The Union shall inform the Company in writing of
the names of its Grand Lodge representatives, officers, business
representatives and stewards who are accredited to represent it, which
information shall be kept up to date at all times. Only persons so designated will be accepted
by the Company as representatives of the
The Company shall provide bulletin boards for the
The Company shall provide identification badges
so that each business representative can have access during working hours to
the area in which employees are assigned who are
within a bargaining unit defined in Article 1 and for which area he/she is an
accredited business representative, to the extent government or customer
regulations will permit. The business
representative may retain the badge affording such access during the period
he/she is so assigned as a business representative.
Grand Lodge representatives will be permitted
access during working hours to areas in the Company's facilities where
employees in the bargaining units defined in Article 1 hereof are assigned, for
the purpose of conducting Union business to the extent government or customer
regulations permit.
Access of Union representatives to Company
facilities for the purpose of investigating complaints or claims of grievance
on the part of employees or the
4.5(a) The Company shall be required to admit only those accredited
business representatives who are being admitted as of the effective date of
this Agreement, and such other business representatives as may be accredited by
the
4.5(b) Business representatives and Grand Lodge representatives
who are entitled under Sections 4.3 and 4.4 to admittance to the Company's
facilities shall sign in where required through the Company-designated
organization at the plant or facility they desire to enter. Upon being admitted, they shall proceed to
the shop or organization they wish to visit, contact the supervisor then
present, inform him/her of the purpose of their visit and obtain his/her
permission prior to contacting any employee in such shop or organization. Such permission will be granted except where
there is a substantial reason for delaying the contact due to safety conditions
or the fact that a critical operation is in process. Upon leaving the plant or facility they shall
sign out and return any temporary identification badges which were issued for
the purpose of the specific visit.
4.5(c) Business representatives and Grand Lodge representatives
granted admittance to the Company's facilities under this Article 4 shall not
engage in organizing or campaigning for
4.5(d) Union representatives who fail to comply with the provisions of
Sections 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6 shall forfeit their admittance rights.
Solicitation of Union membership or collection
or checking of dues will not be conducted during working time. The Company agrees not to discriminate in any
way against any employee for Union activity, but such activity shall not be
carried on during working time, except as specifically allowed by the
provisions of this Agreement.
The
provisions and rules regarding stewards shall be as follows:
4.7(a) The
4.7(b) The effective appointment date of a steward will be the third
workday following the date on which the appointment letter from the
4.7(c) The Company will notify the
4.7(d) An employee while serving as a steward shall not
be surplused, transferred or loaned from his/her job
title, or his/her shop, or his/her shift so long as other employees remain in
his/her job title, and in the shop and on the shift for which he/she is
designated as steward. If he/she is not
eligible so to remain in his/her job title, he/she will be offered downgrade to
the highest labor grade job title within his/her normal line of promotion which
is then being utilized in the shop and on the shift for which he/she is
designated as steward. If he/she
declines such a downgrade or if he/she is relieved of
his/her steward's status prior to such downgrade action, he/she will then be
subject to normal surplusing procedures as provided
in Article 22.
4.7(e) Stewards will be promoted and recalled from
layoff on the same basis as provided in Article 22 for other employees, except
that in the event a shift in a shop is deactivated and is reactivated by the
Company within one hundred twenty (120) calendar days after such deactivation,
the former steward will be offered an opportunity to return to that shop and
shift provided the Company determines to utilize the steward's former job title
or a lower grade in the same job family in such shop and on such shift within
such one hundred twenty (120)-day period, and further provided that the former
steward has not been replaced as steward by the Union in the interim.
4.7(f) A steward will retain his/her steward status
while on approved medical leave of absence for a maximum of one hundred eighty
(180) calendar days, provided that he/she has not been replaced as steward by
the Union prior to expiration of such leave.
Each steward shall notify and obtain permission
from his/her supervisor before leaving his/her work assignment for the purpose
of investigating complaints or claims of grievance on the part of employees or
the Union or contacting the business representative in regard to such claim or
grievance. Such permission shall be
granted except where there is a substantial reason for delaying the contact or
the investigation due to safety conditions or the fact that a critical
operation is in process. The supervisor
may be present during any discussion relating to any complaint or
grievance. However, upon the request of
an employee or steward, the supervisor shall authorize a steward to participate
in a private discussion with an employee or business representative, relating
to a complaint or grievance. Discussions
of the type described in this Section 4.8 shall be conducted without requiring
the employee or steward to clock out provided the discussion does not extend
beyond the time that the supervisor considers reasonable under the circumstances.
Except as provided in Section 4.8 above, each
steward, local lodge officer or district council delegate shall have
authorization from the Union, give his/her supervisor at least twenty-four
(24)-hour advance notice if possible and clock out prior to departure from
his/her work assignment to conduct Union business. If the work assignment given the steward,
local lodge officer or district council delegate seriously interferes with the
performance of his/her duties for the Union, or if Union business seriously
interferes with his/her work assignment, the Company and the
If governmental regulations require special
clearance to obtain access to certain areas where employees are assigned who
are within a bargaining unit defined in Article 1, the Company will cooperate
with the Union to obtain necessary clearance for two (2) representatives
designated by the