§19.1 Purpose

The purpose of this Article is to provide a prompt, equitable and efficient procedure for the imposition of discipline for just cause. Both parties to this Agreement recognize the importance of counseling and the principle of corrective discipline. Prior to initiating formal disciplinary action pursuant to this Article, the College President, or designee, is encouraged to resolve matters of discipline informally; provided, however, such informal action shall not be construed to be a part of the disciplinary procedure contained in this Article and shall not restrict the right of the College President, or designee, to consult with or otherwise counsel employees regarding their conduct or to initiate disciplinary action.

§19.2 Definitions

a. "Discipline" shall be defined as the imposition of a penalty by means of the procedure specified in Section 19.4.

b. "Days" shall mean working days, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

c. "Service" shall mean the act of delivering, in accordance with provisions of this Article, a notice of discipline. For purposes of determining time limits for the service of a notice of discipline, service shall be effective on thedate of personal service or mailing by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested as evidenced by the official postmark appearing on the receipt for certified or registered mail. For purposes of determining time limits for the filing of a disciplinary grievance, service shall be effective three days from the time of personal service or,in the event of mailing, which shall be by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, three days from the date the employee or any other person accepting delivery has signed the return receipt or the date the notice is returned to the College President, or designee, undelivered.

d. "Party" shall mean the State and either the employee upon whom discipline is sought to be imposed or the employee's representative selected pursuant to Section 19.8 of this Article.

§19.3 Applicability

Discipline shall be imposed upon employees only pursuant to this Article; provided, however, that provisions of this Article shall not apply to the termination of employees serving on temporary or probationary appointments,which may be terminated at any time in accordance with provisions of Article XI of the Policies, and provided further that provisions of this Article shall not apply to non-renewal of term appointments pursuant to Article XI ofthe Policies, terminations of employees due to mental or physical incapacity pursuant to Article XV of the Policies or terminations of employees pursuant to Article 35, Retrenchment, of this Agreement.

§19.4 Disciplinary Procedure

a. Discipline shall be imposed only for just cause. Where the College President, or designee, seeks to impose discipline, notice of such discipline shall be made in writing and served upon the employee in person or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the employee's address of record. The conduct for which discipline is being imposed and the penalty proposed shall be specified in the notice. The notice served on the employee shall contain a detailed description of the alleged acts and conduct including reference to dates, times and places.

b. The penalty proposed may not be implemented until the employee (1) fails to file a disciplinary grievance within 10 days of service of the notice of discipline, or (2) having filed a disciplinary grievance, fails to file a timely appeal to disciplinary arbitration, or (3) having appealed to disciplinary arbitration, until and to the extent that it is upheld by the disciplinary arbitrator, or (4) until the matter is settled.

c. The notice of discipline may be the subject of a disciplinary grievance which shall be filed with the Chancellor, or designee, in person or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, by the employee, or the employee's representative, on a disciplinary grievance form to be provided by the State, within 10 days of the date of service of notice of discipline. The employee's selection of a representative as indicated on the Disciplinary Grievance Form when filed is final and not subject to change. A copy of the notice of discipline must be attached to the disciplinary grievance form. A disciplinary grievance shall be regarded as filed even if it does not contain a copy of the Notice of Discipline, required by subdivision 19.4(c). However, such grievance shall not be reviewed unless all of the information required by the grievance form or otherwise required by grievance steps of Article 19 has been provided. The employee, or the employee's representative, shall be entitled to a meeting to present the employee's position to the Chancellor, or designee, within 10 days of the date of filing ofthe disciplinary grievance. The purpose of the meeting shall be the possible adjustment of the matter and need not involve the presentation of evidence or specification of particulars by either party. The meeting provided for herein may be waived by the employee, in writing, on the grievance form, only in accordance with provisions of Section 19.7(b). If the meeting has not been waived but cannot be held within 10 working days of the date of filing of the disciplinary grievance by reason of the unavailability of the employee, or the employee's representative, or on such other date as may be mutually agreed upon, the Chancellor, or designee, may, at the option of the Chancellor, or designee, review the disciplinary grievance on the basis of the existing record. The Chancellor, or designee, shall provide the employee, or the employee's representative, with a response in writing by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service within twenty days of the meeting or review, or within five days of the meeting or review if the employee has been suspended without pay under Section 19.7 of this Article.

d. If the disciplinary grievance is not settled or otherwise resolved, it may be appealed to disciplinary arbitration by the employee, or the employee's representative, within 10 days of receipt of the response of the Chancellor,or designee. Notice of appeal to disciplinary arbitration shall be filed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service upon the Director of the Governor's Office of Employee Relations, or designee. A copy of the appeal shall be sent simultaneously to the College President and the Chancellor's designee.

