Seniority

1
Seniority

• Presented by Dorene Novotny
• (Tacoma CC)
• February 23, 2006

2
Seniority

• 1. Seniority is defined/counted as the number of
  hours in pay status.

3
Seniority

• WFSE
• False the seniority date is the date of
  unbroken classified service as adjusted.

• WPEA
• True seniority is counted as the number of
  hours in pay status.

4
Seniority

• 2. Seniority does not include time spent in
  cyclic leave without pay status.

5
Seniority

• WFSE
• False as one of the exceptions, seniority is
  not adjusted for cyclic time in LWOP status.

• WPEA
• True LWOP is not time worked, so cyclic time
  would not be counted towards seniority.

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Seniority

• 3. Seniority is required to be adjusted for any
  time spent in Jury Duty.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False - Jury Duty is considered paid status and
  therefore not an unpaid leave for which a
  deduction is made.

• WPEA
• False Jury Duty is considered paid status and
  therefore not an unpaid leave for which a
  deduction is made.

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Seniority

• 4. All overtime hours also count towards the
  calculation of seniority.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False adjustments are made as a deduction from
  date of service there is no provision to add
  overtime hours to the date of service.

• WPEA
• True seniority counts all hours in paid status,
  which would by definition include overtime.

10
Seniority

• 5. All hours in leave without pay status prior to
  July 1, 2005 are not included as an adjustment in
  the calculation of seniority.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• True the seniority article, which defines the
  adjustment for lwop, applies prospectively each
  employee starts July 1, 2005 with his/her
  classified service date as the starting seniority
  date.

• WPEA
• False seniority is defined as the employees
  length of classified service counted as the
  number of hours in pay status. No prospective
  language. (So all lwop would be included as an
  adjustment to the expected hours in pay status.)

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Seniority

• 6. A note from the employee stating that s/he
  received a call and will be off work due to
  Military Leave is sufficient to count the time
  towards his/her calculation of seniority.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False although the contract does not specify
  how military leave will be verified, the employee
  must have received a written order to report for
  active duty or active training.

• WPEA
• False although the contract does not specify
  how military leave will be verified, the employee
  must have received a written order to report for
  active duty or active training.

14
Seniority

• 7. When deducting Leave without Pay for seniority
  purposes, the employer should go back one
  calendar day for each day of leave without pay.

15
Seniority

• WFSE
• False the contract does not specify how the
  employer adjusts for the lwop. Either calendar
  day or work day will work.
• Note as long as the system is consistent for
  everyone.

• WPEA
• False the contract does not specify how the
  employer adjusts for the lwop. Either calendar
  day or work day will work.
• Note as long as the system is consistent for
  everyone.
• Also, WPEA only counts hours worked so its not a
  deduction, per se.

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Seniority

• 8. An employee separated due to disability may be
  re-employed at any time and have his/her prior
  seniority credited to his/her current calculation
  of seniority.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False only those employees re-employed within
  two years of separation will have their prior
  classified service count towards their seniority.

• WPEA
• True there is no language that limits the
  amount of time within which an employee must be
  re-employed in order for his/her prior classified
  service hours in paid status to count towards
  his/her seniority date.

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Seniority

• 9. An employee separated due to disability may
  count the time between separation and
  re-employment towards his/her calculation of
  seniority.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False the time between separation and
  reemployment is treated as lwop, which is then
  deducted from the employees classified service
  date for the purpose of calculating seniority.

• WPEA
• True lwop for the period between disability
  separation and re-employment completion of
  probation is an exception and included as hours
  in paid status for seniority purposes.

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Seniority

• 10. An employee whose parent was/is a Veteran may
  have that time counted towards his/her
  calculation of seniority.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False children are not included as eligible to
  use their parents veterans status for seniority
  credit.

• WPEA
• False children are not included as eligible to
  use their parents veterans status for seniority
  credit.

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Seniority

• 11. An employee who is a veteran and his/her
  spouse may both claim veterans credit to be
  added to his/her seniority calculation.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False veterans status credit will be added to
  the seniority of the employee OR to his/her
  unmarried widow or widower. The language does not
  provide for both.

