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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Commissioners - Minutes - 08/20/1998. ' • • '' ''., I . . MINUTES OF THE . . • . . ,c:' ' . ) ', .· '. \" ·F<;:'.', __ '"' '" '' _:' • : • • : ', :' . ' . ., . ' . . OTTE1R TAIL COW.NTY l~AiBOR MA1NAGEMENT COMMFTTEE . · ··-~•-i: ' . . . I· Q~ter "I!!i,1Ce>unty, Co1:1rthouse Comr'nis~idners' Room, Floor: 1"8 1ihurs·aay, August 20, ·19~8 ' ':,1-: ,' • .-' . ' ' ,'' .. ., . . . ·r. :, 1 :00 p.m. Call to Order Present: Brooks Andersen, Al Anderson, Steve Andrews, Pauline Barry, Sandra Gundberg, Mike Hanan, David Hauser, Chuck Kitzman, Larry Krohn, Malcolm Lee, Wendy Metcalf, Lori Morrell, Kathy Ouren, Bud Pierce, Virginia Partmann, Dennis Soderstrom, Doug Walvatne, Gary Waskosky, and Rick West. Larry Krohn called the Labor Management Committee meeting to order at 1 :00 p.m. The following individuals notified the Coordinator's Office of their planned absence: Leon Anderson, Sharon Bjork, Kathy Harthun, Michele Petterson, Vicki Schwanke, Todd Smedstad, and Rick Sytsma. Kathy Harthun has resigned from the committee; Lane Magnusson will be her replacement. Approval of Agenda -August 20, 1998 Labor Management Committee approved the agenda of August 20, 1998 with the following additions: Mission Statement Review By-Laws Review Approval of Minutes -July 16, 1998 Labor Management Committee approved the minutes of July 16, 1998. Mission Statement Reviewed Labor Management Committee Mission Statement for completion. The Mission Statement reads as follows: The Labor Management Committee exists to create an environment in which all employees of Otter Tail County mutually participate to improve the work environment and to improve employee input in the decision making process. The Committee's goals are to: 1. Develop a system that promotes open, two-way communication and an atmosphere of honesty, trust, and respect. 2. Create an environment whereby individual employees feel they are an important part of the organization and are meeting the overall county goal of providing quality public service. 3. Improve work relationships between labor and management. 4. Develop a framework for identifying and solving problems as well as misunderstandings. 5. Encourage creativity and the sharing of job related information . 6. Strive to respect each other's position on issues and view barriers to action as opportunities for improvement. This will become our official mission statement as of Thursday, August 20, 1998. Discussion followed. Otter Tail County Labor Management Committee August 20, 1998 Page 2 By-Laws Update Presentation of updated By-Laws for final review. Discussion followed. Consensus of group to draft as amended and publish with the next minutes of publication. Norms of Behavior Committee tabled until September 17, 1998. Letter of Understanding Distributed Letter of Understanding to the group for review. The Labor Management Committee agreed and signed the Letter of Understanding which reads as follows: The Otter Tail County Labor Management Committee exists to address and recommend changes that depend on the joint cooperation of Management and Labor. Members of the committee are committed and willing to explore new ideas and issues before arriving at a consensus. We agree to the norms of behavior established by the committee. Both Management and Labor agree to the following principles: • We agree ii is important to create an environment where employees at all levels of the organization are involved in decision-making and have an opportunity to voluntarily provide their participation, input, commitment and cooperation. C • Both parties agree to work toward an environment in which information is freely and willingly shared, and issues and concerns are resolved using a problem-solving approach in an atmosphere free of hostility and confrontation, and to treat each other ( with respect and to observe confidentiality within the group. • Committee members agree to support the process of consensus decision-making through the development of mutually acceptable results, and will continue to support those decisions as a representative of the committee to the people that they represent. • Both parties will work to develop mutually accepted results which do not infringe on the Labor Agreement or Management Rights. • Labor and Management agree to support the implementation of the results of the group. • We agree to accept the assistance of the Bureau of Mediation Services. The representatives of the parties so agree on this 20th day of August, 1998; this document to be reviewed one year from this date relative to continuance and/or revision. Work on Communication Discussion on communications. Discussed what communication areas are problematic at Otter Tail County. Discussed the following areas: Accuracy Speed Mechanics Content Employee to Employee Supervisor to Employee, Employee to Supervisor Employee to Public, Public to Employee. Each one of these areas has a different solution. Discussed the creation of a general statement. Discussed building to building and internal communications. Discussion on how communications work between department to department and commissioners to county employees. Discussed C • • • Otter Tail County Labor Management Committee August 20, 1998 ... _. ., _: .