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his initial employment. The personnel officer and<br />

food manager interviewed the grievant and<br />

testified that the 180-day probationary period<br />

was discussed. 732<br />

The Grievant had accepted an inter-agency<br />

transfer, demotion, and headquarter county<br />

change. The Department sent her a letter that<br />

erroneously stated that she would “serve a<br />

probationary period of 60 days in this position.”<br />

A month later the Department issued a<br />

“Corrected Letter” informing her that she would<br />

serve a probationary period of 120 days,<br />

provided <strong>by</strong> Article 6.01 D. The Grievant’s<br />

Final Probationary Evaluation rated her<br />

performance as unsatisfactory and she was<br />

probationarily removed. The Arbitrator held that<br />

the Grievant was in an initial probationary period<br />

and not a trial period when she was removed.<br />

The Acknowledgment she signed explicitly<br />

referenced Article 6.01 D, used the term “initial<br />

probationary period”, and placed her on notice<br />

that she could be removed during that period<br />

without recourse. The Grievant neither<br />

consulted the Collective Bargaining Agreement<br />

or Union before signing the Acknowledgment;<br />

nor did she inquire about the change or file a<br />

grievance when she got the corrected letter.<br />

Trial periods differ from probationary periods in<br />

that they are one-half the regular probationary<br />

period and employees in trial periods are not<br />

prohibited from using the grievance procedure to<br />

protest discipline and discharge actions. The<br />

Arbitrator held that regardless of the mistake<br />

made <strong>by</strong> the Department (but later rectified) she<br />

had no authority to review the Department’s<br />

removal decision. Therefore, the matter of the<br />

Grievant’s removal was not arbitrable. 936<br />

While the Grievant claimed to have the<br />

necessary background in research methods in her<br />

summary of her qualifications, the information<br />

contained in her application and resume did not<br />

support her claim. She failed to show any<br />

experience with operational, mathematical,<br />

analytical, or statistical research methods. The<br />

Arbitrator rejected the claim that when the state<br />

denied her an interview for the Planner 3<br />

position and awarded it to someone else, it<br />

engaged in sex and/or age discrimination in<br />

violation of Article 2. A large portion of the<br />

employees in the Emergency Management<br />

Agency are women and three of the top five<br />

leadership positions are held <strong>by</strong> women .The<br />

Arbitrator held that the Grievant failed to show<br />

that she satisfied the minimum qualifications for<br />

the Planner 3 position when she applied. The<br />

grievance was denied. 939<br />

6.02 – Promotional/Lateral Transfers<br />

Probationary Period<br />

It is unclear on what basis the arbitrator found<br />

the grievance to be timely. The grievant waited<br />

almost six months to grieve the issue. The<br />

grievant was given advice <strong>by</strong> her steward not to<br />

grieve within her probationary period or she<br />

would be fired. The grievant relied on this advice<br />

and did not grieve until after the probationary<br />

period. Another basis on which the arbitrator<br />

could have ruled that the grievance was<br />

arbitrable was that the employer’s action can be<br />

categorized as a continuing violation. 360<br />

ARTICLE 7 - OTHER THAN PERMANENT<br />

POSITIONS<br />

7.01 – Temporary Positions<br />

The employer abolishing a position and having<br />

the same employee become a part-time<br />

employee doing the same work as she did<br />

previously on a full-time basis points toward the<br />

abolishment being improper. The original<br />

position was still intact, the grievant instead of<br />

working forty hours a week worked thirty nine.<br />

The work was not consolidated or redistributed.<br />

The abolishment was illegal. 340**<br />

The arbitrator determined that the grievance was<br />

arbitrable. Article 7.10 refers to a time limit for<br />

TWL positions – 120 days. That time limit must<br />

be interpreted. The arbitrator was not persuaded<br />

<strong>by</strong> the State’s interpretation of the Agreement.<br />

He determined 120 days for a TWL meant 120<br />

days. The language in the Agreement is clear<br />

and unambiguous. To allow the State to keep<br />

individuals in positions outside the bargaining<br />

unit for more than 120 days would negate the<br />

120-day limitation. 813<br />

7.03 - Intermittent Positions<br />

Before the grievant could be laid off as a<br />

permanent full-time employee in her<br />

classification, intermittent employees in the<br />

same classification must be laid off first. 471<br />

(1992-94 contract)

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