Disciplinary Procedure 20.01 All employees shall have the following rights:
A. An employee shall be entitled to only Union representation at each step of the disciplinary procedure.
B. An employee shall not be coerced, intimidated, or suffer any reprisals either directly or indirectly that may adversely affect his hours, wages, or working conditions as a result of the exercise of his rights under this procedure.
20.02 An employee may resign following the service of a Notice of Discipline. Any such resignation will be processed in accordance with the provisions contained herein and the employee's employment shall be terminated.
20.03 Discipline shall be imposed only for just cause. The specific acts for which discipline is being imposed and the penalty proposed shall be specified in the Notice of Discipline. The Notice served on the employee shall contain a reference to dates, times and places, if possible, and shall also be given to the local union president and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. The Employer shall notify the employee and the Union within seven (7) days after the Employer has knowledge of the incident that the Employer intends to impose discipline that may result in a suspension or discharge. Disciplinary actions resulting in a reprimand shall be imposed within ten (10) days after the Employer has knowledge of the incident. Notice of Disciplinary actions resulting in a suspension or discharge shall be issued within sixty (60) days after the Employer has knowledge of the incident resulting in the proposed disciplinary action.
20.04 Before any discipline is imposed, the employee and his/her union representative shall be entitled to a pre-disciplinary hearing before the employee's department head. If after this hearing the department head decides to impose a penalty that does not involve a suspension, demotion, or removal from service, the department head may impose the penalty, and the employee may grieve it. Where the department head seeks as a penalty the imposition of a suspension without pay, a demotion or removal from service, he shall make such a recommendation to the Mayor and notice of such proposed discipline shall be made in writing and served on the employee personally or by registered or certified mail, return receipt request, with a copy to the local union president and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. If the employee grieves the proposed suspension, demotion, or removal from service, the Mayor or designee shall convene a hearing at Step 3 of the grievance procedure.
20.05 The Union on behalf of all the employees covered by this Agreement and its own behalf hereby waives any and all rights previously possessed by such employees to appeal any form of disciplinary action (e.g. suspensions, demotion or discharge) to any Civil Service Commission.
20.06 Discipline shall not be implemented until either:
1. the matter is settled, or
2. the employee fails to file a grievance within the time frame provided by this procedure, or
3. the penalty is upheld by the arbitrator or a different penalty is determined by the arbitrator, or
4. the penalty may be imposed after the hearing before the Mayor in Section 20.04, subject to the Union's right to appeal it to arbitration.
Disciplinary Procedures The employing authority should ensure that all employees are aware of the disciplinary rules and procedures that apply. All employees should also be aware to whom they can apply if they are dissatisfied with any disciplinary decision. These procedures should accord with legal requirements and with the ACAS Code of Practice and guidance.
Disciplinary Process (a) Prior to disciplining an Employee, the Employer will notify the Unit 1 Chairperson, with a copy to the President of Unifor Local 5555, of the nature of the alleged offence.
(b) Following notification of the Unit 1 Chairperson, the Employer will meet with the Employee and a Union Representative. At this meeting, the Employer will advise the Employee of the alleged offence and provide the Employee with an opportunity to respond.
(c) Within 5 Working Days of this meeting, or any additional meeting that the Employer may require, the Employer will decide whether or not discipline is to be imposed, and, if so, at what level, and this decision will be communicated orally and in writing at a meeting with the Employee and Union Representative. A copy of the written decision will be provided to the Unit 1 Chairperson with a copy to the President of Unifor Local 5555.
(d) In cases of suspension without pay, the suspension will be served beginning on one of the following two dates:
i. if the decision to suspend is not subject to a grievance, the first date the employee is scheduled to work following 5 Working Days from the date the suspension was communicated to the Employee; and
ii. if the decision to suspend is subject to a grievance, the first date the employee is scheduled to work following a denial of the grievance at Step 3.
Discipline Procedure 1. Disciplinary action may be imposed for violation of written rules and regulations as set forth by the Board, incompetence, inefficiency, dishonesty, drunkenness, immoral conduct, insubordination, discourteous treatment of the public, neglect of duty, misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance, any other failure of good behavior, or conviction of a felony.
2. No employee shall be disciplined without first having had the opportunity for a hearing, if the employee so requests, with an OAPSE representative of his/her choice present. The employee shall be given a written statement containing the charges and the time and place of the hearing. The written statement shall notify the employee of his/her rights to OAPSE representation. The employee must be given the opportunity to sign the statement acknowledging receipt of the statement and date received. Under emergency conditions as determined by the supervisor (including, but not limited to, health and/or safety of the employee or other employees; blatant insubordination; or refusal to work), the supervisor may immediately suspend an employee without pay for a period of up to three (3) work days without the formal hearing described above. An opportunity for a formal hearing with the supervisor must be provided within the suspension period. Failure to provide an opportunity for a hearing during the suspension period shall preclude the right of further discipline for the offense causing the initial suspension. Emergency suspensions will not be subject to Section 6 of this Article.
3. Disciplinary action of less than discharge should generally be progressive and corrective in nature.
A. Disciplinary actions shall be grievable. This Section shall supersede existing state law governing termination of employment (O.R.C. 3319.081).
B. In determining progressive and corrective action, just cause shall be construed and limited to the nature and seriousness of the offense, the effect the alleged conduct has on the Board’s operation, the discipline or lack thereof used in other similar situations known to the Board, and the appropriateness of the proposed penalty in view of the record and length of service of the charged employee. The enumeration of these factors is not intended to preclude either the exercise of good and sound business judgment or to minimize the importance of an employee’s property interest in his job.
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE A. A grievance shall be defined as an alleged violation, misinterpretation, or misapplication of this Agreement or written Board policies affecting working conditions of the member. Should a member/Association feel that there has been a violation, he/she will take the following steps:
Step 1: The member/Association, with or without a designated representative, shall discuss the grievance with the Supervisor informally within five (5) work days of the alleged violation and, if not resolved, shall file a written grievance with the Supervisor within fifteen (15) work days of the alleged violation and discuss the written grievance with the Supervisor within five (5) work days after the grievance is filed. If no satisfactory conclusion is reached within five (5) work days following the discussion of the written grievance with the Supervisor, the member/Association shall submit the written grievance within five (5) work days of the discussion with the Supervisor to Step 2. A grievance which is not within the scope of a Supervisor's authority may be filed initially at step 2. The written grievance, as required herein, shall contain:
a. it shall be signed by the grievant(s)/Association.
b. it shall be specific;
c. it shall contain a synopsis of the facts giving rise to the alleged violation;
d. it shall cite the section or subsections of this contract or written Board policy alleged to have been violated;
e. it shall contain the date of the alleged violation;
f. it shall specify the relief requested;
g. it shall indicate approval or disapproval by the Association.
Step 2: The Superintendent or his/her designated agent shall arrange a meeting with the grievant and/or the designated Association representative within ten (10) work days after receipt of the grievance to discuss the grievance. Within ten (10) work days of the discussion, the Superintendent or his/her designated agent shall render his/her decision in writing, transmitting a copy of the same to the grievant, the Association representative, and appropriate Supervisor, and place a copy of same in a permanent file in his/her office. If the decision of the Superintendent is unsatisfactory to the Association, the Association may appeal same to the Board of Education by filing a written grievance, along with the decision of the Superintendent, with the officer of the Board in charge of drawing up the agenda for the Board's meeting, within ten (10) work days of receipt of the Superintendent's decision.
