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Minutes 10-21-03MINUTES OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING SESSION BETWEEN THE NATTONAL CONFERENCE OF FIREMEN & OTLERS BLUE COLLAR WORKERS AND THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH~ HELD ON FRI~DAY, OCTOBER 21~ 2003 AT 9:30 A.M. I~N CONFERENCE ROOM B~ CTTY HALL~ BOYNTON BEACH~ FLORIDA Present For the City: For NCF&O: Call to Order Wilfred Hawkins, Assistant City Manager Arthur Lee, Director of Human Resources Sharon Munley, President of Local 1227 Michael Osborn, Union Steward Bob Kruper, Union Steward Don Roberts, Union Steward Rick Smith, Union Steward Richard Stone, Union Steward Michael Taylor, Union Steward John Wolcott, Union Steward Mr. Hawkins called the meeting to order at 9:55 a.m. A sign in sheet was distributed. ADDroval of Minutes of October :[0r 2003 After a brief minutes review by the parties, it was agreed that the minutes were acceptable as presented. Review of Article Status Mr. Lee distributed an updated matrix and reviewed it item by item. The Preamble, Recognition, Rights of Employees, Strikes, and Representation of the City have T.A. The T.A. next to Non-Discrimination should be removed since that agreement was reached in the White Collar unit only. Tentative Agreement (T.A.) has also been reached on Bulletin Boards, Military Leave (with additional language to include City's policy), Jury Duty, Posting of Agreement, Tool Replacement (with additional language of $750 annually and City replaces specialty tools), Personnel Files, Savings Clause, Pension, Substance Abuse, Probationary Period, Bonus Days, Longevity Benefit (with additional language to coincide with City's policy), and all other items are Open for Discussion. Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 Tuition Reimbursement Mr. Lee referred to the APM and a Letter of Understanding that outlined the City's policy on Tuition Reimbursement, a copy of which was provided to Ms. Munley. She mentioned that if they agreed, they should re-key the tuition reimbursement MOU into the contract and not just refer to it as someone suggested. At 10:23 a.m. there was a fire drill, The meeting reconvened at 10:36 a.m, Maintenance of Conditions/Collateral Documents/Management Rights Ms. Munley feels there is a big problem with Maintenance of Conditions and the related articles of Collateral Documents and Nanagement Rights. The Union wants Maintenance of Conditions to stay the way it is in the effective agreement (the one that just expired). Ms. Munley stated that working conditions should remain the same unless the contract specifies that the parties want to do something in a different way. Ms. Munley felt that this was necessary due to other Union exposures in the contract such as Collateral Documents that apply to the Union with no negotiation and contain rules applying to the Union of which they are unaware. In Collateral Documents, there are rules that the City wants to apply to the Union and the Union does not know that they exist - they have not been negotiated. She also expressed concern about Item F in the Management Rights article, wishing to replace reasonab/e grounds with just cause. Discipline Discussion Ms. Munley stated that the PPM did not cover the Union, contrary to what the City puts on its disciplinary notices. Mr. Lee asked what they were covered by and Ms. Munley responded, "the labor agreement." Mr. Lee stated that there was nothing on discipline in the labor agreement. Ms. Munley said that the City would do progressive discipline like it had always done and that this was a Maintenance of Conditions issue. If the City wants something in the agreement, it should be negotiated. Mr. Hawkins stated that the current agreement was silent as to discipline, and it needed to be addressed. Mr. Smith stated that they had always gone by Scott Miller's policy in the APM. Mr. Hawkins stated that the Miller policy was similar to the PPM language in the White Collar contract on progressive discipline but he preferred the PPM language because it was more explicit, especially about the level of activities that would be required to go from point A to point B in the process. Ms. Hunley felt that the White Collar discipline policy was much too wordy, but agreed that some kind of po/icy shou/d be written down. Mr. Hawkins asked the Union again to take a closer look at the PPM language on discipline. He did not think the issue should be silent in the agreement. Ms. Munley asked to see a copy of the Scott Miller APM 2 Meeting Hinutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 policy. Hr. Hawkins gave Ms. Hunley a copy of Administrative Policy Manual 6.7.3, Personnel Policies, Progressive Discipline - referred to earlier as the Scott Hiller policy. Hr. Lee stated that while there was reference in the effective agreement pertaining to appealing discipline, progressive discipline was something that management applies. It does not always start from point A and proceed to point Z, but is applied based on the nature of the offense. A lot of the grievances that appear before him are a result of the Union's disagreement with how management has applied progressive or any discipline in a given instance. In light of that, Hr. Lee asked the Union if they preferred to continue to leave such matters