Last year, Teamsters at the DOC successfully won an arbitration award that prohibits the Department from denying personal holiday requests under the pretext that “relief is unavailable.”

The arbitrator’s award put a stop to the DOC’s practice of denying personal holiday requests in most cases.  Unfortunately, it didn’t stop the Department from violating your contract altogether. DOC continued to deny personal holiday requests when the day requested fell on an actual holiday.  

Your Union filed a statewide grievance over the issue and was prepared to take the case to arbitration before the DOC capitulated last week.

“We insisted that the DOC comply with your contractual rights and they ultimately did,” said Tracey A. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117. “It shouldn’t matter if you request a personal holiday on Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, or any other day.  As long as it doesn’t impair the Department from maintaining operations, it should be granted.”