2018-2020 Proposals

Hello Everyone,

After a lot of time it is finally review and vote on contract proposals for the 2018-2020 contract. Unless there is objections I will sent out an email a week from today with a survey monkey with anonymous voting in one week Tuesday that needs to be completed no later than 1430 on Friday.

I will have another Union member look at Survey Monkey to establish 2 things... 1) It is anonymous  and  2) The outcome.

The changes... I will attach the actual PDFs below. Changes will be in Red. Commentary will be in Blue.

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In Article 4 - 

COLA  

2018    2%

2019    1%

2020    1%

and Section 5

Section 5. Shift Differential. Employees who work all the 2nd half of the second 2nd shift (B shift) and all of the third shift (C shift) shall be paid a shift differential of $.50 per hour, in addition to their regular base hourly rate of pay, for all hours actually worked during that time. Shift differential will not apply to any hours paid as sick leave, vacation, or hours paid for time not actually worked. Shift differential does not apply to travel time.   

So B shift gets differential for all shift.

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In Article 5 -

Section 2. Workweek. The present workweek of forty (40) hours in each seven (7) day period is the standard used for purposes of overtime computation. The workweek shall begin at 0000 on Monday and end at 2359 Sunday.  However, all hours worked in any continuous period of time beginning prior to 2359 on Sunday and extending past 0000 on Monday will be considered hours worked on Sunday.  Also, all hours worked by any third shift (C shift) staff during any part of the third shift (C shift) period including any continuous period of time extending past 0000 on Monday will be considered hours worked on Sunday.

This has been the standard for a while... If you start your work seek on Sunday and work into Monday it is hours worked on Sunday for end of week things.

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ARTICLE 7 

WORKING IN A HIGHER CLASSIFICATION 

When an employee is temporarily assigned to perform duties by the Employer which are not contemplated within the scope or function of the employee’s own classification, and are the duties of an established classification with a higher maximum rate of pay than the employee’s regular assigned pay grade, and the temporary assignment is for a period of one workweek or more, the employee shall receive the following a 5 percent adjustment in addition to their regular base hourly rate of pay while holding this temporary assignment:. 

  Advanced Communications Operator 5% adjustment 

  Shift Supervisor    8% adjustment  

If you get promoted to ACO you get a minimum 5% increase in pay (same as now) and in 2018 if you become a supervisor you get a minimum 8% increase in pay (right now is 5%).

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Article 9

Overtime

Section 3. Probationary Employee. A newly hired probationary shift employee may be eligible for overtime upon successful completion of initial training.  

This is just a clarification of language - If you get promoted you are already eligible for overtime.

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Article 10

Time Trade

h) An on-call employee may not work trade for another employee at the same time they are on-call.     

h)i) Any time trade not completed will require the application of Article 26, Leave of Absence for the employee off trade.

This is just putting formally in writing what has already been in practice. Trade has to be an exchange of services between employees, in order to be legal. If someone who is working trade calls in sick, the scheduled employee's leave time is used and that employee has the use of sick time on record. This keeps Metro from having any part in direct dealing of the exchange of services between employees. Metro only has the agreement that time is covered by employee originally scheduled.

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Article 12

Seniority

b) Job Classification Seniority:  Seniority within the job classification shall be deemed to be that portion of the employee’s total length of continuous service accrued continuously in a classification above or equal to a specific job classification.

Correcting some wording.

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Article 14

Promotion

Section 3. Probation. 

  

a)  A promotion shall not be deemed complete until a period of probation not to exceed sixtwelve (612) months has elapsed. Should a probationary employee be absent from the job for more than thirty (30) days, the probationary period will be extended for a period of time equal to the absence in order to enable the employee to complete his/her full probationary period.    

Section 4. Step Placement. When an employee is promoted, the employee shall be placed into the pay step of the new position which is at least, and closest to, the following 5 percentages higher than the pay step received prior to the promotion:  

  Advanced Communications Operators 5%  

 Shift Supervisor    8% .  

