Common use of Innovative Unit Scheduling Clause in Contracts

Innovative Unit Scheduling. Schedules other than those included in Articles 13.01 and 13.02 may be developed in order to improve quality of working life, support continuity of patient care, ensure adequate staffing resources, and support cost-efficiency. The parties agree that such innovative schedules may be determined locally by the Hospital and the Union subject to the following principles: (a) Such schedules shall be established by mutual agreement of the Hospital and the Union; (b) These schedules may pertain to full-time and/or part-time nurses; (c) The introduction of such schedules and trial periods, if any, shall be determined by the local parties and recorded in the Collective Agreement. Such schedules may be discontinued by either party with notice as determined by the parties when implementing the schedule; (d) Upon written agreement of the Hospital and the Union, the parties may agree to amend collective agreement provisions to accommodate any innovative unit schedules. The Employer and the Union may agree to implement extended tours or innovative schedules (mix of extended and normal tours). For clarity, an innovative schedule may include extended tours on weekends and normal tours during the week. The following will apply: (a) Each department/unit must have sixty-six and two thirds percent (66⅔%) agreement of the full-time and part-time employees who work in the facility/unit. The Employer must have the majority agreement of the full-time and part- time employees who vote on the issue to agree on a trial period of up to six months. Once the trial period is complete, the Employer must have a minimum of 66 ⅔% agreement of the full-time and part-time employees who vote on the issue to continue with the new schedule on a permanent basis. (b) The Extended Tour/Innovative Schedule may be cancelled by either party on giving ten (10) calendar weeks notice to the other in writing of its desire to terminate. A meeting shall be held within two (2) weeks of receipt of such notice to discuss the reasons for the cancellation. Extended tours may be discontinued by the Union in any facility/unit when sixty percent (60%) of the full-time and part-time employees in the facility/unit so indicate by secret ballot to the Union. (c) With the exception of the specific variations set forth in this Article, all other conditions and terms of the Collective Agreement and Appendices shall remain in full force and effect. (d) Payment for bereavement leave is based on 11.25 hours for extended tours. For innovative schedules, the payment for bereavement leave shall be based on the length of scheduled shift. (e) Payment for vacation and paid holidays for full-time employees is based on the equivalent to the 7.5 hour entitlement. For clarity, payment for lieu days as a result of a paid holiday for full-time employees is paid at 7.5 hours. (f) Shift and weekend premiums will be paid for the same hours as applied to seven and one half (7.5) hour tours, the intention being that the total amount of shift or weekend premium will not change because of the move to extended tours or innovative schedules. (g) Overtime premium shall be paid for all hours paid in excess of 11.25 hours on a scheduled extended tour or 75 hours bi-weekly averaged over the duration of a six (6) week schedule. For an innovative schedule, the overtime premium shall be paid for all hours in excess of the scheduled shift length on that day or 75 hours bi- weekly averaged over the duration of the scheduling period unless otherwise agreed between the parties. (h) Shift exchanges will be in accordance with Article 13.04 (b).