Show Xmas Forced Leave A labor union official announced last week that an unfair labor practices grievance will be filed against Hill Air Force Base unless a Christmas leave policy is PRESIDENT OF the American Federation of Govern-ment Employees Local 1592 Neil said the grievance will challenge an Air Force Logistics Command directive that would require all base with at least six days of leave to use vacation time from 20 to Breeden indicated the grievance would be withdrawn if the base will agree to either make the leave voluntary or grant workers three of the six days as BASE OFFICIALS say the period will be a in an effort to conserve energy and will offer a Christmas vacation comprised of six days of two holidays and two Those who haven't got six days of leave have the choice of either requesting leave without pay or being assigned to some kind of job on the base during the THIS POLICY also has been challenged by Wayne Owens who has introduced legislation that would prohibit federal agencies from forcing civil servants to take leave against their Breeden also said that base are currently being denied leave if it would drop their leave balance below the 48 hours required for Christmas leave ISSUE here is whether or not management should have total control of our explained contend as our they have the right to determine when Hill workers can take annual he contention is that we earn our leave and based upon the demands of our workload we have the right to take the leave any time the workload said the union Noting that federal regulations permit the forcing of leave provided there is an acceptable Breeden questioned that energy conservation is acceptable under the present ALL agree that in case of war or emergency that would justify this kind of control over our Breeden The phase-down ordered at commands in six states would maintain only a small work force required for essential services and emergency work-such as firemen and security those individuals with less than six days annual who don't desire leave without BREEDEN explained that his first alternative proposal would ask that no be denied leave between now and Christmas unless the workload is prohibitive and request that all who desire to work during the phase down be given The second proposal suggests that the six days be split down the middle with giving up three days of annual and the base commander providing three days of administrative leave that would not be deducted from the leave |