Good evening, everyone.

It is 6 p.m.

Uh my name is Carl Weinberg, Chair of the Personnel Committee of the 32nd Board of Representatives.

I hereby call this meeting to order of the uh of the personnel committee.

Um I'll start by calling the role.

Uh I'll start with committee members.

Uh Representative Delay Cruz.

You can just unmute and say you're present.

Representative Dela Cruz.

We'll come back to you.

Uh Representative Grouse.

Present.

Thank you, Virgil.

Representative Gross.

Present.

Thank you.

Representative Hill.

Present.

Thank you.

Representative Salas.

Present.

Thank you.

I'm present.

Representative Pollard.

Present.

Well, timing is everything.

Please sign in.

Okay.

I also see in attendance, ex officio, Representative Hyatt.

Thank you for joining us.

And let me just see if there's anyone else.

Nope, I think that's it.

If there are any other representatives, ex officio who are present, please unmute and say so.

Or if you're an attendee, please raise your hand.

Could we call that one?

Yeah.

Representative Pavia, if you can just uh unmute and acknowledge.

Sorry, I was going to move to a panelist right there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

How are we?

Very good.

Let me sign you in, uh Bobby.

Yeah.

And thank you, everyone, for accommodating this early start time.

Um for uh for tonight.

Uh we also have as invited guests, um in addition to uh Sammy LMsega uh helping us on the technology side, and uh and Angie uh Staley Hosting from the Board Office Hosting.

Thank you as always.

We have uh three people from the uh from the city's human resources department, uh director of HR Dr.

Paula Russell, uh also uh Anna Gonzalez and uh my old friend Rosemary.

Uh so thank you all for being here.

We have one item on the agenda.

It's a review item P32.003, uh review of the city's HR policies and programs, including the classification systems, employee benefit programs, andor post-retirement benefit programs for the education of personnel committee members.

Uh tonight we'll be learning uh about the city's classification programs and the labor relations framework, an overview of that.

Um that that is what those those are the subjects that we'll be uh as I as I understand that we will be focusing on uh tonight.

And with that, I will uh turn the meeting over to Dr.

Russell.

Um if you can please unmute yourself, if you can introduce your team and their um and their position titles with the city, um, and then we'll uh we'll then it's it's your shop.

Dr.

Russell.

Thank you, Chair Weinberg.

Good evening, everyone.

Um, so to get started, I am very fortunate to work with such a very knowledgeable and dedicated team.

And tonight, like Representative Weidenberg said, we are covering civil service and labor relations and also the city's collective bargaining framework.

So just to give a brief introduction to the two presenters tonight, Rosemary Frazier is currently the sole HR manager for the HR division.

She holds an MBA in HR management and is also Sherm certified professor professional.

Rosemary has been with the city for over 30 years and brings an incredible amount of institutional knowledge and experience to the division.

Anna Gonzalez serves as our labor relations specialist.

She's an attorney and has been with the city for about six years.

Anna is extremely well versed in labor relations and plays a very vital role in supporting the collective bargaining agreements, contract administration, and also employee relation matters.

For tonight, HR manager Frazier will be providing a civil service system overview, and labor relations specialist Gonzalez will present the city's collective bargaining framework and labor relations structure.

So to start off, we'll start off with um HR Manager Frazier with our civil service system overview.

Um so good evening, members of the board.

Um like Paula said, I've been with the city for 31 years.

Um have been in the HR department for at least 19 of those 31 years.

In my role as HR manager, I um interpret and apply civil service rules, policies, and procedures.

I oversee exam development administration, exam development and administration for classified position, ensure effective management and implementation of personal practices and policies, provide policy interpretation, guidance, and recommendation to departments and assigned groups, actively participates um in labor negotiations and labor management relations matter with Ms.

Gonzalez, and assists uh Paula in developing HR goals, Dr.

Russell.

I'm sorry, objectives, strategies, and policies aligned with department direction and city initiate initiatives.

So tonight I'm going to talk about the civil service rule.

I'm going to attempt to share my um hold on.

I'm gonna share my page.

Angie, I don't know if it's gonna allow me to share.

So can you I sent a request to share, Angie?

Yes, I this should have did it let you.

Um I just made you Kendrea Walston is trying to get into the meeting.

Um you promote Kendrea.

Yes, I did.

Okay, super representative Walton, welcome.

And let me mark you as present.

Good evening.

Representative Camparelli is also present.

Super, thank you.

So, Angie, is there something I need to do?

Because it's not a long time.

I made you co-host, so that should automatically give you permission, but um when I I hit allow try it, see if it try one more time.

Okay.

Um, we've got it, Rose.

Can you can I'm not seeing it?

Yep.

Can you see it?

Yes, we're on the first slide.

City of Stanford classified service rules.

All righty, because I can't.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, so the um tonight, the city of uh Stanford is class five service rule um kind of dictates hiring, retention, hiring, recruiting, retention overview.

