Policies for Police Staff Employees
Represented by AFSCME, Local 683 at Bloomington

Union – Administration Relations
AFSCME 5.17

Effective July 1, 2008
Revised July 1, 2010
Changes indicated in red font.

Employees covered by this policy
This policy applies to all Service Maintenance Staff at IU Bloomington.

Introduction

It is the intent of this policy to establish and embrace long term and mutually beneficial relations between Indiana University Administration and AFSCME Local 832.  This policy is supplemental to and not in lieu of the Conditions for Cooperation.  In case of conflict between these policies, the Conditions for Cooperation and Articles of Cooperation shall control.

A. Non-discrimination union activity

  1. Neither the university nor the union will discriminate against any employee because of permitted employee organizational activities or membership, or the right to refrain from such activities or membership.

  2. There will be no discrimination against any employee in the application of the terms of any policy because of membership or non-membership in the union.

  3. No employee will be compensated in any way or receive special privileges for refraining from union activity or membership.

B. Paid union released time

  1. The president of the union and authorized union representatives designated by the president will be granted paid release time for the following reasons:

    1. To attend joint conferences or to serve on committees when union participation is requested by administration.

      1. When a joint committee meeting is scheduled during hours outside the regular work shift for a union officer, as frequently happens for second and third shift employees, the person shall have the following workday adjusted to permit either a late arrival or early departure for the same amount of time.   This provision will apply only if the employee is scheduled to work the following workday.   For example, if the meeting is during the day on Tuesday and the employee's next scheduled workday is not until Wednesday night, this provision would not apply.

        • The policy on the five day notice for a change in work schedules will not apply in these cases.

    2. To participate in grievance investigation during the union officer's regular work hours.

      1. Employees and stewards shall be allowed reasonable opportunity for discussion of complaints or grievances subject to approval of the supervisor of each as to the earliest practical time when they both can be spared from the job. (From Policy 6.5 paragraph J3.)

    3. To participate in corrective action or grievance meetings with management in one of the specified steps of the corrective action or grievance procedure during the union officer's regular work hours.

      1. The union president and the union steward most immediately involved in a grievance shall be allowed to attend Stage III grievance meetings. (From Policy 6.5 paragraph 11.)

      2. Eligibility for pay is extended to the following persons for regularly scheduled time away from the job in order to attend fourth-stage grievance hearings for SM employees on the Bloomington campus: The local's President or designated replacement; the union steward who handled the grievance at the first three stages; the grievant providing there are no more than two (if more than two, then one or two representatives may be selected by the group); witnesses for the time they testify and a reasonable waiting period (15-20 minutes normally is sufficient time to come from any part of campus to a hearing). (From Grievance Policy 6.5 paragraph 6.)

    4. The university will allow designated stewards for AFSCME Local 832 up to one shift off with pay annually to attend steward training, subject to the procedures in this policy.

      1. The university will be provided an opportunity to make a presentation during the program.

      2. When steward training is scheduled during hours outside the regular work shift for a union officer, as frequently happens for second and third shift employees, the person shall have the following workday adjusted to permit either a late arrival or early departure for the same amount of time. This provision will apply only if the employee is scheduled to work the following workday. For example, if the meeting is during the day on Tuesday and the employee's next scheduled workday is not until Wednesday night, this provision would not apply. 

    5. To attend new employee orientation in UHRS when SM employees are present.

  2. Pay will be allowed only if such meetings are held during the union representative's regularly scheduled working hours and only if such union representative would have worked had s/he not attended such meetings.

  3. The time paid will be limited to actual meeting time plus necessary time, if any, spent during scheduled working hours, in traveling between the employee's work location and the meeting location.

    1. Names of stewards and assigned areas must be furnished to the Employee Relations, who in turn shall advise all unit management personnel concerned. (From Grievance Policy 6.5, paragraph J.2.)

C. Union leave of absence (Policy 5.14 Union Leave of Absence)

  1. When appropriately applied for, and subject to department head recommendation of restriction because of hardship to the university, leaves of absence (without pay) will be given to members of Local 832 for activities of the AFSCME union that are in the interest of Local 832 and Indiana University:

    1. Up to a total of three (3) months in any period of five (5) years

    2. Subject to request for and approval of extension, under the same conditions

    3. Not to exceed a total of three (3) months in the same five (5) year period

  2. Staff do not accrue university service credit during discretionary leaves of absence such as a union leave of absence.

D. Union Business (AFSCME Union Release Guidelines)

  1. Time spent at union business meetings or conducting other union related business such as solicitation of membership, dues or other internal organization business shall be conducted during non-work hours. 

  2. With supervisory approval, time away from work to participate in these activities may be granted.  Employees may charge the time to accumulated vacation, compensatory time, or as absence without pay with time off accrual. If scheduling permits without hardship to the unit, adjustments in the work schedule may be made. 

E. Bulletin boards (Policy 6.9 Bulletin Boards)

  1. The University permits the Union to use existing bulletin boards where Service Maintenance employees work to post information subject to the procedures below.

  2. The Union may utilize at least ten square feet of space on existing bulletin boards.

  3. Bulletin boards, as referred to in the policy, shall be used only for:

    1. Factual notices and announcements of Union pertaining to the following:

      1. Union meetings

      2. Union elections and nominations

      3. Appointment to Union offices

      4. Union social and recreational affairs

    2. Union financial statements

    3. Minutes of meetings with the University

    4. Agreements between the Union and the University

    5. Union Newsletters

    6. Any other material authorized by the Director of Human Resources or his/her designee and the President of the Local Union or his/her designee

  4. The Union assumes responsibility for complete compliance with the spirit and intent of the provisions of the Policy.

F. Campus mail

  1. The union may utilize Campus Mail to distribute information to represented employees and appropriate administrative staff to the limitations set forth below and in all applicable federal laws and postal regulations.
    The Union may only use Campus Mail for the following:

    1. Notice of Union meetings for campus employees;

    2. Union nominations and elections of officers to represent campus employees;

    3. Appointment of campus Union officers;

    4. Documents related to the representation of an employee at any step of the Grievance Procedures; and

    5. Notices of meetings and minutes of any joint union-administration committees

    6. Mutually agreed upon policies and summaries of such policies

    7. Any other information approved by the Campus Director of Human Resources.

Back to top

Divider

University Human Resource Services
Last updated: 8 June 2010
URL: http://hr.iu.edu/policies/
Comments concerning content and the Web site:
Privacy Statement