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Life Insurance

The BOARD shall provide for Tier | employees full payment of the cost of a term group life insurance
policy equal to one times their annual salary. The Board shall provide a $7,500 term group life
insurance policy for Tier Il and Tier Ill employees. Employees shall become eligible for the term life
insurance benefit on the first of the month following the conclusion of the employee's probationary
period.

Eligible employees may purchase, at their own expense, additional optional life insurance, if approved
by the insurance carrier, in an amount allowed by the insurance carrier.

Continuation of Insurance

The District will comply with the provisions of federal and state statutes, as amended from time to time,
relating to the continuation of an employee's health insurance at the time of separation of employment.
Any such continuation shall be at the employee's expense, unless otherwise required under law.

Dental Coverage

The Board agrees to provide dental coverage for Tier | employees only commencing on the first day of
the month following the completion of the probationary period. Tier Il and Tier Ill employees may
purchase dental coverage at their own expense. The dental plan offered to employees shall contain at
least the following level of benefits: Coverage A (100% diagnostic and preventive care), Coverage B
(80% for restorative care for fillings, extractions, root canal therapy, periodontal treatment, repair of a
removable denture, emergency treatment etc.); Coverage C (50% coverage for prosthodontics) for a
total benefit not to exceed $1500 per person year with a $0 deductible per year.

ARTICLE VI
LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Sick Leave

A. Each Tier | employee shall be entitled during each fiscal year to annual sick leave of ten (10) days
without loss of pay.

Each Tier Il employee shall be entitled during each fiscal year to annual sick leave of five (5) days
without loss of pay.

Each Tier Ill employee shall be entitled during each fiscal year to annual sick leave of four (4) days
without loss of pay.

Sick leave may be taken without loss of pay after successful completion of the probationary period.
Unused sick leave shall accumulate annually to a maximum of one-hundred (100} days, which
shall not include the sick leave due in a current fiscal year.

The sick day allotment shall be converted from days to hours based on the employee's regularly
scheduled workday.

B. No sick leave payments shall be applied retroactively for unpaid leave taken during the
probationary period.

C. The District agrees that each employee entitled to annual sick leave shall be notified at least once
in each school year of the employee's accumulation to date. Balances provided on the employee's
pay stub shall constitute notice.

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Sick leave shall be allowed only in the case of necessity and actual sickness or disability of the
employee, the employee's children, step children and/or grandchildren living in the household
spouse, domestic partner or parent, or for the employee to take physical and dental examinations
or other sickness prevention measures that cannot be scheduled outside of their workday. In
case of the serious illness or accident of the spouse of the employee, parents. or children of the
employee, necessitating the employee’s absence from work, the supervisor or designee may grant
absence from work with sick pay up to the amount of annual and accumuiated sick leave to which
the employee is entitled unless qualifying FMLA circumstances or extended leave provisions apply.

An employee must notify the Director or designee by 6:00 am or two (2) hours prior to starting time,
whichever is later, in order to draw sick leave pay, unless the employee can provide a compelling
reason why such notice cannot be given. In order to qualify for paid sick leave of four (4)
consecutive days cr more, the employee may be required to present a doctor's certificate or other
satisfactory evidence to the Human Resource Department, indicating that the employee was
unable to work due to sickness or injury during the period claimed.

The District may terminate any employee absent from work due to illness after exhaustion of
benefits under this Article, thiee months of absence, or exhaustion of authorized leave, whichever
occurs later.

Sick leave days for employees hired or returning from leave after the beginning of the school year
shall be prorated in the ratio the number of remaining employee workdays is to the total workdays
in the employee's job category.

Sick leave may be taken in hourly increments and shall be charged against the emp oyee for oniy
the actual time used by the employee.

Personal Leave

Tier | employees, who have completed their probationary period, shall be entitled to non-accumulative
leave of absence, with full pay, for the following reasons up to a maximum of three (3) days in any pupil
school year. Tier Il employees who have completed their probationary period, shall be entitled to two
(2) days of non-accumulation leave of absence, with full pay, for the following reasons:

a.

b.