If the maximum pay step of the new position is less than the 5 percentage increase identified in this section higher than the pay step received prior to the promotion, the employee will be placed at the maximum step with the lower percentage increase. The employee will not be eligible for a step increase upon completion of probation, but will be eligible for step progression in the normal prescribed intervals and procedures as defined in Article 4, Wages.  

Switching the probation period from 6 months to 12 months on promotions and applying the 5%/8% change.

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Article 19

Section 4. Suspension, demotion, and discharge may be the subject of a grievance as set forth in Article 2019, Grievance Procedure. 

Fixed a typo.

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Article 24

Vacation

Section 3. Accrual Schedule.  

  

a)  An employee shall receive a full or prorated vacation benefit with full pay based on the following schedule, and each new level in the schedule shall become effective in the pay period in which the employee’s employment date occurs and available for use on the first day of the following pay period:                                        

         Years Completed      Hours per Pay Period   

          0 – 3                         3.15   

          4 – 7                         4.00

          8 – 11                       4.65

         12 – 15                      5.30  

         16 +                           6.15  

        0 but less than 3         3.15  

        3 but less than 4         3.75 

        4 but less than 5         4.16 

        5 but less than 10       4.65  

       10 but less than 11      5.00  

       11 but less than 12      5.30  

       12 but less than 13      5.55  

       13 but less than 14      5.89  

       14 but less than 15      6.25  

       15 but less than 16      6.50  

       16 but less than 17      6.81  

       17 but less than 18      7.16  

       18 but less than 19      7.39  

       19 years and over        7.75   

More vacation is good.

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Article 25

Sick Leave 

Section 7 Last paragraph

If the employee is absent due to an FMLA qualified circumstance, the paid or unpaid sick leave absence will be designated as FMLA leave and treated in accordance with Article 265 Leave of Absence of this agreement. 

Correction of a typo.

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Article 26

Leave of Absence

First paragraph

Requests for unpaid leave will only be considered in the event that the employee has used all available paid leave time; e.g. i.e., vacation

Apparently lawyers care about e.g. and i.e. use. Corrected typo.

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Article 28

Funeral Leave

Section 1. Leave.

 Employees are permitted to use up to four (4) days of their available sick leave for attendance at any funeral service plus reasonable travel time. Use of sick leave within this four-day per-funeral limitation includes additional time for funeral planning and conducting estate business following that funeral when the employee’s non-professional time is needed for these purposes,An employee who has to make arrangements for or attend a funeral, or has to attend to estate business following the funeral, during his/her regularly schedule work hours shall be permitted to use up to four (4) days of sick leave for that funeral.  

Basically we rewrote the first paragraph. Going to a funeral here in town, just because you want to go does not automatically mean an excused absence. It clarifies that it is for planning and conducting estate business and going to a funeral. I don't know what caused this but Management wanted to limit who we could take funeral leave for (immediate family or spouses family) and we objected. We found this to be a compromise. There was an incident apparently of someone wanting a lot of time off for an acquaintance or to go to a service in another area of a stranger "for support". I have no idea, nor do I really worry about it. Basically if one has to plan a funeral or travel for a funeral then up to 4 days is excused without special permission. If one is going to an elementary teacher's funeral here in town that does not include planning if one wants more time off it should be vacation.

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So there you have it... Overall not to many changes, but I feel is a step in a good direction. -

All documents are emailed to you, as well as accessible here...  2018-2020 Proposal

Feel free to ask any questions and let me know what you think.

 Jared

Small rant and scheduling...

We have a small union. That is a fact. This is due to a variety of factors – lack of education, unmotivational leader, lack of unification, optimism on how nice the management council would be if we didn’t have a union (short term memory of other departments getting screwed), the fact people get to leech benefits for no cost. I can tell you that I have prevented an employee of getting fired. I can tell you that punishments are more level and documented when a union rep is there. I can tell you that management didn’t want to pay us for on-call, and there first official offer was $1 for the entire period of 4 hours - not $1 an hour, but $1 for the whole 4 hours. I can tell you that our sick policy would be chaos if we didn’t have a union, that it would only be applied based on favoritism. I can tell you we got more vacation for 2018 only because we have a union... But everyone at Metro gets that. Whether it is fair that Union members and charity receivers is a different debate, and doesn’t change the reality. I often say if Union membership goes 8 or below I am stepping down, or I am moving to dissolve it. Then we will see how nice Mayor Huether (or the next mayor who has to write a budget) is to employees under his care, without protections. If any of you have any ideas to get this wheel spinning more let me know. I don’t want people to feel that the union is pointless, because it isn’t.

