Minutes 01-05-06
MINUTES OF THE BLUE COLLAR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING SESSION
BETWEEN THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF FIREMEN 8r. OILERS AND
THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA,
HELD ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2006 AT 2:00 P.M.
IN CONFERENCE ROOM B, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA
Present:
For the City of
Boynton Beach:
For NCF8r.O
Wilfred Hawkins, Asst. City Manager
Sharyn Goebelt, Human Resource Director
John Jordan, Asst. Human Resource Director
Bobby Jenkins, Assistant Finance Director
Sharon Munley, Trustee,
Local 1227
Richard Smith NCF&O
Michael Taylor NCF&O
Mike Osborn NCF&O
Don Roberts NCF&O
Call to Order
The bargaining session was called to order at 3:17 p.m. A sign-in sheet was circulated and
provided to the Recording Secretary for inclusion with the records of the meeting. Introductions
were shared around the table.
Sharyn Goebelt, Human Resource Director, opened the negotiations and set some ground rules:
. Come to sessions on time.
· Come to sessions prepared.
· Respect one another.
· Take time to listen when others are speaking.
. Respect views of other people.
· Express comments clearly.
· Avoid criticism or use of abusive language.
· Open forum - interrupt as necessary for clarification, amplification.
· Set follow-up meeting date(s) at conclusion of each meeting.
· If either party goes to the Press, it will give advance notice to the other.
Article 15 - Wages
Ms. Sharon Goebelt, Human Resource Director, reviewed the MGT Compensation and Classification
Study Final Report. Copies of the Executive Summary were made for each participant in the
meeting.
Ms. Munley explained certain jobs were going to be reclassified and the affected employees would
receive 5%. The entry-level rate and top rate was going up for everyone up to 8.47% -- the min
and the max. A person would receive an increase, depending on where they were on the salary
scale at present. This would open up the top for the topped out employees also. A market
increase of 4% was being considered also and all of this was in addition to the merit increase.
Meeting Minutes
NCF8r.O Blue Collar Negotiations
Boynton Beach, Florida
January 5, 2006
Ms. Goebelt continued, saying MGT benchmarked the City's positions against other cities. Overall,
on average, general employees are 16.47% below the midpoint to be at the 50th percentile in
comparison to other cities in the area. This basically substantiated what people had been saying -
that the City's pay ranges were very low. The City had purchased software so Human Resources
could monitor the situation and not fall behind again. The City wanted to do the right thing.
The MGT Compensation and Classification Study Final Report was scheduled to go before the City
Commission for consideration on January 17, 2006. The Commissioners had already seen the MGT
recommendations and Ms. Goebelt was optimistic its recommendations would be approved, though
she could not know this for certain.
Ms. Goebelt explained the employees had responded electronically to the Job Content
Questionnaires provided by MGT and the supervisors were able to make comments also. MGT used
the data provided along with an analysis of internal equity, external equity, and relevant market
conditions to come up with its recommendations. Pending Commission approval, MGT will send a
communication to each employee, specific to individual positions, with an employee's name, title,
and MGT's evaluation of their job classification. An appeal form will be provided and several weeks
will be given for the employee to give input to MGT and/or Human Resources to justify upgrading
a particular job classification. Ms. Goebelt declared the City encouraged the employees to use the
appeals process because there could definitely be instances where MGT did not have all the
required information. Also, the City and MGT were taking all appeals very seriously. Ms. Goebelt
believed the appeal forms would be directed through the department heads to H.R. and on to
MGT.
Mr. Hawkins noted MGT tried to maintain internal equity by comparing what an electrician did in
one department with what an electrician did in another department, for example. However, it
could well be possible the jobs were quite different and this is what would come to light during the
appeals process. Once understood, those differences could translate into jobs being recommended
for upgrade that were not initially earmarked for it. MGT might not have a clear understanding of
the internal operations of each and every department. Ms. Goebelt will work with MGT during the
appeals process to see that each position is given a thorough evaluation.
Ms. Munley asked to be copied on all appeals.
Mr. Osborn referred to an earlier pay/job classification study where the mechanics in the Utilities
Department were ranked higher than the water plant operators, and the supervisors in Utilities
wrote a letter to reverse that. Mr. Hawkins said that was what Utilities used to do and the City
recognized that, asking all details be submitted during the appeals process.