up to the discretion of management, unguided by the specific procedures and definitions they had attempted to put in the PPM. Hr. Lee realized that it might appear wordy, but wanted to make it as specific as possible so that supervisors would have a guide that would enable them to make disciplinary judgments that match the nature of the offense. The detailed procedures in the PPM limit the supervisor's discretion. To develop a level of consistency in action among the supervisors, there has to be a structure surrounding the issue of discipline and the City has attempted to provide this structure in the PPM. He asked the Union to at least look at the language, and bring back issues on which they disagreed for discussion. Ns. I~lun/ey offered to g/ve /t the benefit of the doubt and read/t. Mr. Hawkins stated that in the various categories, the number of infractions it takes to get from written warnings to dismissal is outlined and each category gives examples of misconduct. This gives very little leeway for supervisors to make their own interpretations. If they look at the Discipline procedure in the PPM, they find out what conduct goes under which category, and have a clear cut idea of how to proceed if it is the first, second, third, or fourth offense, for example. Ms. Munley pointed to the serious misconduct item on page 33, and number 8 on page 34, pertaining to the inappropriate use of City resources, time, or equipment. The second time "it" happens, a person is dismissed. She was concerned about the way in which these policies would be applied and wanted to see a good example of what would constitute this kind of infraction. Hr. Hawkins stated that the procedure talked about looking at infractions on a case-by- case basis and the examples might need some work but basically, the City believes that the PPH language is specific, makes sense, and is fair. They were willing to talk about parts of it that were not acceptable to the Union. Misconduct leading to termination was discussed. Ms. Munley felt that a person should be fired on the spot for things like stealing money but not for insubordination since supervisors were much too quick to say something was insubordination, when it is not. She also stated that for regular misconduct, a series of steps proceed from verbal 3 Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 warnings to suspension or termination. Mr. Stone said they were: 1) verbal warning, 2) counseling, 3) written reprimand, 4) suspension/demotion, 5) termination. Hr. Hawkins said that the type of conduct in which that procedure would be applied had to be addressed, because there were some types of conduct for which that series of events would not apply, i.e. if it were proven that someone were stealing. Ms. Munley wanted a definition of unauthorized solicitation and Mr. Hawkins used the example of a person selling Girl Scout cookies at work. This is not allowed, and the employees themselves had asked for the policy, since they did not want to be pestered by people looking for money and selling them things. Ms. Munley commented on the statement about theft or removal of City property without proper authorization, saying that a person had once taken home a cart that had been in the dumpster, and got in trouble. Ms. Hunley felt that the list for getting fired immediately should contain things like stealing and physical violence and possibly some others, but they would have to talk about it. She thought that such a list should contain really bad infractions as opposed to things that could be made into really bad infractions through the interpretation of a supervisor. Ms. Hunley said that people have unions because if they get in trouble, they need to know that "just cause" is involved. Mr. Hawkins did not want supervisors or workers to disregard common sense and decency. It would not be possible to write down everything. If someone does something that is not written down as being serious or extreme, like being naked at work for example, he did not want it to be excused. Decency and common sense would have to enter into it. IVls. Hunley preferred those decisions to be made by upper management and not the supervisor at the bottom. Hr. Lee said that there were 900 people and 17 departments in the City and the supervisors had varying degrees of training. If the City were able to structure the discipline policy to an extent, then H.R. would not have to get calls from the supervisors saying, "Should it be a suspension or a reprimand?" It could be based on the structure written into the PPH and some judgment from the supervisor. Ms. Munley felt that these judgments were Hr. Lee's job. Hr. Lee did not believe it was his job to dictate these things to the supervisors. Ms. Hunley asked what happened to the supervisors when they did not perform their role properly at all. Hr. Smith stated that following the Scott Hiller philosophy was not working because actions were being taken by supervisors without justification. Mr. Hawkins felt that the PPM language would give more structure to the situation. He did not think that supervisors were totally disregarding it. Documentation had occurred to some extent. He also said that the City had to help the supervisors do it right. Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 Safety & Health Article/Safety Shoes Based on a three year contract, the City proposed a shoe allowance of $160/190/200 with $160 in the first year. The City is thinking in terms of reimbursement, to allow monitoring of the type of shoe/boot purchased in relation to a person's particular job function. A twice-yearly payment of half of the year's allowance to the employee was also an option. Nr. Hawk/ns indicated that tax wou/d be/nc/uded in the payment such that the emp/oyee wou/d receive the fu// amount spec/fled, and not have to pay more for taxes. Nr. Hawk/ns stated that if an individual w/shed to buy one pair that was more expensive, he or she cou/d submit the bi//for reimbursement at one time and it wou/d be honored, w/thin the contracted do#ar//m/ts in that year of the contract. If an individua/ requires a spec/a/b/boot or shoe that is more expensive, a doctor's note wi// be required. The C/bi wi//work on some language saying that the C/bi wi//provide spec/a/b/safety boots as necessary. The Safety Committee has established specific boots/shoes for specific job functions and that will apply, but the place of purchase will be up to the individual. The C/bi wi//cons/der/anguage that a//ows for replacement of shoes or boots for wear and tear, even if the a//owance for that year has been spent. Nr. Stone suggested not saying how many pa/rs of shoes/boots wou/d be a//owed in a given year and instead, to just state, "if your boots wear out, you wi//get another pair." Nr. Hawk/ns stated that if a person w/shed to spend the entire $160 on one pair or on severa/ pa/rs, they cou/d do so. Various people spoke of jobs where two pair of shoes or boots a year might not be enough such as meter readers, the recycle and side load truck drivers in Sanitation, and water plant mechanics/operators. The point was made that the current contract a//ows for rep/acement for wear and tear, assuming that the/nd/v/dua/has used the safety shoes on/y on-the-job. IYr. Hawk/ns stated that if the Un/on agreed to accept the two checks a year without st/pu/at/ng how many pa/rs to purchase, and/eft the wear and tear/anguage in the contract, he was fine w/th it. Mr. Taylor stated that safety shoes were covered but there was also the matter of specialty safety boots - insulated rubber boots that are used when employees have to go out in storms and check electrical panels and so forth. The City was currently providing a rubber dielectric boot, but the workers do not feel that they provide sufficient resistance to protect the workers in the conditions under which they work. They are really not insulated. Mr. Hawkins will discuss this with Utilities since he felt it was the City's job to provide the employees with what they needed in terms of safety to do their jobs. Ms. Munley suggested that this was an issue that Labor Management could work out. A discussion should be held and brought forward to the Safety Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 Committee. Later in the meeting, Mr. Hawkins stated that if Utilities management agreed that different boots would provide more safety, the City would provide them. The Union wanted to put safety shoes back into the Safety and Health art/cie and w/th the proper language, mutually agreed to, Hr. Hawk/ns had no problem with putting it back. The Union also wanted to use the Union's language since it included more than the City's version. Later in the meeting, the Un/on agreed to the do#ar amounts in Hr. Hawk/ns'proposal for annual reimbursement on safety shoes: $160/190/200 if a three-year contract and $160 if only one year. Ns. Nun/ey stated her understanding that the employee would be reimbursed at this rate upon presentation of a receipt. She inquired about what would happen if an individual did not spend his or her shoe allowance in a given year and whether they would somehow get that money anyway, and Hr. Hawk/ns stated, "Yes. "Ns. Nun/ey affirmed that the shoes would be purchased w/thin the specifications /aid out by the City, at a store of the employee's choosing. Specialty shoes for medical reasons are paid at 100% as we//as the dielectric boots. Hr. Hawk/ns stated that the City wants to supply the dielectric boots that would be the best for safety but had to discuss with management to get a better understanding of the issue. ~ifeguar#$ The Un/on wants the lifeguards to have good po/ar/zed sung/asses, iVr. Hawk/ns agreed to one pair a year, at a price not to exceed $120. Unauthorized Absence from Work The parties agreed that this had been discussed briefly in the Blue Collar group. Mr. Hawkins indicated that he had to discuss this with the City Attorney before finalizing. The same "just cause" thing came up in this discussion previously. Mr. Hawkins' recollection was the Personnel Director would make the decision about just cause, but the semantics were up in the air. The City is not disagreeing. Uniforms The Un/on asked for jackets bi-annually and the City agreed. After a discuss/on, the part/es both agreed to insert language stating that, "City employees are not allowed to purchase or use alcoholic beverages while in City un/form." I~ls. hCunley inquired about the language stating that, "Un/forms may be worn while traveling to and from work provided the employee does not stop in transit for persona/ 6 Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 