Common use of – Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives Clause in Contracts

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall request Official Time through their immediate supervisor who shall forward the request through the appropriate NGB PEC channels for approval. The initial request will also be sent (carbon copied) to Local 1776 Business Manager for situational awareness. Approval must be secured prior to a Union Representative being excused from work. Failure to secure approval could result in the employee being deemed absent without leave (AWOL) and could result in disciplinary action. 2. Absences of short duration (less than 24 hours) may be requested/approved either verbally or in writing, preferably via email. The request should state their destination, estimated time of departure and return, and the nature of Union business. If the request cannot be accommodated due to work requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave his/her work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to work requirements. 3. In addition to the requirements of paragraph 1 (above), requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be made by using an official memorandum on Union letterhead. 4. Whenever an employee formally meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisors may inquire as to the general purpose of the request (e.g., to discuss a new policy or other condition of employment), but may not require specific subject-matter knowledge of the purpose of the meeting, and cannot deem the employee’s release contingent on subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 5. The mere fact that two employees (one of whom is a designated Union Representative) are having a casual/informal conversation during the course of the workday, and the topic of some or all of the conversation relates to conditions of employment or other general labor matters, does not create an implicit requirement that the Union Representative request approval for Official Time as a condition of such a conversation taking place. 6. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and the meeting location is outside of the Union Representative’s commuting area, the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 7. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etc.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-scheduled return date and time, the employee may be eligible, upon request, for an additional four (4) hours of personal leave to rest and/or prepare for work prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action.

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of Official Time in order to effectively represent employees IAW this Agreement. Reasonable time for representational activities (e.g., discussions, meetings, investigations, negotiations, and bargaining sessions) shall be that amount of time determined by both Parties to effectively deal with workplace matters such as: a. Conditions of employment and/or employee working conditions; b. An employee grievance or complaint; c. Representation of employees during a ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ investigation or during the course of an adverse action; d. To review and/or evaluate a proposed policy change and formulate a recommendation; e. To negotiate or bargaining a new proposal or change; or, f. To attend Agency and/or Union-sponsored training, which is beneficial to both Parties, normally not to exceed 40 hours per individual per calendar year. 2. The list above is not all-inclusive, and Official Time may be requested and granted for other situations not listed as long as the purpose and/or justification falls within the parameters of 5 USC § 7131. 3. Union Representatives, in coordination with the Labor Relations office, shall request Official Time through their immediate supervisor who shall forward the request through the appropriate NGB PEC channels for approval. The initial request will also be sent (carbon copied) to Local 1776 Business Manager for situational awareness. Approval must be secured prior to a Union Representative being excused from work. Failure to secure approval could result in the employee being deemed absent without leave (AWOL) and could result in disciplinary action. 2. Absences of short duration (less than 24 hours) may be requested/approved either verbally or in writing, preferably via emailsupervisor. The request should state their destination, estimated time of departure and return, and the nature of Union business. If the request cannot be accommodated due to work mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave his/her work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to work mission requirements. 34. In addition to the requirements of paragraph 1 (above), requests Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 twenty-four (24) hours) will be made by using an official memorandum on Union letterhead. Absences of short duration (less than twenty-four (24) hours) may be requested using the attached form in Appendix C. Use of email is acceptable. 45. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union. However, a civilian employee who serves as a Labor Organization representative and travels to attend labor- management meetings that are certified to be in the Government’s primary interest may be eligible for travel allowances IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 6. Whenever an employee formally meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided by the Union representative to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisors may inquire of the Union representative as to the general purpose subject of the request meeting to ensure that it complies with Section 6.7(1)(a) through (e.g.f). However, to discuss a new policy or other condition of employment), but supervisor may not require specific subject-matter knowledge inquire as to the specifics of the purpose subject of the meetingmeeting to a degree it violates the Union’s confidentially obligations to the employee, and also cannot deem the employee’s release to be contingent on said detailed subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 57. The mere fact that two employees (one of whom is a designated Union Representative) are having a casual/informal conversation during the course workday, whether in person of the workdayotherwise, and the topic of some or all of the conversation relates to conditions of employment or other general labor matters, does not create an implicit requirement that the Union Representative request approval for Official Time as a condition of such a conversation taking place. 6. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and the meeting location is outside of the Union Representative’s commuting area, the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 78. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, sickness, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etc.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-originally scheduled return date and time, the employee may be eligible, upon request, for an additional four (4) hours of rest, charged to personal leave to rest and/or prepare for work leave, prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action. 9. Paragraphs 1 – 8 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated State Representative shall be granted additional Official Time for the purposes of discharging his/her representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement.