Cc.

d.

e.

Marriage of employee's children, parents, or immediate family as defined under Article 6:3;
Graduation exercise of the eligible employee, or of the eligible employee's children;

Required appearance in court;

Observance of a nationally recognized religious holiday of the religion practiced by the employee;

Compelling personal business that cannot be accomplished outside of the school day the nature of
which shall be related in confidence to the Supervisor.

All leaves referred to in Article 6:2 are subject to the following conditions:

a)

b)

Except in emergency situations, at least 48-hours’ notice shall be given in requesting a personal
day through the Director or designee. Lacking such notice, the absence will be considered
unauthorized and the employee taking unauthorized leave will not be paid;

The Director or designee may, if necessary and for valid reason, withhold approval of requests for
personal leave:

The last personal day to which an employee is entitled shall, if taken, be deducted from sick leave;

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No paid or unpaid leave days will be authorized for any days preceding or following a school
holiday or vacation period, or contiguous with any other paid or unpaid leave which precedes or
follows a school holiday or vacation period for the purpose of extending the holiday or vacation
period, or at any time for the purpose of a vacation;

Personal Days shall be converted to hours based upon the employee's regularly scheduled
workday. Personal leave shall be permitted to be taken in hourly increments and employees shall
be charged only for actual time used by the employee.

Bereavement

A. All employees shall be entitled to up to seven (7) days bereavement leave, with pay, for absence
due to each death of their spouse, domestic partner or child(ren) or step-equivalents;

B. All employees shall be entitled to up to three (3) days bereavement leave per occurrence, with pay,
in any school year, for absence due to the death of a member of the immediate family of an
employee. “Immediate family” shall include: mother, father, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-
in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparents and grandchildren;

C. All employees shall be entitled to up to one (4} day bereavement leave per occurrence, with pay, in
any school year, for absence due to the death of a close relative of the employee. "Close relative”
shall include: aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, and in-laws not included under B;

D. Under unusual circumstances where distance dictates, all employees may be granted up to two (2)
additional days, with pay, in a fiscal year for absence due to deaths covered under articles 6:3A
and B, subject to the approval of the Chief Operating Officer;

E. In any fiscal year, an employee shall be eligible for no more than a total of ten paid days for
bereavement, as provided under this Article VI;

F. One day shallmean the regularly scheduled workday of the employee;

G. Bereavement leave must be taken contiguous to the death and/or at the time of the
funeral/memorial service unless acting as an executor;

H. Employees who are within their probationary period shall receive this time unpaid.

Court Appearances

An employee who is subpoenaed as a witness in a civil or criminal case, or, who is called for service on
a jury, will be granted the difference between the fee received for such service, excluding court
reimbursement for mileage, meals and lodging, and the amount of earnings lost by reason of such
service. Satisfactory evidence of the fee received exclusive of mileage, meals and lodging
reimbursement, must be submitted to the Payroll Office for the differential to be granted. Any
employee asked by the District to testify in any judicial proceeding shall be granted released time,
without loss of pay or benefits. Time paid under this Article 6:4 shall not be counted as time worked for
the purpose of computing overtime.

Released Time

Up to four members of the bargaining unit will be entitled to released time, as needed, without loss of
pay or loss of personal days, for the purpose of contract negotiations, mediation and fact-finding.

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Military Service

Each employee shall be granted a leave of absence for military service, without pay, for the duration of
compulsory service. An employee granted such a leave shall, upon return, receive active service credit
and appropriate annual salary, including increases granted during the period of military service.

