Article 38 - 40

1. The University will make available to all employees covered by this Contract insurance benefits. Employees currently enrolled in the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) must remain in the PPO and all new employees will have the PPO enrollment option only.

   Employees currently in the Comprehensive Plan will be automatically moved to the PPO and will not be able to return to the Comprehensive Plan.

2. The adjusted bi-weekly premium co-payments will be effective on the beginning date of the bi-weekly pay period on which January 1, 2023, July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025 occurs.

   Employee Share of Insurance Premiums

   • Effective July 1, 2023
     • Employee contribution will be equal to 15% of the Total Annual Premium, not to exceed the Premium, not to exceed the following: $80-Single, $160-Single +1, $240 - Family
   • Effective July 1, 2024
     • Employee contribution will be equal to 15% of the Total Annual Premium, not to exceed the Premium, not to exceed the following: $85-Single, $170-Single +1, $250 - Family
   • Effective July 1, 2025
     • Employee contribution will be equal to 15% of the Total Annual Premium, not to exceed the Premium, not to exceed the following: $90-Single, $180-Single +1, $265 - Family
3. Full-time and part-time employees who work 30 hours or more per week and have an appointment >120 days will be eligible for insurance. Current parMime employees receiving insurance benefits shall be grandfathered.
4. Seasonal employees will continue to receive insurance benefits during the unscheduled work periods. Such employees will be required to pay their co~payment of premiums during this time period. If payment is not made and an arrearage results, benefit premiums owed will be deducted in full starting with the first pay after the employee returns to work.
5. The University will have the right to change the third party administrators of the insurance plans as long as substantially equivalent benefits are provided to employees.
6. One (1) representative of the Bargaining Unit shall be appointed to the Benefits Advisory Committee as long as the Benefits Advisory Committee exists in its current structure and /or form. Should the Benefits Advisory Committee disband, the University and Union agree to utilize the Labor Management process to discuss health insurance matters.
7. All employees will be enrolled in the PrudentRX Specialty Drug Copay Program offered through CVS Caremark. Employees under this program will have a $0 copay for their specialty drug prescriptions. CVS Specialty Pharmacy will distribute and update the Prudent RX specialty drug listing periodically. Any prescription not included in the Prudent RX specialty drug listing will be subject to the PPO design detailed herein.

It is the policy of Ohio University to provide educational opportunity for active or retired full-time and part-time Bargaining Unit Employees, their spouses, and their children. The benefits under this plan may vary according to employment status, and the program applies only to courses offered for credit by the University, including programs offered through independent study. Benefits under this policy shall be applicable to certain workshops, noncredit courses, audited courses, OPIE courses, special course fees, or certain courses and programs delivered through Lifelong and Distance Learning . Fee structures of the University are subject to change without notice.

Employees must first satisfy employment demands, and will not simultaneously be full-time students. Consequently, no more than eleven (11) semester hours* of undergraduate courses and no more than eight (8) semester hours of graduate courses will be permitted per semester without approval from the appropriate department head and dean of the college.

To qualify for this tuition waiver, an employee must be on the payroll by the first day of the semester. (An employee on layoff status shall be qualified for this scholarship during the period of the layoff subject to the same limitations on number of credit hours.) This rule of eligibility also applies to employee spouses and employee children. 

Educational Benefits shall not be applicable to noncredit courses, noncredit workshops, special course fees (ex. technology fee, class fees, program fees, and etc.), or courses and programs delivered in partnership with an outside vendor unless allowed by the vendor contract terms or as directed by the university. Benefit eligibility for employees and/or eligible dependents for outside vendor courses will be noted on the HR website.

Educational benefits for graduate tuition and medical tuition is limited to the full time instructional fee for the Athens Campus Graduate Comprehensive Tuition Structure.

Employees who have been suspended within 18 calendar months of the employee's request to take a class during work time will be denied by the department. 

*semester hours will approximate quarter hours.

Full-Time and Part-Time Bargaining Unit Employees

A. Employees

With supervisory approval, an employee may take one (1) course per semester during regular working hours and an additional course during non-working hours during periods of employment.

B. Fees

1. At the discretion of the department chair/head, a full instructional and general fee tuition waiver may be granted for course work which is directly related to the employee's current position. A full waiver is granted on a course-by-course basis, not for an entire degree program.
2. The tuition waiver for a full-time employee is equal to 100% of the instructional fee.
3. The tuition waiver for a part-time employee is equal to 50% of the instructional fee.

C. General Information

1. Requests for participation in the tuition waiver program must be submitted by semester by the employee on a standard form which may be obtained from University Human Resources. The form must be completed by the employee and signed by the departmental authority granting the permission to enroll.

2. Time Spent Away from Work

   Employees are encouraged to further their education, and therefore, department heads should attempt to assist, whenever possible, employees to take one course during working hours. However, there may be departmental demands as determined by the department head that make this difficult in any one semester, since position responsibilities take precedent over course work. Every effort should then be made to accommodate the course request in the subsequent semester. Any department head or employee who cannot reach accommodation within this two semester period should refer the matter to the Director of Employee and Labor Relations for final resolution. 

