Lionbridge Contract Proposal of September 21

By clicking on this link you'll be able to read Lionbridge Contract proposal of September 21, 2015.
As we are all mostly concerned about how the 'at least 15 days of paid time off' is implemented, we have also reproduced below article 7 Paid Time Off (page 7). We think the way it is presently worded raises some issues and needs some clarification. We also have some concerns about the two pages of article 4 "Grievance procedure" (page 4 and 5) that seems to abolish any possibility to file a charge with NLRB: any dissent with Lionbridge would have to be 'arbitrated by an arbitrator' at a cost the union could not afford instead of the free and objective process with NLRB. We are not sure either about article 5.3 about Confidentiality: it could mean we are prevented to voice any concern publicly and we could not accept such a 'gag order'.
As much as we want the 15 days of paid time off to be implemented as soon as possible, we think this should not be obtained with the loss of very fundamental rights.


Article 7 - Paid Time Off

Section 7.1 - Accrual

Each full time employee shall, after having been employed by the Employer in the bargaining unit for at least 1500 hundred hours in the twelve (12) month period prior to the date of ratification of this agreement, shall accrue paid time off ("PTO") at the rate of 4.615 hours per pay period. Part-time employees shall accrue proportionately to a full time employee. Such accrual shall commence with the beginning of the second pay period after ratification of this agreement (as defined in Section 10.1). The date of ratification of this agreement through December 31, 2015, shall constitute the first "PTO Year". Beginning January 1, 2016, each calendar year shall constitute a PTO Year.

Section 7.2 - PTO Rate of Pay

PTO shall be paid at the employee's regular hourly rate of pay.

Section 7.3 - Use of PTO

Employees are required to use PTO on any occasion when they are unable to work, including established holidays when the Employer's facilities are closed, unless the employee is directed not to work by management due to environmental conditions, for which time the employee may elect to be unpaid. All PTO shall be used in the PTO Year it is accrued, except that with the Company's express approval, which may be withheld based on the Company's assessments it its discretion of its business needs, five (5) days of PTO may be carried over to the following PTO Year. Any carried over PTO not used in the PTO Year after it is accrued is waived.

Section 7.4 - PTO Scheduling


All PTO must be scheduled in advance and approved by the Employer. The Employer shall have the right to schedule PTO in such a way as to least interfere with the business needs of the Employer; in the event an excessive number of employees request to use PTO simultaneously, the Employer shall have the discretion to approve PTO requests based on tis determination of the best needs of the business.