Orqanized Reserve Forces

A Food Service employee who is a member of the reserve component of the Armed Forces of the
United States shall be granted leave of absence during the time of a person's annual tour of duty as a
member of such reserve component; provided however, that such leave shall not exceed fifteen (15)
days. Individuals serving under this provision shall receive the difference between their military pay
and that which they would have earned had they not been called for service. This provision shall not
apply to any employee who has a tour of duty scheduled during the school year and who could
postpone said tour of duty until the summer, but who instead chose to serve said tour of duty during
the school year.

Extended Leave

A. Employees who have completed the initial probationary period are eligible to receive a leave of
absence for the extended illness of the employee, or the employee’s spouse, children. mother, or
father for a period of up to twelve (12) weeks or the amount of accrued leave available to the
employee, whichever is greater. During the period of such leave, the employee shall be required to
utilize all of the employee's accrued leave. Once the employee's accrued leave is exhausted, the
leave shall be unpaid;

B. At the discretion of the Superintendent, an extended leave in excess of twelve (12) weeks or the
employee's accrued leave, whichever is greater, and up to twelve (12) months may be granted
Upon exhaustion of the employee's paid sick leave or personal days under this extension, the
employee is not be eligible to receive any of the benefits contained in this Agreement but may
continue to access insurance benefits at the employee's own expense. No holidays will be paid on
a leave extension. The employee shall not lose any seniority the employee has earned up to the
date of the approved leave. The employee desiring to return from such extended leave shall be
assigned to the next available vacancy for which the employee is qualified and be eligible for all
benefits upon the employee's return to work.

Request for Special Leave
There will be no paid or unpaid time off from work for taking a vacation during the school year other

than during the established school break times. Unauthorized absences from work will be cause for
discipline.

ARTICLE VII
WORKING CONDITIONS

Notification of Assianment

The Administration shall notify employees of their assignments, position, school and hours of work in
writing for the coming school year no later than August 15".

Evaluation

A. All evaluations shall be made openly, and shall be made by the Director and/or Site Coordinator.
In all other cases the evaluations will be made by the Supervisor or designee;

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B.

D.

A copy of any written evaluation report, signed by the employee, shall be placed in the employee's
personnel file and a copy given to the employee. The employee's signature shall not necessarily
indicate agreement with the content of the report. The employee shall have the right to make a
written reply which shall be attached to the evaluation report in the employee’s personnel file. All
evaluations will be reviewed, in person, with the employee, by the person making the evaluation;

Evaluation forms and procedures are to be provided to employees upon hiring and no later than
September 1* for current employees;

Evaluations are to be completed and provided to employees no later than June 15" of each year.

Personnel Files

A. Each employee shall be entitled to knowledge of and access to supervisory records and reports of
competence, personal character and efficiency maintained in the employee's personnel file with
reference to evaluation of the employee's performance in the school district,

B. Upon request, the Administration shall provide to each employee copies of the records and reports
described above;

C. In the event that the Administration removes from the employee's file materials which it deems to
be confidential, a dated notation will be placed in the file stating which materials have been
removed;

D. Upon 24 hours’ notice, each employee shall have the right to review and reproduce material in the
employee's personnel file during normal business hours;

E. The employee shall have the right to answer any material filed and the answer shall be attached to
the file copy. The answer shall be reviewed by the Business Administrator or designee;
Reproductions of such material may be made by hand, or copying machine, if available;

G. Any item contained in an employee's file, to which an employee has not been given access, shall
not be utilized in any legal proceeding against the employee;

H. An employee shall be given, upon request, a receipt for all transcripts, medical forms and other
material submitted to the Administration.

Seniority

The Administration shall prepare and give to the UNION, on or before November first, a seniority list
which indicates the seniority status of all members of the bargaining unit.

Reduction in Staff

A.

