Sick lines

Booking sick following a holiday

If you work for the TA or OA and had Christmas off and then booked sick on your next scheduled day of work, you must have doctor's line for the sick time.  If you don't, the TA will deny you pay for the holiday. 

This is covered in Section 2.5 of the TWU/TA/OA contract.  Arbitrator's have ruled that the language about "bona fide illness" means that management can require doctor's lines in this situation.  Please note -- the doctor's lines are required in order to be paid for the holiday, not the sick day.  Unless you are on the Sick Leave Control List, you do not need doctor's lines to be paid for one or two days sick.  You need them to be paid for the holiday if you were off on the holiday and booked sick on your next scheduled work day.

If you book sick during a snowstorm

Some members who booked sick on 12/26 or 12/27 were told that, because of the snowstorm, they would have to bring in doctor's lines to verify that they were sick.  This is NOT true.  Unless you would otherwise have to bring in lines (you're on the Sick Leave Control List or you're in the 30% sick category and are out for more than two days -- more than three days if you're in the 70% category), the TA cannot require you to get doctor's line just because of the storm.  The contract defines the circumstances when you're required to bring doctor's lines.  The contract does not require you to bring lines because of a snowstorm or other emergencies.  If you have to book sick and it happens to be on the day of a snowstorm, and the person who takes your sick call tells you that you need to provide doctor's lines, don't get into an argument with them.  Simply acknowledge the information and feel free to ignore it.  You must still submit a sick form any time you're out sick.  But you don't have to bring doctor's lines just because of the storm.  

Submit your sick form like you usually would.  If you are not paid for the sick day, contact a union rep and file a grievance.  The arbitrator has already ruled that the TA cannot require doctor's lines for any reason other than the ones specified in the contract.  Remember, if you're on the Sick Leave Control List and you were hired after April 1988, you will not be paid for the first day of sick leave any time you book sick.

Steve Downs