Prairie Emergency Medical Services Inc. Collective Agreement 2020-2025

Article 12: Hours of Work

New language in Article 12 change in hours will not be implemented sooner than three (3) months after the date of ratification. Notification of the exact date will be sent out to all employees and the Union as soon as reasonably possible.

Regular hours of work for Full-Time Employees shall be one of the following options as per 12.01, 12.02, 12.03 and 12.04 as determined by the Employer.

Hours of work shall consist of:

1. Regular Shift
   1. Operate under a four (4) platoon system on the basis of two (2) day shifts, two (2) night shifts, followed by four (4) days off.
   2. A day shift shall consist of twelve (12) hours per shift. A night shift shall consist of twelve (12) hours per shift.
   3. Applicable overtime rates will be determined by the provisions outlined in Article 13, after twelve (12) hours of work on any day shift and after twelve (12) hours of work on any night shift.
   4. Full-time hours of work for a Regular Shift Employee shall consist of two thousand one hundred and ninety (2190) hours of work in each year of full-time employment.
2. Peak Shift
   1. Operate under a one (1) platoon system on the basis of five (5) shifts per week, excluding weekends and named holidays.
   2. A Peak Shift shall consist of eight (8) hours per shift.
   3. Applicable overtime rates will be determined by the provisions outlined in Article 13, after eight (8) hours worked in a day, or forty (40) hours in a week.
   4. Full-time hours of work for a Peak Shift Employee shall consist of two thousand eighty (2080) paid hours of work in each year of full-time employment. There is no requirement for these employees to be on-call.
3. Core Flex Shift
   1. Operate under a one (1), two (2) or three (3) platoon system on the basis of four (4) twenty-four (24) hour Core Flex Shifts, followed by four (4) days off.
   2. Each twenty-four (24) hour Core Flex Shift shall consist of ten (10) hours per shift compensated at the Basic Rate of Pay which is made up of four (4) "Core Hours" plus six (6) "Flex Hours" and fourteen (14) On-Call hours which are compensated at the applicable On-Call rate of pay.
   3. “Core Hours” shall consist of four (4) hours of duty in which the Employee is compensated at the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay in a twenty-four (24) hour shift.
   4. "Flex Hours" shall consist of six (6) hours of "Active Duty" which shall be applicable during the remaining twenty (20) hours of a shift that are not designated "Core Hours" and which are compensated at the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay.   These hours may be cumulative over the full twenty (20).
   5. An Employee who works in excess of   six (6) hours of "Active Duty" over the "Core Hours" in each twenty-four (24) hour shift shall be compensated at the overtime rate of pay referenced in Article 13 (Overtime) for those hours.
   6. "Active Duty" shall be defined as work assignments of a general nature during which an Employee may be assigned to duty outside of their scheduled station or assigned to a specific work assignment within the station.
   7. Full-time hours of work for a Core Flex Rural Regular Employee shall consist of one thousand eight hundred and twenty five (1825) hours of work and two thousand five hundred and fifty five (2555) Shift On-Call hours in each year of full-time employment.
4. Non-Ambulance Transfer (NAT) Shift
   1. Operate under a one (1) platoon system on the basis of four (4) shifts per week, excluding weekends and named holidays.
   2. A NAT Shift shall consist of ten (10) hours per shift.
   3. Applicable overtime rates will be determined by the provisions outlined in Article 13, after ten (10) hours worked in a day, or forty (40) hours in a week.
   4. Full-time hours of work for a NAT Shift Employee shall consist of two thousand eighty (2080) paid hours of work in each year of full-time employment. There is no requirement for these employees to be on-call.
   5. The remaining hours will be covered by a 0.2 FTE.

