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Annual Leave
Section 1. Annual leave shall be available for
vacation purposes to each eligible employee of the bargaining unit to take at
least 3 consecutive weeks leave during the year except when longer periods can
be provided at the local level. This leave shall not be canceled or
rescheduled except for an operational emergency or at the request of the
employee. In the event it becomes necessary for management to cancel leave,
consideration will be given to any employee who has incurred pre-paid
nonrefundable expenses.
Section 2. The Employer recognizes the desirability of granting annual
leave during prime vacation time and shall make every reasonable effort to
grant 3 consecutive weeks to those employees who desire it. The Parties at the
local level shall negotiate a method for resolving conflicting vacation leave
requests.
Section 3. If an employee waives his/her right to schedule any or all
of his/her vacation in prime time, it shall not be reinstated to the detriment
of any other bargaining unit member. It is understood that an employee waiving
any or all of his/her vacation in prime time is waiving it only for the time
frame in the current leave year for which vacation is being scheduled.
Section 4. The Union Facility Representative shall establish prime
vacation time periods at each facility. Multiple prime vacation time periods
are permissible.
Section 5. The vacation schedule shall be prepared and approved prior
to a date negotiated at the local level, but not later than March 1 of each
year.
Section 6. Employees may be authorized the use of the leave that they
are entitled to earn within a leave year at any time during that leave year.
Section 7. The beginning and/or ending of pay periods have no bearing
on when annual leave is actually taken. Every reasonable effort shall be made
to schedule annual leave to coincide with regular days off if the employee so
desires.
Section 8. If annual leave is requested during any portion of the
employee's work week, the employee's watch schedule shall not be changed on
the days preceding and following the approved annual leave unless agreed to by
the employee.
Section 9. Annual leave requests not previously scheduled shall
normally be approved or disapproved during the watch on which the request is
made, except when the employee requests an immediate answer. Approval shall
not be subject to conditional circumstances. If disapproved, and annual leave
for that time period or any portion of that time period later becomes
available, it shall be approved on a first-requested basis. Requests for leave
not previously scheduled shall be recorded. If an employee desires a written
decision on his/her leave request, the request shall be submitted on an SF-71.
If the leave is denied, the reason for the denial shall be noted in the
remarks section of the SF-71.
Section 10. The Employer shall not cancel approved annual leave to
avoid the payment of overtime.
Section 11. Accrued annual leave may be carried over to the next leave
year in accordance with applicable law and regulations. The Employer and
employee shall schedule annual leave in order to avoid the forfeiture of such
leave.
Section 12. Employees on annual leave who become sick shall have the right
to convert the annual leave to sick leave, in accordance with applicable
regulations.
Section 13. Annual leave, or LWOP when no annual leave is available,
shall be granted to an employee to care for a diagnosed terminally ill member
of the employee�s immediate family. Medical documentation shall be provided
upon the Employer�s request.
Section 14. The provisions of this Article also apply to compensatory
time. Earned compensatory time may be used in lieu of or in conjunction with
annual leave.
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