WATCH SCHEDULES AND SHIFT ASSIGNMENTS

The basic watch schedule (BWS) is defined as days of the week, hours of the day, rotation of shifts, and regular days off. The schedule shall be posted one (1) year in advance. Prior to developing the BWS, the Agency will meet with the Union at the local level to discuss respective scheduling concerns; this discussion shall include but is not limited to: current and projected facility staffing levels and coverage requirements. For the purpose of this Article, coverage requirements are defined as the distribution of available resources to be assigned to the BWS.

The Parties at the local level shall collaborate on the development of shift guidelines, including any modifications thereto, that are to be utilized for the posted watch schedule. For the purpose of this Article, shift guidelines are defined as the number of employees to meet the forecasted workload requirements for the core and ancillary shifts. These shift guidelines will be incorporated in the annual BWS agreement(s). The Agency shall communicate the reason(s) to the Union when the number of employees assigned to any core or ancillary shift is posted below guidelines. Prior to posting a watch schedule that deviates from the corresponding shift guidelines for the Day, Evening, and Midnight shifts, the Parties will meet to engage in a collaborative discussion regarding alternatives and associated scheduling concerns.

The Agency shall establish three (3) core shifts: Day, Evening, and Midnight shifts and no more than three (3) ancillary shifts attached to each core shift. Absent mutual agreement at the facility level, there will be no more than three (3) ancillary shifts attached to each core shift. Any additional ancillary shifts are to be negotiated at the local level. All core and ancillary shifts will be incorporated in the annual BWS agreement(s).

Once annually, prior to bidding for annual leave, the Parties at the local level shall negotiate the BWS as follows: employee rotation through shifts; permanent/rotating shifts; permanent/rotating regular days off; the procedures for CPCs to bid the BWS; procedures for CPC- ITs/developmentals to bid the BWS independently of the CPCs unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties at the local level; and at the request of the Union, Alternative Work Schedule(s) in accordance with Article 34 of this Agreement.

Bidding for assignments to the BWS shall be done according to seniority. Any change to the BWS shall be handled in accordance with Article 7 of this Agreement.

The posted watch schedule is defined as the assignment of employees to specific shifts. The posted watch schedule shall be published at least twenty-eight (28) days in advance. Assignments of individual employees to the posted watch schedule are not considered changes to the BWS.

The Parties recognize that changing an employee's posted watch schedule is undesirable. The Agency will normally give no less than seven (7) days notice of its intention to modify a posted watch schedule. In such case, it shall attempt to avoid the change by soliciting qualified volunteers for forty-eight (48) hours. If the Agency determines it is necessary to modify a posted watch schedule with less than seven (7) days notice, it will make reasonable efforts to secure qualified volunteers. Changes with less than seven (7) days notice shall not be made for the purpose of avoiding payment of overtime, holiday, or other premium pay. If an employee's shift is involuntarily changed with less than seven (7) days notice, the affected employee shall be paid any night time differentials to which he/she would otherwise have been entitled, had they worked that shift.

The Agency shall approve the exchange of shifts and/or days off of the same lengths by employees of equal qualifications provided the exchange does not result in overtime or the violation of the basic workweek.

Staffing and workload permitting, the Agency shall approve the exchange of shifts and/or days off of different lengths by employees of equal qualifications provided the exchange does not result in overtime or the violation of the basic workweek.

Any such requests shall normally be approved/disapproved within two (2) hours of when the request was made, or prior to the end of the shift, whichever is less.

When considering an individual request for a shift and/or days off change, the Agency will consider the staffing and workload of the losing and gaining shift as a precondition to approval. If it is determined that those needs are adequately met, the change shall be approved.

Shift adjustments for the purpose of continuing an employee's off-duty education or professional training shall be handled on an individual basis. However, the Agency agrees that in no instance shall shift adjustments for this purpose interfere with the watch schedule rotation of any other employee at that facility without the consent of the employee so affected. No employee may receive preference at the expense of another unless both employees agree to the arrangement. The employee requesting education shift adjustment shall be responsible for obtaining the consent of all other employees affected.

The express terms of this Article apply separately and distinctly to each of the following bargaining units: Air Traffic Controllers, Traffic Management Coordinators/Specialists, FSS, and NOTAM Specialists.