In the event of a reduction in force or change in Tiers, the needs of the District, and, an employee's
performance and experience will be considered. If, in the judgment of the Food Services Director,
all other criteria are equal, seniority, within the classification being reduced, will determine the
employee(s) to be terminated or to change Tiers;

Employees will be eligible for recall to available positions within the same Tier or a lower Tier than
the positions from which they were laid off. Recall will be in order of seniority within the
classification with the most senior employee recalled first;

Unless otherwise provided under this article 7:5, employees will be retained on the recall list for a
period of two years from the date of lay off;

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Notice of recall shall be sent by certified mail to the employee's last address, which has been
placed on file by the employee in the Personnel Office. A copy of said notice shall be sent to the
Union;

An employee who is recalled shall, in writing within one calendar week of the receipt of the notice,
or. 12 calendar days from the date the notice is mailed, whichever is sooner, give notice of intent to
accept the position;

If, an employee who is on the recall list and who is offered a position that changes tier or reduces
the employee’s hours from their prior position refuses that position, the employee shall still be
entitled to remain on the recall list;

If the employee does not respond within the aforementioned time period, or refuses a position
within the same Tier from which he or she was laid off, the employee will be removed from the
recall list and shall have no further rights under this article 7:5.

Discrimination

There shall be no discrimination against any employee because of the employee's membership in the
Union, or because of the filing of any grievance under this contract.

Joint Council

A joint council shall be formed It shall consist of the Chief Operating Officer or designee; the Food
Service Director, a Site Coordinator; and, three (3) employees appointed by the Union. The Council
will meet at least quarterly to discuss matters of mutual interest including, but not limited to, workplace
safety. Meetings shall be held before or after work hours unless the parties mutually agree otherwise.
Employees shal. receive their hourly rate of pay for attendance at these meetings.

Training

In the event employees are required to orient or train new hires. the employees shall do so on a
rotating basis at each site.

Technology and Email

One computer with access to the District network shall be provided for each food service kitchen for
use by all food service kitchen staff.

Each employee shall be assigned a specific, personal email address prior to the start of the school
year or within ten (10) days of the date-of-hire if during the school year.

ARTICLE Vill
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Workday and Work Year

The Director, or Site Coordinator, shall establish the normal work schedule of each employee;
Employees working four (4) or more per day. but less than five (5) hours per day. shall receive a 10-

minute paid break. Employees working more than five (5) hours or more per day shall receive a 30-
minute paid lunch break. Said breaks will be scheduled by the Director, or Site Coordinator;

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C. Tier | lead cooks will be required to work all school days students are attending in person, plus 5 days

before the start of the school year, Presidents’ Day and 1 day at the conclusion of the school year. If
the number of school days, typically 180, is reduced for any reason, Tier | lead cooks will:

1. Be paid for any days less than 180 that the Food Service Director requests they work and they
actually work

2. If the District reduces the school days by 1 or 2 days there will be no guaranteed pay for those

days

If the district reduces the number of school days by 3 days, cooks will receive 1 day’s pay

If the district reduces the number of school days by 4 days, cooks will receive 2 day's pay

If the district reduces the number of school days to less than 176, cooks will be pard a

minimum of 175 days assuming the reduction in staff provision has not been put into effect.

aORw

Tier | cooks will be required to work three (3) days before the start of the school year, Professional
Development on Presidents’ Day and one (1) day at the conclusion of the school year. If the number of
school days, typically 180, is reduced for any reason, Tier | cooks will:

1. Be paid for any days less than 180 that the Food Service Director request they work and they
actually work

2. If the District reduces the school days by 1 or 2 days there will be no guaranteed pay for those

days

If the district reduces the number of school days by 3 days cooks will receive 1 day's pay

If the district reduces the number of school days by 4 days cooks will receive 2 day's pay

If the district reduces the number of school days to less than 176, cooks will be paid a

minimum of 175 days assuming the reduction in staff provision has not been put into effect.

Oh w

On those occasions where schools need to go to extended remote learning for reasons other than
inclement weather, the Food Service Director has the right to put the reduction in staff provision into
effect. The Food Service Director will work with the union to keep as many staff as needed during the
remote learning time period.

Tier | employees whose year-end tasks in closing down kitchens are complete may be exempted from
working on the last workday of the year with prior written approval of the Food Service director. Tier |
employees’ normal workday will be 7 hours.

