ARTICLE 33. Union Stewards
A. The Union shall be entitled to designate a reasonable number of employees to act as Stewards for the employees covered by this Agreement. The Union shall furnish the Manager of Employees & Labor Relations or de signee with the names of the employees selected as Stewards, Board Members and Union Officers to serve as employee representatives.
Any change in the appointment of the designated Stewards, Board Members or Union Officers shall be made known to the Manager, Employe e & Labor Relations or designee .
B. Designated Stewards, Board Members or Union Officers shall be provided reasonable release time for the following Union business/activities:
1. Representation of employees in investigatory meetings
2. Investigation and preparation of Grievances prior to formal filing
3. Investigation of health and safety matters
4. Attendance at meetings called by Management.
Requests for reasonable release time for the Union business/activities, listed above, shall be made, in advance, to the employee’s immediate supervisor, manager or department head. The University has the discretion to deny the request for release time for a particular employee based on compelling operational needs of the campus or employee’s home department.
C. All other Union business/activities shall not be conducted on an employee’s scheduled work time, except as specifically prov ided in other section(s) of this Agreement, nor shall such business /activities interfere with University programs and operations.
D. The University is prohibited from imposing or threatening to impose reprisals, from discrimination or threatening to impose reprisals, from discrimination or threatening to discriminate against Stewards, or otherwise interfering with, restraining, or coercing Stewards because of the exercise of any rights given by this Agreement. This paragraph shall not, however, be subject to the Arbitration Procedures of this Agreement.