I don’t understand the Bereavement Policy, could someone explain this better?

A: Page 78 Section 81 in your CBA dated Oct.12, 2011 (Production, Maintenance and Parts) clarifies Bereavement Pay. There is also further clarification in the Book of Letters, Memoranda and agreements on page 171 Letter #178. The CBA states that:

1. when death occurs in an employee’s immediate family, I.e., spouse, parent, stepparent, grandparent, or great grandparents of current spouse, child, or stepchild, grandchild, brother, sister, stepbrother, step-sister, half-brother, or half-sister, a seniority employee, on request, will be excused, and after making written application therefore, receive payment for up to three (3) normally scheduled eight (8) hour days of work or up to five (5) normally scheduled eight (8) hour days of work in the case of the death an employee’s current spouse, parent, child, or stepchild, (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, or , in the case of seven-day operations, excluding regular off days and holidays) during the period commencing with the date of death and ending with the tenth normally scheduled work day after the day of the death, provided the employee attends the funeral.
2. The employee shall receive Bereavement Pay for the first three (3) full working days, or first five (5) full working days in the case of the death of an employee’s current spouse, parent, child, or stepchild, on which the employee is absent during the period established in Subsection (a).
3. An employee who returns to work on or after the date of the funeral will not be eligible for Bereavement Pay for any subsequent absence in connection with that bereavement.
4.  Payment shall be made at the employee’s straight-time hourly rate on the last day worked (or, in the case of incentive employees, the employee’s average straight-time earned hourly rate, including day work earnings, in his last four (4) pay periods worked) exclusive of overtime premiums but including applicable shift and seven-day operations premium and the amount of any cost-of-living allowance then in effect. Time thus paid will not be counted as hours worked for purpose of overtime.

Letter 171 from the Letters, Memoranda and Agreements also states that: An employee who, in conjunction with an approved absence due to bereavement, requests limited additional time off for the disposition of financial, administrative or legal matters associated with the death of an immediate family member as defined in section (81) of the CBA, should be given consideration for additional time off (up to three (3) days) as unpaid personal time or unused available Paid Absence Allowance. It is further understood that the request must be made in advance and the time off itself should not negatively impact operations. The letter also addresses that in the event an employee’s spouse of five (5) years or longer has predeceased his or her parent, and in the event of the death of a parent of that former spouse, the provisions of Section (81), Bereavement Pay, of the National Production and Maintenance Agreement will apply, provided the employee has not remarried.

You must first figure out how the relation of the deceased configures in contractual language (this will give you your allotted time missed) and then figure your chosen days. You are given up to 2 days after the date of the funeral. Your days must be within the date of the death and 2 after the funeral. Remember, in certain circumstances you should be allowed an extra day or two but this must be approved by management. Call your steward as soon as you learn of a death in your family.

Bereavement Pay- Documentation Requirements

All Bereavement requests are now being processed through the Employee Kiosks. The new requirements are as follows:

Bereavement Pay Requirements (3) Documents

Two of the following must be provided as evidence of death of an immediate family member:

• Birth, Death, or Marriage Certificate, identifying the deceased as a member of the immediate family.
• Adoption papers, identifying the deceased as a member of the immediate family.
• Church, Obituary, or other Public Notice, identifying the deceased as a member of the immediate family member.

One of the following must be provided as proof that the employee attended the funeral:

• Written statement from the Funeral Director.
• Written statement from the individual conducting the religious services in connection with the funeral.