Section 1. Seniority.

Seniority shall mean length of service as measured by total said straight time hours after completion of probation within classifications covered by this agreement. There are three types of seniority: work unit seniority, geographic/administrative seniority, and classification seniority.

• Work unit seniority shall mean length of service in a work unit as measured by total paid straight time hours after completion of probation within classifications covered by this agreement and within that work unit.
• Geographic/administrative seniority shall mean length of service in a geographic/administrative unit as measured by total paid straight time hours after completion of probation within classifications covered by this agreement and within that geographic/administrative unit.
• Classification seniority shall mean length of service in a specific classification covered by this agreement as measured by total paid straight time hours after completion of probation in that specific classification.

Section 2. Layoff.

A department head may lay off an employee because of abolition of position, shortage of work or funds, reorganization of administrative, collegiate, or departmental unit, or other reasons beyond the employee's control. If layoffs are required, the least senior of the employees performing the duties to be eliminated or reduced in a work unit (work unit seniority) shall be the employee(s) laid off.

Employees being laid off may choose to bump the least senior employee in the same work unit if qualified to perform that employee's job duties with minimum on the job training. The two work units are:

1. KUMD - FM
2. Video Network Services

Additionally, if an employee is not able to exercise bumping rights as stated above, that employee may bump the least senior employee within the same geographic/administrative unit if qualified to perform that employee's job duties with minimum on the job training. The two geographic/administrative units are:

1. UMR Duluth
2. Video Network Services

A two-week notice of layoff shall be provided in writing to all affected employees. Among those laid off employees who had performed essentially the same duties in the same work unit, recall from layoff shall be by seniority, i.e., the last laid off, the first rehired; provided that the former employee to be recalled is qualified for the position to be filled and that no more than two years has elapsed since he/she has been laid off.

Bargaining Unit Staff Layoff Severance Program

Employees covered by this agreement are eligible for the “Bargaining Unit Staff Layoff Severance Program” as long as such policy exists. The “Eligibility” and “Benefits” of this program may be viewed at: http://policy.umn.edu/categories/hr/policy/Severance_pol.cfm.