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

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of Official Time, to include travel to/from the location where the representational activity is taking place (as needed), 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 an 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 bargain a new proposal or change; f. To attend Agency and/or Union-sponsored training; g. In regard to Union Representatives assigned responsibility over a specific area or geographical territory beyond their normal duty location, a reasonable amount of time to meet/confer with employees and/or Agency representatives at other locations within their area of responsibility. 2. This list above is not all-inclusive, and Official Time may be requested and granted for other situations not listed in paragraph 1 (above) as long as the purpose and/or justification falls within the parameters of 5 USC §7131. Official Time may not be granted for internal Union business. 3. Request for brief absences (less than 24 hours) shall be submitted by the employee directly to their immediate supervisor. Use of the form in Appendix B is recommended, but not required. The requester should state their destination, estimated time of return, and the nature of Union business. 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. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to mission requirements. Use of email is acceptable. 4. Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be coordinated by the Union through the Agency’s labor relations office (LRO) via official memorandum. The LRO will then validate whether the request complies with this Agreement. If the request is not validated, the Agency will notify the Union as to why its request was not validated. If the request is validated, then the LRO will notify the employee. The employee will notify their respective supervisor(s) that a valid request for Official Time has been submitted. The validated request will serve as the employee’s request for absence. Once a supervisor receives a validated request on behalf of an employee, they will notify the employee whether they their absence request is approved, or not, based on mission requirements. If disapproved due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave the work site. Use of email is acceptable. 5. 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 employee’s commuting area, the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 6. Whenever an employee 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. Supervisor may inquire as to the nature of the meeting but 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). 7. Paragraphs 1 – 5 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated State Representative may be granted additional Official Time for the purposes of discharging representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement. 8. 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, extreme weather, 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, 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. There is no limit on the amount of Official Time may be approved to cover a delay or period of absence resulting from events beyond the employee’s control. 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 rest, charged to personal 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 may be charged to leave or coded AWOL 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, to include travel to/from the location where the representational activity is taking place (as needed), 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, matters such as: a. Conditions conditions of employment and/or employee working conditions; b. An an employee grievance or complaint; c. Representation representation of employees during an a ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ investigation or during the course of an adverse action; d. To to review and/or evaluate a proposed policy change and formulate a recommendation; e. To to negotiate or bargain bargaining a new proposal or change; f. To to attend Agency and/or Union-sponsored training; g. In regard training which is beneficial to Union Representatives assigned responsibility over a specific area or geographical territory beyond their normal duty locationboth Parties, a reasonable amount of time normally not to meet/confer with employees and/or Agency representatives at other locations within their area of responsibilityexceed 40 hours per individual per calendar year. 2. This list above is not all-inclusive, and Official Time may be requested and granted for other situations not listed in paragraph 1 (above) as long as the purpose and/or justification falls within the parameters of 5 USC §7131. Official Time may not be granted for internal Union business. 3. Request for brief absences (less than 24 hours) Union Representatives, in coordination with the Labor Relations office, shall be submitted by the employee directly to request Official Time through their immediate appropriate supervisor. Use of the form in Appendix B is recommended, but not required. The requester request should state their destination, estimated time of return, and the nature of Union business. 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. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to mission requirements. Use of email is acceptable. 4. Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be coordinated made by using an official memorandum on Union letterhead. Absences of short duration (less than 24 hours) may be requested using the Union through the Agency’s labor relations office (LRO) via official memorandum. The LRO will then validate whether the request complies with this Agreement. If the request is not validated, the Agency will notify the Union as to why its request was not validated. If the request is validated, then the LRO will notify the employee. The employee will notify their respective supervisor(s) that a valid request for Official Time has been submitted. The validated request will serve as the employee’s request for absence. Once a supervisor receives a validated request on behalf of an employee, they will notify the employee whether they their absence request is approved, or not, based on mission requirements. If disapproved due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave the work site. attached form in Appendix B. Use of email is acceptable. 5. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union; however. However, if travel is pursuant a civilian employee who serves as a labor organization representative and travels to an Agency request, and attend labor-management meetings that are certified to be in the meeting location is outside of the employeeGovernment’s commuting area, the Agency shall primary interest may be responsible eligible for travel costs allowances IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 6. Whenever an employee 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. Supervisor may inquire of the Union representative as to the nature subject of the meeting but canto ensure that it complies with Section 6.7(1), as long as disclosure does not deem violate the Union’s confidentially obligations to 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). 7. Paragraphs 1 – 5 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated State Representative may shall be granted additional Official Time for the purposes of discharging his/her representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement. 8. 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, extreme weather, 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, 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. There is no limit on the amount of Official Time may be approved to cover a delay or period of absence resulting from events beyond the employee’s control. 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 rest, charged to personal 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 may be charged to leave or coded AWOL and may become the basis for disciplinary action.