Rates When Moved from Regular Job
(a) Whenever an employee is moved from their regular job to a higher rate job, they shall receive the higher rate.
(b) In any case, when an employee is required or ordered to work temporarily on any job other than their regular job, they are to receive their regular rate or job rate whichever is higher. When an employee is moved to a lower rated job, the duration of such move will be kept to a minimum and every effort will be made to return the employee to their regular job as soon as possible.
(c) Whenever an employee’s regular job is not available and they are therefore is moved to another job, they are to receive the rate of the job to which they are moved to for that period. In such cases, however, the employee is not obligated to take the job offered and can, if they so elect, lay off for the period their regular job is not available; up to a maximum of 30 working days for each instance.
It is agreed that this language does not apply to work related to an employee’s job or their machine.
General Rules for Guidance in Application of Seniority
The following are some rules for the guidance of both the Union Standing Committee and Management in the application of Seniority as provided under Article XIX of this Agreement.
(a) Two types of Seniority are recognized:
(i) Plant Seniority
(ii) Department Seniority
(b) In general, Plant Seniority shall apply in the creation of new jobs and in promotions and lay-offs where no specific experience is required.
(c) In general, Departmental Seniority shall apply in promotions and lay-offs requiring specific experience.
(d) Seniority lists showing plant and departmental seniority will be maintained in a current condition by the Company.
(e) Department Transfers
Applications for new appointments to jobs which serve as the base of a promotional sequence in any department will be accepted at any time by the Human Resources Department. A list designation of such jobs open to applications will be given to shop stewards.
Application forms will be available at all times at the Human Resources Office. Seniority shall be considered for only those employees whose applications have been received at the closing date of published notice of such opening.
It is agreed that the principle be established that no employee will begin departmental seniority except through a job posting and selection.
An employee who has been the successful applicant for a job posting in the Paper Mill, Converting, Materials Handling, and Shipping shall not be entitled to bid on another Job Vacancy Posting until twelve (12) months has elapsed from the closing date of the posting.
Employees who fall under the above restriction shall be eligible to apply for Job Vacancy Postings which are not identified in the departments identified above.
In the event that a departmental downsizing or job elimination occurs in the department which the employee has posted into and falls under the restriction above, the employee shall be eligible to bid on any current or future Job Vacancy Postings.
(f) (i) Relief Work
The senior employee on any job is to receive the first invitation to relieve on a higher job unless the vacancy occurs after the start of the week, and the relief period does not exceed four (4) shifts, and it is not practical to change shifts. It is recognized that after the manning schedules are prepared, there are circumstances where changing the schedule for five (5) days may be impractical. Failure to accept invitation to relieve or take promotion without legitimate reason shall mean loss of seniority only in the next opportunity for a permanent promotion to the senior position on which they refused to relieve or be promoted.
(ii) Employee Permitted to Turn Down a Move-Up
When an employee, at their own request, is permitted by the Company to turn down a move-up in the line of progression and another employee moves ahead of them on the departmental seniority list, the latter employee will remain ahead of the former in other future move-ups or cutbacks on the departmental seniority list.
(iii) Mill Seniority
In the case of a curtailment or lay-off in any one department, the employee with the least amount of “departmental seniority’ will be the first employee laid off from that department.
For curtailments or lay-offs of up to five (5) working days, the laid-off employee may exercise their mill seniority to displace the most junior employee on the spareboard.
For curtailments or lay-offs of more than five (5) working days, the laid-off employee may exercise their mill seniority to displace the most junior employee in the Mill regardless of whether or not that employee is posted.
In exercising of mill seniority, a laid-off employee must remain consistent with the spareboard policy providing they can be trained to do the job within a reasonable period of time and providing the employee is competent to perform their duties.
An employee who is not on the spareboard and who is laid off must notify their supervisor or the Human Resources Department that they wish to be placed on the spareboard.
Any problems arising out of this application will be dealt with at the Standing Committee meetings.
(g) Transfers
(i) Where an hourly rate employee is transferred to another department on an hourly rate either at their own request or at the request of the Company and they are transferred back to their original department within 90 days at either their own request or at the request of the Company, they will return retaining the relative seniority standing which they occupied at their original transfer.
At the expiration of the 90 day limit, the employee’s seniority rights will cease in their original department.
(ii) Where an hourly rate employee is transferred to a salaried position not covered by the contract, either in their own department or other department, and they are transferred back to their original department within 90 days either at their own request or at the request of the Company, they will return retaining the relative seniority standing which they occupied at their original transfer.
At the expiration of the above 90-day limit, the employee’s seniority rights will cease in their original department.
MISCELLANEOUS
It is understood and agreed that Supervisors will not perform work, which is normally done by members of the bargaining unit. It is not the Company’s intention that supervisory staff perform such work; however, it is recognized by both the Company and the Union that during an emergency, during periods of training and instruction, a supervisor may perform work which otherwise would be done by a member of the bargaining unit; such work will, in no way, eliminate an employee from the work force or reduce the number of employees required to perform that job.
The Company agrees to communicate this policy to all Supervisors in the Western Manufacturing Division.