued as of January 1 of the following year divided by forty, or (2) the number of weeks shown in the table below:
b. Fractional weeks may not be bid. Employees may bid their maximum weeks for the year only in the first round of bidding, and provided the weeks are consecutive. Employees electing to split their vacation will be permitted a second, third, fourth, or fifth vacation period choice only after all other employees have had an opportunity to file their first choice.
c. Any employee desiring to bid vacation in excess of the number of weeks specified in paragraph a. above due to accrual carried over from previous years must notify his Supervisor no less than fourteen days prior to November 1 to have excess vacation included on the vacation schedule. Excess vacation greater than that specified in paragraph (a) above may be bid during the second, third, fourth or fifth round.
2. Vacation Availability: The Company will make vacation weeks available for bidding in each work area no less than the total anticipated number of weeks of vacation accrued by the Employees in that work area as of January 1 of the vacation year. In work areas with workloads that are not anticipated to fluctuate (e.g., line maintenance), the vacations weeks shall be spread evenly throughout the year. However, in work areas with planned peak and valley work periods (e.g., Heavy Maintenance), vacation weeks may be concentrated in the valley periods. Vacation weeks not bid or awarded during the vacation bidding process may be taken in accordance with paragraph E.
G. Adjustments to Vacation
1. Holidays - If a holiday falls within the vacation leave, that day will not be charged against the PTO Bank.
2. Days Off, General Rule - An employee's vacation days off will begin on the first scheduled workday of his consecutive block of scheduled workdays (employee's Monday), the majority of which workdays fall within his bid vacation period. If his scheduled workdays are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, then his first vacation day off shall be Friday. When an employee desires to start his vacation on the calendar Sunday, it shall be requested in writing at least fourteen calendar days prior to the beginning of his scheduled vacation period.
3. Illness - Employees who become ill during their vacation may not change the status of the leave until the pre-arranged vacation leave is liquidated, but the Company will count the period of illness as part of the waiting period for EL if the illness continues and prevents the Employee from working after the end of his vacation and adequate documentation of the illness is provided to the Company's Leave and Disability
Administrator. Unless an employee is able to substantiate that he was incapacitated and unable to notify the Company due to an illness or accident, the EL waiting period will not begin before the date of notification.
If any employee changes work areas or classifications, he may be required to reschedule his previously scheduled vacation period(s).
4. The Company may not cancel scheduled bidded vacations, except in the case of “emergency” as defined in Article 3. when necessary due to staffing shortages resulting from unanticipated and uncontrollable absences from a crew (e.g., medical leaves of absence, training, etc.) when those absences cannot be covered by any other means except by an excessive exorbitant amount of overtime. The company will provide a minimum of 14 days advance notice in the event of a vacation cancellation. If the Company cancels a vacation of an Employee who has made a non-refundable deposit, bought nonrefundable tickets, etc., in reliance on his established vacation schedule, the Company will reimburse the affected Employee for any documented non-refundable expenses (hotel reservations/airfares/rental car, etc.) that the Employee might have had arranged during the cancelled vacation period. The Company will be entitled to attempt recovery of the deposit, ticket expense, etc. or apply it to some other person or purpose. The affected Employee will also be allowed to re-schedule the cancelled vacation period for any week left within the calendar year or the cancelled vacation may be carried over into the following year.
5 Employees will be allowed to cancel their vacation periods provided they give notice in writing to their Supervisor at least fourteen days prior to the beginning of their vacation period. The vacated slots will then be made available to other interested employees within the Work Area in accordance with F.14 above.
6. When an employee vacates his vacation period, employees in the same work area, commencing with those junior to the employee vacating his vacation period and those transferring into the work area subsequent to the original vacation bidding, will be allowed to bid for the vacated period, in order of Company seniority. A notice of the vacated period will be posted, and employees must notify their supervisor of their desire for the vacated period within seven days of the posting. If not selected within seven days, it will be considered an open period available to the first employee who requests it within the work area Vacation periods, which in turn are vacated by this procedure, will become open periods.
6. If an employee's planned vacation is outside the USA or Canada, he An employee may receive the pay that would normally be payable on paydays falling within the employee's vacation period on the day prior to the commencement of his vacation, provided that the employee makes a written request fourteen calendar days prior to the commencement of his vacation.