It's a merit based civil service framework, and um there are a number of rules that are a part of it.

So I'm just gonna kind of talk through it, and then if you have questions at the end, I'll be glad to answer them.

The civil service rule ensures mayor bait uh it ensures um merit bait employment system that's required under the city charter.

These rules ensure hiring and promotion decisions are based on qualifications, not favoritism or political influences.

They provide structure, legally, legal defensibility and consistency across departments.

And um part of the um the civil service rules that we have a personal commission board that provides indecended independent oversight, help protect both the city and public interest, and for the board, um, this framework reduce liability and support public interest in municipal hiring.

Rule two, um, which is uh this covers classified service classification eligibility list, open competitive and promotional exams, probation, promotion transfer, layoff, and reclassifications.

Um establish the terminology that governs how we operate, such as classified service, eligibility list, probation of a period.

These definitions matter because they determine rights, processes, and appeal pathways.

Clear definitions reduce ambiguity, disputes, and inconsistent application.

So the rules guide the full employment life cycle, the classification, recruitment, examination, appointment, retention.

Each stage has procedural safeguards to ensure transparency and fairness in the hiring process.

From governance from a governance standpoint, this ensures a documented defense defensibility dispensable hiring record at every step.

I'm gonna go to rule three.

So rule three, um, the classification plan.

So HR maintained the class, the classificate class specification.

So when we create a job description, we create files and everything that pertains to that file over the entire lifeline of the class classifications, uh classification specification is maintained in the um in that file.

So if we make any changes, any advertisement that we do for the role, um, revision of the job description, salary uh data that we pull, all that is kept in the in the file that's um related to that uh class spec.

So the class class the class spec is um foundational and it's what we call a job description.

It defines duties, qualification, and pay grade for each role.

Proper job uh specification or class spec, like we like to say, it's um provides job-related minimum qualification, internal equity, and aligned with uh budgeted salary um structure.

So when we create a classification or a new job description, or when we revise a job description, we generally bring it to the personal commission for approval or for for revision for uh for them to review.

Um, because when in creating or revising job classification, it just doesn't affect one employee, it can also influence the organizational structure, the compensation system, and future budget obligations.

So we generally bring it to the personal commission, and uh uh Commissioner Weinberg was a part of that, and we would drill down hard in terms of our kind and our salary data.

So we make sure we have relevant salary data when we create classification or class specs.

Third rule is recruiting and retention implication implications.

So we keep um we make sure that job qualifications are job related and current, and we update specs when a vacancies occur.

A lot of our employees tend to be long-term.

So when a position becomes vacant, um, especially those positions that are in single incumbent, we work with the managers to update the job classifications or the job spec to make sure that it aligns with the organizational needs, and um that we are also uh we look at salary data during that time just to make sure that our positions are marketable and we're going to attract the best talent for the role.

Our selection process.

So our selection process, all appointments and promotions must follow validated job-related selection methods.

So for our exam process, we have written exams, oral performance-based, or physical physical components.

For instance, in the case when we hire laborers that are part of the sanitation department, we do what we call a um physical agility or performance assessment.

We also do that for police and fire.

Police and fire have to pass uh there's a physical component of the overall testing process that they have to complete and be successful in order to sit for our written exam.

These uh standards protect against claims or bias or arbitrary decision making, and it also ensures that we are in compliance with employment law laws and reduce litigation exposure.

Rule four, um, the selection process.

Um sorry.

Okay, so also as a part of the selection process, we provide reasonable accommodation for uh candidates that um have disability, um, and we do that by providing either extended time during the um the exam process or um we make a you know we might uh modify our testing site to make sure that we're not we're reaching uh candidates that are disabled also or um candidates that are disabled.

have disability um and we do that by providing either extended time during the um the exam process or um we make a you know we might uh modify our testing site to make sure that we're not we're reaching in uh candidates that are disabled also or um candidates that are disabled we also have a competitive promotional um process um that supports internal career mobility um because we know that internal career um mobility strengthens retention and institutional knowledge also reflects the city's commitment to equal opportunity and workforce development so our when we post positions our uh job announcement lasts for at least 10 working days most applications uh those that are in the that are classified positions um requires to do an exam and we like I said we have different exams that we administer depends on the level of the position so for positions that are a higher level position sometimes we'll do what we call a training and experience evaluation and that's considered an exam and we score it as such so we develop criteria on how to score and then we take the time to score the exam um grounds for disqualify qualifications are dearly clearly defined in the civil service rules also have an appeal process so when we do disqualify candidate they have 30 days in which to appeal the disqualification and we generally require them to provide additional information to that shows how they are how they qualify for the role our scoring include banding ranking and um cut scores um so if we have five or more candidates the scores are banded if we have less than five then we rank the scores and for police and fire entry level we do generally have a cut score so we fill vacancies um in different ways we fill vacancy through an open competitive process where we um it's open to both external and internal candidates through a promotional process or through a reemployment process when an employee leaves the city um if they resign in good standing they have the ability to um send us a letter within 12 months of resignation to ask to be put back on a non-mandatory reemployment list if it's a layoff they get put back on a re mandatory reemployment list within 12 months of um them being laid off our eligibility to list are generally good for a year and we have the option of for extending it for an additional um for this for additional two years I'm extending it one year for um after expiration and then another year so we generally do that for police and fire only because our those lists tend to be extremely um large lists.

