interest based bargaining and meet and confer committee ... · interest based bargaining and meet...
TRANSCRIPT
Interest Based Bargaining and Meet and Confer Committee
Monday, May 13, 2019, 3:45-5:00PM
Special Services Training Room
MINUTES
Attendees: Karen Bienz, Mark Bittner, Tamara Bretting, Kendra Burns, Ami Cass, Jeannine Collins, Joyce
Engebretson, Sean Fimmel, Ed Goetz, Paige Gustafson, Dave Hardesty, Greg Herold, Chelsea Kuhn, Taimi
Kuiva, Mariah Learned, Janice Marshall, Pat McLean, Heather Moro, Stella Nowell, Steve Slyman, Patricia
Smith, Rebecca Stossel, Tammy Sullivan, Paul Weaver, Nicole Wilson, Dr. Yennie, Mary Jo Yost.
Dr. Yennie called the meeting to order at 3:46 PM.
1. Review of Minutes from previous meetings of April 8 and April 29, 2019. There were no changes
requested.
2. Review of Non-salary Item changes during 2018-2019 (on attached agenda). Decisions made
during 2018-2019 will be reviewed with principals and staff in the fall of 2019. Dr. Yennie asked
employee group representatives to let Administration know if there are any changes/corrections. The
following comments/clarifications were made to a couple items:
a.ii. Building Level Administrative Assistants. Dr. Yennie added that Administration may also
consider limiting the years of experience used for placement on the Unified Salary Schedule.
c.viii. Certified Personnel. Rebecca Stossel explained that November is when employees can
choose a VSP option, to start January 2020.
3. Review of Salary Items approved for 2018-2019.
a. Certified Personnel: Nurses and School Psychologists request the National Board Certification
monetary award that teachers currently receive, starting next school year. This item will be
addressed in the fall of 2019 with the Certified Salary Schedule Task Force. Dr. Yennie added
that the Task Force will address about 13 different items.
b. Technology: Two to three new technology positions to replace those eliminated in the past few
years. Administration is working with technology on the level of staffing required and position
responsibilities required to deliver the redefined customer service model. Staffing will be in
place by July 1, 2019.
c. Maintenance & Operations: The night shift supervisor at LHS requested a raise for custodians,
due to their increased workload. Administration will review the custodial workload and the
unified salary schedule to determine if there are any required adjustments. Dr. Yennie clarified
that the EMS market analysis found M&O salaries to be below market. As of July 2019, they
will be at market.
4. Policy Revisions 2018-2019. The following personnel policies were adopted during the 2018-19 school
year:
a. Policy 5007, Background Checks (February 2019)
b. Policy 5011, Sexual Harassment and Discrimination of Employees (Sep 2018)
c. Policy 5019, Classified employee work day requirements (Dec 2018)
d. Policy 5032, Personnel Leave Family and Medical Leave/ FMLA (May 2019)
e. Editorial Revisions (Sep 2018)
f. Policy 5031, Personnel Leave, Sick Leave (projected to be adopted June 2019)
g. Policy 5041, Employee Grievances (projected to be adopted June 2019)
5. Other Items still being reviewed.
a. Policy 5031, Personnel Leave, Sick Leave (attached). This version is the result of the Second
Reading by the Board, including the addition of Lines 18-20. Line 7 wording, currently struck
out, will be replaced by: “other medical issues related to” and written in blue, for the Board
June meeting. Mariah Learned will email the Board and explain the background to the wording
in this particular line, which is not addressed in Maternity Leave.
b. Certified Salary Schedule Task Force will meet September 10, 2019 and every two weeks after.
6. Salary Items Discussions. Ed Goetz distributed the attached updated Potential Budget Items for FY
2019-2020, noting the update results from a change from the state about replacing school buses (item in
bold). After reviewing page 2, the Cost of a Step, the split on Health Insurance of District 88% and
employees 12%, the Retirement Increase and Extra Duty Schedule Changes, the Committee agreed that
Meet and Confer will need to make a decision/recommendation on insurance and/or retirement increase
splits in April of next year. (See item 8. Annual Process Review for more details).
