In This Issue:
Committee Membership and Accomplishments
Potential New Benefits
Mental Health Forms
Committee
Voluntary Time Banks
 our Premier Issue! |
Welcome to our Premier Issue!
In This Issue:
Committee Membership and Accomplishments
Potential New Benefits
Mental Health Forms
Committee
Voluntary Time Banks
our Premier Issue! |
Welcome to our Premier Issue!
Welcome to the Premier Issue of our Labor-Management Committee Newsletter! The accomplishments you are about to learn about are the result of the creation of a Labor-Management Committee between UPEC and the County --- an historic agreement as the County has never entered into something like this before with one of its unions.
The Labor-Management Committee was negotiated in the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County of Riverside and United Public Employees of California (UPEC), LIUNA Local 777. The County agreed to establish a Labor-Management Committee for the bargaining units represented by UPEC that would meet monthly to discuss workplace issues. The Committee reviews any issue presented by UPEC or County management from a "problem-solving" rather than "adversary" perspective, attempting to seek resolution in a way that benefits both sides.
The UPEC Labor-Management Committee held its first meeting on July 17, 1998, and has met each month since then.Please call the Los Angeles office at (213) 380-6678 to R.S.V.P. and for more information.
Committee membership
The Committee membership is comprised of County Human Resources staff and UPEC staff and members. Ron Komers, Assistant CEO/Human Resources Director, represents the County while UPEC participation includes Fred Lowe, Carol Macera, Roxanne McLean, Jennifer Grondahl, Linda Jefferson, Dee De Jong, Jeannette Perez, Stephen Switzer, Sandra Brown, David Klingensmith, Ryan Douglas, Carmen Franco, and Voyce-Jo Leeka-Castagno. Committee members have consistently attended each meeting. Additional participation
The Human Resources Department has been encouraged several agency/department heads to attend the Committee meetings. Ken Cohen has attended representing the Health Services Agency, Tauna Mallis represents the Assessor/Clerk & Recorder's Office, Dick Tornero attends on behalf of the Department of Public Social Services, Gary Raley from the Consolidated Courts, and Assistant Sheriff Bob Doyle has been asked to represent Sheriff Larry Smith.
Meeting highlights
At the August 1998 meeting, Human Resources staff provided the Committee with a presentation of the Resumix System. Dave Wahlquist and Corinna Laffond performed a computerized demonstration and provided a question and answer period. Discussion included ideas about how to make sure all employees know about Resumix and what could be done to assist them in filling out the resumes in ways that will maximize their opportunities for promotion. UPEC committee members then asked that Corinna do a presentation at a UPEC membership meeting, which she subsequently did.
At the September meeting, Carol Keating from Human Resources attended to provide an overview of the Short Term Disability (STD) process and to address complaints from UPEC related to STD. A mechanism was then created that will facilitate resolution of complaints, allowing for UPEC Representatives to work with Carol who in turn will be working with the administrators directly who handle the STD program.
Other individuals who have made presentations include Doris Paxton, also from Human Resources Department, who has been providing regular updates on the parity and reclassification studies concerning UPEC classifications, as well as Edward Corser, County Finance Director, who has been providing quarterly updates on the County's fiscal situation. Proposal adopted for new Career Development Floater Program
On July 6, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support a proposal from the Labor-Management Committee to create a pilot program to allow employees who are looking for additional promotional opportunities to "float" as a means of assisting those who are seeking additional career ladders for advancement.
What's a "floater?"
A floater is someone who will be assigned to fill in throughout the County on an as-needed basis, getting an opportunity to work in various Departments, thereby experiencing many different work environments. Floater positions will be Regular County positions with benefits, assigned to Human Resources, Temporary Assistance Program (TAP). HR will determine your assignment.
What classifications are eligible?
For now there are just two pilot programs. HR is starting one throughout the County, hiring four Office Assistant III's and four Senior Accounting Assistants. DPSS will have its own pilot program where you would float only through DPSS. They are hiring one Office Assistant III, one DPSS Office Support Supervisor II, two Eligibility Technician II's, two Employment Service Counselor II's, and one Social Service Worker II. Who came up with this idea?