So recently I did a fire exam maybe about three weeks ago I had almost 600 candidates so with 600 candidates for fire exam that list will last for well into three years because we our candidate pool is so large and um for those we generally interview starting with our candidates that are in the top bands and then we work our way down that way when a position becomes vacant we um generally um certify the list to the hiring authority and if it's a banded if it's a it's if the score has been banded is generally if we have three or more candidates in a band we'll only certify those candidates if we have three or less candidates we'll move on to the next band.

If it's ranked we certify the top three ranks to the hiring authority um if it's promotional and sometimes we'll do an exam that's both promotional and open competitive we'll certify the promotional list first to the hiring authority before we uh move to the open competitive list so appointment options so if we don't have um a certified list we'll appoint uh someone into a role they still have to meet the minimum qualifications for the role and we'll appoint them into the role on a provisional basis of up to six months if we can also appoint temporary for up to 12 months or durational and durational positions are general project base we have a project we're working on and we're not looking to fill it on a permanent basis so we'll hire someone in the in a durational role it's pretty much the same also with temporary roles going back to um appeals so structure we've we have a structured review of disqualification and exams exam outcomes so if a candidate is disqualified like I said previously they have 10 days in which to appeal the disqualification if they um when we give an exam candidates are allowed to come back in the um and to review their exam they have 30 days in which to review they can review the um the exam we give them a copy of their answer sheet and a copy of our our answer key and they can compare the answers if they see that an answer that possibly should have been marked correctly was marked incorrectly we will give them the point and we'll make an adjustment to their score if the um if a candidate appeals a disqualification and they do not they send the appeal to the personal commission the personal commission will review it and determine whether we should move the candidate through and um and allow them to be you know to to sit for the exam um but

If they see that an answer that possibly should have been marked correctly, was marked incorrectly, we will give them the point and we'll make an adjustment to their score.

If the um if a candidate appeals a disqualification and they do not they send the appeal to the personal commission, the personal commission will review it and determine whether we should move the candidate through and um and allow them to be you know to to sit for the exam.

Um but they have to appeal to the they appeal to us first, and if they don't agree with our um if we discontinue the if we disqualify them further, then they have the option to appeal to the personal commission.

Probationary period.

All employees that are are hired by us have to serve a probationary period.

Um and the civil service rule uh dictates the probation or period depends on um if you're hired, if your incoming candidates never work for the city, it's generally a six month probation or period unless the collective bargain and agreement dictates otherwise.

Promotional um candidates are always three months.

There is a uh the city doesn't have or working on uh a performance management system, not one in place yet, um, but for probationary employees, there are mid-probation.

There is a mid-probationary evaluation that's required in an end of probationary evaluation.

At times we'll uh extend the probationary period if the we find that the employee um is having um alert, you know, that they need a longer time, we need to adjust to the time that they get up to they need to get up to speed on the job, so we'll extend that period.

Um in um agreement with the union.

If the like I say, if the collective bargaining agreement dictates it, if not, um HR will work with management to uh extend the probationary period.

Um uh probationary employees can be discharged um during the probationary period if they are not um for a number of different reasons.

If they are not um able to perform the work that we hire them for, or if we have behavioral issues during the probationary period.

So the collective bargain agreement and um Anna is going to talk about this.

Uh discipline um for most of our discipline is dictated by the CBA.

Layoff is based on seniority within a classification.

So if I am an office support specialist, it's kind of like the last minute, the last one in, the first one out kind of things, unless you were hired on the same date and have the same seniority, then we'd go back and look at the test scores to determine who would get laid off.

Um I previously spoke about the reemployment list.

If you are laid off, you would be put back put on a mandatory reemployment list and be cons and be hired back when a vacancy occur in that classification.

Um if you are um we have the if we we HR has the ability to um someone that's um terminated or um or did not pass terminated for whatever reason, we have the ability to um decline an application um and the civil service rules kind of give us give it the HR director that authority that if employee leave in is not in good standing um that we can decline an application if they apply for another position at a later time.

So salary, the salary plan is administered by the um HR director.

Um so and that includes um flexibility so that we remain competitive competitive and higher.

Um our salary data we pull from both um the private sector and uh uh the public sector, we benchmark with other municipalities to um see where our salaries should be, um, and just so that we're staying um current and um we can support it supports recruiting and retention um you know through transparency truth through transparency.

So um we try to we try to keep our our salary um transparent and and consistent a lot of our um in terms of our salary we negotiate those with the union and um as long as we provide relevant relevant salary data, they're generally they're generally okay with um this what we provide.

