As previously reported in the November UNITY, IBEW Local 15 and the Company have reached agreement on the grievance that had been filed pertaining to benefits for temporary employees. The grievance challenged the Company’s interpretation and application of contractual language which was inclusive (“employee”) vs restrictive (“regular employee”) when it comes to Temporary employees covered under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The settlement provides for employees (who previously worked as a Temporary employee and had a break in service) to have their service date adjusted and be given credit for their prior service. As part of the settlement, the Company has been required to complete an audit of all current employees, and then notify each impacted employee of their adjusted service date, in writing. The agreement also requires the Company to provide any vacation (which would have been earned with the adjusted service date within the 30 days prior to 1/24/2019 - the date the grievance was filed) to impacted employees. Under the terms of the settlement, employees will have the option to carry-over the additional vacation time provided for under this remedy for up to 3 subsequent years. The adjusted service date for former Temporary employees may also impact future vacation increases by moving them closer to the thresholds contained in the CBA with the increase in service time.
The agreement also provides that employees will be credited for all consecutive service – including both regular and temporary - when calculating their AIP (provided they meet the eligibility requirements of being on the payroll as of December 31st of any such year and working more than 3 continuous months). As such, the Company is required to compensate former temporary employees who were not given credit for their temporary time in calculating the AIP payout starting with the AIP payout for 2018 and moving forward. Finally, the agreement confirms Temporary employees are eligible for the following benefits the same as regular employees: hourly shift premiums, exchanging shifts, change in basic workday penalty, overtime, travel reimbursement, designated paid holidays, working conditions, lodging, meals and transportation, parental leave, upgrading as well as the 401(k) and cash balance pension plan.
The agreement resolved numerous grievances and wrapped up months of work by Local 15 and it’s attorneys and is the result of a collaborative effort between the Company and the Union to resolve these issues once and for all. Employees covered under the terms of the Temporary Benefits Grievance Settlement should have received a letter from the Company in late December detailing how the settlement directly impacts them.