bus/ness or act/v/t/es. What if a person had to stop to get milk and bread?" Pit. Hawk/ns said that would not be a problem. Color of Uniforms: Mr. Hawkins has reaffirmed that the City Manager wants the uniforms to be green. He felt that if the Union could get past the co/or issue, the City could agree to everything e/se the Union had asked for. Later in the meeting, Mr. Hawkins agreed, at the Union's request, to revisit the issue of green versus blue w/th Pir. Bressner, particularly if the City goes to a uniform cleaning service, which it is considering. Pir. Roberts inquired about people like Animal Control and Pir. Hawk/ns agreed that they could wear light blue. Pir. Roberts a/so asked about the others who deal w/th the public such as bus drivers wearing the polo shirts versus the standard-issue un/form. Ail the bus drivers came to ask for the ability to wear polo shirts. Pir. Hawk/ns agreed to look into this. They wanted to go back to what they had been wearing - white polo shirts w/th navy pants. Pit. Hawk/ns is considering having them continue to wear the green pants but a/iow them to wear the white polo shirts. Pir. Taylor stated that the existing jackets were blue and he wanted to have the jacket and un/form the same co/or. He preferred blue un/forms but if not possible, wanted them to match, at/east. Pir. Hawk/ns did not have a problem w/th that. Pir. Stone commented that a couple of years ago, Pit. Bressner had said that the Un/on should choose the co/or and that he just wanted it to be un/form across the board. Pis. Piun/ey commented that the City's logo was blue. Hats: The number of hats to be provided and the type were discussed. The Union wanted the ability to choose their own hats as long as what the hats said was not in poor taste. Mr. Hawkins stated that judging from some of the hats he had seen people wearing, leaving it up to individual discretion was not working. Pir. Hawkins stated that he did not have any problem with a replacement policy on hats, as needed, according to wear and tear, as long as the employees wear a O'ty-issued hat. The stewards mentioned that the Sanitation employees wear anything but City-issued hats, and Mr. Hawkins stated that he would look into that. Another comment was made that people who were not in the bargaining unit were wearing Miami Dolphins clothing, for example, and they say they do not have to follow the City's clothing policies. Some of the people who are not wearing uniforms are supervisors and some are not. Mr. Lee acknowledged that some people did not wear City-issued hats and wore blue and white uniforms. Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Lee will find out who the people are who are not wearing uniforms and discuss the issue further. Mr. Hawkins tended to agree with where the Union was coming from - and that City employees should present a professional appearance, regardless of their position or bargaining unit status. 7 Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 Mr. Hawkins stated that he wanted to say, "Hats will be purchased as needed, according to wear and tear. "He continued saying that if someone needs to rep/ace his or her hat frequent/y, they should be able to do so. T-Shirts: Mr. Osborne stated that the City-owned lime green t-shirts were very hot and ugly. Mr. Hawkins stated that they had been chosen for safety reasons, for visibility. The tag on the shirts indicates that the t-shirts are made from pre-treated 100% cotton. There was some feeling that the pre-tmatment medium might be what makes the t-shirts so hot. I~lr. Hawk/ns will discuss the opt/on of white shirts with a reflective strip w/th Mr. L/vergood. Mr. Smith stated that the lime green shirts were not DOT safety-approved anyway, and that they had gone through this once before, zt might help on visibility but not according to DOT regulations. He stated they put a temperature gun on one employee in Utilities and his temperature radiating off the shirt was 137 degrees! Mr. Hawkins stated that some people did not wear vests so if they worked around traffic, they had to wear something that is reflective like neon-colored t-shirts. Mr. Roberts commented that one had to wear a vest when working 15 feet from the road. Mr. Taylor stated that white would be preferable to the green for the work his group does in the sun. Cleaning Uniforms: Mr. Hawkins stated that the City was thinking about having a uniform cleaning service during the next budget year. Mr. Stone commented that the Union had asked for $10 a week as a cleaning allowance for uniforms, and Mr. Hawkins stated that this would not "fly." ]~n the long run, Mr. Hawkins felt the cleaning service would be more efficient for the City. Several people said that them would be people who might be allergic to the materials used in the cleaning processes. Employees who have a doctor's note precluding the use of the service could be given a set of specifications to fo#ow in the cleaning and pressing of their uniforms. Other than this exception, it would not be voluntary, since it would be necessary to give the cleaning people a set number of people on which to base their prices. It was thought that putting it in the contract now was preferable to having a Memo of Understanding later. Ns. Plunley wanted language stating that the un/forms would be rep/aced for wear