(a) A firefighter employed by the University of Illinois who is an elected state officer of a statewide labor organization that is a representative of University of Illinois firefighters shall be granted leave by the University of Illinois, without loss of pay or benefits and without being required to make up for lost time, for work hours devoted to performing the firefighter's responsibilities as an elected state officer of the statewide labor organization; provided that the elected officer has arranged for another University of Illinois firefighter who is qualified to perform the absent firefighter's duties to work for those hours.(b) The statewide labor organization shall, by May 1 of each year:(1) designate 4 elected state officers, whose right to leave while carrying out their duties for the organization shall be limited to 20 shifts per officer per year (for years beginning May 1 and ending April 30); and(2) notify the University if it is the employer of an elected state officer to whom this Section applies, identifying the elected state officer, and indicate whether the officer is one of those limited to 20 shifts per year.(c) For the purposes of this Section: "Statewide labor organization" means an organization representing firefighters employed by at least 85 municipalities in this State, that is affiliated with the Illinois State Federation of Labor.
"Elected state officer" means a full-time firefighter who is one of the 9 top elected officers of the statewide labor organization.