Tier Il and Tiez Ill employees will be employed the day before school begins, Presidents’ Day and on
school days when food is provided to students on in-person school days.

All bargaining unit members will be given a 15-calendar day notice before a permanent change is
made in their normal work schedule.

Duties and Job Descriptions

Job descriptions shall be provided for all categories of employees. Upon request, an employee will be
provided with a copy of the employee’s job description. Copies of existing job descriptions will be
provided to the UNION. The School District retains the right to change these job descriptions.
Notification of such changes will be provided to the affected employee and the UNION prior to their
implementation.

Temporary Uparadina
When it becomes necessary, for any reason, to assign employees to a higher rated job on a temporary
basis and for the equivalent of one full workday during a work week, the employee so assigned shall

receive that position's hourly rate at the employee's current step number in his/her current position for
the duration of the assignment, excluding holidays. If the position becomes vacant and the District

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elects to retain the position, it will be posted in all schools according to the procedures outlined in
Article 9:2.

Temporary Transfer

When it becomes necessary to temporarily reassign staff between kitchens to meet staffing needs,
volunteers will be considered before the least senior staff person from the selected kitchen is
reassigned. The Food Services Director shall have sole discretion in selecting the kitchen from which
the staff person is reassigned.

Traininafin-Service Opportunities

Food Service training, instruction, education and/or in-service opportunities which, in the opinion of the
Chief Operating Officer or his/her designee, are appropriate to post, shall be posted when and where
practicable.

Substitutes

Food Service Substitutes shall only be employed on a per diem basis in bargaining unit positions and
only for day-to-day absences and approved leaves of absence. If the District must employ a Food
Service Substitute in a bargaining unit position for more than 30 workdays, excluding FMLA or
Extended Leave as outline in Article 6:8, the District shall meet and confer with the NTU President or
his/her designee.

ARTICLE IX
RESIGNATIONS, VACANCIES. TRANSFERS AND PROMOTIONS

Notice of Resiaqnation

Employees who do not plan on returning to work at the beginning of the school year shall notify the
Director of Food Services not later than August 1%. During the school year, employees shall provide
no less than two weeks’ notice of their intent to leave the employ of the Food Service Program.

Lateral Transfers

Employees who desire a change in location within the same job title may file a written request at any
time with the Director on the form as provided in Appendix C. Appendix C will be available in every
school kitchen throughout the school year. Such request shall be considered valid until the close of
the school year in which the form is submitted. Only those who have submitted the form, as provided,
will be considered for available vacancies or new positions. Appendix C may be submitted as
vacancies occur during the posting time of that vacancy. Within five (5} days of the position being
filled, appropriate notice shall be provided to individual applicants from this bargaining unit.

Posting of Vacancies and New Positions

Any position not filled pursuant to article 9:2 (including a site coordinator position) shall be posted for
five (5) workdays or ten (10) business days during the summer prior to the position being filled. Only
one posting is required as the result of an initial opening or new position. All such notices shall be
posted in a designated area in the kitchen in each work location and the Central Office. Each notice
will include the duties, rate of compensation, the minimum qualifications for the position, hours per
day, work location, work schedule and instructions for making application. A copy of all postings will
be provided to the Nashua Teachers’ Union and posted on the School District web site.

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Interviews

Any employee of the food service program who applies for a posted position at a higher job title shall
be granted an interview before the interview team. The interview team for cook positions shall be
comprised of at least one employee representative from the school with the vacancy, and such
employee representative shall be rotated among bargaining unit members for that school.