The Athletic Trainer Contract on page 2 was in response to an RFP to which only Premier Bone & Joint
responded. The two stipends that currently fund athletic trainers in the District will go toward this
contract. Premier will be able to provide services to district athletes from a rotating schedule of a four
different trainers.
Ed explained that the items on page 2 are not in the budget yet, as he was waiting for a decision from
this committee. Those items will now be added for the Board’s consideration.
a. Building Level Administrative Assistants – No request. Mary Jo Yost explained the difficulty
in gathering this group for meetings, or getting feedback on issues from them via email. Other
groups echoed the same challenge. As group representatives, they may alert their groups to the
issues they want to bring to the table, and if they receive no feedback, they are free to present
those issues at Committee meetings.
Dr. Yennie noted that this was the first year of implementation of the Unified Salary Schedule,
and asked this employee group to monitor market analyses and job descriptions, as they can
come back to this committee with requests for changes in the future. Kendra Burns added they
will probably request a future hit-to-the-base to help prevent classified employees topping out.
Rebecca Stossel explained that there are approximately five classified employees, out of 400+,
that have topped out in their columns.
Mary Jo Yost shared that she heard only positive feedback about the new classified employee
evaluations this year, which now match job descriptions.
b. Paraprofessionals – The group is happy with the 88/12 insurance increase split and the step
increase. They asked for clarification about open enrollment dates for insurance. Ed Goetz
confirmed that May is the month to change/select deductible levels and November is the month
to add people to insurance plans. The Committee agreed that this insurance information is not
common knowledge, and Dr. Yennie noted that in the future it will be communicated more
widely.
c. Central Office Administrative Assistants – This group is also pleased with the 88/12 insurance
split and a step increase.
d. Principals/Administrators – Request for an increase to the base, since principals have not had a
salary increase for more than 10 years.
e. Certified Personnel – The group also is happy with the 88/12 insurance split, a step increase and
the District paying for the retirement increase.
f. Technology – The group requests a hit-to-the-base, and to save a step for a later time, due to the
new placement of employees on the Unified Salary Schedule, where they do not have many
steps remaining before they top out. They also requested clarification of misinformation, such
as cell phone stipends being rolled into their salaries, moving them further up the salary
schedule. Ed Goetz confirmed that this will not be the case. The group also requests a new
market analysis, stating that the EMS one did not give an accurate regional picture of similar
positions and salaries.
g. Maintenance and Operations – No request.
h. Transportation - No request.
7. Consensus Recommendation. Dr. Yennie asked for the Committee’s priorities for salary
recommendations to the Board after these discussions. He cautioned the group that there are still two
months remaining before the final budget for FY 2019-2020 is adopted, so there may still be changes.
However, Dr. Yennie will represent the Committee’s priorities to the Board during budget discussions
on May 15, and at the June and July Board meetings. Mariah Learned thanked the Board for delaying
their decision on the insurance increase until this committee met today, by agreeing to hold an
additional meeting on May 15th.
Priority #1: Step increase for all employees.
Priority #2: Insurance increase split of 88% District and 12% employee.
Priority #3: Retirement increase paid by District.
Priority #4: If things change, resulting in perhaps another $300,000 in revenue, a hit to the base instead
of the step increase listed in #1.
8. Annual Process Review (attached). Dr. Yennie emphasized the need for this committee to decide on
insurance increase proposals before the May meeting. Once that is clear, employees are then able to
make insurance deductible choices/changes during the May open period. Subsequently, the May Meet
and Confer meeting has to be prior to the May Board meeting, so that this committee’s
recommendations can be ready for the school board.
Discussion took place about employee group members and their involvement, or lack thereof, in the
Meet and Confer process. It was noted that there was greater participation when there was “money on
the table.” There were two suggestions: 1) to hold this committee’s meetings during work hours, as
incentive for participation, and 2) ask Administration to email employees at the start of the school year,
reminding them of their group’s representatives and where to find Meet and Confer information on the
District website.
Dr. Yennie plans to send all employees a survey about the Annual Process for Meet and Confer to
hopefully identify reasons for the lack of participation in their groups’ discussions and requests,
and discover ways to increase participation.