H. DAT Scheduled Time Off
1. Employees are expected, but are not required, to schedule the maximum number of vacation weeks that they may bid pursuant to Section D E . Above. However, an employee may take any accrued PTO on a day-at-a-time (DAT) basis.
2. DAT scheduled time off may be taken singularly or consecutively.
3. Guaranteed DAT Availability Days
a. For each classification on each crew in each work area, the Company will make available DAT in accordance with the table below:
Number of employees | No. of DAT available
per week |
1-5 | 1 |
6-10 | 2 |
11-15 | 3 |
16-20 | 4 |
21-25 | 5 |
26-30 | 6 |
31-35 | 7 |
More than 35 | 8 plus 1 for each additional 5 |
b. When total number of DATs available per week is seven or less, no more than one guaranteed DAT will be available on each day of the week. For example, if the number of employees is 12, and there are 3 days available, employees may request any day of the week, but requests are only required to be granted for the first three different requested days.
c. The Company may "black out" up to three weeks per year and make no guaranteed DAT available during those weeks.
c. Requests may be filed up to 12 weeks in advance of the week in which the DAT would occur, but no later than two weeks before the day requested.
d. Approval will be on a first-come-first-served basis. except that an employee who has already taken seven DATs during a calendar year shall not be eligible for further Guaranteed DAT Availability Days.
e. Requests will be approved (or disapproved) within seven days of receipt of the request, if the request is not approved or disapproved within the seven (7) day period, the DAT shall be considered as approved.
f. An employee shall not be denied a DAT if open weeks exist as set forth in F.4 of this Article, or the guaranteed weeks in G.3.a of this article. If four (4) or more days in an open week are taken as DAT, then that week shall no longer be considered as an open week.
4. The above procedures with respect to Guaranteed Availability Days are not a limitation on the granting of additional DAT requests. The Company shall approve additional DAT requests, subject to the Company's staffing needs. However, requests submitted less than fourteen days in advance are less likely to be approved if staffing adjustments are necessary.
5. DAT time off may also be requested for partial days, in increments of hours. If a holiday falls within the vacation leave, that day will not be charged against the PTO accrual.
6. Once granted, a DAT may only be cancelled by mutual agreement between the employee and his Supervisor or in case of an emergency. need by the Company.
7. DAT hours will be compensated for at the employee's base pay, including all premiums and differentials that he would have been entitled to receive if he had worked instead of being on scheduled time off.
I. DAT Unscheduled Time Off
1. Employees will be paid from their PTO accrual for any hours they were scheduled to work and did not work, unless compensated under another provision of this agreement or unless the time off is requested by the Company and agreed to be uncompensated by the employee (e.g., excused from shift early).
2. Employees should utilize the DAT Scheduled Time Off provisions of Section E above whenever the need for the absence can be anticipated in advance.
3. Payment for the PTO time does not make the absence an "excused” or approved absence if it has not been scheduled and approved.
4. PTO Notifications. An Employee who is unable to work, shall provide as much advance notice as is possible.
a. On a day on which the Employee is scheduled to work, notification shall be provided by calling in at least two hours before the Employee's scheduled reporting time, if possible.
b. If the Employee does not speak directly with his Supervisor, or his designee, at the time of initial notification (e.g., leaves a voice message), he or she shall contact his or her Supervisor, or his designee, as soon as possible thereafter to report the expected duration of the absence and receive instructions with regard to further reporting and the need to see a doctor for diagnosis or treatment.
b. Proper notification occurs when the Company or its designee has been contacted at the designated absentee number by the employee and he informs them he will not be at work on that day and the anticipated duration of the absence.
c. When an employee is using his PTO for an illness or medical condition, the Employee shall not be required to divulge information regarding his illness that he considers confidential and any such information that is divulged shall only be shared with others who have a need to know and who also agree to similarly limit any further disclosure of the information.
d. The notification requirement shall continue as a daily requirement until another arrangement has been approved by the Employee's Supervisor, or his designee.
5. At Company expense, the Company may require a doctor's written statement to establish whether an Employee is unable to work, or if the time off work is three (3) days or longer.
6. The Company may request a doctor's written statement before the Employee is allowed to return to work after an illness or injury (“Fitness for Duty” I.A.W. Article 21.I). The note will indicate if it is safe for the Employee to return to work. The Company also reserves the right to require an independent examination at its expense before reinstating an Employee.
