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

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives may be permitted a reasonable amount of official time to effectively represent employees in accordance with this agreement. 2. Official time will be requested through appropriate supervisor and properly recorded on time and attendance records in accordance with time and attendance policy and procedure. 3. Reasonable time for representational activities (i.e., discussions, meetings, and investigations) shall be that amount of time determined by both parties to effectively resolve a matter of concern or review, evaluate a proposed policy change and formulate a recommendation, or negotiate a given proposal. 4. The Agency agrees to allow the Union a reasonable amount of time for negotiation preparation, to be defined by the memorandum of understanding (MOU) prior to the negotiation process. 5. Union Representatives will obtain supervisory approval before leaving their work areas. The request should state their destination, estimated time of return, and the nature of Union business. Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be made by using an official memorandum on Union letterhead. Request of short duration (less than 24 hours) may be made by the requesting representative either verbally or in writing. Use of email is acceptable. 6. If the request cannot be accommodated due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave his/her work site. 7. Representatives will be available for call back due to mission requirements and will report to their supervisor immediately upon return. 8. If a Union representative’s activities (i.e., meeting with an employee about a work issue) are going to be conducted during duty hours then notification shall be provided to the immediate supervisor of any employee being contacted. No notice is required when representational activities take place during no-duty hours (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, or during the lunch period).