Union-Administration Relations (CWA, Local 4818)

Scope

This policy applies to all Non-Exempt CWA staff at IU Bloomington and Northwest represented by CWA, Local 4818.

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Policy Statement

1. 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.
2. Representation on Joint Committees

As agreed between the parties in November 1993 and reaffirmed in May 2008, CWA shall be provided representation on any committee on which the Bloomington Staff Council had representation.  Nothing in this agreement should be construed to limit the parties from agreeing to include CWA representatives on other existing or future committees. 

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Procedures

1. 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 or preparation meetings or activities during the union officer's regular work hours.
      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.
   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.
   4. The campus Human Resources office must have prior notification of such authorized union representatives.
2. Unpaid union released time
   1. Union representatives will be granted--with approval of the department head and the campus Human Resources office--time off without pay to transact union business.
   2. The union president or the international representative may request that the union officers or authorized union representatives be permitted to absent themselves from work for a short period of time to transact union business and to attend union-sponsored training programs. Such absences are subject to the approval of the department head and to all of the following conditions:
      1. Such requests will be submitted in writing to the department head at least ten (10) workdays prior to the date of the requested absence.
      2. During the released time, the union officers and representatives will not engage in any activities with the intent of organizing other university employees.
      3. Individual union representatives will not be released on unpaid leave in excess of thirty (30) calendar days in any calendar year.
      4. Such absences will be recorded as absent with time off accrual
3. Steward training
   1. The university will allow designated stewards for CWA Local 4818 up to one shift off with pay annually to attend steward training, subject to the procedures in this policy.  
   2. The university will be provided an opportunity to make a presentation during the program.
4. Union leave of absence
   1. The university under specified conditions will provide employees the option to take an unpaid leave of absence for union business.
   2.  A non-probationary employee designated by the union to act as a full-time paid union employee will be granted a leave of absence without pay or benefits, but without loss of university seniority, subject to the following conditions: 
      1. Not more than one clerical and technical employee will be granted a leave of absence at any given time.
      2. During the leave of absence period, the employee will not engage in any activities for the purpose of organizing unrepresented university employees.
      3. The leave of absence for union business for any employee will not exceed one year.
      4. During the leave of absence, the employee will accrue university service credit.
5. Bulletin boards
   1. The university permits the union to use existing bulletin boards where Non-Exempt CWA staff work, subject to the provisions below.
   2. At Bloomington a clearly defined space not less than 2' x 3' will be designated on existing bulletin boards.
   3. At Northwest, the campus Human Resources Director and the designee from the union shall mutually agree upon the appropriate bulletin boards and the space on these bulletin boards specifically designated for approved union announcements.
   4. Material posted will not contain anything of a political nature or anything derogatory to the university, the state of Indiana, or any of its employees.
   5. Bulletin boards, as referred to in this policy, will only be used for the information listed below.
      1. Factual notices and announcements of the union pertaining to the following:
         1. Union meetings
         2. Union elections and nominations
         3. Appointment to union offices
         4. Union social and recreational affairs
         5. Union financial statements
      2. Minutes of meetings with the university
      3. Agreements between the union and the university
      4. Any other information approved by the campus Human Resources Director or its designee and the president of the local union or their designee
   6. The union assumes responsibility for complete compliance with the spirit and intent of the provisions in this policy. Should the university believe the posted material is inconsistent with the spirit and intent of this policy, such materials will be brought to the attention of the local or international representatives of the union, and it will be removed immediately. Material removed may only be posted again after mutual agreement between an authorized union international representative and the campus Human Resources Director.
   7. The union will not post materials except on the bulletin boards provided for under this policy.
6. 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 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.
7. University Email
   1. The union may utilize university email to distribute information, as listed in Procedure 6 above, to represented employees and appropriate administrative staff.
   2. In accordance with the Conditions for Cooperation, union business shall be conducted during non-work hours.
   3. Use of university email accounts is subject to all applicable university policies, including IT-07, Privacy of Electronic Information and Information Technology Resources.
8. Union Parking Permits
   1. The university shall provide CWA with two Service Vehicle parking permits. The union member using the Service Vehicle parking permit must have a vehicle registered with the university, and have a valid employee permit.
9. Union Office Space 
   1. The university shall provide working space for CWA for the purpose of conducting union related work and storing union related records.

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Sanctions

Managers, supervisors, and employees who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

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Additional Contacts

IU Mail Services

• Bloomington
• Northwest

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History

July 2022
Updates made based on union discussions.

February 2021
Updated the staff employee group terms due to the Job Framework Redesign Project.

August 2020
University service credit accrues during a discretionary leave of absence

July 2019
Updates made based on union discussions

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