Layoffs Section 1 - Layoffs. The Employer may lay off professional employees for lack of work or lack of funds. The Employer will notify the Union when it determines that it will be necessary to lay off any professional employee(s), and will give as much advance notice as possible. The Employer will convene a meet and confer session with the Union as soon as possible to discuss the basis for any proposed layoffs, and to identify any professional employees that may be affected. The meet and confer session shall be scheduled or occur no later than two working days following the issuing of formal notice of layoff to any affected professional employee(s). Prior to the meet and confer session with the Union, the Employer will provide an updated seniority list of professional employees in the affected unit(s), indicating name, classification, specialty, site location, and date of employment. For purposes of this section, employees shall maintain, but not increase seniority during any period of time covered by approved unpaid leave of absence. Employment will be deemed to be continuous for any period(s) of time covered by use of paid leave (i.e. vacation, sick leave, holiday). The Employer will make every effort to provide as much advance notice as possible to any professional employee(s) to be laid off, or who in a layoff situation may be subject to having hours of work reduced. In every case, however, the employer will provide to any affected employee(s) a minimum of two (2) weeks written notice, or two (2) weeks pay in lieu of notice, or a combination of notice and pay in lieu of notice totaling a minimum of two (2) weeks. Prior to implementing any proposed reduction of hours or layoff of any employee(s) covered by this Agreement, the Employer will notify all casual employees on its payroll that they may be removed from their current assignment if necessary based on NEVHC’s layoff plan. This provision shall apply, specifically, to per diem employees who are replacing bargaining unit members for other than vacation, sick leave, or other allowed time off, and other non-bargaining unit employees performing work that is exclusively performed by employees in the affected classification(s) provided that this group shall not include supervisors. For the purposes of this article Certified Nurse Midwives and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners shall be considered the same Classification. The employer shall give employees subject to layoff the right of first refusal in taking positions currently occ...
