Article 16: Leave of Absence

Section 16.1: Regular Leave

A. After one year of employment, an employee may request one leave of absence for up to sixty (60) calendar days for personal, non-medical reasons, and up to eighty-four (84) calendar days for family medical reasons and/or funeral attendance in any rolling twenty-four (24) month period. Employees shall request the leave in advance of the actual requested period. The employer will grant approval of a personal leave request unless unable to do so because of legitimate business reasons. A leave of absence for verified family medical leave shall be granted, based upon the employee providing complete and necessary verification to the Company, if requested.

B. Employees shall make requests for leaves on forms provided by the Company.

C. No benefits will be accrued while on an approved Leave of Absence, except as required by law.

Section 16.2: Union and Legislative Leave

Any employee who is duly elected to an office of the International Union or who shall be elected to the State Legislature may be granted a leave of absence, without pay or any other benefits, under this Agreement, not to exceed two (2) years. This leave may be renewed for a further period of two (2) years provided that application and certification is made by the Union to the plant manager with adequate notice. This time shall not be considered in the computation of retirement benefits. The seniority of such employee shall continue during the leave of absence.

Section 16.3: Jury Duty Leave

Jury Duty service will be paid by the Company for up to 80 hours of service per panel. All compensation received by the employee from the court system for jury duty must be turned over to the Payroll Department in exchange for this benefit. Mileage allowance received from the jurisdiction is not required to be turned over to the Company.

Section 16.4: Supervisory Leave

An employee promoted to a supervisor shall accumulate plant seniority and shall retain his relative seniority in the department in which he worked for ninety (90) calendar days from the date of promotion. This time may be extended by mutual agreement between the Company and the Union.

Section 16.5: Bereavement Leave

When a member of the immediate family of any active, regular employee shall die, the Company will, upon proper notice from such employee, grant a leave of absence for up to three (3) scheduled work days including the date of the funeral. Probationary employees shall be limited to one scheduled work day. The Company will pay the employee a normal work day's pay at the employee's straight-time hourly rate. The words "Immediate Family'' shall mean spouse, children, mother, father, grandchildren, grandparents, brother, sister, father-in-law, or mother in-law of the employee. Step children and step parents shall be included in bereavement leave; however, no employee may use bereavement leave for more than one step parent of each gender. Proof of death and relationship may be required by the Company. In all instances of bereavement request, it is the responsibility of the bereaved to provide reasonable verification before pay will be authorized. An employee will not receive bereavement pay when it duplicates pay received for time not worked. It is the Company's intent to grant bereavement pay in cases involving the mother-in-law or father-in-law in circumstances where the employee's spouse is deceased. The Company will not pay bereavement pay for ex-mother-in-laws and ex-father-in-laws in circumstances where the employee is no longer in that relationship because of divorce. For purposes of payment, if the employee does not attend the funeral of the deceased relative, the employee will receive the same amount of pay that he would have received had he attended the funeral of the deceased relative. Unscheduled vacation time may be used in conjunction with bereavement leave.

Section 16.6: Sick Leave

A. An employee who has complied with Article 8 and has been absent from work because of accident or illness shall be restored to his or her former job without loss of seniority after being released by his or her doctor and further subject to the approval of the Human Resources Department or appointed physician, psychologist, or any competent licensed authority designated by Company or insurance carrier who is a recognized authority in his profession. An industrial psychologist need not be a medical doctor to evaluate a condition related to stability; as to fitness to return to work and to safely perform the work in question. Approval or disapproval by the Human Resources Department shall be based upon proper relevant medical or psychological information and full correct information concerning the ability of the employee to safely perform his duties and the relevance of those duties toward the safety and health of the employee and other employees. In the event it is determined by the insurance carrier or recommended by a physician that an individual is requested to submit to a psychological evaluation, the Company will provide a job within the bargaining unit at the rate of pay the individual was receiving at the time of the injury. It is the Company's option, however, as to whether he can be placed in a job where he will be operating machinery or mobile equipment. The Company will expedite the evaluation.

B. Should the employee's physician and the Company's physician disagree, the matter will be settled by procedures as set forth in Article 23. An employee shall be terminated if medical evidence shows an employee can never return to regular production or maintenance work. Work created by the Company outside normal production or maintenance that is not bid or a permanent job to accommodate an employee working with restrictions on light duty shall not be considered regular work. The parties agree that nothing in this agreement shall in any way diminish an employee's rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act or State of Oregon employment laws.