· Page 3 different forms of communication. Discussion on committee members going back to their constituency for feedback on communication. The first step in communication is to identify and define the issue, concern or problem. The second step is to analyze the problem. For example, let's say that the lack of communication is the problem. We then want to identify each area within this problem; excessive hear say, training perceptions, lack of valid and accurate communications. Discussed the following list of communication: 1. Commissioners to Employees. 2. Supervisors to Employee Interaction, both directions for feedback, receiving information and feedback. 3. Department to Department. 4. Employee to Employee. 5. Employee to Public. Every one of these are valuable and important. Commissioners to Employees: Take a look and analyzing what is going on now, what is happening, what is not happening. Discussion on newsletter information distributed throughout the county. We have the Employees' Newsletter, Labor Management Committee Newsletter, Safety Updates, and the County Board -Minutes. In the future when the county sets up e-mail, the communication process will improve. Discussion on department board posting information. At the next meeting everyone should have a list for every department where their location is for sharing information. Make sure all of the employees in the department are aware of the posting of this information. Please get information out to your departments and see if there are any other problems or concerns. Open Forum Individual questions from employees should be directed to the personnel committee. Lengthy discussion followed. Adjournment At 3:08 p.m., Larry Krohn declared the meeting of the Otter Tail County Labor Management Committee adjourned until 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, 1998. NOTE LOCATION CHANGE: meeting will be at off-site location -Otter Tail Power Division Office in the South Dakota Conference Room. /srb Attachments • • • 8/20/98 County of Otter Tail Labor l\'lanagement Committee Bylaws Article I Representatives The Labor Management Committee shall be made up of Labor and Management representatives, comprised of the following: Fourteen (14) Management Personnel including: Twelve (12) Management Personnel Two (2) County Commissioners Fourteen (14) Labor Personnel including: Two (2) Teamsters professionab Two (2) Teamsters support specialists Five ( 5) non-union Three (3) Teamsters law enforcement (one from each) Two (2) AFSCME highway maintenance personnel One (1) County Coordinator Four (4) ex-officio members including: Two (2) representatives of Teamsters 320 One (1) representative of AFSCME One (1) recording secretary There will be no alternates for members' attendance at meetings. This structure shaH be reviewed by the committee after one (1) year of committee operation • Article Il Officers/Recording Secretary The Officers of the Labor Management Committee shall be co-chairs, one (1) Labor and one (1) Management. TERM: The Officers will serve a term of twelve (12) months. The twelve (12) month term will expire December 31st of each year. SELECTION: To be a co-chair, the individual must have been a committee representative a minimum of six (6) months, except for the initial year. Officers will be chosen by their respective parties (Labor and Management) each December. The co-chairs' term will begin in January. DUTIES: The co-chairs will perform the following duties: Conduct meetings Finalize agenda (including content and time limits) Oarify action points at each meeting The recording secretary's responsibilities will include the following: Keep minutes and attendance Provide miscellaneous support (purchasing, communications) Provide meeting agenda one (1) week in advance of scheduled meeting Maintain permanent ftle of the meeting and attendance records Distribute approved minutes for posting Article ill Terms of Service Representatives will commit to a minimum of a two (2) year term; except for the initial year when one-half (1/2) of the membership need to commit to a three (3) year term. Thereafter Labor and Management representatives will be replaced or reappointed every two (2) years by their respective groups. The number of consecutive terms will be limited to two (2) in order to provide the opportunity for new representatives to participate in the Labor Management Committee. The County Coordinator shall be a permanent position. C C C • Article IV Committee Meetings The meetings will be held once a month on the third Thursday of the month. The duration of the meetings will be two (2) houn, unless extended by consensus. The meetings will be from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM in the County Commissioners' room unless otherwise arranged. Special Meetings: Special meetings shall be called by the co-chain with the approval of at least two (2) other representatives, one (1) Labor and one (1) Management. Article V Quorum/ Attendance