To: EWR/LGA/DCA s-CAL Technicians and Related
Date: July 17, 2012
Re: s-Cal Grievance updates
The Union sends out updates regarding grievances that have been upheld, denied and/or pending. The updates will also be available on the WEBLOG at www.ibt210mx.tyepad.com. If anyone has any questions concerning the material in the updates feel free to contact the Union office anytime.
As in the past, please note there are may more outstanding and settled grievances of a personal nature that will not be part of these updates unless the decision affects the group as a whole. There are also several more issues/potential grievances in the pipeline that are in the process of being worked through pursuant to Article 19.A.1 and will not be part of these updates unless the issue(s) are reduced to writing.
Grievances Updates:
Overtime and Holiday Staffing:
This grievance is in two parts and pertains to when the company has a need for overtime on a Holiday and how the Holiday staffing manpower list will be determined:
1) The company has agreed that, when reduced staffing is otherwise not authorized, the number of employees required to work on a Holiday for positing purposes shall be the number allocated according to the shift bid less any scheduled bidded vacations.
2) Additional employees required to work overtime on a Holiday will be called in accordance with Article 17 of Collective Bargaining Agreement pursuant to article 8.D. When an employee works additional shift(s) during his 24 hour Holiday via the volunteer Holiday Staffing list he shall be paid at a rate of 1.5X his hourly base rate of pay for all hours worked. When an employee is called in to work overtime pursuant to Article 17 he shall be paid the applicable overtime rates as defined in Article 17.C, 1-4.
Note: this grievance still remains open and the Union is waiting a formal response.
Hotel billing while on a Training assignment:
This grievance is similar to previous grievances we have had regarding direct billing for hotels while on a Field Trip and/or Training assignment. This is a top priority for the Local Union as well as the entire system and discussions pertaining to this issue continue to take place at negotiations as well.
It is the Union’s position that, absent a small amount of possible extenuating circumstances, Article(s) 12.K and 13.S require the company to set up the hotel room with no immediate (credit card) out of pocket cost to the employee.
The company has agreed to review how other stations handle hotel direct billing while employees are on training and believe an implementation of those same practices will be applied here in Newark as soon as possible.
Field Trip Cancelled/Postponed:
A grievance was generated due to employee(s) being called in for a Field Trip and then being sent home due to the scheduled departure of the trip being changed to the following day. Initially the Company refused to pay the employee pursuant to Article 12.P. The employee was also scheduled to work the midnight shift that same evening and was sent home.
The company has paid the employee 4 hours at the applicable rate, pursuant to Article 12.P and has agreed to pay protect him for the ten (10) hour shift he should have been told to stay and work subsequent to the Field Trip cancellation.
Employee(s) sent home from Field Trip:
Another F/T grievance was generated when members were sent to Buffalo to recover an A/C. After working on the aircraft and identifying the problem they were sent home and another city was sent with the parts to finish the job.
Local Management agrees that the practice has been that once a trip is assigned then that station that has the assignment will stay and recover the aircraft. The Company has agreed to make all those affected employees whole by determining the number of hours lost from the time they returned to the actual time the Field Trip ended taking travel time back to EWR into consideration and paying each employee accordingly.
SIDA:
A member was recently challenged by the Port Authority and received two (2) Breech of Rules (BOR) violations for not confronting the P/A while in a secured Area.
The union and the Company are working together to try and get these violations amended as soon as possible.
Outstanding Grievances:
A member worked through his lunch period and was not fully compensated for his lunch in accordance with Article 7.D of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Local management has agreed to the oversight and will be compensating the member for all lunches accordingly.
Member upgraded to Technician:
A grievance was filed and settled regarding a member who was wrongfully evaluated for a 119-technician vacancy. The employee was awarded and subsequently passed his qualifying period in 119.
What remains open is the member’s pay seniority has still not be adjusted appropriately in as much as there are two different pay scales for Utility (502) and GSE (119) Technicians.
Local management has agreed with all aspects of the grievance and has submitted all documents to payroll for adjustment, including back pay from the time awarded until the time his pay scale properly reflects his correct pay seniority.
Lead Position:
A grievance was previously filed contending the company has been upgrading a technician to a Lead more than sixty (60) cumulative working days within a twelve (12) months as per Article 5.E of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Therefore, the union contends that a vacancy for a Lead should be posted. Management has agreed and is awaiting budget approval.
We apologize for the delayed updates pertaining to Local grievances. Your Local representatives have been on the road in negotiations and/or meetings pertaining to negotiations for the better part of the last 6 months. We are committed to continue to keep you all informed of Local issues ASAP and we thank you for your patience.
Please review the updates with your coworkers and if there are any questions feel free to call anytime, thanks.
Download S-CAL Grievance Updates 07191307192013_00000
In Solidarity,
Ralph Salzano
Local 210- Business Agent