• WPEA
• False veterans status credit will be added to
  the seniority of the employee OR to his/her
  unmarried widow or widower. The language does not
  provide for both.

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Seniority

• 12. In the event of a tie in seniority, the tie
  will first be broken by the employee who has the
  longest continuous time in his/her classification
  with that college.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False ties are first broken by longest time
  within the current classification. If there is
  still a tie, then longest time with the
  institution.

• WPEA
• False ties are first broken by longest time
  within the current classification. If there is
  still a tie, then longest time with the
  institution.

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Seniority

• 13. The employee will have 14 days following
  posting of the seniority report to appeal his/her
  seniority date, after which time the date will be
  presumed correct.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• True the language provides for a 14 day appeal
  period, after which the seniority dates will be
  presumed correct.
• Note the contract specifies calendar days.

• WPEA
• False there is no language about an appeal
  period.

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Seniority

• 14. The employer must prepare, print and post the
  seniority list report.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False the language does not specify the method
  of posting. The seniority list may be posted
  electronically or by some other method than a
  printed report.

• WPEA
• False the language does not specify the method
  of posting. The seniority list may be posted
  electronically or by some other method than a
  printed report.

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Seniority

• 15. The employer must post the seniority list at
  each location where represented employees are
  located.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False the language does not specify where or
  how the posting must occur.

• WPEA
• False the language does not specify where or
  how the posting must occur.

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Seniority

• 16. Once the employer posts the seniority list,
  the employer must post the seniority list each
  year thereafter on the same date.

33
Seniority

• WFSE
• False the contract says it will be posted
  annually but does not specify that it must be the
  same date.

• WPEA
• False the contract says it will be posted
  annually but does not specify that it must be the
  same date.

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Seniority

• 17. When an employee transfers from one
  bargaining unit to another, his/her seniority
  transfers with him/her.

35
Seniority

• WFSE
• False there is no provision for the transfer of
  seniority. Seniority would be re-established
  based on the contract language applicable to the
  employees new position.

• WPEA
• False there is no provision for the transfer of
  seniority. Seniority would be re-established
  based on the contract language applicable to the
  employees new position.

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Seniority

• 18. An employee whose job has ended may apply
  his/her seniority to bump back into his/her prior
  position in a different bargaining unit.

37
Seniority

• WFSE
• False an employees ability to apply seniority
  applies only to the layoff unit to which the
  employee is assigned.

• WPEA
• False an employees ability to apply seniority
  applies only to the layoff unit to which the
  employee is assigned

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Seniority

• 19. An employee who leaves classified service to
  accept an exempt appointment may request to
  return to classified service and shall be
  returned to his/her prior classification and
  corresponding bargaining unit.

39
Seniority

• WFSE
• True the statute that provides for the employee
  to be able to return to classified service
  trumps the contract restrictions.

• WPEA
• True the statute that provides for the employee
  to be able to return to classified service
  trumps the contract restrictions.

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Seniority

• 20. If an employee is allowed to return to
  classified service from exempt status, all time
  in exempt status shall count towards his/her
  calculation of seniority.

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Seniority

• WFSE
• False there is no provision to count the time
  in the exempt appointment towards seniority.

• WPEA
• False there is no provision to count the time
  in the exempt appointment towards seniority.

42
Seniority Bonus Question

• Seniority shall be used
• A. To make hiring decisions.
• B. To determine who is offered overtime.
• C. To determine who is laid off.
• D. To determine who is called back in the event
  of an emergency.
• E. To determine who is placed on standby.
• F. To determine which volunteering employee is
  assigned an alternate work schedule.
• G. To determine who serves as a shop steward.
• H. To determine whose vacation request is
  approved first.
• I. To determine shift assignment.
• J. To determine who must work during suspended
  operations.
• K. To determine uniform and tool assignments.
• L. To make grievance decisions.
• M. To determine who is allowed time off for union
  activities.

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Seniority Bonus Question

• WFSE
• True C. See 33.7 Employees will be laid off in
  accordance with seniority
• True A. if continued need during cyclic off
  time (temp appts)
• False all the rest.

• WPEA
• True C. See 31.6 Employees will be laid off in
  accordance with seniority
• True F
• False all the rest.