One-half (1/2) of the Labor and one-half (1/2) of the Management representatives plus a co-chair are needed to convene the meeting . A representative who has two (2) consecutive unexcused absences will be terminated from the committee. The representatives should contact the County Coordinator's office if they are unable to attend a meeting. An excused absence is defined as providing advanced notice of absence in the manner stated above. Article VI Committee Actions Actions by the committee will be by consensus only. Only committee members can participate in consensus decision making. Labor Management Committee decisions are recommendations only. All recommendations will receive a response from the County board. The committee is not a collective bargaining forum. However, the committee recommendations can be forwarded to negotiaton · for consideration and incorporation into collective bargaining. • The Labor Management Committee may form sub-committees. Article VII Committee Agenda A tentative agenda shall be drafted at the end of each committee meeting by consensus. The agenda and the minutes from the previous meeting wiU be distributed to all committee representatives one (1) week in advance. The co-chairs will finalize the agenda. Any additions to the agenda shall be routed to the co-chairs and they will contact the recording secretary regarding· the changes. Article VIIl Assessment/Feedback An assessment/feedback will be done annually by the committee. The Mission Statement will be reviewed at the time of the assessment/feedback. A special meeting may be called in order to complete the assessment/feedback and review the Mission Statement. An assessment/feedback by the employees (Labor and Management) wiU be done annually. A sub-committee will be formed to compose the assessment/feedback form, distribute the form to the employees, review the responses and prepare a final report for the Labor Management Committee. The sub-committee shall be formed one (1) month prior to the assessment/feedback date. Article IX Compensation Participation by representatives will be considered time worked. Article X Other Sub-committees: Appointment of sub-committees shall be approved by consensus. Amendments to Bylaws: Changes and amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed at any meeting of the Labor Management Committee and shall be· approved by consensus at the next meeting. C C C ·• • • Otter Tail County Labor Management Committee Mission Statement The Labor Management Committee exists to create an environment in which all employees of Otter Tail County mutually participate to improve the work environment and to improve employee input in the decision making process. The Committee's goals are to: 1. Develop a system that promotes open, two-way communication and an atmosphere of honesty, trust, and respect. 2. Create an environment whereby individual employees feel they are an important part of the organization and are meeting the overall county goal of providing quality public service. 3. Improve work relationships between labor and management. 4. Develop a framework for identifying and solving problems as well as misunderstandings. 5. Encourage creativity and the sharing of job related information. 6. Strive to respect each other's position on issues and view barriers to action as opportunities for improvement. ,. •· OTTER TAIL COUNTY LABOR-MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING The Otter Tail County Labor-Management Committee exists to address and recommend changes that depend on the joint cooperation of Management and Labor. Members of the committee are committed and willing to explore new ideas and issues before arriving at a consensus. We agree to the norms of behavior established by the committee. Both Management and Labor agree to the following principles: • We agree it is important to create an environment where employees at all levels of the organization are involved in decision-making and have an opportunity to voluntarily provide· their participation, input, commitment and cooperation. • Both parties agree to work toward an environment in which information is freely and willingly shared, and issues and concerns are resolved using a problem-solving approach in an atmosphere free of hostility and confrontation, and to treat each other with respect and to observe confidentiality within the group. • Committee members agree to support the process of consensus decision-making through the development of mutually acceptable results, and will continue to support those decisions as a representative of the committee to the people that they represent. • Both parties will work to develop mutually accepted results which do not infringe on the Labor Agreement or Management Rights. • Labor and Management agree to support the implementation of the results of the group. • We agree to accept the assistance of the Bureau of Mediation Services. The undersigned representatives of the parties so agree on this·~ day of August , 1998; this document to be reviewed one year from this date relative to c tinuance and/or revision. Managem~ ~'Ql), · Labor: Ex Officio: ., -C (!3 u_c{} {£µu., cR C