Agreement has been reached between the negotiators on behalf of the City and the Communication Officers Association (COA). This Agreement, if approved by Council, is effective July 1, 1999 through December 31, 2003. COA general membership ratified this agreement on October 13, 1999. This report recommends that the Salary Resolution be amended to implement the agreed upon provisions of the COA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The MOU with COA expired on June 30, 1999. Negotiators for the City and COA began the meet and confer process in late May and successfully completed negotiations in a period of less than five months.

The general provisions of the proposed amendments are as follows:

Effective retroactively to July 11, 1999 the differential between Dispatcher and Senior Dispatcher has been increased from 10.0% to 14.5%. The estimated annual cost for this change is approximately $13,500. Due to recruitment, career growth potential, and retention issues, this issue would have been addressed outside of the negotiations process had the negotiations not occurred when they did. Therefore this cost is excluded from the cost figure reported under Fiscal Impact.

Effective with the pay period beginning October 31, 1999, a second level of compensation will be effective for Translator/Bilingual skills when the proficiency level of the employee is Level 7 or higher; the employee will receive fifty dollars ($50.00) per month.

Effective the pay period beginning October 31, 1999, employees assigned as Trainers shall be compensated on actual hours worked during the assignment at a rate of five percent (5%) above the employee’s normal base pay.

The City shall adopt the necessary resolutions and obtain written confirmation of compliance from PERS to report the value of employer paid member contributions (EPMC) of seven percent (7.0%) as additional compensation for each COA-represented employee retroactive to July 1999. The cost of this benefit is shared with COA.

Effective with the plan year beginning January 2000, employees will have the option of reducing their medical coverage and receiving payment of a portion of what otherwise would be the City contribution. Depending on the coverage dropped, the employee will be eligible to receive a monthly payment of twenty dollars ($20.00) to one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00).

Employees will have the option to pay their insurance premium contributions on a pre-tax basis, as provided by the Internal Revenue Code.

Effective June 27, 1999, two new levels have been added to the vacation accrual schedule which will provide an accrual level of seven (7) hours per pay period for employees with 521-650 pay periods of service (20-25 years of service), and an accrual level of eight (8) hours per pay period for employees with 651 or more pay periods of service (25 or more years of service). In addition, the maximum vacation accrual has been increased to 400 hours.

Effective retroactively to the pay period beginning June 27, 1999, in-lieu holiday pay has been increased to 88 hours (3.39 hours per pay period), which is equivalent to the eleven holidays currently provided to other full-time employees.

Employees will now have the opportunity to elect to convert unused floating holiday to vacation at calendar year end instead of being paid off for such unused hours.

The annual maximum accrual has been increased to 160 hours and the rolling cap eliminated.

A detailed grievance/MOU interpretation impasse procedure has been added to the MOU, which contains the same provisions as those included in the PSOA 1997-2003 MOU.

The Association may prepare a new employee information packet which shall be given by the City to appropriate employees during the Department of Human Resources orientation of new employees.

The City and the Association will continue the previously established committee for the resolution of problems, formed to resolve labor-management issues in a way that maximizes the chances of mutual agreement.

Modifications have been made in the language of the articles on Recognition, Non-Discrimination, Federal Mandates/Social Security, Full Understanding, Modifications, and Waivers, Shift Selection, Days Off Rotation, Special Schedules, Disability Leave, and Testing for City Vacancies (Rule of List). Language has also been included for Medical Appointment Leave and scheduling of Medical Appointment Leave, Out-of-Class Premium Pay, and reference to the City’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program and the Civil Service Rules and Regulations.

The new or modified provisions within the COA agreement have been covered above.

The cost to the City to implement the first year of this Agreement is approximately $9,600. Costs for the terms and provisions of the new COA agreement have been included in the Budget for Fiscal Year 1999/2000.

The public is notified of this action through placement on the City Council agenda. Employees represented by COA are notified by receipt of a copy of the corresponding MOU and a copy of this report to the COA president.

Alternative #1; adopt the Salary Resolution amendments as proposed, and implement the provisions of the COA MOU.

Prepared by:

Reviewed by:

David L. Nieto
Director, Human Resources

Approved by:

Robert S. LaSala
City Manager