7. At Company expense, the Company may require an Employee to undergo a medical examination “Fitness for Duty” examination (at its expense) or provide a doctor's written statement in order to establish:
a. whether the Employee is able to perform the duties of his or her regular job or such alternate job as the Company may offer, due to illness, injury, pregnancy, or disability; or
b. the projected length of leave or return to work date of an Employee who is on leave of absence due to illness or injury.
8. The Company acknowledges the right of the employee to use his or her PTO when the need for an absence cannot be anticipated in advance. Accordingly, no employee will be disciplined for the use of PTO for such purpose. However, excessive use of unscheduled PTO, or the failure of an Employee to comply with the requirements placed upon him pursuant to paragraph 2 above, may be used as a basis for
disciplinary action. Excessive unscheduled absence may result in termination of employment.
J. Unused PTO will not be scheduled or paid during a labor dispute instigated by employees covered by this Agreement.
K At the time the employee is given a layoff notice, he or she may notify the Company, in writing, within seven calendar days if he desires to receive a payout of his PTO.
L. Employees who have completed their probationary period will be compensated for unused PTO time at retirement, resignation, or termination (including death).
ARTICLE 14
EXTENDED LEAVE
A. Extended Leave (EL)
Employees covered by this Agreement shall be provided income protection in the form of Extended Leave pay when medically disabled, including time on medical leave of absence, on account of an injury or illness that continues beyond the required waiting period described in Section C below.
1. EL will also be paid, after the required waiting period, when an Employee is on a Recuperative Leave of Absence. an approved FMLA or similar state law leave of absence that requires payment for such time from an Employee's accrued sick leave or if the legally required leave is to care for a sick family member, even if the law does not mandate access to EL. The forty (40) hour waiting period shall be waived for an approved FMLA
2. If the medical disability is the subject of an accepted Workers' Compensation claim for which the Employee is receiving Temporary Total Disability (Time Loss) payments in an amount equal to the statutory requirements, the Employee will may be compensated from his EL leave accrual to bring his combined time-loss and EL compensation to an amount calculated to be the difference between the employees regular rate of pay (all in) and the statutory amount. to the EL compensation level described in Section D below. If the time-loss payments are not subject to income taxation, they shall be valued at 128% of the actual payment amount. An Employee who wants EL supplemental payments shall coordinate with the Company's Workers' Compensation Administrator after his eligibility for time-loss has been determined.
EXAMPLE
Assume:
Employee injured on the job, time loss benefits begin on June 1, 2006, misses all work through August 31, 2006.
The Employee misses 13 complete weeks of work, during which he would have been scheduled to work 40 hours per week. His current rate of pay is $15 per hour. His total time loss payments for the period June 1 - August 31, 2006 were $4,680.
Calculation of EL pay and EL hours used:
Loss of pay: June 1 - August 31:
$15/hr x 40 hr/wk x 13 wks = $7800.00
Value of Time loss payments received:
$4680 x 128%.= $5990.40
EL pay ($ 7800.00-$5990.40) = $1809.60 ($7800.00 - $4680.00) = $3120.00
EL hours used ($1809.60/$15).=120.64 hours $3120.00/$15 = 208 hours
3. An Employee with more than 480 hours of EL accrued may cover approved intermittent leave time off under state or federal FMLA leave laws from his EL accrual. after his PTO accrual is exhausted. The EL waiting period requirement shall not apply in such cases.
B. EL Accrual
Employees accrue 0.023125 0.05625 hours of EL for each hour paid. up to a maximum of 1.85 hours for each biweekly period, while on the payroll.
1. Unused EL shall accumulate from one year to the next for duration of employment. The maximum amount of EL leave that may be accrued is 2080 hours (1 year). The maximum number of EL hours an employee may use during a single instance of EL is the total number of hours in his EL bank, however; the maximum that may be used in connection with one continuing absence on account of a disability qualifying for benefits under the Company's LTD (long term disability) plan is the amount necessary to bridge the waiting period for benefits under that plan (currently 17 weeks). the employee may elect to utilize the Company’s Long Term Disability (LTD) plan at the conclusion of the waiting period for benefits (currently 17 weeks) if he does not wish to continue on EL. Prior to going on to LTD, the employee may use his EL account to compensate for wage loss during that period.