So there is my small rant… but why? So after emphasizing the abstractness of the union that you have to trust me on, I have something concrete. The Union has direct member influence on the schedule.

Hopefully your shift representatives have spoken to you about the new schedule proposals. I have emphasized that a majority want to stay the same but move it back 1 hour. (If there something that has an obvious majority I have found it is go back to 0600-1400  1400-2200   2200-0600)

The schedules presented have a lot of contingency on having to have the contract change.

Article 5 Section 2 – Workweek – Our contract has 40 hour workweek for overtime computation, which is law. It also establishes are work week Monday through Sunday. This is something that an admin person wants to look at to lower amount of built in overtime in the schedule.

Definitions – On-Call… We have it defined as the period prior to the start of a regularly scheduled shift. All the proposed schedules want to change the time an employee is on call.

Article 4 Section 9 – On-Call Pay – Compensation for on-call right now is $2.50 an hour on call. There are talks of wanting to change that to .5-1 hour of ETO for a 4 hour period. Right now when we are called in for on-call we have guaranteed overtime. Management did not want that… and they still don’t. If we have a new schedule that has more people on-call one of the conditions given was they want to get rid of the guaranteed overtime. In order not stop all conversation I said the neutral “We will see what the members want” “That can possibly be arranged.”

So what it comes down to is… In order to directly change the contract the union decides. I feel the best way to handle it is a vote… but do we want a run-off vote where each options get points, do we want to flip a coin. Know that when a schedule is changed it is hard to change back.

Let me know people, I am not alone here.

I know it seems like forever ago but we finally got all responses back for the survey on scheduling...

Results…

Do you believe Metro’s schedule needs to change?

What we currently have: 8

What we have is not acceptable: 3

Skipped: 2

Comments

What we have currently is not great but we have a history of making things worse whenever we make changes. -NOliver

It sucks only having a small portion of weekends off – LSenst

I am fine with the current schedule, but would be open too new ideas – TWegner

I think what we have is good, and switching to a 10 or 12 hour rotation would be too hard. Adding a power shift, 11-1900 would be good though. – CSanchez

I believe what we have is a good balance of set days off and weekend days. I, of course, want the jail schedule, but that is not legally possible according to management. – JHoffman

2. We have to have a 40 hour work week. We are not exempt and our insurance bids are based on a 40 hour work week. If changes were to be made in Metro schedule how would you prioritize these changes?

10 hr shifts – 6

8 hour shifts with more rotations – 3

8 hours set – 2

I don’t want changes  - 2

No Comments

3. How do you feel about different start times?

 

I like set shifts – 7

Will not affect that much – 4

Independence – 2

 

If there is a change to start times, we should go back to changing at 0600, 1400, 2300.. it's becoming an officer safety issue with radio traffic – S Kennerly

 

Go back to 0600-1400, 1400-2200, 2200-0600 - TRust

I would like to go back to 0600-1400 but I don’t want to have to change again.  I know it sounds like I am contradicting myself.  If I had a choice I would work 0600-1400 but if that means making a major change then forget it.  I am tired of changing the schedule and talking about it.  – BDimercurio

4. Having experience diversity on shifts is something some people feel strong about. Too many divisions and it actually conflicts with seniority. In the past we have had division of x<1,  x<2,  ACO,  Supervisors. (The less than 2 years was an understanding as our contract has probation employees and non-probation employees.) Do you think that is adequate?