9. First meeting of 2019-2020: August 26, 2019. Two issues for next year: 1) Limiting years of
experience for classified personnel placement on Unified Salary Schedule, and 2) Meeting between
Technology staff and Administration.
The meeting adjourned at 4:53 PM.
ALBANY COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE
BOARD POLICY
Policy Title:
Personnel Leave Sick Leave
Policy Number:
5031
Adoption Date:
May 11, 2016
Section 5:
Personnel Rescinds:
Chap 7, Sec. 4
07/17/02
Review
Annually in
January
Albany County School District #1 Page 1
Sick Leave. 1
Sick leave shall be defined to include illness of the employee, or serious illness requiring bedside 2
or household attention by the employee or for a member of the employee’s family. for spouse, 3
child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, parents (or foster parents), mother-in-law, father-in-law, 4
grandfather, grandmother, grandchild, and sibling, or any other member of an immediate 5
household. 6
Sick leave shall also include temporary disability due to pregnancy or childbirth, as verified 7
by a physician's statement. 8
Employees may use up to two days of sick leave for the birth or the adoption of a family 9
member their grandchildren without needing documentation from a physician that their 10
presence is needed. 11
General Requirements 12
Sick leave is a benefit for a “regular employee” which is defined as a full school year employee 13
with regular scheduled hours who is employed in a benefited position that is scheduled to work at 14
least 20 hours per week. (see also Policy 5030, “Employee Benefits.”1 Any part time employee 15
(less than 20 hours) who has accrued sick leave prior to July 1, 2019 will retain the current leave 16
balance, but starting July 1, 2019, part time employees will not accrue sick leave. 17
For regular Part-time employees will receive the sick-leave entitlement shall be directly 18
proportionate to the length of the workday and year. Full-time employees will receive sick leave 19
as follows: 20
Nine-month (180 – 190 days) employees will receive six days of sick leave per year; 21
10-month (200 days) employees will receive seven days of sick leave per year; 22
11-month (225 days) employees will receive eight days of sick leave per year; and 23
12-month (240 – 260) employees will receive nine days of sick leave per year. 24
An employee may be required to furnish satisfactory medical proof of illness or disability. 25
An employee may be required to furnish satisfactory medical proof that the employee is well and 26
capable of fulfilling his/her job responsibilities without modifications or limitations. 27
Donation of Sick Leave 28
An employee may give one or more of his/her accumulated sick-leave days to another employee 29
under the following conditions: if (a) T the employee who will receive a donated sick leave day 30
must have has four or less leave days remaining. used all of his/her own sick leave and personal 31
leave;. 32
ALBANY COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE
BOARD POLICY
Policy Title:
Personnel Leave Sick Leave
Policy Number:
5031
Adoption Date:
May 11, 2016
Section 5:
Personnel Rescinds:
Chap 7, Sec. 4
07/17/02
Review
Annually in
January
Albany County School District #1 Page 2
(2)(a) Full-time certified employees (i.e., those on 100% contracts), including administrators, may 33
give sick leave to other full-time certified employees on a one day equals one-day basis. 34
(b) Part-time certified employees may give sick-leave days to full-time certified employees 35
in increments of half or full days so that the percent of their contracts multiplied by the number of 36
days donated is rounded down to the nearest half-day (e.g., someone who is on a 72% contract 37
who gives a full-day to a full-time person will have a half-day credited to the full-time person’s 38
account; someone on a 40% contract who wishes for the full-time person’s account to receive a 39
full-day must donate three days—40% x 3 = 1.2 which is rounded down to one). 40
Sick Leave Donation forms may be filled out in advance of the receiving employee’s need. Days 41
will be transferred to receiving employees when the employee’s leave balance is four (4) or less 42
days. 43
44
Employee with 10 or more sick leave days may donate days, however, they may not donate a 45
number of days that will take them below the balance of days allotted to job category for the year 46
(i.e. 180-185 day employee = 6, 200 day employees = 7, 225 day employees = 8, 240-260 day 47
employees = 9). 48
49
(c d) Full-time employees who wish to donate days to part-time employees may give sick 50
leave days in increments of half- or full-days so that the percent of the contract of the recipient is 51
divided into the number of donated days, and the result is rounded down to the nearest half-day 52
(e.g., a full-time employee donating one day to a person on a 30% contract will result in the part-53
time employee’s sick leave account being increased by three days—1 divided by 30% equals 3.33 54