2. Accrued EL leave ceases to exist at the time of furlough, voluntary resignation or discharge; no compensation is made for unused EL leave, but it will be reinstated if the Employee is rehired, or returns from furlough, to a full-time or part-time position, within one (1) year of resignation. Employees who return within two years of from furlough for lack of work shall retain extended leave accrued prior to their furlough.
3. An employee whose single instance of illness or injury causes him to use more than three hundred twenty (320) hours of paid EL (“catastrophic illness”) will upon his return to work replenish his Extended Leave “bank” at a rate 1.25% of normal accrual until the “bank” is restored to the amount he had the day before the injury or illness began.
C. EL Waiting Period
EL payments will not begin until the employee has been continuously absent from work on account of the same qualifying condition for the number of scheduled work hours as set forth below in a rolling twelve (12) month period:
Full time Employee Forty (40) hours
Part-time Employee Twenty-nine (29) hours
Variable-time Employee Nineteen (19) hours
1. Employees need only satisfy the initial requirement of absence once when a physician certifies in writing that it is necessary for the employee to be absent on an intermittent basis, either for his own care or to care for an immediate family member. For purposes of this or those of a like nature, they shall be considered a single instance.
2. An Employee will be given the option of transferring forty (40) hours of his PTO bank, in increments or a single lump sum, to his EL bank to serve, at a time in the future, the required waiting period during a qualifying illness or injury.
D. EL Payment
EL will be paid for the hours the Employee would have been scheduled to work had he not been absent.
1. EL will be paid at the employee's base pay rate, including all premiums that he would have been entitled to receive if he had worked instead of being on EL.
2. If accrued EL is depleted, the Employee has the option to use accrued PTO for EL pay if employed at least six (6) months with the Company.
E. Increasing EL Accrual from PTO Accrual
An Employee may transfer hours accrued in his PTO bank to his EL bank (See Article 13 Section C & D). in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Company.
F. Notification and Approval for Extended Leaves
1. When a requirement for extended For leave that is foreseeable, thirty (30) days notice must be given. as much advance notice as possible should be given.
2. For unforeseeable leaves, notice must should be given as soon as practicable possible (within one or two business days of when the need for leave becomes known, absent extenuating circumstances).
3. EL approval is contingent upon Employee compliance with the Company's requirements for substantiating the qualifying reason. The Employee shall contact the Company's Leaves and Disability Administrator as soon as possible to report the expected duration of the absence and receive instructions with regard to further reporting and/or submission of documentation, including, in the case of employee injury or illness, the need to see a doctor for diagnosis of treatment.
G. TRAVEL WHILE ON EXTENDED LEAVE
1. Employees on Extended Leave status may not use their own or another employees pass privileges or reduced rate travel for personal travel unless written permission is secured in advance of the travel from the appropriate supervisor or Human Resources department, which permission will not be unreasonably withheld. Eligible family members are permitted to travel while the employee is in a paid status. To allow time for family members to return from trips in progress or be notified to make alternate arrangements, eligible family members may continue to travel for thirty (30) days from the date the employees status changes to “unpaid” (i.e., an employee exhausts his EL “bank”).
H. RETIREE BRIDGE MEDICAL BENEFITS
I. Each employee covered by this Agreement who retires after the amendable date of this Agreement shall be eligible to participate in a retiree bridge medical plan which shall allow such retirees to continue to elect their existing medical insurance under the following conditions:
c. Participants must be between the age of sixty (60) and sixty seven (67), be retired, and have at least ten (10) years of Company service at the time of retirement.
d. At the time of retirement the balance in an employees Extended Leave (EL) “bank” will permit the employee to participate in the contributory funding aspect of the plan by using fifteen (15) hours of EL for each month of continued participation. Payment of the fifteen (15) hours of EL shall be accepted as the retiree’s complete payment obligation for each such month of participation.
e. If a retire has insufficient EL remaining in his “bank” to purchase continued participation in the plan for any period of time for which he is eligible and desires such coverage, he may obtain coverage at a non-contributory rate.
f. Coverage for the retiree terminates at the age he is eligible for Social Security Medicare. Spouse/dependant coverage will be available on the same basis (contributory/non-contributory), but must terminate when the spouse/dependant reaches Social Security Medicare age or the retiree dies(except that upon the retiree’s death the spouse/dependant may elect to use any remaining EL in the manner described above, and then will be eligible for COBRA coverage).
g. Once an employee becomes eligible and elects to participate in the program, the termination of the program will not affect his continued eligibility.
