Section 17 PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES

1. Employees newly-hired shall be considered as probationary employees for the first one hundred and twenty (120) calendar days of continuous employment. When an employee finishes the probationary requirement, he/she shall be entered on the seniority list of the bargaining unit and shall have seniority from the first day of work in the bargaining unit. There shall be no seniority among probationary employees.

2. Employees newly-hired into the bargaining unit who have previously completed a probationary period of continuous employment in any position with the Employer shall not be required to serve a probationary period as provided in this Section 17, but shall be granted seniority status at the first day of work in the bargaining unit.

3. The Union shall represent probationary employees for the purpose of collective bargaining in respect to rates of pay, wages, hours of employment and other conditions of employment; but a probationary employee may be discharged or disciplined for any reason deemed proper by the Employer without recourse to the grievance procedure.