and tear and I~lr. Hawk/ns agreed. Mr. Osborne asked if a person could still get shorts through the service, and Mr. Hawkins rep/led that the City would not change anything - whatever they were getting now would be the same. 8 Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 The Union will discuss the Uniform issue during the lunch break and the PPM issue as well. Ms. Munley felt that the parties were "there" on Safety Shoes, pending language that captures the agreements made at this meeting. The meeting adjourned for lunch at 12:00 p.m. and reconvened at 1:30 p.m. Uniforms (continued) Ms. Hunley stated that in regard to the uniform service, the Union agreed with it. When the uniform service is implemented, the Union wants to change back to blue uniforms since the logo is blue. ]:t would be helpful if some of the Union representatives could participate in the selection of the new uniforms. People with a medical necessity could opt out of the uniform service. Mr. Hawkins stated that the City might not have it in place until .lanuary of 2005. Discipline/PPM Ms. Munley stated that the Union had to meet on this and would try to have something concrete by the next session. They feel that if the supervisors are given too many guidelines, they will not use common sense at all. The Union likes it the way it is now because it works and because other people are involved in the common sense aspect of giving someone discipline. The Union is concerned that this aspect would "go away" if the PPM language were to be adopted. Tuition Reimbursement (continued) Mr. Hawkins asked for the Union's opinion on the language they had been given on this in the morning session. Ms. Munley stated that this had been a Memo of Understanding that they had before and agreed to. All agreed that the terms in the document provided by the City were already in effect for the Union. Ms. I~lun/ey asked that this I~lemo of Understanding be incorporated into the contract as an integra/part, and not as a reference to the PPM, and Mr. Hawkins said that the exact/anguage cou/d be used. I T.A. was reached on Tuition Reimbursement. Safety & Health (continued) Ms. Munley asked why the City had taken out the reference to Federal and State regulations in this article. Mr. Lee stated that the City had always had a safety manual. Mr. Hawk/ns stated that the City had practices in p/ace that help it to exceed some of the standards, but the/anguage cou/d be put back in. The immunization 9 Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 language will remain and the Un/on requested the add/t/on of Hepatitis B and C shots for certain job classifications, Sanitation in particular. Funeral Leave This was touched on briefly, with Mr. Hawkins stating that the Union wanted the "significant other" category included. Sick Leave and Sick Leave Donations Mr. Hawkins stated that the only part of Sick Leave that could be discussed was Section 5 because of the two-tiered plan. He had to meet with Finance to discuss this issue. He planned to come back to the table with a complete package: sick leave, vacation, and possibly some wages. Leave of Absence Mr. Taylor gave an example of an employee who left the company because he could not be given a leave of absence. After discussion, the City said he should have applied for Family Medical Leave instead. The C/ty caucused at 2:25p. m. Ms. Munley asked the City to include this language in the contract: "The City shall comply with the Fam#y I~led/ca/ Leave Act when granting /eaves of absence. Mr. Hawkins stated that the City was already required by law to do this. Ms. Munley felt that if it were in the contract language, it would be a spur to memory for all concerned. The City agreed. Mr. Taylor was still concerned about the example he had given at the start of the discussion. Mr. Hawkins stated that a person could be given leave under the Family Medical Leave Act as long as he or she met the criteria for granting such leaves and requested it. Mr. Taylor understood. Ms. Munley stated that the City would be required to grant the leave if the request met the guidelines. I T.A. was reached on Leave of Absence. ] Non-Discrimination Ms. Munley stated that the Union's obstacle to agreement on this article was the City's exemption of it from the Grievance and Arbitration process. The Union could not find 10 Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 the article and Mr. Lee stated that the City had struck through it all and wanted to leave it out and so had not provided it. Ms. Mun/ey suggested T.A. 