Council Communication

Ratification of new agreement with the IBEW Local 659
Meeting Date:	June 21, 2005		Primary Staff Contact:	Michael Franell 488-5350 franellm@ashland.or.us
Department:	Administration		Secondary Staff Contact:	Tina Gray, 552-2101 grayt@ashland.or.us
Contributing Departments:	Human Resources
Approval:	Gino Grimaldi

Statement: The labor agreement with the IBEW Local 659, who represents our clerical/technical employees, expires June 30, 2005. We have reached tentative agreement on the terms of a successor contract.

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Background: The City has 5 separate collective bargaining groups plus its unrepresented employee group. Three of the five contracts are up for renewal this year. The City and the Union have met to try and negotiate a successor contract. The IBEW Local Union No. 659 voted to approve the tentative agreement this week. The agreement is being brought to the Council with a recommendation from management staff for ratification. The basic changes from the agreement are as follows: 1. We added an additional day of vacation for employees with less than four years of employment and for employees with 4 to nine years of employment. We added an additional two days of vacation per year for employees with more than nine years of continuous employment with the City. 2. Employees may accrue up to two years worth of vacation accrual, instead of one in the current contract. 3. It was clarified that overtime pay would only be paid if the employee worked more than 40 hours in a work week. The current contract provides overtime will be paid for all hours worked outside of a normal work shift. This has resulted in overtime claims for part-time employees working additional hours. 4. Each employee will begin participating in their health insurance costs by paying 5% of the premium through payroll deduction. 5. Blue Cross Medicheck coverage option for retirees will be eliminated for any employees retiring after June 30, 2006. 6. Each employee in the bargaining unit will receive a two percent wage increase July 1, 2005, a two percent wage increase January 1, 2006, and a wage increase equivalent to the all US CPI-W, not less than 2.5% nor more than 4% on July 1 of the three remaining years of the agreement. 7. The City will offer the employees in the bargaining unit a Section 125 Plan, permitting the pretax contribution of the employee's share of the health insurance premiums and allowing the employees to participate in the medical flexible spending accounts and dependent care accounts. 8. The agreement will be for a four-year term.

Related City Policies: The City has a policy of providing its employees with a fair, competitive salary and benefit package.

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Council Options: The Council can ratify the agreement as presented. The Council can reject the agreement and provide staff direction as to the objectionable provisions.

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Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends the Council ratify the new labor agreement as presented.

Potential Motions: I move the Council ratify the proposed labor agreement between the City of Ashland and the Local Union No. 659 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Clerical/Technical).

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Attachments: Click on the PDF file link below to view the following attachments:    • Proposed Labor agreement.

IBEW Agreement.pdf (146.5KB)

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