ARTICLE 15
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
A. General
1. There are four many types of leave made available by the Company to AMFA represented employees: i.e. Employee Medical, Personal, Recuperative, and Bereavement. In addition, state Workers' Compensation laws, federal and state laws dealing with various aspects of Family Care, and federal laws applicable to those who perform Military service require that certain absences be treated as leaves of absence, and a summary of those leaves are also described in this Article. However, except as the Company expressly waives any eligibility condition or limitation on such leaves, they will be governed by applicable law. Leaves of Absence shall be without pay unless otherwise specified.
2. Once an employee has completed probation, the employee may request a Company leave of absence. The request must be made on the Company's designated form through the employee's immediate supervisor. The request must be made as far in advance as possible, but at least twenty-one calendar days prior to commencement of the leave, unless the need is unforeseeable. A request will be considered as "received" when all information required by the Company for evaluation of the leave request has been provided.
3. Company Leaves of Absence are administered by the Company's Employee Resources department, which will respond to the employee's request by informing him of the type of leave that will be granted, the length of the leave and return date and any benefits that are available during the leave. A decision regarding the request shall be rendered at least seven days prior to requested commencement provided the time frames in paragraph 2 above are met by the employee. Copies of the approval shall be forwarded to the employee's personnel file, and the employee.
4. Any change to the return date must be approved by the Company. If the employee has not contacted the Company to establish a new return date prior to the last day of his Company Leave of Absence, he may be terminated absent extenuating circumstances.
5. Employees covered by this Agreement shall, upon returning from any authorized Leave of Absence or extension thereof, be returned to the work area from which they left and to the position (shift and days off) they held at the time they left on Leave of Absence.
6. An employee whose position was eliminated or is no longer available, filled through bidding/bumping procedures shall be able to exercise his seniority through a reduction in force in accordance with the terms of the Agreement.
7. Holidays during an unpaid leave are not paid.
8. Employees on Medical or Workers Compensation leave of absence may request, and the Company may provide on-line travel to the employee or a family member when travel is required for necessary medical treatment.
9. Employees on approved Company leaves of absence are required to maintain current contact information and to provide address changes. Employees must notify the Company at least ten (10) days in advance of the employees expected return. and return-to-work information to the Company.
B. Employee Medical Leave of Absence
A Medical Leave of Absence shall be granted in accordance with Paragraph 1 below to an employee who is unable to work due to illness, injury or any other temporary disabling condition, provided such illness, injury or other disabling condition did not arise out of his employment with the Company.
1. A paid Medical Leave of Absence will be granted if an employee is expected to be disabled for two consecutive weeks or more. An employee who has not otherwise arranged for a Medical Leave of Absence and who has been out of work due to illness, injury or any other disabling condition for a period of two consecutive weeks or more will be placed on a paid Medical Leave of Absence, pending receipt of medical documentation, beginning on the fifteenth day.
2. The period of the leave shall coincide with the duration of the disability up to six months or until the employee's extended leave is exhausted (provided he did not start receiving Long Term Disability (LTD) benefits before exhaustion of his extended leave), whichever is greater. Extended leave and PTO shall continue to accrue while the employee remains on the payroll.
3. Written verification from a physician, including the expected period of disability must be submitted. Medical re-certification at reasonable intervals may be required. Horizon Air reserves the right to a second medical opinion at company expense. Should a dispute arise between the findings of the two doctors concerning the employees physical ability or lack thereof to return to work, a third doctor, selected by mutual agreement by the first two doctors will make a third examination, and the decision of the third doctor will be determinative. The expense of the third doctor shall be borne by the Company.
4. Medical certification from the employee’s doctor of the employee's ability to perform his job may be required before he returns to work.
5. Unpaid Medical Leaves may be granted for additional six (6) month periods, upon reapplication and recertification until the employee is able to return to work, to a maximum of the shortest of the period of incapacity, five (5) years or a period equal to the employee’s length of service.
