A) An alternate is an employee who is temporarily assigned to perform duties outside the employee's regular classification. An alternate may be temporarily assigned under the following circumstances:
1) To replace an employee who is off for any reason;
2) To fill a vacant position pending the making of a provisional or permanent appointment;
3) To temporarily supplement the staffing level authorized in the budget, not to exceed one hundred twenty (120) work days; provided, however, the union shall be given written notice of such supplemental staffing and the projected time frames for same. Upon mutual agreement with the union regarding special projects, the one hundred twenty (120) work days will not be applicable.
4) To provide training opportunities and credit as prescribed by the education and training program.
B) The divisions shall maintain a record of alternate time served by each employee. The division shall also document training programs attended by employees sponsored or provided by the City. The employee shall be responsible for updating their Human Resource file regarding attendances at such programs where applicable to meet minimum requirements for promotions into various classifications.
In selecting alternate appointees, consideration shall be given to seniority, experience, work record/performance, attendance, disciplinary record, education/training, and demonstrated ability.
C) The employee within the Unit that the vacancy exists that is highest on a competitive list, shall be appointed as an alternate from within Local 2058 Communication Operator Supervisors. If there is no employee within the Unit on the competitive eligibility list, then the alternate assignment shall be given to the employee from within the Division standing highest on the competitive eligibility list from within Local 2058's Bargaining Unit.
D) If the established eligibility list is non-competitive, the above procedure shall be followed except that one of the three (3) employees with the most City Seniority from within Local 2058 Communication Operator Supervisors, within the Unit then the Division respectively, shall be appointed to the alternate position. All things being equal, the most senior employee is to be appointed.
E) In the absence of an eligibility list, one of the three (3) employees with the most classification seniority willing to accept the appointment and qualified to do the work in the next lower classification within the Unit, shall be given the alternate assignment from within Local 2058 Communication Operator Supervisors. If there are not three (3) or more in the unit, then the most senior from the division shall be included for consideration to provide for selection from among three (3). Provided herein, and in this section the employee meets the minimum requirements of said position and/or has obtained a waiver from the Civil Service Commission.
F) If there is no eligible employee within the immediate lower classification, one of the three (3) employees with the most classification seniority qualified to do the work and willing to accept the appointment in the next lower classification within the Unit shall be given the alternate assignment and so forth until no employee with the Unit is eligible for the alternate assignment from within Local 2058 Communication Operator Supervisors.
G) If there is no eligible employee within the immediate lower classification, one of the three (3) employees with the most classification seniority willing to accept the appointment and qualified to do the work in the next lower classification shall be given the alternate assignment and so forth until no employee in a lower classification with the Division is eligible for the alternate assignment from within Local 2058 Communication Operator Supervisors.
H) In the event that there are no employees in Local 2058 Communication Operator Supervisors, within the Unit or Division(s), who are qualified and willing to perform as an alternate, and/or on said lists herein, then and only then, the City may determine the "next most appropriate" person to fill the vacancy temporarily as an alternate.
I) When an employee is worked as an alternate, the employee shall be paid at the alternate rate of the position worked for a single compensated day off, providing the employee worked in the alternate position for three (3) of the five (5) work days immediately preceding the single compensated day off. The employee shall be paid at the alternate rate of the position worked for more than a single compensated day off up to a maximum of sixty (60) days, providing the employee worked in the alternate position for six (6) of the ten (10) work days immediately preceding the compensated days off and has not already been compensated for such time at the higher alternate rate of pay. If the employee worked continuously as an alternate for more than sixty (60) workdays, then the employee shall be paid at the alternate rate for the number of days actually worked for days off up to one hundred twenty (120) workdays.
J) If an appointment list (i.e., competitive, non-competitive, provisional or recall) has been issued to a division as provided for under "Vacancies", Section 2106.37, for a position temporarily filled by an alternate and the division has failed to fill the position within ninety (90) days of receipt of an appointment list, the Union may present this delay in filling the position at the Labor/Management Meetings, Section 2106.35. If the matter is not resolved through the Labor/ Management, the Union may, within twenty (20) days following the Labor/Management meeting, proceed to expedited arbitration, Section 2106.18, over the delay in filling the position.
1) If the arbitrator determines the delay in filling the position was without merit, the division will pay the Union the equivalent in Union dues for the salary group of the classification at issue for each successive month from the issuance of the appointment list.