University of Missouri

Human Resources Policy Manual

Collection of Policies For Service/Maintenance Employees

III. Union Business

1. Union Stewards
2. Meet and Confer Representatives
3. Grievance Investigation Representatives
4. Bulletin Boards
5. Information To Union
6. Meet and Confer/Annual Discussions
7. Leave of Absence
8. Check-Off Of Union Dues

1. Union Stewards
   The union will furnish to the University, in writing; the name of any steward authorized to act in behalf of the union.
    
2. Meet and Confer Representatives
   Representatives of the unit representing the union at meet and confer conferences shall be given release time at regular pay for the time spent in such conferences. This group shall include up to four (4) members each from Rolla, St. Louis, Kansas City and University Hospital in Columbia, and six (6) members from the Columbia campus.
    
3. Grievance Investigation Representatives
   The Business Representative of the Local or International Union may investigate grievances within the employer's premises and may contact other employees briefly pursuant to the investigation provided that such contact does not interfere with the continuity of operations or otherwise prevent any employee from performing his/her normal duties.
    
4. Bulletin Boards
   The employer shall designate bulletin boards at mutually agreeable locations or other methods of communication to be used for the posting of approved notices about the union and its activities. Existing bulletin board privileges shall continue.
    
5. Information to Union
   Job posting notices shall be provided to the union. Job bidding information shall be made available upon request. Job classification specifications will be made available upon request.
    
6. Meet and Confer/Annual Discussions
   It is understood that unit employees are covered by University and Board policy and that during annual meet and confer sessions, unit recommendations concerning University and Board policy will be discussed with the University Administration. Annual meet and confer sessions will customarily commence in May. Policy changes will normally be implemented September 1. Other changes in wages and general conditions of employment will be discussed with the representatives.
    
7. Leave of Absence
   1. A leave of absence for up to one (1) year will be granted to a regular ¬employee of the University who has been elected or appointed to an office of the union, or as a delegate, necessitating a leave of absence. Such leaves of absence will be granted only when the requests are made in writing by the appropriate union officer addressed to the University's Vice President, Human Resources, with a copy of the request addressed to the employee's immediate supervisor. The requests for leaves of absence are to give the dates the leaves of absence are to begin and end, and shall be given to the University as far in advance as possible but no later than two (2) weeks prior to the date the leaves of absence are to become effective. The leaves of absence are without pay.
   2. Such leaves of absence may be renewed for an additional period when circumstances warrant renewal.
   3. No more than three (3) employees may be on such leave of absence at the same time.
   4. An employee on leave of absence for more than thirty (30) days will not accumulate additional seniority or University service credit, nor will he/she be eligible for University benefits such as vacation or sick leave, or for coverage under the Group Medical Insurance Plan or Retirement, Disability and Death Benefit Plan. The seniority or University service credits will be frozen, as of the date the leave becomes effective. On returning from a leave of absence, an employee will have to his/her credit the same seniority and University service credits which he/she had at the beginning of the leave of absence.
   5. A person who has been on a leave of absence as provided for above will be returned to the classification he/she occupied at the time his/her leave became effective, provided he/she is physically able to do the work, he/she has the necessary seniority and there is work available.
   6. A person returning to work after a leave of absence of more than thirty (30) days will give the University at least a week's notice of his/her wish to return or in the absence of the week's notice, the University may schedule the first day of work not later than seven (7) days after the notice has been received.
   7. A person who fails to report for work within fourteen (14) days after expiration of a leave of absence shall be considered as having voluntarily quit unless he/she has a reason satisfactory to the University for needing additional time before returning to work. When such is the case, arrangements for an extension of the leave must be made with the University not later than the fourteen (14) day period following the expiration date of the leave, otherwise he/she will be considered as having voluntarily quit.
       
8. Check-off of Union Dues
   1. Policy
      1. Any employee within the recognized bargaining unit desiring to assign and have dues withheld from his/her wages shall execute a "Request and Authorization for Deduction of Organization Dues", which shall provide, in addition to necessary information, the following wording:
          
         "Beginning _____, I, the undersigned, do hereby assign to (Laborers' International Union of North America, Local 773), or (International Union of Operating Engineers', Local 2), and hereby authorize the Curators of the University of Missouri to deduct from any net wages due to me and pay to said union such sum monthly as shall equal the monthly membership dues as may be from time to time established and certified by said union to the Curators of the University of Missouri."
          
         "This assignment and authorization shall remain in full force and effect until January 1 after delivery by me to the Curators of the University of Missouri of a written revocation."
          
      2. The assignment and deduction of union dues as provided for in a. above will become effective the first day of the month after the request and authorization is delivered to Human Resource Services, providing it is delivered to Human Resource Services no later than the 25th of the month.
      3. Such employees desiring such deduction shall execute the authorization provided for in a. to be delivered to Human Resource Services.
      4. Regular employees in classifications within the recognized bargaining unit will be eligible for membership and may choose to authorize check-off of union dues as outlined above. Such membership does not alter any other section, policy or procedure outlined herein and does not make the provisions of this document, unless otherwise stated, applicable to nonregular employees.
   2. The Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration of the University of Missouri is hereby authorized, upon the filing of such requests and authorizations, to deduct from any net earnings due and payable to such employee the regular monthly dues as may be certified to the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration by the appropriate union. Such deduction shall be made biweekly, and the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration shall, monthly, forward to the designated official of such union, the following:
      1. A copy of any "Request and Authorization for Deduction of Organization Dues" filed as provided with the University during the preceding month.
      2. A list of only such employees for whom the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration had made a deduction showing the amount of dues deducted for each such employee.
      3. The total amount of such dues withheld, less the monthly cost to the University of such dues deductions.
      4. A copy of any "Withdrawal of Authorization for Deduction of Organization Dues" notices filed with the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration during the month of December.
   3. Any employee who has executed and filed with the Curators of the University of Missouri a "Request and Authorization for Deduction of Organization Dues" as hereinabove provided, may during the period December 1 through December 31 annually, terminate such assignment and revoke such authorization by executing, at the office provided in 1.c. a "Withdrawal of Authorization for Deduction of Organization Dues" (UM-UW Form 70), which shall, in addition to the necessary identification, contain the following language:
       
      "I, the undersigned, do hereby revoke my assignment to, and authorization to deduct dues from my wages for (Laborers' International Union of North America, Local 773), or (International Union of Operating Engineers', Local 2), effective with the first payroll period beginning on or after the first January 1 following the date of this revocation."
   4. The Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration is hereby authorized to make such rules and regulations as may be necessary or desirable to carry into effect the terms of this resolution.