Um when we're create that that's that happens when we're creating uh new classification.

keep our our salary um transparent and and consistent a lot of our um in terms of our salary we negotiate those with the union and um as long as we provide relevant relevant salary data they generally they're generally okay with um this what we provide um when we're creating that that's that happens when we're creating uh new classification we generally start uh sorry we generally start incoming candidates at the minimum rate of pay um we can go up to the midpoint with hr approval anything over the midpoint requires the personal commission approval promotional increases are at least 10 percent or the step the next step that's closest to the previous step so um if i'm coming from uaw to ma i would go to step one or the step that's closest to um my current rate of pay but still but not less than 10 percent transfer if you transfer from one if you transfer into the same role from one department to the next your pay would remain the same um sorry i'm just about done so like i said the um the the civil service rules um are in place um they reduce time to hire they increase quality applicant quality they ensure fur fair internal mobility maintain compliance and transparency and strengthen retention um and the key takeaways clear classification create better pools efficient fair selection selection improve trust and predictable appeals and pay rules reduces dispute are there any questions uh thank you rosemary uh representative dayla cruz i see your hand is up uh so you have the uh yes thank you chair weinberg rosemary thank you for that uh informative presentation uh several years ago i had enact an ordinance that gave on entry level exams city residents the same bonus points on the exam that police and firemen uh uh receive and i was wondering if there are any statistics on how many city residents have taken advantage of that of those bonus points for having granted those bonus points so i don't have numbers in terms of how many uh residents um have taken advantage of it but i'll tell you what our process is because most of the time um when we have candidates down from standford that apply they don't always the application asks them are you Stanford residents and just to and and clearly and clearly states that they're uh eligible for additional points people don't always take advantage of it but we do go back so if I give an exam um on today and I have 20 candidates that are Stanford residents and they have not requested the points and have not provided they've not provided uh supporting documentation for those points um our office actually sends them an email that says you're eligible for addition for five additional points as a Stanford resident and send we have a ref we have an affidavit that they're required to complete and um it gives guidance on the supporting documentation that's needed um so they can update those uh obtain those points so we do provide those to candidates even if they don't ask up front for it we do um reach back and send them the information and ask them to provide so we can give them the points so we do offer those points to all residents of Stanford.

Thank you Rosemary that is very uh comforting that it is equally being pursued you're welcome yeah so thank you so much um oh before I yield the floor uh chair weinberg as you know I have to drop off at seven for the fiscal committee meeting board of education presentation so uh excuse me if I have to leave the meeting by then okay thank you so much thank you uh uh are you yielding uh yes I yield all right thank thank you uh who has the next question um anyone else um Angie is there anyone else on screen who has question no I don't no other hand is raised this Virgil still has his hand up so that's it I'm trying to get to lower I'll do okay it should have lower now okay a representative thank you I I don't have a question but I wanted to thank you for coming on and going over it's very helpful to understand more of the process especially since it's my first time on personnel so thank you for putting that together thank you I do have a a couple of quick

Um I'm trying to get to lower it.

I'll do okay.

No.

Okay.

Representative Holly.

Thank you.

I I don't have a question, but I wanted to thank you for coming on and going over it.

It's very helpful to understand more of the process, especially since it's my first time on personnel.

So thank you for putting that together.

Thank you.

Um I do have a uh uh a couple of quick questions.

Um so getting back to uh you you knew that was coming, Rosemary.

Uh getting back to um uh representative Dela Cruz's uh uh topic about um supplemental points in the agenda.

In addition to being a city resident, um just what other uh uh what other what other uh things qualify someone to receive extra points on an exam?

So we also give points for military candidates.

Um so if you're a military candidate, if you are uh if you are if you've um if you're a disabled veteran, you get 10 additional points, veteran press preference points added to your um score.

And if you're just a if you've um if you've exited the military without any disabilities, you get five points.

We also give points for in the case of the fire exam for for candidates that have served um in our volunteer houses, we give them five points of being a volunteer firefighter.

Is is that for all exams or just for the fire exam?

Just for the fire exam.

For the fire exam.

Well, we give so for veterans' points and residency points, we give that for all exams.

Right or the volunteer points is only for the fire exam.

Great.

Thank you.

Um one and one one more question.

When you when you talked about how scoring on an exam uh may include banding, ranking and cut scores.

Can you uh I I think from you know, I think you know, banding and ranking are pretty self-explanatory, but can you explain um what uh what you mean by cut score?

So a cut score is the um so in the case of fire or anyone of our other exam, um it's the minimum score candidate can must it must achieve to pass a test or move forward in the selection process.

Um and just so you're um just so you're aware, uh Commissioner Weinberg, we've not um in terms of fire and police, we have a um the vendor that administers our um written exam for entry level or for all exams actually.

He's not big on cut scores because I don't think he thinks they're legally legally defend defensible.