which is rounded down to three; a full-time employee donating a half-day to a person on a 40% 55
contract will result in the part-time employee’s sick leave account being increased by one day—56
0.5 divided by 40% equals 1.25, which is rounded down to one). 57
(d) Certified employees may give to classified employees either half- or full-days; these 58
days transfer half-day to half-day and full-day to full-day. 59
(3) Classified employees may give sick leave to other classified employees whose salary schedules 60
are on the same page in the salary schedule book as theirs and whose contract percentage is equal 61
to or less than theirs (see #2 for explanation); they may also give sick leave to other employees 62
whose salary schedules are equal to or less than theirs on a half-day to half-day and full-day to 63
full-day basis; and 64
(4) The transfer of sick leave days cannot be made after the thirtieth calendar day following the 65
employee's return to work. 66
(5) After An employee who has submitted his/her resignation or notified the district of the intent 67
to retire or after an employee has been notified that the Board will act on a recommendation to 68
ALBANY COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE
BOARD POLICY
Policy Title:
Personnel Leave Sick Leave
Policy Number:
5031
Adoption Date:
May 11, 2016
Section 5:
Personnel Rescinds:
Chap 7, Sec. 4
07/17/02
Review
Annually in
January
Albany County School District #1 Page 3
terminate his/her contract, the employee may not transfer accumulated sick-leave days prior to the 69
last school day of the district academic calendar. ; and 70
(6) Employees must have at least fifteen days of accumulated sick leave in order to be eligible to 71
transfer days to another employee. 72
(Note: Certified employees may not receive sick leave from classified employees.) 73
(Note: Certified employees may not receive sick leave from other classified employees.) 74
(See Personal Leave defined in Policy 5033.) 75
Extended Sick Leave 76
Extended Sick Leave is provided to employees who require sick leave, and the employee has 77
exhausted all sick and personal leave days. 78
Employees on extended sick leave have three options to account for leave or to receive full or 79
partial paid time off: 1) receive donated days, 2) use substitute dock days, or 3) use full dock. 80
a. Receive donated days: employees can receive a donation of sick days from other 81
employees as described in the previous section. 82
b. Use substitute dock days (sub dock) with the approval of the Director of Human 83
Resources: After sick-leave and personal leave accumulations are exhausted, the 84
employee will receive the current salary, less the amount of the cost of a substitute's 85
salary (current substitute rate) per school day for each day's absence until the employee 86
returns to regular duty (for a period of up to 45 days—see policy 5006), or until the end 87
of the contract year in which sick leave and personal leave are exhausted, whichever 88
comes first. If an employee does not need a substitute, the substitute rate for the general 89
job classification will be used. 90
c. Use full dock with the approval of the Director of Human Resources: the employee 91
may be on unpaid extended leave if the employee chooses not to receive donated days, 92
has not requested the use of sub dock days, or is out for a period longer than 45 days. 93
The following conditions are required for the use and approval of extended sick leave for more 94
than 10 consecutive days (long term extended sick leave): 95
The employee must file a request for extended sick leave with the Director of Human 96
Resources in order to activate and be approved for extended sick leave, and the employee 97
may be required to submit an application for FMLA (see Policy 5032, Personnel Leave, 98
Family and Medical Leave) 99
ALBANY COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE
BOARD POLICY
Policy Title:
Personnel Leave Sick Leave
Policy Number:
5031
Adoption Date:
May 11, 2016
Section 5:
Personnel Rescinds:
Chap 7, Sec. 4
07/17/02
Review
Annually in
January
Albany County School District #1 Page 4
When the sick and personal leave accumulation are exhausted, the employee shall be 100
required to furnish a physician's statement verifying illness or disability before s/he the 101
employee is eligible to enter this phase of sick leave. 102
When the employee on this phase of long term extended sick leave plans to return to work, 103
s/he the employee must submit a physician's statement certifying that the person is capable 104
of performing his/her duties as assigned in the District. If the physician will not certify 105
that the person is capable of performing his/her duties as assigned in the District, then this 106
will be grounds for dismissal of a continuing-contract teacher (or any other employee) 107
pursuant to Wyoming Statute Section 21-7-110. 108
Any employee on this phase of extended sick leave must provide the District with monthly 109
medical reports from a physician regarding the employee's capability of performing the 110
