ARTICLE XVIII: Vacations

1.    The vacation year begins January 1.

2.    A full time employee hired prior to June 26 will, upon completion of six (6) months employment, be entitled to five (5) days vacation with pay to be taken prior to December 31.  A full time employee hired June 26 or after will upon completion of six (6) months of employment, be entitled to no less than five (5) days vacation with pay to be taken in the next calendar year.  Part-time employees will be entitled to prorated benefits pursuant to the provisions of Article VIII, Section 12a (Part-time and Temporary Employees).

3.    All employees employed during the entire previous vacation year shall be entitled to two weeks of vacation with pay during the following vacation year.  Those who have not worked the entire previous year will be entitled to vacation credits at the rate of one day of vacation for each 25 days worked until the start of the next calendar year.  No employee will be entitled to accumulate any vacation credits in any vacation year for the purpose of adding to the length of vacation in any succeeding year.

4.    As of January 1 an employee who has reached his/her fourth (4th) employment anniversary will be entitled to a third (3rd) week of vacation.

5.    As of January 1 an employee who has reached his/her tenth (10th) employment anniversary will be entitled to a fourth (4th) week of vacation.

6.    As of January 1 an employee who has reached his/her twentieth (20th) employment anniversary will be entitled to a fifth (5th) week of vacation.

7.    An employee shall not be required to accept the first two (2) weeks of vacation at any time except between May 1 and November 1.  An employee entitled to three (3), four (4) or five (5) weeks of vacation may take the three (3), four (4) or five (5) weeks consecutively, the time to be mutually agreeable to the employee and to the Department Manager.

8.    The Publisher shall consider vacation roll over into the next calendar year particularly when the employee’s vacation has been canceled at the request of management.  Additionally, the Publisher shall consider, at its discretion, reasonable requests for vacation roll over in special situations on a non-precedent basis.

9.    Accrued vacation pay shall be paid an employee, or his/her estate, whose employment is terminated for any reason.  Vacation credit shall begin with date of employment.

10.    The Department Manager shall cause a schedule of vacations to be posted on bulletin boards in all departments at least thirty (30) days before the annual vacation period.  Employees shall be given preference in choosing vacation periods in order of seniority of service with the Publisher.