Probation and Transfer Riqhts

A. All newly hired personnel shall be obligated to serve an initial probationary period of ninety (90)
calendar days, and all employees assuming a new position, shall be obliged to serve a
probationary period of thirty (30) calendar days in the new position. The District may terminate a
newly hired person from employment within the probationary period. Terminations under this
Paragraph 3.5 shall not be grievable;

B. A member of the bargaining unit who has successfully completed the initial probationary period of
ninety (90) calendar days and who is transferred or promoted to a different position of employment
within or outside the bargaining unit shall be obliged to serve an additional probat‘onary period, of
thirty (30) calendar day, if ary, associated with the new position, provided, however, that the
employee shall be entitled to any benefits and retain all accrued time within maximum levels
associated with the position immediately upon assuming the position;

. Inthe event a present member of the bargaining unit is transferred or promoted to a position within
the bargaining unit, the District, at its sole discretion, may, within the probationary period as defined
in section 2:6, transfer the employee to the employee's former position or to another position which
has the same classification and pay rate. As the position from which the employee was first
transferred or promoted. Transfers under this paragraph 9:5.C shall not be grievable;

Where practicable and if requested by the employee within the probationary period, a promoted or
transferred employee may be returned to the employee’s former position or a position with the
same classification and pay rate as the former position if such a position is available by reason of
its not being filled or eliminated by District action.

ARTICLE X
UNION REPRESENTATIVES

Official List of Nashua Teachers’ Union Representatives

The UNION shall furnish the BOARD with a list of its officers and authorized building/unit
representatives, and shall, as soon as possible, notify the BOARD in writing of any changes. No
UNION Representative shall be recognized by the BOARD except those designated in writing by the
UNION.

ARTICLE XI
UNION PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Fair Practices
As exclusive representative, the UNION shall not preclude from membership any person in the unit

described in Article |. The UNION will represent equally all persons described in Article | without
regard to membership in, participation, or activities in the UNION.

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Recoanition of Local Oraanization Representative

The Principal or Chief Operating Officer shall recognize the UNION unit representative as the official
representative of the local organization.

Distribution of Materials - Mail Boxes

Officers or officials of recognized employee organizations shall have the right to reasonably use the
school mail boxes for distribution of organizational material provided such materials are in good taste
and provided that such materials shall not include campaign organization material related to local, state
or national political matters. Each school shall have a single mailbox for the use of Food Services
employees in the building.

School Meetinas

The authorized representative of the UNION shall have the right to schedule UNION meetings in the
building before or after regular cafeteria hours. Such meeting shall not in any manner disrupt the
normal operation of the school and shall be subject to prior approval of the building principal.

No Local Oraanization Activity on School Time

Except as provided herein, the UNION agrees that no employee will engage in Union activity while on
duty. The Union, however, shall be granted 20 minutes at the start of the school year or during
orientation to meet unilaterally with all new bargaining unit members. During the school year, the
District shall inform the Union of every new hire or individual change in employment status in an
electronic report provided to the NTU President by the first week of the month.

Protection of Individual and Group Rights

Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent the BOARD, a member of the BOARD or its
designated representative from meeting with any employee for expression of the employee's views. In
the area of this Agreement, and for the term hereof, no changes or modifications shall be made except
through negotiations with the UNION. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to permit an
organization other than the UNION to appear in an official capacity in the processing of a grievance.
Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent any employee from informally discussing any
dispute with an immediate superior or processing a grievance on the employee's own behalf in
accordance with the Grievance Procedure heretofore set forth in Article Ill.

information

A. The BOARD shall make available to the UNION, upon its request, any and all available information
in the public domain, such as statistics and records relevant to negotiations, or necessary for the
proper enforcement of the terms of this Agreement;

B. If the public agenda of a BOARD meeting has been prepared 24 hours in advance of such a
BOARD meeting, it shall be made available to the President of the UNION;

C. A copy of the minutes of all BOARD meetings shall be made available to the President of the
UNION.

Union Notices
The UNION shall be permitted to post UNION related notices and other materials on bulletin boards,
provided its notices are in good taste and provided that such materials shall not include campaign

organization material related to local, state or national political matters. A bulletin board will be
provided in each workplace for Union and District use.

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