We should add more divisions – 3

We should stay – 5

Eliminate divisions – 3

 

 

ACOs should be on the same level as standard operators with regards to seniority. – NOliver

there needs to be more experienced operators spread divided out among the shifts.. there is no reason to stack A shift with 50 years experience and C shift with 2 days experience – SKennerly

The more divisions there are the more seniority is compromised. Someday it will affect everyone. – JHoffman

5. We know the comittee will present stuff, but is there other things can you think of when comes to scheduling?

 

LEAVE IT ALONE - BDimercurio

I am joining the committee so hopefully we can do something that will satisfy the most people. – JHoffman

Go back to the 0600, 1400, 2200 start times. 8 hour shifts. – TRust

Our scheduling should take metro employees into account to a greater degree than outside agencies. - NOliver

So there you have it... I think what we have is the winner with try for 10s in 2nd place. The general feel I get is "We don't hate what we have, going back an hour would be nice, but I fear we will screw it up more if we change it." -- Feel free to comment. I am sure the committee will send out more trying to get more information...

Long one but good

Good day all.

The survey results are in. Thanks to all who responded.

In ranking the importance vacation, COLA took 1^st and 2^nd place (place then how many people voted).

1 – Vacation Leave (1^st 3, 2^nd 5, 3^rd 1, 4^th 1)

2 – COLA (1^st 3, 2^nd 4, 3^rd 3, 4^th 0)

3 – General Pay (1^st 3, 2^nd 1, 3^rd 5, 4^th 1)

4 – Uniform (1^st 1, 2^nd 0, 3^rd 1, 4^th 8)

For cost of living adjustment 1.6 is acceptable but ask for more knowing they will probably go low.

1.6 acceptable – 3

Go for More – 3

No 0 – 1

Other – 3

Comments:

Go for more… but is acceptable LGiles

Go for more – RLogan

Ask for more with the exception that we would probably get around the 1.5 but start at 3+  -LSenst

A majority feels our uniform policy is just right

It is just right – 7

It is too undefined – 2

Other – 1

Comments:
I do not want it to change. Those who choose to wear articles of clothing that don't fit should be dealt with on a case by case basis – Bdimercurio

Our vacation is currently acceptable, but people want more.

Leave it -3

Switch to PTO – 2

Go for more – 2

Other – 3

Switch to PTO and go for MORE!! – LSenst

If continue the ETO program it is acceptable.. if that were to go away i would say go for more – Lgiles

Go for more or switch to pto – Rlogan

A majority of us feel we are paid competitively…

We are paid competitively – 6

We are not paid competitively – 0

Neutral – 2

Other – 2

I think we are paid ok, but I think when you factor in the lack of vacation/pto/eto/sick, I think we need to increase one or the other. – LSenst

When the starting wage for new Operators is adjusted, the wage of current operators should be adjusted to match the change. – BDimercurio

Thoughts on shift

More staffing is always better... but need to justify it... for money reasons. would be nice to have minimum of 8 at all times... just not sure can afford it ... I think better than previous years... – LGiles

It is great having enough people to staff without forcing overtime. Also great to be able to take vacation on short notice without being denied due to staffing. I could see staffing level increase by +1 for all shifts with the number of people employed. Running at Functional Minimum is always stressful. – JPudas

I think we need to switch to 12/10 hours to allow every other weekend off. This would eliminate alot of people's vacation time as it seems like weekends are our big ticket time to get off. – LSenst

After working both unstaffed shifts and staffed shifts I really prefer staffed shifts!! it would be nice to make sure B shift never drops below 9 and I think C shift should never drop below 8, I feel bad for them on the nights they work with 6.. I think it's unsafe and stressful. – SKennerly

B shift needs more people. Alot of us would like to go back to 2p to 10p or go to 12 hour shifts. I think seniority needs to be spread more across shifts. There should be shift bid with increments of 5 years so it spreads it out. – JMcCart

B is the worst. All summer you are pretty much a minimums, unable to use ETO/Vacation yourself when you get spread thin. And its the most busy, you get burnt out fast. Need to staff up during summer months. – BMorrow

We need to train people to just take calls. Some people who have gone through the training process are great at taking calls but not so good at dispatching. We need to consider hiring just call takers. – BDimercurio

As far as staffing goes I think we are good to go. As for the shifts, the supervisors need to do more to keep the peace, or real in the hostility. Not really a union issue. – CSanchez

This is a small box for all my thoughts. I think B shift should get the shift differential. I would like the same schedule as MCSO/County Jail. – JHoffman

Need more staffing, I am pretty open to shifts as long as I get weekends periodically – RLogan

So there you have you it with the current survey. Vacation leave is the number one priority and then COLA.

