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Member Expense and Time Loss Reimbursement Policy

1. Union Representatives and Bargaining Committees will strive to bargain for full employee time to be paid by the employer during regular employee shifts or at least for the employer to share the cost.
   
    
2. If the Union Representative and Bargaining Committee cannot negotiate for the employer to pay regular wages during bargaining, Local 8 will reimburse Local 8 Bargaining Committee Members for actual wages lost due to activity of the Bargaining Committee.  The Union does not pay Committee Members for their non-work hours spent on bargaining activities.  Members are urged to minimize work hours lost whenever possible.
   
    
3. To the extent possible, Union Representatives will have the employer bill OPEIU Local 8 for time loss rather than pay the employee directly.  OPEIU Local 8 will pay only straight wage loss (not benefits, overtime etc.).  When the employer won't bill Local 8, Committee Members must submit the Local 8 Time Loss Reimbursement Form to the Union Representative for authorization as soon as possible after the bargaining session or other union activity described in number four (4) below.  Checks are written on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month and are mailed the next day.
   
    
4. Time loss may also be paid on an exceptional basis for grievance meetings, NLRB/PERC hearings, arbitration preparation or other meetings of a critical nature which must be conducted during working hours. Time loss may be used to allow members to assist on organizing campaigns (see also Project Organizer policy) and for certain critical advocacy activities.
   
    
5. Gas will not be paid, except under certain circumstances such as when a member must travel fifty (50) miles or more one way from home or place of work to one of the union activities described above. In this case, if requested, mileage will be reimbursed at 40% of the IRS standard mileage rate. The request must be accompanied by the Mileage Reimbursement Form which documents the actual miles traveled. The Union reserves the right to use Mapquest (or similar program) as a guide for any questionable mileage reporting..
    
6. Parking may be paid on an exceptional basis.
   
    
7. Members attending conferences, trainings, workshops or other union activities not addressed in this policy shall not be reimbursed for time loss or for gas.
   
    
8. Members who have been elected as official delegates or alternates to a union convention or who have been selected to attend an OPEIU Education Conference or the Washington State Labor Council Legislative Conference shall not receive any time loss reimbursement but where applicable, shall receive per diem in accordance with Local 8’s Policy on Per Diem and gas reimbursement per section five (5) above.
   
    
9. If a member’s union activity, other than that described in section eight (8) above, requires an overnight stay (using the WSDOT “fifty mile rule” described in Chapter 10 of the WSDOT Travel Rules and Procedures) the member may receive reimbursement for lodging and per diem at the discretion of the Business Manager or Organizing Director (for organizing related activities). 

September 4, 2001

Revised M/S/C by Executive Board on February 8, 2006.
Revised M/S/C General Membership on February 22, 2006.

*This policy has been approved on a provisional basis by the Executive Board on April 14, 2010 pending final approval by the General Membership at its September 25, 2010 Assembly.