'g on the Union's version. The City caucused at 2:43 p.m. Mr. Hawkins stated that the laws of Discrimination were quite specific in nature as spelled out in Section 2. One of the things the City had seen in past grievances was that this article was referred to when investigation revealed that it had no relevance to the issue at hand. Ms. Munley felt that employees should go to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with this kind of problem. However, she wanted the language left in because they wanted the means of getting the City's attention in a case in which it might apply, as long as the grievance was applicable according to Section 2. Mr. Hawkins stated that the context of the problem has to be applicable to the law and should not be applied to pay or time off issues. Ms. Munley said it could be something like, "No Haitians got X." Mr. Hawkins said that this article should only be invoked when it truly applies. Ms. Munley agreed that the Union had to teach more classes about this. Ms. Munley said that if it appeared to the Union that a grievance should be brought, and it appeared very strongly to be some kind of Title VII thing like gender, it should be allowable. She remarked about a person who was going to be fired because she was pregnant. Mr. Hawkins stated that he understood it was partly a matter of education and did not have a problem with it; however, he would be upset if it were used frivolously. J T.A. was reached on Non-D/scrim/nat/on. J Dues Deduction Ms. Munley stated that the Union would like the City to allow an additional Union deduction for COPE. The Union will obtain signatures of the employees who are interested, forward them to payroll, and payroll would deduct $1.00 a week and send the Union a separate check once a month for the total amount. Mr. Hawkins will speak to the Finance Director about this. Ms. Munley stated that it probably would not be implemented until some time in 2004. The deduction is voluntary and the employee may opt in or out at any time. As long as the employee is in the Union, the deduction will continue unless the employee opts out. Ms. Munley asked if the Matrix could be arranged in alpha order, but Mr. Lee stated that it was now in contract order and he preferred to keep it that way. 11 Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 Seniority, Layoff, and Recall Ms. Munley stated that the only issue was item C, where it refers to senior laid-off employees of a department being able to displace (bump) junior department employees. The Union disagrees with the "department" part of this, preferring it to be Qb/wide instead. The City agreed to remove the word "department." The/ength of the severance package was negotiated from one months' wages in the City's proposa/ to nine weeks' wages. After discussion, the City caucused at 3:33 p.m. Mr. Lee wanted to define the word "qualifies" in the same section, item C, further. After discussion, the £/ty agreed to th/s /nsert /nstea~. "....for wh/ch he qua#ties by meet~rig the requ/rements as set forth/n the job descr/pt/on(s)." I 7:.A. was reached on Sen/or/ty & Layoff& Reca//. Status of Articles Ms. Munley stated that on Union Representation, the only thing holding up T.A. was the number of hours for use on grievance investigation. If this hurdle could be overcome, the parties could T.A. on Union Representation, Collective Bargaining, and Union Time Pool. On Basic Work Week and Overtime, Ns. Munley thought agreement could be reached. One/ssue rema/n/ng /s that the proposed contract says they have to work hours to get overt/me and/n the o/d contract, vacat/on and s/ck t/me counted as t/me worked, and they d/d not want to g/ve up anyth/ng. Mr. Stone thought that the City had agreed to restore this feature. Mr. Hawkins did not believe so, but would check the minutes. Ms. Munley stated that in the School District, when a person is in a Pay status, those hours count towards the computation of overtime. Mr. Lee said that Pay Status would be Comp Time, Sick Time, Holiday, or Vacation. Ms. Munley stated that it was when you were getting paid and have time on the books. Ms. Munley believes that the parties are close to agreement on Comp Time. Also, Transfers should not be a big problem. Ms. Munley mentioned that Work Breaks had been discussed. Mr. Hawkins said the Union wanted to maintain the old language. Ms. Munley said this was in reference to the City wanting to give them an hour and a half. The reason the Union did not want to do that was that the language in the effective contract lays out how they use the time. 12 Meeting Minutes Blue Collar Union Negotiations Boynton Beach, Florida October 21, 2003 Mr. Hawkins understood that but said it should be determined division by division because people do it differently. Ms. Munley did not think there was a blanket way to say it if it was different. Mr. Hawkins stated that this is why they wanted to give a block of time and let each division determine the way it would be applied. Ms. Munley will try to think of a way of saying that each department's breaks and cleanup time stays status quo up to an hour and a half. Mr. Hawkins stated that the biggest problem for the City was the travel time. Mr. Hawkins said he was speaking about travel time for breaks or lunch. The issue from the Union's point of view is that the City expects the employee to leave the job site and travel to the shop to get their personal vehicle, have lunch, return the vehicle, and return to the job site, all in an hours' time. Mr. Hawkins asked if people brought their lunch to work with them any more, and the response was that very few people did that any more. The Un/on wants trave/ time to be added on to the/unch hour. The C/bi is concerned about this much "down time. "This article will be discussed further. Next Meeting The next meeting of the Blue Collar bargaining unit will be on October 30, 2003 at 1:30 p.m. The White Collar bargaining unit will be on the same day at 9:30 a.m. The meeting was concluded at 3:56 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Collins Recording Secretary (102303) 13