5. Employees may exchange shifts and/or days off with employees in the same classification provided that:

   1. both affected employees submit the request utilizing the Supervisor, giving reasonable notice of forty-eight (48) hours or more; and
   2. the Employer approves the exchange; and
   3. operational efficiency is not disrupted; and
   4. there is no increased cost to the Employer.
   5. the shift schedule shall be amended by the Employer to reflect the shifts being exchanged.
   6. no Employee shall shift change that will cause them to work greater than sixty (60) hours per week.
   7. shift changes and repayments must be completed within two (2) pay periods.

   Such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

6. Employees called in to work and not required to commence work and/or who work two (2) hours or less shall receive a minimum of three (3) hours at two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay.

7. Where an Employee, in the act  of responding  to,  caring for,  transporting  a patient, or performing routine  duties required  by  the  Employer,  works more than fourteen (14) hours of Active Duty in a twenty-four (24) hour shift, they shall be entitled to eight (8) consecutive hours of rest, before commencing their scheduled shift, without loss of earnings.

8. Hours of Work shift for a Casual Employee shall be up to twenty four (24) hours for a shift, and shall be:

   1. A casual Employee may work any of the work shifts and rotations as described in Articles 12.01, 12.02, 12.03 or 12.04 at the applicable rates of pay.

   2. Overtime rates of pay shall apply to a casual Employee as applicable to the shift structure worked by the casual Employee when the overtime occurs, as defined in Article 13 (Overtime).

   3. On-call rates of pay shall apply to casual employees when applicable to the shift structure being worked by the casual Employee, as defined in Article 14 (On-Call Duty).

9. Schedule Posting and Schedule Changes
   (not applicable to Casual Employee) 

   1. Unless otherwise mutually agreed between the Employee and the Employer, or between the Union and the Employer, the shift schedule shall be posted twelve (12) weeks in advance. If a shift schedule is changed after being posted, the affected employees shall be provided with fourteen (14) days’ notice of the new Schedule. In the event that an Employee's schedule is changed in the new shift schedule and they are not provided with fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice, they shall be entitled to premium payment subject to the provisions of Article 12.08 (b) (c), and (d).

   2. Unless otherwise agreed between the Employee and the Employer, unless an Employee is given at least fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice of a change of scheduled days off, they shall be paid at two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay for all hours worked on such day(s) unless such change is at the Employee’s request.

   3. Unless otherwise agreed between the Employee and the Employer, if, in the course of a posted schedule, the Employer changes the Employee's scheduled shift but not their day off, they shall be paid at the rate of two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay for all hours worked on the first shift of the changed schedule unless fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice of such change has been provided.

   4. Unless otherwise agreed between the Employee and the Employer, if, in the course of a posted schedule, the Employer changes the Employee's shift start time by two (2) hours or more, they shall be paid at the rate of two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay for all hours worked on this shift unless fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice of such change has been given.

10. In the event that an Employee reports for work as scheduled and is required by the Employer not to commence work but to return to duty at a later hour, they shall be compensated for that inconvenience by receiving three (3) hours’ pay at their Basic Rate of Pay.

11. Should an Employee report and commence work as scheduled and is required by the Employer to cease work prior to the completion of their scheduled shift and return to work at a later hour, they shall receive their basic hourly rate of pay for all hours worked with an addition of three (3) hours at their Basic Rate of Pay for that inconvenience.

12. Straight Time for Special Assignments 
    
    The following functions shall be considered as straight time assignments:
    
    Municipal Parades
    Teaching
    Committee Work
    Bike Squad
    Mall Displays
    Auto Races
    Local School Events
    Trade/Education Fairs
    Meetings
    Concerts
    Rodeos/Equestrian Events
    Car Seat Clinics
    
    An Employee, at the request of the Employer, may volunteer to work at any of the above functions.  An Employee volunteering to work at any of the above functions shall be compensated at their applicable rate of pay up to a maximum of ten (10) hours in a day after which, overtime shall apply.  Should any Employee not wish to volunteer to work at any of the above functions, such wishes shall not be held against them.

    By mutual agreement between the Employer and the Union, the list may be amended from time to time.