6. Leaves of Absence for Maternity. A pregnant employee may remain on the job as long as she can safely and satisfactorily perform her work in accordance with Department requirements. She may submit a combined request for a Medical Leave of Absence and a Recuperative Leave of Absence to cover the entire period of time from when she becomes disabled until the time she plans to return to work. The Company will provide a single form for employees to make a combined request for a maternity Leave of Absence. The Company may curtail the length of the Recuperative Leave of Absence if a staffing shortage will exist. The Company will provide a minimum fourteen (14) calendar day notification of an adjusted date of return. In the case of a combined maternity Leave of Absence, the Company will presume that an employee remains disabled for four weeks after the actual date of childbirth or miscarriage and will treat that period as a Medical Leave of Absence; however, an employee shall be entitled to a Medical Leave for any period (not to exceed six months) that she is disabled and not medically fit to perform her duties.
7. During an employee Medical Leave:
a. Extended leave will be paid until it is exhausted (unless the Employee is eligible for, and elects to apply, for Long Term Disability (LTD) benefits). PTO pay will be paid after Extended Leave is exhausted, if requested.
b. Any bid vacation period scheduled to occur during the leave may be cancelled, or re-bid to another open vacation period if available, or carried over to the next year if the return to work occurs within the last three months of the year.
c. An employee on Medical Leave of Absence shall continue to be covered by the Horizon Air group insurance plan and may continue dependent coverage, so long as timely payment is made therefore, for up to six months or a period equal to the employees EL bank whichever is longer. Thereafter, the Company will process an administrative payroll separation and the employee may continue group insurance coverage to the extent provided by COBRA, provided he complies with all COBRA requirements. When more than one Medical Leave of Absence is granted for the same condition, within one year after the employee returns from the prior leave, the six months' of group insurance coverage referenced above shall be cumulative and will not start anew with a subsequent related Medical Leave of Absence. "Same condition" includes a related condition, treatment for a condition, a complication arising out of the condition, or an aggravation of the condition.
d. Company seniority and classification seniority for bidding, pay and benefit purposes shall be retained and accrued during the leave.
C. Personal Leave of Absence
1. Where a reason exists and the requirements of the service permits, a Personal Leave may be approved, solely at Company discretion, for a period not in excess of ninety days. Personal leaves may be extended for additional periods not to exceed thirty days up to a total maximum of six months in one calendar year.
2. When more than one employee requests a personal leave of absence over the same period of time and the reasons for requesting the leaves are similar, and the Company plans to deny one or more of the requests because these leaves being requested at the same time present an operational difficulty, classification seniority shall apply. Once granted, the leave of absence will not be rescinded due to a request by a more senior employee.
3. Company seniority shall be retained and classification seniority for bidding shall be retained and accrued during the leave. Classification seniority for pay purposes shall be retained but shall not accrue during the leave.
D. Recuperative Leave of Absence
An employee who has been granted a Medical Leave of Absence may be granted a Recuperative Leave of Absence for a period not to exceed 90 days for the purpose of rest or recuperation, after a disabling medical condition such as pregnancy. A request for a Recuperative Leave of Absence must be submitted at least 21 calendar days in advance of the intended start date for approval absent extenuating circumstances. An employee shall continue to accrue seniority while on a Recuperative Leave of Absence.
1. Any accrued Extended leave (EL) available after the preceding Medical leave will be paid during a Recuperative Leave of Absence until it is exhausted. PTO pay will be paid if requested.
2. Any portion of the six (6) months of continued coverage under the Horizon Air Group insurance plan that has not been used during the preceding medical leave of absence, including dependent coverage so long as timely payment is made therefore, shall be provided to an employee on a Recuperative Leave of Absence.
E. Worker's Compensation Leave of Absence
1. When an illness or injury arises out of his Company employment, an employee will be placed on worker's compensation leave if he is unable to return to work after the statutory waiting period. A Worker's Compensation leave shall be granted to an employee for the period of time that he receives temporary total disability (time-loss) payments under a worker's compensation statute up to a maximum of seventy-two months.
2. Workers Compensation Leaves are administered by the Company's Safety and Health department. Copies of the documentation shall be forwarded to the employee's personnel file, and the employee.