The Labor-Management Committee came up with this to address issues surrounding the TAP Program. UPEC acknowledged the County's need for temporary workers, but expressed concerns about TAP employees coming in off the streets and being given a potential "leg-up" for promotions by getting to work in various departments. UPEC asked, "Why can't our members be given those opportunities and let the TAP employees fill in for our members?" And so, this very creative idea was born…
Will the opportunity to participate In this floater concept grow?
We hope so! If the initial candidates hired do a good job we believe that since the demand is going to be there the Board will be supportive of making this six-month pilot program permanent and increase participation to match that demand! If you are interested in applying please contact Assistant Human Resources Director Dave Wahlquist at: 955-3587 or at mailstop 1157 or at: Dwahli@co.riverside.ca.us.
Issues we are working on
Short Term Disability (STD)
In light of the many complaints UPEChas received concerning the County's third party administrator of Short Term Disability, the Committee formed a subcommittee comprised of Carol Keating, HR Benefits Manager, and Kirsty Burkhart, former UPEC Employee Representative. The subcommittee successfully resolved some pending complaints, while creating open communication to better assist HR management and union staff. UPEC also developed a system to log STD complaints which will be piloted for at least six months. Additional staff for Human Resources
At the August 1998 Committee meeting, UPEC staff expressed concern over the ability to expedite arbitration matters within the Employee Relations Division of Human Resources. In October, Mr. Komers requested the Board of Supervisors consider adding back two Human Resources Team Leaders, one Senior Human Resources Analyst and one Employee Relations Representative to the Human Resources Department. At that meeting, UPEC staff urged the Board to approve the positions, stating that the positions would ensure quicker resolution of outstanding grievances and pending disciplinary actions, as well as other administrative procedures.
Since then, a new Employee Relations Representative has been hired by Human Resources, and grievance and disciplinary actions are beginning to be resolved more quickly.
Deferred Compensation
At the request of Rodney Mark Frazier, UPEC member, Ron Komers agreed to ask the Deferred Compensation Committee to consider lowering the minimum amount of the transaction fee. Pursuant to Mr. Komers' recommendation, the Deferred Compensation Committee agreed to lower the fee from $10 to $2.
Potential New Benefits
Flexible Spending Accounts
Your Labor-Management Committee is discussing new benefits to offer you. One very exciting benefit we are discussing would be the creation of Flexible Benefit Accounts.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) is a tax-effective way to pay for unreimbursed medical, dental, vision, or dependent care expenses. They enable you to set aside money in special accounts from which your funds are released for certain health care or dependent care expenses. Funds deposited in an FSA are not included in your taxable wages and no income taxes are withheld. Your taxable income is reduced by the amount contributed to the account, so you pay less in taxes. Although there are some limitations, FSA's are potentially a very valuable benefit.
Dependent Care
FSA's can be used to pay for the care of an eligible dependent while you work. Some examples of legitimate deductions from your gross salary in this area include: expenses where the care is provided out-side your household including a childcare or daycare center. Eligible expenses do not include payments to any individual who is a dependent of you or your spouse, or tuition expenses.
Health Care
FSA's can be used if you expect to incur health care expenses for yourself or your eligible dependents that are not reimbursed by any medical, dental, or vision plans.
Eligible expenses can include vision care, including eyeglasses, contact lenses, and radial keratotomy; dental care, including orthodontia and dentures; infertility treatments; acupuncture; and medical equipment such as wheelchairs and crutches.
Examples of ineligible expenses include marriage or family counseling, cosmetic surgery and hair transplants, health club dues, and nonprescription medication.
Stay tuned as we are hoping to have a firm start date for this for our next issue!
Voluntary Time Bank discussed for catastrophic illness
The Voluntary Time Bank Program has been discussed at the Labor-Management Committee meetings and we believe it is important for you to fully understand how the Program works. To be eligible for the Program (usually referred to as the Catastrophic Illness Time Bank) the employee must be in a regular budgeted position.
