ARTICLE 9

Hourly Job Rating Plan

Section 1.      The Hourly Job Rating Plan currently in effect has been mutually agreed to and has been made a part of this Agreement as Appendix “G”.  Changes may be made to the plan during the life of this Agreement but such changes require mutual agreement between the parties. 

Section 2.      The Company has furnished the Union with copies of the current plan and job descriptions for all jobs currently within the bargaining unit and will provide the Union with detailed job description sheets covering new or changed hourly-rated jobs included in the bargaining unit as set forth in Article 2 hereof within thirty (30) days following final approval of such jobs.  Draft copies will be made available to the designated Union Job Evaluation Specialist upon request.

Section 3.      The Company and Union agree to mutually support activities which increase productivity.  This will include, where appropriate, multiple machine operations, performance of indirect tasks by direct employees and vice versa, decentralization of core functions (for example, machine repair) and absorption of work currently performed by salaried employees.  The intent of encouraging absorption of indirect and salaried tasks by direct employees is specifically and solely to improve productivity and reduce cost.  It is not intended to create assignments which employees are not qualified to perform.

Section 4.     

(a)               The parties agree to work cooperatively in the development of new jobs and the re-evaluation of existing jobs dictated by changes in the business and/or production processes.  Proposals for any new job design activities will first be reviewed by the Director, Labor Relations, and the Directing Business Representative or his or her designee of District 26.

(b)               The Union may designate one Union Job Evaluation Specialist from each Local Lodge or a Shop Committeeperson to act as an alternate for the purpose of reviewing new jobs and handling the job rating complaint procedure as specified in Article 7 and this Article.  It is understood the Union Job Evaluation Specialist, along with the Human Resources Representative, may participate at Written Step 2 of the grievance procedure concerning job rating complaints.  However, such complaints presented at this step of the grievance procedure must be properly signed and dated by an employee classified on the job being challenged or the Union Job Evaluation Specialist or Shop Committeeperson.  The Union Job Evaluation Specialist shall, after notice to his or her supervisor, be allowed to leave his or her job for presentation of job rating complaints.  All time so spent shall be paid in full by the Company.

(c)                During the term of this Agreement, the Company agrees the definition of a new job will be one in which the Company makes any changes to either the description or scoring portions of a job classification or job description.

Section 5.      The Union Job Evaluation Specialist will be advised of new or revised job description sheets and be given the opportunity to receive information concerning the job classification and job description sheet prior to or at the time of implementation.  Such review will include information used to form the basis for decision regarding the scoring of all job rating factors.  The Company shall retain the exclusive right to implement any new or revised job classification or job description sheet.

Section 6.   The Union Job Evaluation Specialist or Shop Committeeperson will be granted an on-site inspection of a new or revised job, accompanied by a Human Resource Representative prior to or after submission of a job evaluation complaint at a mutually agreed time.  During such reviews, questions may be directed to any employee performing the work covered by the classification being challenged. 

Section 7.      Arbitration of jobs which exist in more than one plant/department and are identical in occupational group and scoring of all factors may be heard simultaneously provided, however, any decision of the Arbitrator which is in variance to the existing scoring shall apply only to departments or plants where such variance is found to exist.  In such cases, a separate job description sheet and job classification would be provided.

Section 8.      In order to facilitate timely resolution, the parties agree briefs will only be submitted upon mutual agreement or at the request of the Arbitrator.  If briefs are agreed upon, then the parties agree they will be filed no later than ten (10) days from receipt of the transcript.  There is no obligation upon either party to submit a brief.  The ten (10) day period may be extended by mutual agreement.  The Arbitrator will be expected to render a decision as soon as possible, but not later than thirty (30) days from receipt of the parties’ briefs if so provided.