Ms. Munley spoke of a desire on the part of the City to issue a joint City/Union communication to
the membership, following the outcome of the Commission meeting on January 17. She made it
clear Commission approval, if granted, would only extend to the amount of money to be spent.
The Union was not giving up any bargaining rights. In regard to a joint communication, it would let
the membership know the City and the Union were encouraging employees to appeal if they
believed their particular position(s) should be upgraded, giving their justification in writing in the
appeal.
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Meeting Minutes
NCF8r.O Blue Collar Negotiations
Boynton Beach, Florida
January 5, 2006
Ms. Goebelt noted the increases recommended by MGT were recommended to take place over a
three-year period.
Year 1, Step 1 = 5010 increase on all people whose job classifications were upgraded
(promoted)
Ms. Goebelt explained Step 1 was the 5% increase to employees whose positions were upgraded.
Eleven positions in the Blue Collar bargaining unit were recommended for upgrade by MGT. Ms.
Munley commented a lot of increases were in store, even for those persons in positions not
recommended for upgrade.
Year 1, Step 2 = increase pay plan by 8.470/0 (5.470/0 for market adjustment 8r. 30/0 for
COLA)
Ms. Goebelt stated this would impact anyone below the minimum because they would be brought
to the minimum, even if their job were not reclassified. This would be an automatic 8.47%.
Year 1, Step 3 = 40/0 market increase
Ms. Goebelt commented the non-represented employees received a pay increase of 2% on
October 1, 2005.
Ms. Munley confirmed with Ms. Goebelt that the merit increases were in addition to any MGT
recommendations. Ms. Goebelt continued, saying there was a scale in the contract for 2005 and
this had to be negotiated in another conversation.
Ms. Goebelt hoped Wages could be addressed so a reopener the following year would not be
required. This seemed possible since they had a three-year plan in hand.
Year 2, Step 1 = Increase general pay plan by 8.50/0 (5.50/0 for market adjustment 8r.
30/0 for COLA)
Year 2, Step 2 = Provide market increase of 5010
Year 3, Step 1 8r. 2 = Same as Year 2
Ms. Goebelt conveyed the cost to the City to implement MGT's three-year plan would be $S.SM.
The Commission originally wanted to bring the wages up to the 75th percentile, but doing so would
have cost the City $7.4M and that was not realistic at this time.
Ms. Goebelt noted in the five years she worked for the City of Boca Raton, they had not done this
kind of pay/job classification study. Actually, the recommended interval for pay plan review was
once every three years. Ms. Munley commented the School Board had never done this. Mr.
Hawkins commented when he came to the City in 1985, everyone had gotten salary increases of
10-12%. Ms. Goebelt pointed out the pay scales had not been adjusted in Boynton Beach for quite
some time and she hoped they would be adjusted every year. Mr. Jordan said the City was
acquiring tools that would allow it to maintain the pay scales adequately on an ongoing basis.
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Meeting Minutes
NCF8r.O Blue Collar Negotiations
Boynton Beach, Florida
January 5, 2006
Mr. Osborn asked when the increases would go into effect, and Ms. Goebelt stated the upgrades
would be immediate, following Commission approval, and pending Union negotiations. The appeals
process would not hold up the upgrades. Mr. Taylor asked if adjustments granted after appeal
would be retroactive and Ms. Goebelt stated H.R. would make that recommendation.
Ms. Munley declared the Union's position was the pay increases should be retroactive to October 1,
2005. It was not the Union's fault the Pay Study had taken so long. It was acknowledged part of
the delay had occurred because the employees did not submit responses to the Job Content
Questionnaires in a timely manner. Ms. Goebelt stated this would have to be negotiated.
Mr. Osborn noted the Water Treatment Plant Operator and Chief Electrician were not under the
Blue Collar unit and Ms. Munley stated if someone had a "community of interest" with those in the
bargaining unit, they should be included. Mr. Hawkins did not disagree.
The Union asked to address Article 14: Work Week and Overtime, and Article 20: Callout and
Standby, since they were related to wages. Ms. Munley asked the City to read them and plan to
discuss them at the next meeting, and the City agreed to do so.
Two meeting dates were set:
Thursday, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., January 19, 2006
Thursday, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., January 26, 2006
It was assumed the place would be Conference Room B unless otherwise notified.
NOTE: THE JANUARY 26, 2006 MEETING WAS LATER CHANGED TO
JANUARY 27,2006.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:56 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Susan Collins
Recording Secretary
(010605)
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