So for those exams, we've kind of moved away from cut scores.

Other exams will establish because based on um past practice will establish a score for those exams.

Um so for instance, in an OSS, right?

If the we might create a cut score based on um our testing history, um so we look at the scores that was this the cut score from previous that the previous from the the previous exam, and then we determine what the new cut score should be.

We generally stay somewhere around 60 for like an OSS exam.

Does that make sense?

So a cut score is sort of a minimum acceptable.

Yes, it is, yeah.

Okay.

Um so if there are no uh candidates who have scored above the cut score, then just resubmit it to post it.

We've not done that, to be perfectly honest.

We haven't.

So generally our can our candidate score above, or so we'll establish a new cut score.

Does that make sense?

So we look at so statistics.

So we look at so we take the uh we take the we look at all the scores and we look at the median, we look at the this we look at the mean, and then we take the standard arrow of the mean and determine what the the scores, how the scores are ranked or banded, and then determine where we kind of end the scores, what the minimum score should be.

Okay, all right, thank you very much.

Very elegant.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

Um are there other questions or comments?

Okay, uh Rosemary, thank you very much.

Very informative, very helpful to the committee.

And um, and I will uh turn this back to uh director Russell.

Dr.

Russell, you have the floor.

Thank you.

So next we have labor relations specialist Gonzalez, and she'll be presenting the city's collective bargaining framework and labor relations structure.

Thank you.

Everybody, everybody hear me?

Oh yes, and you'll need to uh you'll need to share your screen, correct?

Um I'm not sure.

I'm gonna give an overview right now.

Rose, that was great, thank you.

Um, and good evening, um chairperson Goldberg.

I'm I'm sorry, Weinberg, and all the members here.

Um I like Paula said, and by the way, Paula, thank you for a very nice introduction.

I have served as a city's specialist, labor relations specialist for about six almost six and a half years.

Um in that role, I oversee a broad range of labor and employment matters, including collective bargaining, grievance administration, disciplinary processes, and advising departments on workplace issues and assisting in um litigation that's related to some of those issues.

Um, a little bit about myself before joining the city of Stanford.

I spent over 14 years with a New York law firm assigned to in-house counsel in the city, uh the Yonkers Board of Education.

Um there I handled negotiations, grievances, uh, both teacher and civil service discipline and related litigation and work closely with administrators and folk and um late and administrators regarding labor issues, the same as as I do here.

So that was a good background for coming here.

After that, I transitioned to higher education as an administrator role focused on Title IX and compliance.

And um then I came to Stanford where I'm very happy.

Um an overview.

I'm gonna just start because I understand that a lot of people don't may not um have a collective bargaining or municipal background.

So we have 10 unions in the city.

Um I could rattle them off in alphabetical order.

Um I dream about all 10 of them and scheduling grievances and negotiations with them.

Um so within all those bargaining, all those collective bargaining contracts, the CBAs, there they set forth the terms and conditions of employment for that group.

And I am I am going to just identify the unions.

We have um the dental hygienists, that's one of our smaller groups, the UAW, which is um that's the largest group.

I'm sorry.

Excuse me.

If you if you can, it might be helpful uh for uh as as you list the unions.

If you can say approximately how many um how many members there are in the bargaining room.

Um less than 10, more than you know, more than 100, whatever.

Okay.

All right, so dental hygienists, I believe is under eight.

Um, the UAW, I think is in the 200s.

Um MAA, which is the supervisories union, I want to say about 150.

I'm guessing I don't I don't want to um I didn't add numbers to this.

Um the IU IUOE operations, that is the public works union.

Um that's sanitation workers, that's people that work in highways and things like that.

That's over a hundred.

Um, the nurses association, that's probably um, I want to say in the 50s.

Um, the assistant corporation council, the attorneys, the in-house attorneys, that's about 14.

Um fire, I want to say is in the 200s.

Um and please let me get you the real numbers after this.

Um police is also a large one.

That's probably in the in the over the 200s.

WPCA is um a smaller, it's IUOE, WPCA, and that's um probably in the 20s, and the custodians, that's a large number too.

That's I think is in the 200s.

Um I should have attached some numbers to that.

So all of those um units, they have the collective bargaining agreement that sets forth their the terms and conditions of employment, the times that they come in, they have disciplinary and grievance procedures, um, they it has their salary, all that is negotiated.

Um within those, it talks about we have like for instance in negotiation in negotiations that the term of the contract.

We have six contracts that uh that expire.

Um some of them expired last year and some of them are expiring this year, so those are in the middle of being negotiated.

Um and that involves uh I'll just tell you some of the processes that I go through.

If it is if it expires in 2026, at the end of last year, at the beginning of this year, I reach out to managers and department heads who manage the folks.

Like for instance, um the nurses expire this year.

So I reach out to the nursing supervisor and the head of the health department, and I say, give me any proposals, any language that you feel um could use some clarification.

You you want some flexibility with maybe scheduling the times of coming in and out.