duties assigned to him/her by the District. At any time during the above process, the 111
District has the right to request examination of an employee by an independent physician. 112
Unused Sick Leave 113
When an employee leaves the District, s/he the employee shall be entitled to payment for each 114
unused day of accumulated sick leave at the effective date of his/her termination, if s/he has 115
accumulated 15 10 or more days of sick leave. The rate will be determined periodically by the 116
Board of Education. The employee will be reimbursed the lesser of either the rate established by 117
the Board of Education or the employee's normal daily rate-of-pay. The maximum number of days 118
for which s/he an employee can be paid is 180 or185 days for nine-month employees, 200 days for 119
10-month employees, 225 days for 11-month employees, and 240 days for 12-month employees. 120
When an employee who qualifies for sick-leave buy-back resigns or retires from the District, the 121
employee may elect to apply his/her buy-back money to medical/dental insurance premiums 122
commencing immediately after the last month for which the District pays the employee’s premium. 123
The amount, which will be applied to the insurance premium, shall not exceed the amount needed 124
to pay the premiums through December of the year the employee leaves the District. This amount 125
will be “flexed” under Section 125; the balance of the buy-back payment (if there is a balance), 126
will be paid to the employee upon termination of employment, and this amount is taxable. 127
Current employees who have accumulated the maximum number of sick leave days (as defined in 128
the previous paragraph) will be paid for the sick leave days generated for each new fiscal year in 129
their first paycheck of that fiscal year. The rate of pay for those days will be the same as the rate 130
paid for unused sick leave days when employees terminate their employment with the District. 131
In the case of absence from work of any certificated employee for any reason except approved 132
leaves, deductions shall be determined as outlined in Chapter VII. Section 1. 1. Basis for 133
Fractional Pay or Deduction. 134
For regular part-time employees, the sick-leave entitlement shall be directly proportionate to the 135
ALBANY COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE
BOARD POLICY
Policy Title:
Personnel Leave Sick Leave
Policy Number:
5031
Adoption Date:
May 11, 2016
Section 5:
Personnel Rescinds:
Chap 7, Sec. 4
07/17/02
Review
Annually in
January
Albany County School District #1 Page 5
length of the workday and year. 136
An employee may be required to furnish satisfactory medical proof of illness or disability. 137
An employee may be required to furnish satisfactory medical proof that the employee is well and 138
capable of fulfilling his/her job responsibilities. 139
Leave of Absence for Illness 140
Employees with three or more years of consecutive service may be granted, upon request, up to 141
one year's leave of absence without pay for reasons of illness. The request for such leave must be 142
accompanied by a written statement by an accredited licensed medical physician providing 143
evidence, satisfactory to the Board. When an employee returns to the District from this leave, s/he 144
will the employee may be placed back into the position s/he occupied immediately prior to taking 145
the leave. The employee's return to the District must coincide with the beginning of a semester. 146
S/He Certified employees will be placed on the salary schedule on the step the employee s/he had 147
attained at the time the leave was granted. If the employee worked more than half of his/her a 148
contract year at the time s/he leave was granted leave then the employee will be subject to any step 149
advancement on the salary schedule given to other employees. 150
Classified employees may apply for a year’s leave of absence for illness, but they may not be able 151
to be placed back on salary schedule in the position the employee left at the time of the approved 152
leave of absence; however, they will retain their years of experience. 153
Under this leave of absence, the employee is eligible to continue under the District's insurance 154
program provided s/he pays the full premium during the leave. 155
A written notice of accumulated sick leave shall be given to each employee at the beginning of the 156
school year. 157
Employees may use up to two days of sick leave for the birth of their grandchildren without 158
needing documentation from a physician that their presence is needed. 159
(See also Personal Leave defined in Policy 5033, Personnel Leave Other.) 160
1 ACSD1 School Board Policy, 5030, Employee Benefits
Annual Process for ACSD1 Interest Based Bargaining and Meet and Confer
August
1. All employee groups select their representatives and forward the names to the
Superintendent of Schools by the last Friday in August. Staggered terms may be used in an
effort to improve institutional memory. (See attached participant list.)
