The first meeting for the Class & Comp kickoff will happen today for some staff & other meetings will follow in the coming days at various locations in the county.
Important information will be shared so please go & urge your colleagues to go! ALL STAFF will have an opportunity to make an important contribution to the study so if we want accurate results & true change we need to actively participate!
See you there.
The Negotiations Team met with the County on December 20th 2018 for the first time with a State Facilitator. We used this time to identify issues of note for future meetings and even pounded out some “low-hanging fruit.”
While there is still a significant amount of work ahead of us to do yet, it was clear to me (and the rest of your team) that the use of interest based bargaining was a significant improvement over past experiences at the bargaining table. Our next meeting with the County is scheduled for February 7th 2019.
In other news, I attended a kick-off meeting for the Classification and Compensation study on December 11th 2018. I am happy to report that an experienced vendor has been selected (CPSHR) and plans are already underway to go over the process of the study with all staff in January. The County should be sending out a notification of these meetings to you soon.
The last thing I would like to mention is that now that the holidays are over those of you who are active members will be getting election ballots for the 2019 officers, please don’t forget to send in your vote!
I want to thank those of you who took the time to nominate officers and stewards. I’m also thankful to those of you who accepted the nomination to serve on behalf of your colleagues – the job isn’t always easy but it’s incredibly important.
I’m writing to clear up some confusion regarding the state of negotiations following a recent notice generated by the County of an increase in their contribution to employee Health, Dental, and Vision plans to $1000 total per eligible employee.
While we only recently received the proposal, we expressed concerns about the employees’ ability to make informed decisions on their benefit plan selection timely as we were already in open enrollment and it was scheduled to end soon!
The County responded by sending out the notification on October 18th to all staff about the proposed increase in contribution. We appreciate this move because we know how critical this information is to you when making your 2019 plan selections.
However, please understand that it doesn’t change the fact that we are still in bargaining (interest-based bargaining). Following completion of bargaining, there will be a contract to vote on, which will include (but may not necessarily be limited to) the County’s offer to increase their contribution to health, dental and vision to $1000 per eligible employee.
I’m really sorry for the confusion, thank you for your patience!
Thank you,
Vanessa Mayer
LCEA President
(707) 350-0098
president@lcea.info
This passage was originally posted on a blog that has since been retired. The date listed in this title is the date the information was originally posted online.
As reported in our recent newsletter your negotiations team met with the County and a Federal trainer on September 17th 2018 for an Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) Training. Both LCEA and the County were intrigued with the information presented and look forward to putting the concepts to work at the table for County Employees. The next step will be scheduling some dates for bargaining with the assistance of a state facilitator. Stay tuned.
This passage was originally posted on a blog that has since been retired. The date listed in this title is the date the information was originally posted online.
The county has solicited the Fed’s (who may be conducting the training on interest based bargaining) and we are waiting on a response.
Thank you for your patience while we try to move forward into uncharted territory!
This passage was originally posted on a blog that has since been retired. The date listed in this title is the date the information was originally posted online.
1. Yesterday the team had a negotiations meeting with the County (I hope your ducks were out in solidarity!) While both sides were prepared to trade on noneconomic openers, we proposed a change of course in favor of a more flexible means of negotiating, which may involve training from the State or Federal Government (in the next few weeks) with a return to the table potentially in late-June. We are excited about this opportunity, and look forward to this potentially leading to more effective bargaining on this round of negotiations.
2. As many of you know, on behalf of County employees, I appealed to the Board of Supervisors in support of the classification and compensation study proposed by the County.
I know that this is a hot-button topic, but after careful consideration, your board of directors believes that this is truly a positive move for County employees. Clearly change is desperately needed, and a long-term solution must be found to the problems that we are facing. We don’t believe (even a little) that the study will solve the problems we face in totality, but it’s a step in the right direction, and MUST be followed by others of equal and earnest measure if we are to see positive results.
A very moving gesture was also made by the County Administrative Officer (CAO) Carol Huchingson by offering the LCEA President an opportunity (which I accepted) to participate in a panel for the purpose of selecting the firm to conduct the Classification and Compensation study. Today will be the first meeting on that panel. I want you to know that I take my role seriously, and will do all that I can do represent employee interests
This passage was originally posted on a blog that has since been retired. The date listed in this title is the date the information was originally posted online.
On March 9th 2018, Pursuant to the last, best and final offer for Units 3, 4 & 5, your Vice President James Scott and I met with the County Classification and Compensation Committee (CCRR) to discuss employee retention strategies as well as consideration of a draft employee compensation philosophy statement.
The Committee included representation from several department heads as well as the County Administrative Officer (CAO) Carol Huchinson.
Our presentation included statements provided by County employees in response to our request for input, as well as an article from Brigette Hyacith called “Loyal Employees are Assets – Not Liabilities!” that we found significant about the importance of a supportive and encouraging work culture in retaining quality employees.
Employee responses provided to CCRR (paraphrased):
“Other Counties are actively head-hunting our personnel with offers of wages 30% higher. I would prefer to earn what I’m worth and attract other staff to work for Lake County.”
“Other Counties offer better benefit packages which is why we lose people.”
“We are trying to do our best to stay loyal, even despite our current financial situation.”
“Employee turnover costs more than anything offered to current employees.”
“My position has greatly expanded in scope without a comparable rise in compensation.”