Um, these are school nurses.

Um, so they provide me with that.

The other way that I get proposals is when I get grievances.

I get grievances when an employee um files a grievance when they feel that the contract is not being um that they're their kind their their terms and conditions are being violated, or there's some sort of wiggle room.

There's some ambiguity in the language of that contract that they believe um should be addressed, and that it benefits them.

So from those grievances, you know, I'll start my own proposal where it's like, well, this language needs to be clarified, or this thing that something needs to be cleaned up.

Um that's the collective that's so once I get those proposals now.

The union will start sending out letters demand to negotiate, and we start scheduling negotiation sessions.

We meet with the um, I meet with our folks, I we're rent management, we meet with the union, and we actually meet.

These rooms are great for negotiations because we use both rooms.

We split up, we caucus, we come together, we trade proposals back and forth.

Um with respect to um compensation and things like that.

We look at comparables, um, the union makes a demand, the suit the city makes counter demands or other proposals.

Um by the way, you can stop me at any time and ask a question because I feel like I'm just going on and on.

Um so far, so good.

Uh well uh at your suggestion, we'll just pause.

Okay.

Any questions?

Uh none here in the room.

Uh so far, Angie, does anyone have their hand up?

Okay.

No.

Okay.

So far, so good.

All right.

So as you know, eventually the parties um they they come to an agreement and they enter into what's called a tentative agreement.

Um, and then that goes through the process of going to the boards for approval and things like that.

Um, it gets signed.

Um the other thing though, the other aspect of this is we handle or I handle grievances.

Oh there's a hand up.

Um yes, I see.

Why don't you finish your thought and then so I was just gonna move on to grievances.

So grievances, everyone lets you say it's a pause, and um representative Taylor Cruci.

Uh please unmute you on the floor.

Oh, okay.

I will mute it.

Uh Anna, uh Virgil Delacruz from Waterside.

Uh, are you a permanent member of the negotiating team on the city side?

Yes, that's that's that's part of my duties, yes.

Okay, because in the recent negotiation.

It was mentioned that there was no authority or council representing the city.

And I'm trying to understand.

Uh how that was handled.

Um, yes, I'm an attorney and I re represent the city.

I see.

Were you in the negotiation with the uh assistant corporation council agreement?

Yes, I was.

I see.

So you were on a term and representing the city in that agreement.

Um I'm I'm there as a labor relations specialist.

I'm not hired by the city as an assistant corporation counsel.

So I just want to be perfectly clear about that.

Well no, I uh I understand that that would present a lot of ethics conflicts, right?

Uh I say, well, you were on the negotiation represent uh on the city side.

Yes, I was.

Okay.

Thank you for that.

You're welcome.

Uh thank you.

Uh Anna, you you have the floor again.

Okay.

So grievances.

Every collective bargaining agreement has a provision for grievances and grievances are where an employee through the union um feels that their their um some terms and or condition of employment has been violated by their manager by the city, for instance.

They feel that if they feel that um they were entitled to overtime and that the overtime process was not followed, that they were skipped, they'll follow uh uh a grievance to the union.

Um I'm trying not to make any specific uh refer to any specific grievances.

Um, but every um let's see if I can think of one.

So I I have some from well, I'm not gonna give any specifics.

Um I will make myself available if anybody wants to call me or meet with me and and talk uh in more specifics, but I'll just move on.

We get questions about uh contract interpretation.

Um there's a provision in the UAW contract that talks about union leave.

Most collective bargaining agreements have a provision about union leave.

That is union members have the right to take time off to represent their bargaining unit member, um, to go to conferences, um, to to um bring forward their grievances.

And there's like a little bit of ambiguity in a contract, it's uh to determine how much time, how much notice they're supposed to give their supervisors, um, who exactly is entitled because it says union leaders, so it should identify every position in the union that's entitled to that.

Um so those some some of the questions that I get.

Dispute resolution.

We try to avoid um getting to the grievance by getting getting in there early and talking to both parties.

Rose and I I think are make a really good team about trying to do that.

Um so that we want to maintain healthy and and harmonious labor relations at the same time, the city has to run and and it has to perform um the duties that it has to perform.

So that's some of the things that that happens with grievances.

If an employee is unhappy with a decision with a grievance, I meet with the union, I listen to what they have to say, I write a decision, they take that decision, and they can go to arbitration with that.

Um let me pause you right there.

Representative Walston has her hand up, uh, presumably with a question.

Uhrea, you have the floor.

Good evening, attorney Gonzalez.

Hi.

I just have a layman's question.

Could a resident make a claim to the union about one of the union members?

I'm an outsider.

Can an outsider say I want to make a complaint on uh a certain union member?

Could I do that?

I would not um touch that question because I represent the city.

I am on a management and the I do not interfere in any union business.

And if somebody has an issue with the union, that's something that needs to be addressed with the union and not with the city.

Okay, but all right, let me ask kind of I got what you're saying.

