Cost of Living Adjustment proposals

As you may recall our goal for 2017 COLA was around .7 - which was the highest I found without doing too much number twisting. The highest loose thread was 2.4 percent increase if you take away energy and gasoline, with the highest increase being child care. That is an extreme outlier that I would only reference if a 0 was offered. A cost of living allowance is to keep an employees budget predictable and lifestyle stable.

 CPI as a whole, actually indexed in the negative.

As you can see the projected 2016, which is not really able to be predicted with certainly, is a 1.5 increase. (All statistics are from the Bureau Labor of Statistics.)

Now the actual proposal...

Cost of Living Allowance 2.25 with a movement of the 1st step again.

Management spoke about staying competitive regionally, even nationally, and that we are staffed well right now. We are begging to pull higher quality applicants with a higher wage.

Feedback from last year has shown that a few people feel that the new people benefit more than established employees... Which numerically speaking (Starting employee ~6% instead of a 2.25% ). I am not going to dismiss any views of negatively as they are valid feelings.

The real question that LeNora and I had to ask is, do we reject the proposal and counter with our 1.5 and possibly settle for less - the CPI was negative - or accept that 2.25 for a majority of employees is a better deal.

LeNora and I accepted the proposal. Now it is time to ask questions and vote.

Contact me any way by phone 605-376-4238, personal email ja_hoffman@hotmail.com or work email jhoffman@911metro.org

Next Meeting is March 27th 13:30 and 19:00 If there are no objections I will send out a Surveymonkey again for voting on Monday 28th voting to be completed before 10:00 hrs March 30th.

Union Election News

Bob and Jared verified voting results, and that Survey Monkey is anonymous. Jared was elected to be President for 2016.

Lenora Giles will be VP for 2016.

With the question Communication between Senior Leaders and Employees is good in my organization.

33.33% Disagree
16.67% Neutral
50%  Agree or Strongly Agree

This is something I would like to work on. We will see how 2016 shapes with the new committees.

With the question "I feel completely involve in my work"

50% Disagree
16.67% Nuetral
33.33% Agree or Strongly Disagree

I would like Metro to feel connected to us. I would like decisions in Metro to be logical and consistent.

In other news, cost of living negotiations are coming up. The year end summary of 2015 was .7 CPI increase. If we get above that then we are ahead. We got 3 percent last year, along with starting wage increase, and you may have forget, 2.5 percent the year before. So we have had 2 strong years.

I am currently looking into when Trade was changed to not count towards hours worked, if any of you have an announcement prior to the procedure manual 100 change please forward it to me.

Thanks,
Jared

Union Coop Meeting 11-10-15

Attending – Union - Jared Hoffman, LeNora Giles

                     Metro Management – Daren Ketcham, Ona Reker    

Topic – Social Media Policy

·         Much discussion on the new social media  policy and giving password / access to accounts when requested by management

o   There have been some instances where employees posted inappropriate posts identifying themselves as dispatchers and providing confidential information

o   Intent of policy –

§  Understood no fishing expeditions

§  Employee has to be under investigation

§  Management will be looking for specific information explained in writing to employee prior to looking on site

§  Even when under investigation passwords may not be asked for  - You will be asked to log in and show the incident

-Shift Change

·         2016 shift change will be Monday January 4^th

·         2017 shift change will be Monday January 2^nd

-Management shows interest in switching to PTO time

·         Discuss with members pros/cons about PTO time

o   Conversion process

o   Changing max vacation allowance carried over – possibly 480 to match FMLA

o   New accrual amounts

           

-2016 benefits

·         Increase in insurance -  discussed at benefit fair, metro still shopping to make sure best deal -  Dakota Care will continue the Great Life memberships for 2016.  

·         Discussed paying for Christmas Eve - Daren will not know until the December Council meeting on 12/16/15   but it will be requested.   We were paid 8 hours last year.  

-Wage Opener – reminder to send notification of Wage opener in January.   

Cooperation Meeting              12-29-14

Darin Ketcham, Ona Reker, Jessica Mundahl, Jared Hoffman, LeNora Giles

 

Have a typo in the contract under Article 25.   Says ref article 25 should be article 26.   
 
On call hours new work week question - Sun / Mon -  the on call hours for A shift will be on new work week as they are on call for Monday of their shift starting the new work week.   
 
Required staffing -   look over the information sent out reference required staffing.   Management is looking to let people know of mandatory spots sooner so if they choose they can find their own replacement.     Tentatively – starting with time 21 days out there will be a 3 day sign up time for hours and then it will be assigned.  
 
Part time employment -  need to work a total of 16 hours a pay period and up to 20 hours a week.    
 
There will be no TO pay as of January 1^st.   If ACO is not available to train will look to a supervisor.   Anyone offering to volunteer to train that is not an ACO is doing so without extra compensation.   

COLA -    In January need to send a letter requesting COLA negotiation.   Start talking in March as the audit is done in late February.  

 General News Items

AFSCME will now be under MN AFSCME.

Union dues are going up.

Luke Senst joined the Union - with Erica leaving and Luke joining we are still the same for membership.

5 new employees will be starting Jan 12^th. February will advertise for applicants.

Supervisor promotion took effect December 29^th.

Staff with Dakota Care insurance can contact Great Life reference free membership starting Jan 01-2015

Discussed Exit interviews due to number of staff leaving recently.