2. Previous year agreements are reviewed with all administrators prior to start of the school
year and plans for implementation of agreements are communicated
September– no meetings
October
1. Representatives and administration mutually agree upon a neutral facilitator or if one is
needed to guide the process throughout the year
2. Memorandum of Understanding is used as needed, to describe the mutually agreed upon
scope of work with the facilitator. (Approximate number and length of meetings etc.)
3. All employee groups meet with their representatives to discuss and agree upon non-salary
items if any, that they wish to discuss with administration. These items may be presented at
this meeting, although it is not mandatory
4. Establish policy committees as needed
5. Employee groups may be provided with a sample activity and forms that can be used to help
prioritize their non-salary items. This prioritization is not required to be presented to
administration unless by mutual agreement.
6. The first of three Interest Based Bargaining training activities are conducted at a mutually
agreed upon time. Training modules must include but are not limited to:
a. Brief overview of history of bargaining in ASCD1 for new members
b. Review of agreed upon documents describing the goals of bargaining, the process
and timeline, the role of the members, the role of the facilitator
c. Brief human development activities that build rapport in a non-threatening way
d. Review of membership and staggered terms
e. Review of known statewide issues that might impact talks
f. Defining non-salary and salary items for clarification
g. Training should be a joint effort of employees, administration and the facilitator
November
1. First scheduled meetings for non-salary items (further meetings as needed)
2. Summary of meeting and detailed minutes are kept and made readily available to
employees
3. Employee representatives hold communication meetings with respective groups to update
everyone on the discussions. Efforts are made to hold the meetings at a time and place
where most employees can attend
December – no meetings
January
1. Second meeting for non-salary items if needed
2. Summary of meeting and detailed minutes are kept and made readily available to
employees
3. Employee representatives hold communication meetings with respective groups to update
everyone on the discussions. Efforts are made to hold the meetings at a time and place
where most employees can attend
February – no meetings
March
1. Third meeting for non-salary items if needed
2. Begin discussion of salary items
3. Summary of meeting and detailed minutes are kept and made readily available to
employees
4. Employee representatives hold communication meetings with respective groups to update
everyone on the discussions. Efforts are made to hold the meetings at a time and place
where most employees can attend
5. Bargaining group finalizes non-salary agreements
6. Evaluation of the non-salary discussion process is conducted and proposed adjustments are
considered
7. Second of three Interest Based Bargaining trainings is held with a special emphasis on new
school board members or new members to the team. Training is open to all. Training
modules include but are not limited to:
a. Basic principles in the Wyoming School Funding Formula
b. Estimated cash flow position of the district
c. Review of the use of General Fund money versus Capitol Funds etc.
d. Potential revenue implications
e. Health insurance adjustments
April
1. Third of three training modules is conducted. Topics include:
a. Revenue projections for the year
b. Mutual agreement is arrived on the overall financial picture of the district
2. Bargaining group reaches tentative final agreements on non-salary and salary items
3. Employee representatives hold communication meetings with respective groups to update
everyone on the discussions. Efforts are made to hold the meetings at a time and place
where most employees can attend
4. Final documentation of all agreements is created and vetted by subcommittee of the
bargaining group
5. Agreement is supported by representative groups
6. Documentation is sent to all members of the group for approval
7. Clarification changes are made if needed and resubmitted to the bargaining group for
approval
8. Final documentation is made available to all
9. Evaluation of the salary and benefits discussion process is conducted and proposed
adjustments are considered.
10. End-of-the-year evaluation of the facilitator (if applicable) is discussed and adjustments
considered.
May Optional meeting, as determined by group
June
1. Budget is modified based on agreements and shared with school board
July
1. School Board approves the final budget
2. Administration builds a plan for implementing all aspects of the agreements for the
following year and plans are communicated to all administrators and staff in August
Revised August 2018