So what if me, an outsider, I don't agree with the city's um determination is what if I don't agree with the union determination as an outsider, what could I do?

Um as an outside as an outside as an outsider, if like a resident disagrees with something that that city does, then absolutely contact the city, whatever department it is.

If you're unhappy with um, I don't want to guess, but like say the you know your garbage didn't get picked up or something like that, absolutely you you reach out to the sanitation department or the operations department.

Um I don't know what sort of grievance a resident or or um issue that a resident would have with a union member because it's if that's an internal thing, it's between the union and the city, and we're the ones that that deal with each other.

If it's just an employee, that's different, but I don't um I don't know, maybe give more information.

And I know it has it has to go between the city and the union, the union and the city, but as an outsider, if I don't agree with the outcome, there's nothing that I could really do because it's already kind of set.

With with an outcome between whose discipline?

The the union member gets disciplined.

And I'm not in agreement with it.

I'm an outsider.

I'm not I'm not in a game with it.

So and I know it's between the city and the union.

Is there is there any other recourse that like an outsider could take if they don't like the outcome?

Okay, so my understanding of what your question is.

If an employee is disciplined, right?

An employee, not hit because we don't discipline union members.

We employ we discipline employees, right?

What they do on their, it's like we don't touch that.

That's that's um we don't get involved in any issues internally between union and and how, but if it's an employee who's disciplined, then it is the employee is the one who has the right to grieve that through their union.

So outsiders will have nothing to do with with that then, basically.

No, because an outsider is not um is not subject to the contract, right?

The contract covers the city and it covers the union, and the union is the sole representative of the employees.

So it's up to the union to appeal to grieve, to challenge a disciplinary decision.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um, you have the floor again.

Okay.

So that takes us to employee discipline.

Um, so because employees, they have a property interest in their jobs, you can't suspend them or terminate them without providing them with due process.

And um, I handle the due process meetings.

They're called their they're um we call them predisciplinary meetings because no discipline can be issued until the employee has a right to notice, which I prepare those notices for the managers, and in that notice, it has all of their rights, right?

The right to receive notice, the right to union representation, to write to have a meeting to come forward and tell us your side of the story, the opportunity to defend themselves, to say, you know, their external um other circumstances, this is why I behave the way that I did.

Um after that meeting, um, we listen to everything.

It's usually the manager is there, myself, uh Rose Frazier is there, um, the employee and the union.

And it's, you know, try I try to make it as business like as possible.

It's not an I try not to make it an adversarial, even though it it is because we might be looking to discipline, um, but to maintain like professionalism, and this is not the opportunity for supervisor to get upset or to you know the rail at the employee.

Um, this should not be the first time that the employee knows that their performance or their conduct is is causing concern to their supervisor.

Um, we provide that opportunity for the employee to come in with their union and tell their side of the story.

And after that meeting takes place, um, the supervisor, Rose, myself, we talk about what was discussed, what the union had to say, and we usually come to a consensus about what discipline, if any, is going to be issued.

I prepare that letter for the hiring authority for the manager, the supervisor to issue, make sure it um it discusses due process and discusses his the employees' right to appeal that decision by filing a grievance.

Um and in most instances that it is it is grieved.

Um any questions on that?

Um questions in uh in the room.

Hands you any hands raised?

No hands.

Okay.

Um, that's pretty straightforward.

Um we advise, you know, we managers let me let me back up.

In the fall, um, Jessica Arnaman in our department who does career development, she's a manager for career development and training.

Um, she says, why don't you give a presentation to this on managers?

Because sometimes, you know, we get new managers, there's new managers all the time, and they don't know exactly what to do.

So I I like that opportunity because to me it's prevention.

It's like, hey, before something goes too far, or before you, you know, you're sometimes you're tempted to neglect like uh somebody who's not performing, somebody who's not performing their work, who's engaging in inappropriate conduct.

Um, let's let's nip it in the bud.

Let's try to resolve it.

Um the purpose of discipline is not to be punitive, it's not to you know, punish somebody, but it's to change behavior.

So with respect to poor performance, Jessica and I will work together and and she's she'll develop a personal improvement plan, a PIP, and that's to provide the employee with assistance with training um so that they start to improve their performance with conduct.

Um it's it's having that meeting and say this is you know cursing at your co-workers or you know, coming in late on uh a pattern of latenesses and leaving early.

This is unacceptable, this has to change.

Um that's um employee discipline.

So that's an ongoing.

This is like the day, this is the meat and potatoes, this is uh a daily um process.

Um so the same similarly with labor and labor management issues, address addressing workplace conflict conflicts, meeting with union leadership trying to resolve issues.

Um, and also we do a lot of um, or I do a lot of also Rose does policy and compliance, advising departments on workplace policies, saying, listen, it's the same policies across the city.

We can't make you know, can't make exceptions.

We know you really like this person, but you can't make an exception.