e. The State and UUP shall jointly agree, within 15 days of the execution of this Agreement, on a 25-member panel of disciplinary arbitrators. Each member of the panel shall be assigned a number in rotation. In the event of a disciplinary arbitration, each party shall rank the next five members of the panel in rotation and the member with the highest ranking shall serve as the arbitrator. In the event of a tie, selection shall be by lot. In the eventof a disciplinary arbitration involving a suspension without pay, the next 6 members in rotation shall be canvassed and the 4 members most readily available to conduct 2 consecutive hearing days shall be ranked bythe State and UUP, respectively. The member with the highest ranking shall serve as the arbitrator. In the event of a tie, selection shall be by lot. The State agrees to perform activities necessary to appropriate administration of the panel including, but not limited to, identifying arbitrators' availability, notifying them of their appointment and assisting in arranging for hearing rooms.

f. The disciplinary arbitrator shall hold a hearing within 10 days of appointment, or as soon thereafter as practical, or within such other period as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties, recognizing, however, that except in unusual circumstances a hearing should be concluded within 30 days of the appointment of the arbitrator. The disciplinary arbitrator shall render a decision within five days of the close of the hearing, or within five days after receipt of the transcript, if either party elects a transcript, or within such other time as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties.

g. Either party wishing a transcript of a disciplinary arbitration hearing may provide for one at its expense and shall provide a copy to the arbitrator and the other party; provided, however, the decision to make a transcript must be announced at the beginning of the hearing and the transcript must cover the entire hearing, not just a portion thereof. Delays in the preparation of a transcript shall not constitute a basis for delays in scheduling hearing dates.

h. The disciplinary arbitrator shall be confined to determinations of guilt or innocence, the appropriateness of proposed penalties, and shall have exclusive jurisdiction over issues of timeliness arising under the proceduresof this Article including those arising pursuant to Section 19.9, but shall not consider alleged violations of other provisions of this Agreement, which shall be subject only to the provisions of Article 7, Grievance Procedure, of this Agreement. The disciplinary arbitrator shall neither add to, subtract from nor modify the provisions of this Agreement. The disciplinary arbitrator's decision with respect to guilt or innocence, penalty, timeliness or probable cause for suspension, or temporary reassignment, pursuant to Section 19.7 of this Article, shall be final and binding upon the parties, and the disciplinary arbitrator may approve, disapprove or take any other appropriate action warranted under the circumstances, including ordering reinstatement and back pay for all or part of the period of suspension, or return to the employee's assignment if temporarily reassigned. If the disciplinary arbitrator, upon review, finds probable cause for the suspension, the arbitrator may consider such suspension in determining the penalty to be imposed.

i. All fees and expenses of the arbitrator, if any, shall be divided equally between the State and UUP or the employee if not represented by UUP. Each party shall bear the cost of preparing and presenting its own case.The estimated arbitrator's fee and expenses and estimated expenses of the arbitration may be collected inadvance of the hearing.

§19.5 Settlements

A disciplinary grievance may be settled at any time following the service of a notice of discipline. The terms of the settlement shall be reduced to writing on the disciplinary grievance form to be provided by the State. An employee offered such a settlement shall be offered a reasonable opportunity to have a representative present before the employee is required to execute it.

§19.6 Effect of Settlement and Arbitrator's Award

All settlements and arbitrators' awards shall be final and binding upon the State, UUP, the employee and the employee's representative if other than UUP.

§19.7 Suspension Before Notice of Discipline

a. Prior to issuing a notice of discipline or the completion of the disciplinary grievance procedure provided for in this Article, an employee may be suspended, without pay, by the appointing authority only pursuant to paragraphs (1) or (2) of this Section. As an alternative to such suspension, the employee may be temporarily reassigned.

1. The appointing authority, or its designee, may suspend without pay or temporarily reassign an employee when the appointing authority, or its designee, determines that there is probable cause that such employee's continued presence on the job represents a potential danger to persons or property or would severely interfere with its operations. Such determination shall be reviewable by the disciplinary arbitrator. A notice of discipline shall be served no later than five days following any such suspension or temporary reassignment.

2. The appointing authority, or its designee, may suspend without pay or temporarily reassign an employee charged with the commission of a crime. Such employee shall notify the appointing authority in writing of the disposition of any criminal charge including a certified copy of such disposition within five days thereof. Within 30 calendar days following such suspension under this paragraph, or within five days from receipt by the appointing authority of notice of disposition of the charge from the employee, whichever occurs first, a notice of discipline shall be served on such employee or the employee shall be reinstated with back pay if suspended or returned to the employee's assignment if temporarily reassigned. Nothing in this paragraph shall limit the right ofthe appointing authority, or its designee, to take disciplinary action during the pendency of criminal proceedings.