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of Official Time in order to effectively represent employees IAW this Agreement. Reasonable time for representational activities (e.g., discussions, meetings, investigations, negotiations, and bargaining sessions) shall be that amount of time determined by both Parties to effectively deal with workplace matters such as: 1. conditions of employment and/or employee working conditions; 2. an employee grievance or complaint; 3. representation of employees during a ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ investigation or during the course of an adverse action; 4. to review and/or evaluate a proposed policy change and formulate a recommendation; 5. to negotiate or bargaining a new proposal or change; 6. to attend Agency and/or Union-sponsored training which is beneficial to both Parties. This list is not all-inclusive and Official Time may be requested and granted for other situations not listed as long as the purpose and/or justification falls within the parameters of 5 USC §7131. 2. Union Representatives shall request Official Time through their immediate supervisor who shall forward the request through the appropriate NGB PEC channels for approval. The initial request will also be sent (carbon copied) to Local 1776 Business Manager for situational awareness. Approval must be secured prior to a Union Representative being excused from work. Failure to secure approval could result in the employee being deemed absent without leave (AWOL) and could result in disciplinary action. 2. Absences of short duration (less than 24 hours) may be requested/approved either verbally or in writing, preferably via emailsupervisor. The request should state their destination, estimated time of departure and return, and the nature of Union business. If the request cannot be accommodated due to work mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave his/her work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to work mission requirements. 3. In addition to the requirements of paragraph 1 (above), requests Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be made by using an official memorandum on Union letterhead. Absences of short duration (less than 24 hours) may be requested/approved either verbally or in writing. Use of email is acceptable. 4. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and the meeting location is outside of the Union Representative’s commuting area, the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW DoD Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 5. Whenever an employee formally meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisors Supervisor may not inquire as to the general purpose of the request (e.g., to discuss a new policy or other condition of employment), but may not require specific subject-matter knowledge of the purpose subject of the meeting, and cannot deem the employee’s release contingent on subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 56. The mere fact that two employees (one of whom is a Paragraphs 1 – 5 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated Union Representative) are having a casual/informal conversation during the course of the workday, and the topic of some or all of the conversation relates to conditions of employment or other general labor matters, does not create an implicit requirement that the Union State Representative request approval for shall be granted additional Official Time as a condition of such a conversation taking place. 6. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and the meeting location is outside of the Union Representative’s commuting area, the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 7. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etcpurposes of discharging his/her representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-scheduled return date and time, the employee may be eligible, upon request, for an additional four (4) hours of personal leave to rest and/or prepare for work prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action.

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of Official Time in order to effectively represent employees IAW this Agreement. Reasonable time for representational activities (e.g., discussions, meetings, investigations, negotiations, and bargaining sessions) shall be that amount of time determined by both Parties to effectively deal with workplace matters such as those listed below. This list is not all-inclusive and Official Time may be requested and granted for other situations not listed as long as the purpose and/or justification falls within the parameters of 5 USC §7131: a. Conditions of employment and/or employee working conditions; b. An employee grievance or complaint; c. Representation of employees during a ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ investigation or during the course of an adverse action; d. To review and/or evaluate a proposed policy change and formulate a recommendation; e. To negotiate or bargaining a new proposal or change; or, f. To attend Agency and/or Union-sponsored training which is beneficial to both Parties. 2. Union Representatives shall request Official Time through their immediate supervisor who shall forward the request through the appropriate NGB PEC channels for approval. The initial request will also be sent (carbon copied) to Local 1776 Business Manager for situational awareness. Approval must be secured prior to a Union Representative being excused from work. Failure to secure approval could result in the employee being deemed absent without leave (AWOL) and could result in disciplinary action. 2. Absences of short duration (less than 24 hours) may be requested/approved either verbally or in writing, preferably via emailsupervisor. The request should state their destination, estimated time of departure and return, and the nature of Union business. If the request cannot be accommodated due to work mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave his/her the work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to work mission requirements. 3. In addition to the requirements of paragraph 1 (above), requests Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hoursone workday) will be made by using an official memorandum on Union letterhead. Absences of short duration (less than one workday) may be requested/approved either verbally or in writing. Use of email is acceptable. 4. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and the meeting location is outside of the Union Representative’s commuting area, the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW DoD Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 5. Whenever an employee formally meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisors Supervisor may not inquire as to the general purpose subject of the request (e.g., to discuss a new policy or other condition of employment), but may not require specific subject-matter knowledge of the purpose of the meeting, meeting and cannot deem the employee’s release contingent on subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 56. The mere fact that two employees (one of whom is a Paragraphs 1 – 5 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated Union Representative) are having a casual/informal conversation during the course of the workday, and the topic of some or all of the conversation relates to conditions of employment or other general labor matters, does not create an implicit requirement that the Union State Representative request approval for shall be granted additional Official Time as a condition of such a conversation taking place. 6. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and the meeting location is outside of the Union Representative’s commuting area, the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 7. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etcpurposes of discharging his/her representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-scheduled return date and time, the employee may be eligible, upon request, for an additional four (4) hours of personal leave to rest and/or prepare for work prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action.