The process works as follows: When an employee (or family member) is off work due to a catastrophic illness or injury for an extended period of time, and a financial hardship is created because the employee will exhaust all benefit time, the employee's department head may request a Time Bank be established by Human Resources.
You are only eligible to receive donated leave time for illness or injury to you or an immediate family member that is of a "catastrophic" nature, which means the injury or illness would be preventing you from returning to work for an extended period of time and would be also creating a financial hardship as well. The employee must exhaust all accumulated leave prior to becoming eligible for the Time Bank. The employee will need to provide verification of illness or injury on an "Attending Physician's Statement to Support Leave or Return from Leave."
All donations to the Time Bank are operated by the Human Resources Department. If you would like to help someone by contributing you may donate vacation, holiday accrual or administrative leave. Sick leave or comp time cannot be donated.
If you would like to make a contribution you may do so provided the donated hours do not reduce your accrued time (vacation, holiday, comp, sick or administrative leave) to less than 168 hours (combined). The donated hours are changed to cash value and credited to the employee at their hourly rate. Donated credits may be for a maximum of 12 continuous months for any one illness. More information regarding Time Banks can be found in Salary Ordinance #440, Section D-65, or the UPEC MOU, Article XVIII beginning on Page 59.
 Director Ron Komers; Local 777 Representatives, Betty Anderson, Carol Macera, and Business Manager Fred Lowe. Also attending was City of Pasadena Water and Power Department Head Rufus Hightower |
Committee members attend conference at Harvard University
A few months ago, UPEC Business Manager Fred Lowe was honored by being invited to Harvard University to attend an Executive Institute on Labor-Management Cooperation for State and Local Government on April 28-May 1. A requirement for attending included inviting a Management Team member and Ron Komers, Assistant CEO/Human Resources Director agreed to attend. Also attending was UPEC Staff Supervisor Carol Macera.
The conference included many interesting speakers from throughout the country. They explained that Labor-Management cooperation only works if both sides want it to work. Many of the speakers also expressed the opinion that there is not "one road to success" or set of rules that if we just followed would guarantee results, as this is a mutually collaborative process. We learned that each Committee creates its own road, full of potholes and detours along the way but a road that (if both sides persevere!) nevertheless leads to a better-run public Agency for the County, its employees, and, most importantly of all, the taxpayers.
Mental Health establishes Leadership Partnership Committee
Last November, the unions and management representatives at the Mental Health Department launched a comprehensive labor management Leadership Partnership. They named themselves "Leadership Partnership" because they believed every-one in the organization has a leadership responsibility, not just the managers. That meant that all the parties needed to develop business literacy skills so they could share the responsibility and accountability of achieving the twin goals of collaboration: increased organization effectiveness (service) and enhanced employee morale. They launched their effort at a three day off site team building event at Arrowhead Springs conference center in the San Bernardino Mountains. For the past six months they have been learning Path of Dialogue skills and basic labor-management committee effectiveness tools.
They have started several major initiatives including an employee opinion survey, a quiet room for meditation, and a revitalized employee suggestion program, while solving parking problems and working on communication issues as they arise. Nine members selected by management and nine members selected by the employees through their unions meet all day every other week to learn new collaboration, problem solving, decision making, strategic planning and organization development skills.
They are working to create a work environment characterized by high levels of trust, dignity, respect, courage, customer service, accountability and honesty. They have committed themselves to the seven basic principles of: self design, integration, representation, equality, empowerment, wholeness and stewardship.
They are currently spelling out what their core values will look like when everyone is acting in ways consistent with those values.
Please see their web page at http://www.taylor-nelson.com/ITF.html for minutes, purpose, glossary of terms, values, purpose and upcoming events
When Do We Meet?
Meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at Risk Management, 2001 Iowa Avenue, Suite 108B from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meeting dates in 1999 are: July 14, August 12, September 9, October 13, November 10, and December 15.
Newsletter contributors
Ron Komers, Carol Keating, Shirley Funk, Fred Lowe, Linda Jefferson, and Lisa Pina.