    Typical answers for leaving:
    1^st 6 months of job  --   shift work, stress
    After 6months – majority of answers include burn out and co-workers

Sick Time – has been a frustration not only by management but by staff. PD requires a written note for any sick use over 40 hours. FMLA covers 480 hours for 12 months. Not all sick time being used by staff on FMLA is for FMLA purposes therefore may not be over the 480 mark for FMLA. Management does continue to monitor the amount of sick time used and when.   If they are made aware of someone abusing sick time action will be taken.  

Vacation approval

     Management has approved 480 hours of vacation that would create a vacancy.   That is roughly 17000.00 dollars of the OT budget.  

     Management wants to make some of that back.   They are willing to work with employees to get vacation approved but would like employees to work so that it doesn’t over extend the budget by using trade time, adjusting hours when possible, and using creative scheduling.

      Assigning vacancy procedure as changed. Official timeline should be coming out.

      Hope if people know of required time sooner if they need to find a replacement they have some time.

     Discussed different options in tele-staff to show vacancies easier.   To get time covered easier.

      If you have HA time you need off can change it to vacation (provided you have V time) and then HA at the end of the week.  

 

We will look to get together again next month.   There are lots of changes coming.   Please be sure to bring any comments, concerns, or questions to Union leadership.  

12-22-2014 Minutes

Union Meeting

Monday December 22, 2014

 

Attendance 12:30:

Jared Hoffman, Stephanie Kennerly

Attendance 18:00:  Jared Hoffman, Michael Mettler

 
New Members:         Luke Senst

Members Leaving:   Kara Mikkelsen, Brandy Teft

Meetings will move to 4^th Wednesdays at 1200/1800 until April 2015’s shift change.

 

There will be a CoOp meeting on December 29, 2014; Some discussion topics will be:

Paramedics Plus

EMD for Private Pages

Variances for time delays

With the new Non EMD call standards Metro will be working with SFPD to narrow down important call types for notifying a supervisor.  They are trying to get down to seven priority call types that need immediate notifications.  With this, a new filter may be put into place for a High/Low Priority

Cost of Living increase negotiations will begin in March 2015.
 
A discipline hearing was held for a union member regarding sick leave. Want to remind people that when you call in sick just advise you are calling in sick and keep other information to minimal.

Minnesota and South Dakota’s union has merged; therefore Nathan Rahm is the new head of our division. Due to this merge our Union dues are slated to go up, and at meeting discussed to the rate of $ 22.50 per pay period. This should be the last raise for the foreseeable future. Other things discussed
 
Retention:    

 A suggestion for new recruits to help with retention of policy that may differ from shift to shift is to have new employees rotate shifts every 3-4 months for the first year of being on the floor working on their own.

 
Discussions of hiring only for B shift and with this giving shift differential pay to B shift employees only (1500-2300).  This may help retention and interest for supervisors for B shift as well as other B shift employees.

Flower Funds:

 

A proposal was made to start a flower fund with a gift from the union to start, and then have operators volunteer to have a small amount taken out of checks for authorized events. This fund would likely be controlled by Metro Management.

 

Meeting and Cooperation Meeting Minutes

Union Meeting notes     Meeting 10-21-14      1800 hours

 

 

Members Present

President – Mike Mettler
Vice President – LeNora Giles

 

Guests

AFSCME International Rep

Justin Faber – MCA employee

 

 

 

ISSUES

·         Joseph Pudas (member) had vacation on telestaff which was approved and then changed to PMA (pending management approval) and now is denied.    Changed due to use of hours elsewhere but would still have enough time accrued by the time vacation was to be used.   

o   Email will be sent to MCA management to have a meeting to discuss

o   Cooperation meeting held with AFSCME President and Vice-President. Management had decided to grant the time back to Joseph Pudas.

 

 

·         Employees miss the round table discussions that used to be held w/ management at In-Services -  a chance for employees to be heard

 

·         Membership numbers are down 

 

o   We lost Dave Roe and Chris Gruhlke

o   Non union members have been invited to come to a meeting to be encouraged to join the union

o   Discussion on strength of union comes from its members.   

o   National rep -   stated several times

§  How many people do we have

§  What are we willing to do

o   Discussed ways to encourage membership to make for a strong local

o   This meeting was to be for nominations which will continue for the next week. 

o   We will be inviting employees to a special meeting – date to be determined – to be held at Pizza ranch in private room to discuss membership, nominations, and participation in union.    Motion was made and passed to appropriate 200.00  towards the cost of dinner.   

·         Nominations  are now open for the following

o   President

o   Vice President

o   Secretary

o   Treasurer

o   Steward A shift

o   Steward B shift

o   Steward C shift

o   2 board members

§  Bob DiMercurio is on board not up for reelection

 Nominations have been left open until such time as the meeting at Pizza Ranch can be scheduled.

 

·         Mettler presented the bill for printing of the Union Contract to be paid $46.75. 

 

 

·         If anyone has contact names for employees with Rural Metro -   National representative looking for contacts to speak with employees about organizing

 

·         M.A.T  - Membership Action Team

 

o   A communication tree to get information organized

§  Shows the union is organized and has unity

o   To be used on events which are

§  Widely felt

§  Winnable

o   Nathan (the new local rep)  can train subjects on how MAT works