   If approved class attendance requires that the employee be absent from the employee's regular work schedule, the employee will not be compensated during the period of absence unless the course is required by the department head. Time spent in class may be required to be made up.

Dependents of Bargaining Unit Employees

Dependents of employees may take as many undergraduate or graduate courses as academically permissible. Dependents of employees who retired or have been placed on disability termination or died while employed shall retain the above educational tuition waiver. The tuition waiver for dependents of full-time employees is equal to 100% of the instructional fee (50% of the instructional fee for dependents of part-time employees). Information regarding the tuition waiver program for dependents may be obtained at University Human Resources.

A. Eligibility

Qualified dependents eligible for the tuition waiver are as follows: spouses, domestic partners, and biological, legally adopted, or legal guardianship children of the employee, employee's spouse, or employee's domestic partner.

B. Requirements

No particular class standing is necessary for the original awarding of this tuition waiver, except that the student must meet the admission requirements and complete the appropriate request forms.

C. Procedure

Ohio University Employees' children dependents (hereafter referred to as applicants) should request an application as early as possible in the year (March) preceding anticipated fall enrollment. Applicants wishing to commence study in a semester other than the fall semester should contact the University Human Resources as early as possible to ensure that they will be able to receive a tuition waiver. 

Each applicant must complete an application, obtained from University Human Resources, requesting a tuition waiver (children annually/spouses each semester).

The applicant and employee of Ohio University both sign and date the application and applicant returns the completed form to University Human Resources.

If the application is not filed in a timely manner it will be necessary for the child applicant to report to University Human Resources for the fee waiver. Spouses will need to personally receive their tuition waiver from University Human Resources - turning in the completed form and presenting their bill for enrollment.

Retired Bargaining Unit Employees

Retired employees (including employees who are on disability retirement) are eligible for scholarship that is equal to 100% of the instructional fee (50% of the instructional fee only for spouses of part-time employees), based on their eligibility.

1. The University will provide a uniform allowance and uniform shirts to all eligible employees. Employees will only wear the uniform shirt from home to work, at work, and from work to home where it will be removed and laundered as needed.
2. The official required uniform will be an approved shirt/chef coat, pants, slip resistant shoes and an optional Ohio University Hat. Eligible employees may be required to wear a University identification tag.
3. All employees will receive one issue of five (5) uniform shirts each year. Additionally, each employee will receive the summer issuance of five (S) T-shirts to all employees not required to wear a chef coat during the summer. All uniform shirts are property of the University and must be turned in when requested or upon separation from the University for any reason.

4. An initial allowance of $300.00 will be issued to each employee to be applied to uniform pants, and shoes. The allowance will be made to each new eligible employee. After the initial allowance, each July (except for Culinary Services employees who will receive their allowance each January), an additional uniform allowance will be provided depending on length of service of the employee on the set dates of the annual allowance and newly hired employees will also receive a partial allowance depending on the length of employment for their first year in compliance with the following:

   Length of Service	Uniform Allowance
   6 months or more	$300.00
   Less than 6 months	$250.00

5. Welders and other occupations, as identified by Management, will have available to them specifically selected apparel to meet necessary safety and protective guidelines in addition to personal protective equipment.
6. Employees will be responsible for the maintenance and laundry of the uniforms issued to them. The University will be responsible for the administration of the program. All employees will be required to wear a presentable uniform while at work.
7. All Culinary Services' Bakers, Cooks and Food Service Workers will be required to wear black or white uniform pants and chef coats, or polo shirts as determined by Management as provided. All Culinary Services' Custodians, Stores Clerks, Equipment Operators, Storekeepers, and Catering Service Workers will be required to wear black/blue jeans or khaki pants with the appropriate uniform shirt. Additionally, all Culinary Services' employees will be required to wear slip resistant soled shoes and hats or hair covers. They will be required to wear the specified uniform daily (apparel and safety shoes as required). Exceptions on the apparel may be made during facility cleaning periods when customers are not present.

8. Ohio University agrees that employees in departments covered by this Contract, who are to perform duties primarily outside building and shelter, will be provided suitable rainwear and outerwear by their department.

   This provision applies to (a) Delivery Workers in Mall Services; (b) Equipment Operators in Central Food Facility; (c) Equipment Operators in University Maintenance Stores; (d) Movers in Moving & Surplus; (e) Custodians; (f) University Garage; (g) Groundskeepers in Grounds Maintenance; (h) Aircraft Attendants; (i) Parking Enforcement Officers; and (j) Maintenance Workers on Regional Campuses. Any request for extension of this provision will be the subject of a Labor-Management meeting.

9. Employees may be permitted to wear shorts, based on Management approval. Approval will not be unreasonably denied. Shorts will not be provided to employees. Certain occupational restrictions, as identified by Management, may prohibit employees from wearing shorts based on safety and protective guidelines. Employees who choose to wear shorts to work must be prepared and ready to work 1n any weather conditions and will not be provided leave to retrieve a change of uniform should weather conditions change.