Title
Human Resources Department recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 044-2018 approving the negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County of El Dorado and the El Dorado County Probation Officers Association representing the Probation Bargaining Unit;
2) Authorize the Chair to sign said MOU, noting the MOU will be effective the first full pay period following Union ratification and Board of Supervisors adoption of the MOU and shall remain in effect through December 31, 2019;
3) Direct Human Resources and the Auditor-Controller's Office to administer and implement the MOU provisions.
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Human Resources Department recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 044-2018 approving the negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County of El Dorado and the El Dorado County Probation Officers Association representing the Probation Bargaining Unit;
2) Authorize the Chair to sign said MOU, noting the MOU will be effective the first full pay period following Union ratification and Board of Supervisors adoption of the MOU and remaining in effect shall through December 31, 2019;
3) Direct Human Resources and the Auditor-Controller's Office to administer and implement the MOU provisions.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The term of the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County of El Dorado (County) and El Dorado County Probation Officers Association (EDCPOA), representing the Probation (PR) bargaining unit, ended on June 30, 2016.
Pursuant to the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (Government Code sections 3500 et seq.), EDCPOA and representatives of the County have met and conferred in good faith regarding wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment of employees in the PR bargaining unit. The County and EDCPOA jointly prepared a successor MOU reflecting agreed revisions to certain terms and conditions. Subject to the provisions in the MOU, those revised terms and conditions with a County cost impact are summarized below, along with the estimated annual cost.
1. Base wages will not be adjusted through June 30, 2018. PR bargaining unit members shall receive for the 2018 health plan year only, a one-time payment of $1,950, divided by and paid out in installments in each of the remaining benefit pay periods for the 2018 plan year following Board of Supervisors approval of this MOU - estimated one-time cost: FY 17/18 $87,000; FY 18/19 $87,000.
2. Effective the first full pay period in July 2018, the County will increase base wages for employees in the PR bargaining unit to ensure that benchmark job classifications within the bargaining unit are at approximately 10% (+/- 1%) of the median market average utilized by the County. The County will increase the base wages of non-benchmark job classifications to maintain current internal ties and percentage wage differences between ranks - estimated annual cost: $583,000.
a. The median market average was determined through a study conducted by Koff & Associates and revised by the County; the benchmark classes consisted of Deputy Probation Officer II, Deputy Probation Officer II - Institutions, Supervising Deputy Probation Officer, and Supervising Deputy Probation Officer - Institutions.
b. The classifications receiving a salary increase include:
• Supervising Deputy Probation Officer Institutions - +13.05%
• Supervising Deputy Probation Officer - +12.65%
• Deputy Probation Officer I - +10.44%
• Deputy Probation Officer II - +10.44%
• Sr. Deputy Probation Officer - +10.44%
• Deputy Probation Officer I Institutions - +4.59%
• Deputy Probation Officer II Institutions - +4.59%
• Sr. Deputy Probation Officer Institutions - +4.59%
Employees represented by this bargaining unit who are hired on or after the date the Board of Supervisors adopts this MOU will not be eligible for longevity pay. Employees hired prior to the day the Board of Supervisors adopts this MOU who have not achieved the first longevity tier (5.0% at 10 years of service) will receive that longevity tier once they reach 10 years of service; however, these employees will not be eligible for any further longevity pay increases. Employees already receiving longevity pay shall be frozen at the longevity rate currently received by the employee and shall not be eligible for any further longevity increases. Estimated ongoing annual savings - $356,000.
Other Terms and Conditions which are recommended for update, and which have little or no known direct cost impact include, but are not limited to:
• Addition of language to provide that post-probationary employees shall automatically advance to the next higher step in the salary range after completion of twenty-six (26) pay periods satisfactory service, until the top of the range is reached, unless otherwise denied by the appointing authority within the provisions of the MOU.
• Clarification that vacation and sick leave accruals cannot be used in the pay period in which the hours are earned.
• Clarification of language related to holiday pay.
• Continuation and incorporation of language from an existing side letter to specify that employees may participate in the County-sponsored retiree health plan at their own cost, provided they meet the criteria.
• Deletion of language related to the OE3 Trust Health Plan, as Operating Engineers Local No. 3 (OE3) no longer represents the PR bargaining unit.
Additional “house-keeping” language changes are included in the recommended MOU.
The MOU, which cancels all previous agreements and shall supersede any policies, practices, or ordinance provisions with which it may be in conflict, shall become of full force and effect upon approval and adoption by the Board of Supervisors and shall remain in effect through December 31, 2019. Nothing contained in the MOU shall be applied on a retroactive basis unless specifically stated.
ALTERNATIVES
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
El Dorado County Probation Officers Association
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The maximum combined annual fiscal impact of the new MOU is estimated at $757,000.
The changes to longevity pay will realize an eventual savings (cost avoidance) of approximately $356,000, which will then continue on an on-going annual basis.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk will obtain the signature of the Chair on the Resolution and return one (1) copy to Human Resources (Attention: Misty Garcia); and,
2) Human Resources will provide the Clerk with three (3) original MOUs for the Chair to sign upon ratification by EDCPOA; and
3) The Clerk will return two (2) original MOUs to Human Resources (Attention: Misty Garcia) once fully executed by the Chair and retain one (1) fully executed agreement for the Board.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance
CONTACT
Tameka Usher, Director of Human Resources