3. During a Worker's Compensation leave:
a. Company seniority and classification seniority for bidding, pay and benefit purposes shall be retained and accrued during the leave.
b. Any bid vacation period scheduled to occur during the leave may be utilized, cancelled, or re-bid to another open vacation period if available, carried over to the next year, or paid out. At the employee's option, unused vacation days may be applied and will run concurrently with the leave.
c. An employee on a Workers' Compensation Leave of Absence shall continue to be covered by the Horizon Air group insurance plan and may continue dependent coverage, so long as timely payment is made therefore, for up to six months or a period equal to the employees EL bank whichever is longer. Thereafter, the Company will process an administrative payroll separation, and the employee may continue group insurance coverage to the extent provided by COBRA, provided he complies with all COBRA requirements.
F. Family Care Leave of Absence (Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993)
1. Family Care Leaves of Absence, as described below, are legally required by Federal and some State's laws when specified conditions related to the number of employees working at the employee's work site are met. However, except for intermittent leaves as described in paragraph 4 below, it is the intent of the Company that the Family Care Leaves available in accordance with this Family Leave policy be made available to all full-time and part-time employees who qualify under the policy, even if the federal or applicable state law would not require the granting of the leave in the case of a particular employee because the number of employees working at or near his work site location are too few.
2. This Section F shall be interpreted so as to provide every legally required benefit of Federal and state Family Care leave laws to the extent that such laws would require such benefit in the particular case of the employee involved.
3. Employees eligible for Family Care Leaves of Absence may also be eligible for Medical and Recuperative Leaves of Absence under which greater benefits are provided. An employee who is eligible for both a Family Care Leave and a Medical or Recuperative Leave shall be granted both leaves concurrently and shall be provided the benefit of the more liberal leave benefit provisions while eligible for that leave.
4. Family Leave must be taken in a single, consecutive period when required by law. No intermittent leave will be granted unless all the legal requirements for such leave are met, including the applicable state or federal requirement regarding the number of employees working at the employee's worksite.
4. Employees may request an intermittent leave or reduced schedule when a physician certifies in writing that is necessary for the employee to be absent on an intermittent basis, either for his own care or to care for his spouse, parent, son or daughter. These leaves should be arranged to have the least operational disruption. The employee may be required to transfer into another position, work location or shift (with equal pay and benefits) if it will better accommodate the intermittent leave. For purposes of tracking intermittent leaves and reduced schedules only, eligible and qualified employees will be considered to have a Family/Medical leave “bank” equal to five hundred twenty (520) hours per rolling twelve (12) months.
5. Extended leave will be paid as set forth in Article 14 section A.1.
6. PTO pay will be paid after Extended leave is exhausted, if requested.
7. Extended leave and PTO will continue to accrue during a Family Care Leave of Absence only while the employee is on the payroll (i.e., while the employee is receiving Extended leave or PTO).
8. An employee on a Family Care Leave of Absence shall continue coverage by the Horizon Air group insurance plan, and may continue dependent coverage if he prepays the employee portion of the normal coverage fee as required by the Company.
9. Company seniority and classification seniority for bidding, pay and benefit purposes shall be retained and accrued during the leave accrued during the leave
10. If possible, employees must provide 30 days advance notice of a Family Care Leave. If 30 days notice for a foreseeable leave is not given, the leave may be delayed until 30 days after notice is given.
G. Military Leave of Absence
1. A Military Leave will be granted as required by Federal law and regulations applying thereto. An employee's right to return to employment, seniority, and benefits shall be governed by and limited to the protection afforded in the Universal Military Training and Service Act as currently in effect or as hereafter amended.
2. An employee participating in reserve or National Guard training is required to give the Company notice and is encouraged to submit written notification indicating the inclusive dates of anticipated duty accompanied by military orders, as early as possible. Although Military Leave is unpaid, an employee may elect to collect any PTO pay to which he is entitled during the period of his absence.
3. Copies of military orders, and other government provided documents relating to the leave shall be retained in the employee's personnel file.
H. Bereavement Leave of Absence
A full-time or part-time employee may will be granted up to three forty (40) hours off at straight time pay and a part time employee will be granted one (1) week off at their normal compensation consecutive working days off with pay when needed in connection with the death or critical illness (impending death) of an immediate family member. Immediate family members include the employee's parents, (including step-parents, legal guardians and adoptive parents) grandparents, spouse, children, (including step-children, legally adopted children, and children for whom the employee has been named the legal guardian by a U.S. court) brothers and sisters and his spouse's parents and children. Bereavement pay must be approved by the Company and shall only be granted as needed to attend the bed side of the critically ill, funeral and to handle affairs made immediately necessary by the critically ill or deceased person's death, such as arranging the funeral. Employees needing additional time off may request PTO, or a personal leave of absence. .
