Local 134 Agreement

ARTICLE XI    SICK LEAVE, EXCUSED ABSENCES AND LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Section 11.1 - Sick Leave With Pay.

1. An employee whose standard workweek is twenty (20) hours or more shall become eligible for paid sick leave upon completion of three (3) months of continuous service. An employee who is engaged on a temporary basis, or who is hired to work irregular hours without a fixed standard workweek shall not be eligible for paid sick leave allowance regardless of the number of hours he actually works per week.
   
   
2. Non-Journeyman employees (as defined in Appendix A of this Agreement) hired on or after December 1, 1995 shall accrue sick leave at the rate of nine (9) days per year and shall be credited to each employee at the rate of six (6) hours per month for full time employees. Employees hired prior to December 1, 1995 shall accrue sick leave at the rate of ten (10) days per year and shall be credited to each employee at the rate of six and seven-tenths (6.7) hours per month for full time employees. No sick leave shall accrue for any month during which employees are absent for more than one-half (1/2) of their standard working hours except where absence is due to paid vacations, paid holidays, paid funeral leaves, jury duty, voting time off or paid military leave. Sick leave with pay shall accrue during any absence brought about because of occupational injury or illness so long as the employee remains eligible for temporary disability benefits under the State of Illinois Workmen's Compensation Act or the Occupational Diseases Act.
   
   
3. An employee's sick leave allowances shall be applied only to absences necessitated by employee illness or injury and the right is reserved by the University at any time to require an employee who has been absent five (5) or more consecutive workdays or who is suspected of abuse of sick leave utilization to submit a certificate issued by a physician licensed to practice medicine as proof of illness. Failure to submit such proof upon request shall automatically disqualify such employee for sick leave allowance with pay and may result in further disciplinary action.
   
   Full time employees eligible for use of sick leave with pay may use accrued sick leave for scheduled doctors and dental appointments. Employees utilizing sick leave for such purposes must inform departmental supervision at the time the appointment is made to give the department as much advance notice as possible.
   
   Employees unable to report for work shall so inform their department in accordance with departmental call-in procedure. Time lost by employees who fail to notify their department as required shall be treated as an unexcused absence. Employees who expect to return and are unable to return at their regular starting time that day shall call in as above.
   
   
4. Only the standard working hours lost due to absence because of illness shall be charged against the employee's sick leave credits.
   
   
5. Compensation during allowable absences because of illness or injury shall be at the employee's basic straight-time hourly rate.
   
   
6. Authorized absences arising out of industrial accidents suffered in the course of employment at the University shall not be charged against the employee's sick leave credits, except, to the extent necessary to supplement Worker's Compensation benefit payments. The employee is required to notify the departmental office of his desire to utilize sick leave in this manner.
   
   
7. The balance of the employee's sick leave credits shall lapse when he resigns or is discharged and is not rehired within thirty (30) calendar days following resignation or discharge.
   

Section 11.2 - Absence on Union Business.

Duly authorized Union members will be granted one (1) excused absence without pay not exceeding five (5) consecutive working days per twelve (12) month period of this Agreement to attend conventions or handle other pertinent business of the Union. Application for such leaves shall be made at least four (4) weeks prior to the commencement of the period of such absence except where an emergency prevents the giving of such notice. No more than two (2) employees shall be absent at the same time for such purposes. An employee elected to a full time position as an officer of the Union shall, upon written request by the Union, receive a leave of absence without pay for the period of service with the Union; provided, however, that in no event shall such leave exceed two (2) three-year terms in office. Upon his return, he shall be re-employed provided there is then vacant a job which he is capable of performing and to which his seniority would entitle him. An employee affected by this Section shall not be eligible for any benefits provided by this Agreement nor shall he accumulate seniority during the period of such leave of absence. Upon his return, he shall be regarded as having seniority equivalent to that which he had immediately prior to his leave of absence. It is further understood that not more than one (1) employee shall be affected by the provisions of this Section at any one time.

The University agrees to pay not more than one (1) employee for straight-time scheduled hours of work lost by such employee during contract negotiations. The Union agrees to advise the University, in writing, of the name of the negotiating committee member at least seven (7) calendar days in advance of the first scheduled negotiation meeting.

Section 11.3 - Absence for Jury Duty.

An employee who has completed his probationary period and is summoned and reports for jury service shall be excused from work for the days on which he serves as a juror and he shall receive, for each such day of jury service on which he otherwise would have worked, his regular straight-time hourly rate for normally scheduled work hours. The employee will retain the check issued by the court. It is understood that if an employee is called to serve as a juror and is temporarily excused from such service, or if he is not required to serve as a juror on any of his regularly scheduled workdays, he will report for work during his scheduled working hours. In order to receive payment an employee must give his supervisor notice that he has been summoned at the earliest practicable time. The provisions of this Section are not applicable to an employee who fails to cooperate in seeking to be excused from jury duty when the University deems seeking to be so excused is in order.

Section 11.4 - Leaves of Absence.

Employees covered by this Agreement shall have the right to make application for leaves of absence for justifiable reasons provided they have completed one (1) year of continuous service. The University will give consideration to the circumstances of each application and shall have the right to determine whether or not the leaves shall be granted and the duration of any leave of absence. A leave of absence due to continuing, bona fide illness or disability that prevents an employee from working will be approved for a period ending not later than six (6) months from the time the employee's absence began. Such a leave will begin after the exhaustion of accrued sick leave and vacation time. Application for leave of absence shall be made on University Form UPP 167, Leave of Absence Request Form, signed by the employee. Each employee granted a leave of absence will receive a copy of the approved leave Form UPP 167. Leaves of absence shall be without pay and, at the University's discretion, they may be extended upon receipt of written request for such extension.

During any approved leave of absence or during layoff, an employee may retain coverage under the various insurance plans; the University will continue its share of premium costs for three (3) months; after three (3) months the employee pays full premiums for the plans. Retention of insurance coverage is required during leave of three (3) months or less. Arrangements for the payment of premiums are to be made with the University’s service provider engaged to collect such premiums. During any leave of absence, an employee does not accrue sick leave or vacation credits, and is not eligible for any paid time benefit; however, all such benefits become available to the employee but not retroactively for the period of the leave, as soon as the employee resumes work after leave of absence. An employee on approved leave of absence will be terminated from employment if he fails to return to work when the leave of absence expires, unless he has a compelling reason acceptable to the University, for his inability to return. Falsification of leave of absence application shall be cause for disciplinary action including discharge.

The University will provide Family Leave as required by law, subject to the regulations and requirements of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Section 11.5 - Funeral Leave.

Employees who have completed three (3) months of employment shall, upon application to their supervisor, be allowed three (3) working days off at straight-time pay (four (4) when travel of more than four hundred (400) miles each way is involved) upon the death of a member of the employee's immediate family. Employees who have ten (10) years of service will be granted five (5) funeral leave days.

"Immediate family" is defined as parents or foster parents, sister, brother, spouse, children or domestic partners as defined by University policy.

In the event of death of an employee's father-in-law, or mother-in-law, grandparent or grandchild, the employee will be allowed three (3) days off with straight-time pay for hours lost.

Any additional time required by an employee may be charged against the employee's accrued vacation, provided the employee obtains the approval of the supervisor in advance.

The University agrees to give consideration to paid time off in the event of death of a person not bearing the relationship enumerated above on an individual basis.

It is understood that the University has the right to request verification of relationship, death and distance traveled before paying benefits under this Article. It is further understood that the University may request an employee to complete a form indicating the name and relationships of relatives covered by this Section.

Section 11.6 - Military Reserve Training Leave.

The University will provide Military Reserve Training Leave as required by law.