ARTICLE XXIX - SEVERANCE PAY


Upon dismissal, except as herein provided, a full-time employee will receive cash dismissal pay in a lump sum in accordance with the following schedule: one (1) weeks' pay for each six (6) months of continuous service, or major fraction thereof, for a period of eight (8) years and thereafter one (1) weeks' pay for each year of continuous service or major fraction thereof, up to a maximum of forty-eight (48) weeks pay. If a full-time employee is dismissed during the first six (6) months of employment, no payment, other than the wages (and other amounts owed, minus any obligations owed by the employee) at the time of dismissal will be paid. Employees discharged for proven financial dishonesty, gross or repeated neglect of duty, or gross misconduct, or as provided in Article XXXII for failure to maintain Guild membership in good standing, or in the case of self-provoked discharge for the purpose of collecting severance pay, will not be entitled to severance pay. Written statement of the cause of dismissal will be given by the Publisher upon request by the employee, if such request is made within seventy-two (72) hours from the time of dismissal notice.