I. Company Offered Leave of Absence (COLA)
1. COLA’s will be posted for bid whenever a furlough situation exists. The duration of the leave will be included in the posting. COLA’s may not be taken by employees who are being furloughed. COLA’s will be granted in seniority order equal to the amount of those being furloughed.
2. An employee granted a COLA will have a guaranteed right of return to the position vacated at the end of the COLA period. An employee will not be required to return to work during the COLA period except by mutual agreement.
3. Pass privileges will be available on Alaska Air Group Airlines to the employee and eligible family members for the entire COLA period. A letter authorizing travel will be issued to the employee.
4. The Company and Union will meet and confer to discuss benefit coverage continuation during any proposed COLA.
During periods of furlough, consideration will be given to requests for personal leaves of absence from senior employees, when granting such leaves will result in the retention of qualified junior employees.
J. Employees elected to positions in the service of the Government of the United States or any political subdivision thereof, shall be granted an indefinite Leave of Absence by the Company. An employee on Leave of Absence for this purpose shall retain and continue to accrue seniority but shall but shall have no other employee benefits. The employee will be compensated for any accrued vacation and will retain whatever sick and occupational injury leave he had at the time the Leave of Absence began. Thirty (30) days after the expiration of his term of Government office, the employee shall report to work of forfeit his seniority.
ARTICLE 16
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS
A. The Company retains discretion and authority to manage its operations and direct its workforce. To the extent not inconsistent with provisions of the Agreement, such rights include, but are not limited to, the right to; hire, promote, demote, transfer, lay-off and recall; assign and reassign duties, schedules, and hours of work; maintain good order and efficiency; discipline and discharge employees for just cause; establish and amend rules, regulations and procedures; establish and amend Company policies and procedures; determine initial employment qualifications; determine qualification for continued employment or promotion; contract and subcontract; determine the quality of service; determine the means of providing services to customer, including the size, type and number of aircraft to be utilized in providing services; determine the methods of administrating and selling services; determine the size and composition of the work force; establish new routes; discontinue all or part of Company operations; transfer equipment from one base of operations to another base of operation; and determine whether to purchase aircraft or to lease, sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its equipment.
A. Except as restricted by the express terms of this Agreement and the practices under any previous Agreement, the Company shall retain all rights to manage and operate its business and workforce, including the right to hire; promote; discharge or discipline for cause; lay-off and recall; to maintain discipline and efficiency of employees except that employees shall not be discriminated against because of membership in or lawful activities on behalf of the Union. In addition it is understood and agreed that the routes to be flown; the equipment to be used; the location of plants, hangers, facilities, station and offices; the right to sell or discontinue all or part of the business; to determine where and when to operate scheduled or unscheduled flights; to determine marketing methods and strategies; the scheduling of overhaul, repair, and servicing of equipment is the sole and exclusive function and responsibility of the Company.
B. The Company’s not exercising rights, powers, authority and functions reserved to it or its exercising them in a particular way shall not be deemed a waiver of such rights, power, and authority.
ARTICLE 17
UNION BUSINESS
A. Paid Union Leave Program (PULP)
1. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association's duly authorized Association representatives who are absent from work, occasionally, to perform Association business duties approved by the Company shall have their regular straight-time pay, premiums, differential, and benefits, including seniority and travel benefits, continued as if they had remained on active payroll. The AMFA will reimburse the Company for the full amount of such pay continuance (including base wages, premiums, and differentials) plus a forty five (45%) percent override for benefit related expenses (Such expenses would include, for example, the cost of PTO, Extended leave, FICA (social security, and Medicare), FUTA (federal unemployment insurance), SUI (state unemployment insurance), Company-paid insurance, LTD benefits, 401(k) matching contribution,
etc.).
2. Employees covered under this program will submit their requests for Union Business on an AMFA PULP form, approved by the Company in accordance with the following:
a. The PDX Airline Representative or his designee(s) shall be designated as the Union representative authorized to request time off for union business.
b. Time off requests must indicate the number of days or hours requested and the general nature of the union business to be attended to.
c. The granting of a union business leave is subject to the operational needs of the Company. Requests for time off should be made as far in advance as possib