Section A

The Employer will recognize unit stewards and elected officers, not to exceed eighteen (18) designated as such by the Union, and non-employee Union officials as the duly authorized representatives of the Union. Employee representatives, excluding the Union President, a Vice-President, the Chief Shop Steward, and two (2) designees as may be appointed by the President, shall only be authorized to engage in permissible Labor-Management business (as defined by this Article) within the shift and work area designated by the Union as agreed to by Management.

Section B

The Union will furnish the Employer, in writing, with the names and work locations of elected officers, stewards and authorized representatives, and submit changes as they occur.

Section C

When it is necessary for contracts to be made between employees and Union representatives to transact permissible Labor-Management business, as defined in this Article, both the Union representative and the employee shall request approval from their immediate supervisor(s) to be relieved from duty for this purpose. The supervisor(s) shall be informed of the purpose of the request, the employee’s destination if he/she is leaving the immediate work area, the amount of time needed and the employee he/she desires to contact. The Union representative, if eligible to be relieved from duty, shall first notify his/her supervisor that the employee he/she wishes to meet with has also received approval by his/her own supervisor. In the event neither supervisor agrees to grant release from duty for such purposes another date and time will be arranged that is agreeable to all parties. The Employer agrees that permission for a Union representative to participate in permissible Labor-Management business shall be granted and will not always allow for release of employees from their assignments as requested.

Section D

Union officers and stewards who are unit members will be permitted reasonable official time, in accordance with this Article to engage in the following Labor-Management business:

1. Assist employees in the preparation and presentation of grievances;
   
   
2. Arrange for witnesses and to obtain information or assistance relative to a grievance or arbitration appeal;
   
   
3. Consult with Department officials as provided in Article 7, Labor-Management cooperation;
   
   
4. Meet with Management officials outside the Department;
   
   
5. Meet for the purposes of negotiations, pursuant to Article 34, Duration. Union representatives shall not exceed four (4) employees; and,
   
   
6. The Union President may meet with public officials on issues of mutual benefit to both Labor and Management.

Section E

The Union agrees that grievances should preferably be investigated, received, processed and presented during the first and last hour of the grievants scheduled tour of duty.

Section F

Official time shall be granted upon written request to the appropriate Division Director or his/her designee for designated Union representatives to attend scheduled meetings with Management officials outside the Department. Such meetings may include representation of employees in hearings or appeals conducted outside the scope of this Agreement.

However, should the constraints make it impracticable to provide advance written notification, the Union representative shall obtain verbal permission from the appropriate Division Director or his/her designee to attend such scheduled meeting(s). If the Division Director, or his/her designee is unavailable, the Union representative shall obtain permission from the appropriate Assistant Director or his/her designee.

Section G

Union representatives assigned tours of duty of other than day shift and scheduled days off shall have their assigned tour of duty and scheduled day off (if applicable) changed to coincide with the times of scheduled Labor-Management business meeting. However, no overtime or other forms of compensation shall be allowed for attendance at any such time.

Section H

The Employer will make time available to the Union during the initial formal orientation of new employees. Such time is not to exceed forty-five (45) minutes for the purpose of explaining the Union organization unless the parties mutually agree to extend the time. Any material the Union distributes during such meeting time will be provided to the Employer for its review.

Section I

This Article does not preclude employees from selecting someone other than a Union representative to represent him/her in a grievance except that no rival organization may represent an employee in the negotiated grievance procedure, and provided also that if other than a Union representative (excluding Management and supervisory officials) is used, a representative of the exclusive organization must be given opportunity to be present at any meeting held to resolve the grievance.