Um ADA and accommodation issues, um, the leave laws that that a lot of questions come up about recent laws and about leave laws and about FMLA and employment um compliance.

Um I'm gonna look at my sent over a presentation and I thought it was too much in the weeds.

So while you're doing that, I a quick question.

Sure.

I I would say that the the city is required to follow the federal and state FMLA requirements.

Uh do we have any enhancements beyond um what's what's required at either the federal or state levels?

Um I'm not sure what you mean by enhancements.

Do we have you know either uh more days or whatever?

Or we stick with the the federal and state guidelines.

We're hewing to the state and federal guidelines, unless Rose tells me something otherwise.

Okay, thank you.

Also, it um because actually this can't this came up with um we were talking to Director Hughes.

We do have some contracts have the emergency sick bank.

Um so that does allow for more days depending on the situation.

But negotiated.

Is that also but it is that we could include that as FMLA?

Well, remember the umbrella is FMLA and the leave time is all all what falls underneath that up to the 12 weeks.

Yeah, but it's still within the confines of the 12 weeks.

Right.

But sometimes it can't exceed Rose, correct me if I'm wrong.

Um depending on the ask from the emergency sick bank.

Right?

In terms of the days that they can use.

Okay, so so if an employee has goes out on FMLA and they have 30 days, right?

And and it's so they would only need an additional 30 days from the SIG bank to fulfill the FMLA obligations.

Um in most instances, if an employee the 12-week expired for FMLA and they uh cannot come back to work, they can ask for an unpaid leave of absence, an unpaid medical leave of absence.

But for most contracts, SIG bank gives you 60 days in a fiscal year that they can ask for from the they could get from the SIG bank.

Does that answer that?

Yeah, that's very helpful.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um okay, so tell sum it up.

So um labor relations, main the the goal, the overarching goal, maintain stable labor management relationships, um, ensure compliance with contracts and employment laws, help departments manage workforce issues effectively, resolve disputes before they escalate, um, deal with the disputes after once they escalate um and support the c city's ability to deliver services to its residents.

I am open to questions either here or afterwards, um, any time.

Okay, thank you.

That was really that was tremendously informative.

Are there any questions here in the room?

Angie.

Any uh any hands raised on screen?

No hands, no.

Okay, thank you very much.

I'll turn it back to Dr.

Russell.

Okay, thank you.

Um I believe that's all we have on the agenda for this evening.

Um next month we are covering benefits and also retirement benefits and pension.

So that should be fun and exciting um topics to discuss and to educate the board on.

Um thank you for your time.

We really appreciate it.

I always find these um sessions really um informative, but also it gives us a chance to highlight um the hardworking staff in the HR division.

So hopefully you were you can walk away from this very well informed and also just a little bit more educated as to what we encounter and do on a daily basis here in the city of HR.

Thank you very much.

Uh Rose, Anna, thank you that for uh for two very informative uh presentations.

And with that, uh any discussion.

Um in the future, it sounded like you're going to be doing more of these sessions.

Does it help do you mind um for you?

Does it help if we come prepared with questions?

I really enjoy your presentations and learning from it, but of course at three o'clock in the morning, I will think of things.

So does it help if we come to it knowing, or is this just like you saw an informative uh presentation?

Um so I would say, you know, it's an open form when we do these presentations.

So, like, you know, as we go along, we can ask for questions or pause for questions.

I know, especially I know Anna, like I'll you can speak for yourself.

I know when it comes to your labor relations, sometimes it's a little bit more sensitive, confidential, and so we would prefer uh a one-to-one phone call, um, you know, off screen with anything related to that.

But Anna, I'll I'll let you speak.

I I really do like getting questions that but ahead of time um so that I can prepare for it.

Um, like when I do these presentations for managers and department heads, I said to Jessica, we should like poll and just get questions because I love have it having it be interactive, um, hypotheticals, uh anything, but but uh if I can get it ahead of time so I can prepare for it, um, like having all the bargaining unit numbers in here, um, that would be great.

But yes, I welcome questions.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Um if I can uh you know put my control free cap on for just a moment.

Um if it's a question, you know, if it's if if if if if a committee member or other member of the board uh has a question, which is the likes of gee, I'd like to make sure that we learn about the following.

Um my encouragement is to follow that for me as chair, uh, so we don't drive um uh the HR folks crazy.

Um if it's a question that's more um that's more directed, uh in turn not a question, not necessarily something that you want to appear in their presentation, uh then you know, like anyone, any uh person at any employee of the city, any manager of the city should feel welcome to reach out.

Can I respond?

Yeah, please.

I I totally agree.

If it's questions for the presentation, what I'm hearing procedurally is we should share them with you and you will submit it so it's all together and there might be redundant questions.

So I agree.

Okay, thank you.

All right, super.

Uh thank you again.

And with that, uh, unless there are any objections, I will uh entertain a motion to uh adjourn.

So I uh it sounds unanimous to me.

Thanks very much.

Thank you all.

Good night.

Good night.