ARTICLE 9 – APPRENTICES
A. Apprentices
1. The University and the Union have established joint apprenticeship programs for carpenters, electricians, elevator mechanics, operating engineers, and plumbers as well as standards for said classifications. The established standards are attached to this Agreement as Appendix D. The University agrees to meet with the Union to discuss any proposed revisions the Union may choose to make to said standards.
2. The University and the Union may jointly establish new apprenticeship programs, including a program for signmakers, locksmiths, masons, painters, and sheetmetal workers, which will involve coordinated work experience and vocational education.
3. For existing programs and upon implementation of new programs, eight-person Joint Apprentice & Training Committees (JATCs) will be established to monitor the program. The JATCs may develop protocols and/or procedures regarding the activities of the committee, including, but not limited to the review of applicants recommended to the JATCs. The University shall have the responsibility for the selection of an individual to fill apprenticeship positions. To assist in making such selections, the University may, from time to time, seek the input of bargaining unit employees from the trade being recruited or from bargaining unit employees who participate on Interview Panels, if any. JATCs consisting of four (4) persons appointed by the University and three (3) craft employees, at least one of which will be from the affected craft and one (1) Teamsters Local 2010 Officer, appointed by the Union, shall be created for each craft with an established apprenticeship program. Said JATCs shall monitor the Apprenticeship Programs. The size and structure of each said JATC may be modified by mutual agreement.
4. Article 7, Performance Evaluation, shall have no application to apprentice employees.
5. The parties agree that the words “work schedule(s)” wherever they appear in Article 12, Hours of Work, shall not include scheduled courses of related supplemental instruction except for any course of instruction which is given on a job site during work time.
6. The parties agree that “overtime” as defined in Article 14, Overtime, shall not include time spent by apprentices in connection with any course of related or supplemental instruction except for any course of instruction given on a job site during work time.
7. The University shall retain its right to discipline apprentice employees, up to and including termination, when it determines, in its sole discretion, that a violation of this Contract or other University rules and regulations has occurred. Apprentices shall have access to the Grievance Procedure of the Agreement, Article 26, but shall not have access to the Arbitration Procedure, Article 27. Grievances that remain unresolved at Step 2 of the Grievance Procedure shall be forwarded to the appropriate JATC. If a majority of the JATC cannot reach a decision, the grievance shall be submitted to the Director of Labor Relations for a final decision.
B. Apprentice Wage Structure
The University will pay apprentice employees the following percentages of their respective journey-level wage rates:
first six months …………………………….sixty percent (60%)
second six months ……………………….sixty-five percent (65%)
third six months ……………………………seventy percent (70%)
fourth six months………………………….seventy-five percent (75%)
fifth six months …………………………….eighty percent (80%)
sixth six months……………………………eighty-five percent (85%)
seventh six months ………………………ninety percent (90%)
eighth six months …………………………ninety-five percent (95%)
Upon successful completion of an apprenticeship program, an apprentice employee shall become a journey-level employee and receive the respective journey-level rate of pay.
C. General Provisions
1. Time spent in classroom training shall not be considered to be hours worked and shall not be compensated by the University.
2. The University and Teamsters Local 2010 agree to share, in equal parts, the costs associated with tuition, books, or other training for established apprenticeship programs.
3. Selection of apprentices shall be in accordance with Article 11 – Promotion and Transfer, Sections A & B, however the remaining sections of Article 11 shall not be applicable to apprentice employees. Apprentices shall be required to sign an apprenticeship agreement and shall be subject to applicable apprenticeship standards.
D. Within 180 days of ratification, the University and Teamsters Local 2010 wi ll convene to meet and confer regarding updates and changes to the apprenticeship programs.