The cooperation meeting on Thursday went well. LeNora, Paul, Jesseca, and myself spoke about a timeline for negotiations. There was some confusion on hour adjust of whether or not hour adjust is guaranteed, and if the person should be offered the time for a vacancy 1^st or hour adjust should be canceled. A paragraph in the new policy will be rewritten to clarify.

Another thing spoken about is schedule hours worked. A lot of feedback was given on the floor about how late shift bid was this year and we would like to avoid that next year. Any changes to shift bid itself will be done in May/June. Faber has approached Jesseca about trying his proposal for 2018 start talking in January. Shift bid will hopefully be DONE before the end of October with vacation in November. (I would like to put forward that the Union should get to vote on major schedule changes that affect the whole center but will get feedback from you guys before moving forward with that.)

LeNora has accepted the position of Vice President. I have accepted the position of President. Craig Sanchez has accepted treasurer.

Union dues are going up for 2017 after not going up for 3 years to $23.60 per pay period.

Next focus will be vacation leave (the number 1 chosen), questions about shift incentive (it is a contract issue) I may send out another survey. For encouraging discussion it will not be anonymous. Feel free to put comments here - though an email to me letting me know you did would be good as well.

Weapons Survery Results

Hello Afscme 3516,

First of all I would like to thank our newest members – Dustin Odegard, Brandi Morrow, and Craig Sanchez for joining. As we go forward we are going to have negotiations in 2017 as well as a possible legislation presentation if we are reclassified. Fresh ideas are good.

As you are all aware the survey was to be completed yesterday and responses have been totaled. Remember I select the surveys as anonymous so I do not know how everyone voted, or who left comments.

Do you feel Safe Outside of Metro Communications on the property?

Yes – 8

No – 4

Other – 1

Comment left:

There are often times where there are transients outside. I personally feel safe because i'm trained in self defense but I know some other people - especially the females - have had times where they feel unsafe in the parking lot due to transients and intoxicated subjects.

Do you feel safe WITHIN Metro Communications?

Yes - 11

No - 2

No Comments left.

Do you feel comfortable with guns in Metro Communications?

Yes - 6

No - 6

Other- 1

Comments left:

I feel safe with the option of a LOCKBOX that people could carry their guns inside and then lockt hem up while on duty here. But I do NOT feel safe with people carrying them while on duty inside metro. There are too many people with minimum gun safety experience who still carry guns. I feel that it will become more of a "show and tell thing" for some co workers who want to just show off their guns to eachother. If its truly for safety and if someone were to open fire INSIDE metro...having a lock box in the break room or managment area would be close enough for someone to go get their firearm.

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i think it should be a personal option since pd/deputies carry their duty weapon on them when they visit (not lodging at jail)

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LE Only

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We have a comfortable workplace and I think guns would turn into a game of show and tell. Some people are paranoid about weapons, like it or not. Lockboxes do not add any security as going to get a weapon, if an active shooter came here, would take to much time and would add to confusion of uniformed responders coming in. If we had a uniform then I would be more comfortable with lockboxes.

Do you feel Afscme 3516 should support guns within Metro Communications?

Yes - 3

No - 8

Abstain - 2

Comments left:

If they were to allow a lockbox of sort so no one was carrying guns on their person while working - i would be okay with it. I dont see the need for people to carry their guns on their waist while at work. I feel it will become more of a showing off thing instead of a safety thing.

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I do not have a strong opinion either way.

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I am ambivalent, maybe have a lockbox or something.

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i don't think the union needs to be involved in this, it's a management issue

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Leave them in the car

So there you have it, the official stance of Afscme 3516 is not supporting guns in Metro. If there is enough support we may send another survey out about lock-boxes, but as of right now it is an issue you can speak to Supervisor/Office admin about it. I have no idea where the lock-boxes are.

(Hoffman note: I do not own a handgun so have no personal pony in this, if someone happens to have an extra glock...   :P   )

Thank you all for voting, and for your comments. I appreciate them all.

Any questions let me know. - Jared

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