Article 6: Employee Rights

6.1

The Coalition and the College agree that all employees in the bargaining unit are entitled to all of the rights and privileges delineated in this Agreement. There shall be no rights implied beyond the specific terms of this Agreement except as expressly provided by the Public Employee Bargaining Act (PEBA), and the Coalition shall be the exclusive representative for the representation of these rights.

6.2

Employees shall be subject to disciplinary action only for just cause. Disciplinary action includes written reprimands, suspensions, demotions, or termination. Any employee who believes that they have been suspended without pay, terminated or demoted without just cause may file a grievance in accordance with this Agreement except as provided herein.

6.2.1

In cases of employee termination, the College shall provide the employee with a written notice of termination as soon as possible. The notice shall include the reason (s) for the termination.

6.2.2

An employee who receives a written reprimand is allowed to have a meeting to review such reprimand with the level of supervision immediately above the level of supervision that issued the reprimand. A reprimand cannot be grieved or challenged other than the review contained in this section ( 6.2.2).

6.3

Prior to the implementation of discipline other than verbal or written warning or reprimand, the employee will be advised of the charges against the employee and given an opportunity to respond. If the discipline being contemplated is of such a nature as to result in the employee being placed on administrative leave with pay, the predisciplinary meeting shall be conducted as soon as possible. Upon request the employee will be allowed to be accompanied by a Coalition representative at the pre-disciplinary meeting however the employee must speak for him/herself. The representative may present the employee’s side of the issue or assist the employee in doing so.

6.4 

The parties may exchange information or documents they believe will help resolve the issue(s). The College will furnish the employee, upon written request, information/material contained in the employees official personnel file. This does not apply to written statements of employees, citizens or others.

6.5

If the College removes an employee from work pending an investigation, that employee shall be placed on administrative leave with pay. This is not considered a suspension of the employee.

6.6

An employee may be accompanied by a Coalition representative at a grievance meeting as provided under this Agreement’s grievance procedure, a meeting at which the employee is responding to formal written charges against the employee, a meeting initiated by the employee and the supervisor agrees with the employee’s request for representation, or an investigatory meeting or interview that the employee reasonably believes will result in disciplinary action and the supervisor agrees with the employee’s request for representation. An employee may tape record a meeting with a supervisor or an investigator but must first reveal to the supervisor or the investigator that the meeting is being recorded.