3. Where the appointing authority, or its designee, elects to temporarily reassign an employee pursuant to this Article, the employee shall be notified in writing of the location, the effective date and nature of such temporary reassignment and that the employee may elect in writing to refuse such temporary reassignment and may be suspended without pay. The employee's election must be made in writing before commencement of the temporary reassignment. An election by the employee to refuse such temporary reassignment is final and maynot thereafter be withdrawn. No election by the employee is permitted once the employee commences the temporary reassignment.

4. The State may rescind a notice of discipline and issue a revised notice of discipline no later than 20 working days prior to the commencement of a disciplinary arbitration. Such action shall not affect a suspension withoutpay or a temporary reassignment.

5. The fact that the appointing authority, or its designee, has temporarily reassigned an employee rather than suspending the employee without pay shall not be considered by the disciplinary arbitrator for any purpose.

b. During the period of any suspension without pay pursuant to this Article, the State shall continue the employee's and eligible dependents' health insurance coverage which is otherwise available to unit employeesand the State shall pay the employer's share of any premiums to maintain such coverage. Any such suspended employee shall be responsible for paying the employee's share of premium for such health insurance coverage.The State shall not be liable for payment of the employer's share of the health insurance premium for any period of time during which the suspended employee fails to pay the employee's share of the health insurance premium. Also, an employee suspended pursuant to the provisions of this Article shall be counted for thepurpose of calculating the amount of any periodic deposit to the UUP Benefit Trust Fund.

c. Where an employee has been suspended without pay pursuant to this Article, an employee's absence(s) shall, upon the employee's written request, be charged against vacation leave, holiday leave, or FLSA compensatory leave provided sufficient accruals exist in such leave categories.

d. Where an employee has been suspended without pay or temporarily reassigned pursuant to this Article, the employee may, in writing, waive the meeting with the Chancellor, or designee, at the time of filing a disciplinary grievance. In the event of such waiver, the employee shall file the disciplinary grievance form, within the prescribed time limits for filing a grievance with the Chancellor, or designee, directly with the Director of the Governor's Office of Employee Relations, or designee, in accordance with the provisions of Section 19.4(d).

e. Where a disciplinary arbitration proceeding does not commence with 60 calendar days of an appeal made pursuant to Section 19.4(d) or Section 19.7(d) due solely to the unavailability of the State, an employee suspended without pay shall be returned to the payroll, or temporarily reassigned, until such time that the disciplinary arbitrator renders a decision in the matter, or the matter is otherwise resolved.

§19.8 Representation

Employees may represent themselves or be accompanied for purposes of representation by UUP or counsel, consistent with their selection of a representative pursuant to subsection 19.4(c), at any stage of the disciplinary procedure contained in this Article; provided, however, an employee's representative may only act on the employee's behalf, in the absence of the employee, upon mutual agreement of the parties.

An employee shall be provided the opportunity to have representation at an interrogation if at the time such interrogation is commenced it is contemplated by management that such employee will be served a Notice of Discipline pursuant to Article 19 of this Agreement. The employee shall be provided with notification of such opportunity prior to the commencement of such interrogation. In the event such interrogation were to be conducted without having provided the employee with such notification, any statements or admissions made by the employee during such an interrogation may not be subsequently used in a disciplinary proceeding against that employee. If representation is requested by the employee, and such representation is not available with six hours' time following such request, the State may proceed with the interrogation and there shall be no limitation on the use of statements or admissions made by the employee.

§19.9 Limitation

An employee shall not be disciplined for acts, except those which would constitute a crime, which occurred more than one year prior to the service of the notice of discipline. The employee's whole record of employment,however, may be considered with respect to the appropriateness of the penalty to be imposed, if any.

§19.10 Miscellaneous Provisions

a. All grievances, grievance appeals and responses shall be transmitted by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service on the grievant or grievant's representative or on the individual responsible for conducting the review. Upon personal service the recipient of such documents, upon request, shall acknowledge, in writing, the receipt thereof. Proof of personal service shall specify the person who was served and the date, place and manner of service.

b. The time limits for the service of a notice of discipline or the submission of a grievance or the filing of an appeal or demand for arbitration or issuance of a step response shall be determined from the date of personal service or mailing by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, as evidenced by the official postmark appearing on the receipt for certified or registered mail. All other time limits set forth in this Article, except as otherwise described in subsection 19.2(c), shall be measured from the date of receipt. Where service is by registered or certified mail, the date of receipt shall be that date appearing on the return receipt.