Voluntary layoff now year-round at Briggs

The Union and the Company met on January 5, 2001 to finalize an agreement concerning a change in voluntary layoff language. Voluntary layoff will be offered year-round to employees with seniority.

In addition to the mandatory recall date after Labor Day, employees may volunteer for recall starting March 16th and ending March 31st, and within six (6) weeks be bumped into their original department, job and shift, seniority permitting.

The change in language took place effective immediately and will stay in effect until the next Contract negotiation.

The exact Contract language is as follows:

Art. VIII, Section 6 – Layoffs

Layoffs may be VOLUNTARY in accordance with the procedure set forth herein:

Volunteering

Employees with seniority and wishing to be considered for voluntary layoff shall notify their foreman in writing by use of a Voluntary Layoff Card. This card will be made available to employees year-round.

Employees will be allowed to take voluntary layoff year-round.

Art. VIII, Section 7, Paragraph (a)2

Employees who volunteer for and are laid off between Labor Day and March 15th of the following year, may volunteer for recall during the period starting March 16th and ending March 31st of that year and within six weeks shall be bumped into their original department, job and shift seniority permitting. Employees who volunteer for and are laid off after March 16th, and those employees who choose not to return from layoff during the March window, will on the first scheduled work day following the Labor Day Holiday have their status changed from voluntary layoff to involuntary layoff and within six weeks be bumped into their original department, job and shift seniority permitting.

One part of voluntary layoff that remains the same is if a department requires another person in a classification and needs to recall from layoff, it would be the most senior employee regardless on voluntary or involuntary layoff.