This page explains what the AFSCME 3299 SX contract does, how it interacts with policies and department rules, and why it matters when problems come up at work.
The contract is not a suggestion. It is a binding agreement.
THE CONTRACT IS THE RULEBOOK
The AFSCME 3299 SX contract is a negotiated agreement between the University and the union.
It governs:
Pay
Hours of work
Overtime
Breaks and meals
Discipline
Seniority
Bidding and assignments
Health and safety
Working conditions
Department rules and internal policies must comply with the contract.
CONTRACT > POLICY > DEPARTMENT RULES
When there is a conflict, this is the hierarchy:
The union contract controls over policy.
Policy controls over department-created rules.
Departments cannot:
Invent stricter rules
Ignore contract language
Enforce policies that conflict with the contract
Create new working conditions without bargaining
Being told “this is our department rule” does not override the contract.
JUST CAUSE FOR DISCIPLINE
Discipline must be based on just cause.
Just cause requires:
Clear expectations
Adequate training
A reasonable ability to comply
Consistent enforcement
A fair investigation
Employees cannot be disciplined for:
Unclear instructions
System failures
Lack of supervision
Unreachable dispatch or management
If the system makes compliance impossible, discipline is not just cause.
SENIORITY MATTERS
Seniority is a core protection in the SX contract.
Seniority governs:
Bidding
Assignments
Job preference
Scheduling decisions
For seniority to mean anything, employees must be given accurate information about what they are bidding on.
Incomplete or misleading postings undermine seniority rights.
POSTING AND FILLING POSITIONS
Job postings must be clear and accurate.
Employees must be able to understand:
The assignment
The duties
The work location
The schedule
If critical information is withheld, employees cannot make informed bids, and the posting may violate the contract.
WORK RULES MUST BE REASONABLE
Work rules must be:
Clearly communicated
Consistently enforced
Reasonable
Not arbitrary or capricious
Rules that:
Appear suddenly
Are enforced unevenly
Punish protected activity
Conflict with the contract
…are subject to challenge.
BREAKS, MEALS, AND HOURS OF WORK
The contract protects:
Meal periods
Rest breaks
Reasonable workloads
Employees cannot be disciplined for taking contractually protected breaks.
Staffing systems and assignment tools must allow employees to comply with break and meal requirements.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The University has a contractual obligation to maintain safe working conditions.
This includes:
Reasonable workloads
Safe assignments
Proper equipment
Not assigning work beyond physical capability
Safety is not optional and cannot be traded for productivity.
UNILATERAL CHANGES ARE NOT ALLOWED
Changes to working conditions must be bargained.
This includes changes to:
Attendance rules
Call-out procedures
Bidding processes
Assignment systems
Discipline standards
If a change was not negotiated, it may violate the contract and state labor law.
THE CONTRACT WORKS WITH THE LAW
The contract does not replace the law — it works alongside it.
State and federal laws provide minimum protections.
The contract may provide greater protections.
Departments cannot use policy to reduce either.
IMPORTANT REMINDER
You do not need to memorize the contract to be protected by it.
If something feels inconsistent, unfair, or suddenly different, that is often a sign the contract matters.
EVS LIVES MATTER 