Article 17 - 19

Bargaining Unit Classifications and Pay Ranges

1. New employees will be placed in Step A within their Pay Range.
2. Upon completion of the new hire probationary period, affected employees will move to Step B within their Pay Range. The date that affected employees move to Step B will become their anniversary date for purposes of advancing through the step structure within the pertinent pay range.
3. Thereafter, employees will advance yearly on through the remaining steps in their Pay Range.

New Employee Promotions

Employees shall promote to the same step in the higher Pay Range (e.g. If a Custodial Worker in Pay Range 02, Step B, promotes to a Maintenance Repair Worker 1, the employee would move to Pay Range 04 at Step B.) The date of the promotion to the higher pay range will become their anniversary date for purposes of yearly step advancement through the pay ranges.

New Employee Demotions

Employees demoting, voluntarily or involuntarily, will demote to the lower Pay Range and maintain their step within the lower Pay Range. The affected employee shall not retain their former rate of pay. The date of demotion to the lower Pay Range w ill become their anniversary date for purposes of yearly step advancement through the Pay Range.

New Employee Appointment to a Different Classification in the Same Pay Grade

An employee appointed to a different classification in the same Pay Range will maintain their step within the Pay Range and will not experience a new anniversary date for purposes of step advancement through the wage scale.

Special Hiring Circumstances

The University and Union may agree, where appropriate, to hire an employee into a classification at a wage step higher than Step A.

All appointments to positions in the Bargaining Unit shall be made in accordance with Article 14, 15, and 16 of this Contract. All original appointments to a Bargaining Unit position shall be for a probationary period of 120 calendar days. No appointment is final until the employee has satisfactorily completed the new hire probationary period. Service toward the completion of a probationary period shall have been in the same class in the same department for a continuous period of time. Employment on a temporary or casual basis, though in the same class, shall not count toward the completion of any probationary period.

In the event of a departmental reorganization or, a reorganization which involves the closure or merger of a department or segment of a department as defined in this Agreement, the University may reassign employees without going through the layoff and job abolishment procedures set forth in Article 12 or the job posting provisions in Article 14 if the reassignment does not change the classification or essential job duties of the affected employees. If such a reassignment occurs and more than one employee is involved, employees will be given preference for reassigned positions based on seniority.

1.  In the event of a Culinary Services permanent or temporary closure of a department or segment of a department, Article (19)(A) may be utilized and/or Article (12), if a reduction in force is deemed appropriate. Upon reopening, the employees, unless they bid on and were awarded another position during the closure, shall be reassigned to their original department, or segment of department, pursuant to Article (19)(A), in the number deemed appropriate by Management. Positions not filled by reassignment will be posted in-department.

1. Promotion: the appointment of an employee to a different position which Is assigned a higher pay range than the employee's previous position.
2. Lateral Move: the appointment of an employee to a different position which is assigned the same pay range as the employee's previous position.
3. Demotion: the appointment of an employee to a different position which is assigned a lower pay range than the employee's previous position.
4. Lateral Transfer: The appointment of an employee to a different work location or shift in the same classification, in the same segment/department.
5. Department: Culinary Services, Facilities Management and Safety Logistics, Ohio University Police Department
6. Segment/Shop (segments listed in Article 6 ): Baker University Center Culinary Services, Central Food Facility, Jefferson Marketplace, Residential Dining Services, Interior Services, Parking Services, Grounds Maintenance, Grounds Equipment Maintenance, Grounds Equipment Operators, University Custodial Services, Lancaster Campus, Chillicothe Campus, Zanesville Campus, Eastern Campus, Southern Campus, Residential Custodial Services, Maintenance Shops (per Article 6 ), Utility Worker Services, Moving and Surplus, University Printing Services, Mail Services, OUPD (Communication Officers), Data Center Operations, Airport, University Laboratory Animal Resources Department, University Garage, University Maintenance Stores, Alden Library (Mail Clerk/Messenger, Library Security Specialist, Storekeeper 1 & 2), Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (Stores Clerk, Storekeeper 1)
7. Greens/Venues: East, SouthWest, Nelson, Shively, Bakery, Warehouse, 1st, 2nd, 3rd shift Custodial are each venues, Culinary Support Kitchen, West 82/Catering, The District on West Green

1. Probationary Evaluations shall be conducted twice prior to the end of any probationary period (once toward the middle and once toward the end).
2. Annual Performance evaluations shall be done once each year.
   1. Prior to the employee's anniversary date; or
   2. They may be conducted during a predetermined time frame in lieu of the anniversary date. Employees in departments conducting such evaluations shall be notified of this deviation from anniversary evaluations.
   3. At the discretion of a department, annual performance appraisals may be waived for the fiscal year, with notice to the Union and the Director of Employee and Labor Relations on or before July is1 of each year.
3. Special performance evaluations may be conducted at any time to apprise employees of unsatisfactory work performance or exceptional performance.
4. Evaluations shall be conducted by the immediate supervisor and reviewed by the department head.
5. Evaluations are not subject to the grievance procedure. Actions taken as the result of a performance evaluation may be subject to the grievance procedure.

