Union workers say AGCO unfair on sick leave policy

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/business/stories/2008/06/13/agco_union_sick_leave.html

By PÉRALTE C. PAUL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/13/08

Union workers at a Kansas plant of Duluth-based AGCO Corp. say they're still waiting for a response from the farm equipment manufacturer on what they call an unfair switcheroo that penalizes employees for taking sick leave.

The roughly 1,100 unionized employees at AGCO's Hesston, Kan., plant now get two marks — or "points" — each time they take one of the five sick days they are allotted a year. They get also one point for missing up to four hours of work or two points for missing more than four hours for other reasons.

After 16 points, employees are subject to termination, said Brian Lansaw, president of the United Steelworkers Union Local No. 11228, which represents the Hesston workers.

The attendance policy change, which began May 12, comes about seven months after the union ratified a three-year extension to its labor agreement, which already has a points system, he said.

Under the existing contract, workers are not penalized on the first three sick days taken and get one point on the fourth missed day of work.

"We could live with that," said Lansaw, who last month filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board. "Our attendance policy was a tough policy but a fair policy."

FULL story at link.