If an employee is assigned to perform the duties of a higher paying classification for a period of four (4) or more consecutive hours, the employee shall receive the higher rate of pay for all time worked in the higher classification. An employee who is plus-rated to a higher classification will be plus-rated to the higher wage classification at the step the employee currently holds. If an employee is assigned to perform the duties of a lower paying classification, the employee shall not suffer a reduction in pay. The University shall not assign employees to continually perform the work of a higher paying classification for a period of less than four (4) hours for the purpose of avoiding plus-rate. Qualified employees will sign-up for plus-rating and will be offered assignments to higher paying classifications on a rotating seniority basis within the department or appropriate segment/venue of a department. It will be up to Management in the department or segment/venue of a department to determinewhether an employee is qualified for the higher assignment. Qualifications may be determined by a test designed to fairly test the employee's ability to discharge the duties of the higher paying classification. If an employee does not agree with Management's determination that he or she is qualified to be eligible for plus-rating, the employee may request that he or she be permitted to take a test in order to determine the employee's qualifications for the assignment. Upon successfully completing the test, the employee will be eligible for the next applicable plus-rate occurrence. If an employee's performance in the higher classification is not satisfactory, the employee may be removed from the rotation.

The plus-rate roster w ill operate similarly to the scheduled overtime equalization roster:

1.  A plus-rate occurrence of less than 45 calendar days equals the length of the plus-rate assignment,(i.e., the term of the absence or the term of the department's need), and any plusrate assignment of 45 or more calendar days will be filled, as needed, by a temporary posting;
2. An employee who is not available for plus-rating (on temporary assignment outside the segment/department, on temporary assignment outside the Bargaining Unit, or on leave for more than two (2) weeks) will be charged on the plus-rate equalization list as if the employee was asked but refused the plus-rate. However, if the employee is on temporary assignment outside the segment/department or on leave for less than two (2) weeks the employee will not be charged on the plus- rate equalization list unless the employee was contacted and refused the plus-rate. In such cases the University is not obligated to make an offer of plus- rating. In no event will the University be required to create an overtime opportunity to permit the employee to continue in a temporary assignment and assume the plus-rate position.
3. If an employee refuses, the plus-rate will be charged on the plus-rate roster for the number of plus-rate hours actually worked.
4. If everyone on the plus-rate roster declines the us- rate, the junior qualified employee in the segment/venue (whether or not the employee is on the plus-rate roster) will be required to work the plus- rate.
5. If the plus-rate is less than 8 hours, but 4 or more hours, the plus-rate will be offered by rotational seniority, based on the least aggregate hours, to the qualified employees on the shift. The University is not required to create an overtime opportunity to fill the plus-rate position.
6. Backfill - If a temporary day shift vacancy of a week or more occurs due to filling a plus-rate need or other departmental need, the venue will notify employees of the temporary vacancy and will offer the temporary day shift vacancy on a rotational seniority basis. The offer of the temporary day shift vacancy will be contingent on and based upon operational needs.

If plus-rating is paid to the same position for 120 or more calendar days out of a 180 calendar day period, the position shall be posted and filled in accordance with Article 14 , Section A (only) of this Agreement, except in cases where an employee is being plus-rated to fill a position temporarily left vacant by an employee on an approved leave of absence, and it is expected that the absent employee will return to work.

Plus rating shall not apply if: (1) an employee is temporarily assigned to perform the duties of a position to which the employee is eligible to progress in accordance with Article 15 of this Agreement or (2) an employee in an Apprentice Program is assigned to perform the duties of a position to which the employee is eligible to advance in accordance with the Apprentice Program Memorandum of Understanding.

Any actions under this Article shall not constitute a vacancy as defined by Article 14(8) .

During each Ohio University Academic Summer Term, all Culinary segments (Baker University Center Culinary Services, Central Food Facility, Jefferson Marketplace, and Residential Dining Services) shall be combined and considered one segment for purposes of scheduling work locations. Employees' hours of work will remain but requests for flex schedules may be considered for this limited time period.

Upon completion of the Academic Summer Term, employees shall be returned to their original appointment, work location, and schedule.