“We are chronically understaffed and those unfilled positions create additional workloads for the remaining employees.”
“Incentives should be given toward longevity. Anything!”
Other noted concerns:
Health care costs
Bilingual pay
Safety
We highlighted the need for integration of the following core values; Integrity, Service and Excellence, which is essential to the pursuit of a better work culture and should always be modeled from the top down.
Our information was well received and our impression is that there is a mutual interest in promoting positive change that will be beneficial to employees and the County as a whole.
It’s clear that the change that is so desperately needed won’t come easy – it’s going to require a strategic plan implemented on multiple fronts to solve the problems in employee retention that we face today. This includes additional revenue streams to support maintaining services, such as the tax measure recently drafted by the County.
Your LCEA board is cautiously optimistic that the County is ready to begin the real work of getting the job done.
This passage was originally posted on a blog that has since been retired. The date listed in this title is the date the information was originally posted online.
On February 28th 2018, your Negotiations team consisting of Joe Wildman our Business Representative, James Scott & Barb Cole for Unit 3, Cindy Silva and myself for Unit 4, Dave Hendrick and Tom Cain for Unit 5 met with the County’s Negotiations Team, County Administrative Officer Carol Hutchinson and Attorney Margaret Long for the first time in anticipation of a Successor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the contract expiring September 30th 2018 (the revised MOUs for Units 3 & 5 were ratified by the board on February 27th 2018). As soon as I get an electronic copy of the final documents, I will get it uploaded to the http://www.lcea.info website for all to view.
The first meeting was energetic and positive. Several considerations were presented, with the first being that James Scott (your soon-to-be new Vice President) and I, will be attending a County Classification and Compensation Committee meeting on Friday March 9th 2018 to discuss the employees’ perspective on County pay/compensation as well as recruitment and retention.
NOTE: It’s incredibly important that we hear from all of you ASAP! What about pay/compensation and recruitment/retention do you want discussed? As long-term employees of Lake County, James and I could always come to our own conclusions about what is important but this isn’t about us individually, it’s about all County Employees in Units 3, 4 & 5 and a rare opportunity for you to speak anonymously (through us) to the County about these vital issues!
You can reach us as follows: Vanessa Mayer by email at President@lcea.info or (707) 350-0098 or James Scott by email at VicePresident@lcea.info or (707) 245-4962
In addition, we discussed the need for collaborative drafting of the nonfinancial components of the contract first, so that necessary changes are realized before we begin discussing financial matters.
We meet next with the County on May 10th 2018, with both teams bringing initial proposals to the table. I think we can all agree there is a lot of work yet ahead, but I also think you have a fantastic negotiations team who is knowledgeable and prepared to get the job done.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Mayer
LCEA President
(707) 350-0098
President@lcea.info
This passage was originally posted on a blog that has since been retired. The date listed in this title is the date the information was originally posted online.
On Friday 1/20/2017, your Negotiations team met with the County for the first time in anticipation of the successor agreement for our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which expired on 12/31/2016.
Your team was represented by James Scott and Sheila Roseneau for Unit 3, Cindy Silva-Brackett and myself for Unit 4, Dave Hendrick for Unit 5 as well as Operating Engineers Local #3 (OE3) Business Representative Joe Wildman. We could still use another member to represent Unit 5 so if you are interested, please contact me for more information. The County was represented by Margaret Long with PLE Law Firm, Chief Administrative Officer Carol Huchinson and Human Resources Director Kathy Ferguson.
On Friday, we agreed to ground rules and set dates into April 2017 for forthcoming meetings. We are cautiously optimistic that Negotiations will be concluded in April, but your team is prepared to go further if warranted.
In an effort to provide full transparency, I will continue to provide updates as things progress but please know that some details must remain confidential as required by law. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me or Joe Wildman at jwildman@oe3.org.
Thank you.
Vanessa Mayer
LCEA President
(707) 350-0098
president@lcea.info
This passage was originally posted on a blog that has since been retired. The date listed in this title is the date the information was originally posted online.
County Employees,
The Negotiations Team met again with the County on November 22, 2017 to discuss the next steps following the failure of the County’s last, best, and final proposal in a vote of the membership for Units 3, 4 and 5. At the meeting, the County verbalized an intent (long overdue) to work with LCEA on behalf of County employees to resolve compensation issues.
Following receipt of a revised offer from the County, and due to concerns originally raised by members about their inability to vote due to the Sulphur Fire, LCEA decided to offer the revised proposal for a vote of the membership. The contract language of the new offer is exactly the same, which means that nothing has changed in terms of financial benefit to County employees. However, there was some change to their intent language, which could be promising.
The vote will occur by mail (we will inter-office all union members a ballot and a copy of the revised offer) and there will be an opportunity for any non-member to join before the ballots are cast. Any eligible employee who wants to join may do so by contacting our Secretary Crystle Williams at Secretary@lcea.info or (707) 995-4304.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER THE VOTE?
A PASSING VOTE means that the County’s revised last, best, and final offer will be incorporated into a Successor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the period October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018 with the Negotiations Team returning to the table with the County to Negotiate a new successor agreement in February 2018.
A FAILING VOTE means a multitude of different possibilities with the potential for a long legal process where both parties may be required to appear before the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB). If you have questions about this process, please feel free to contact our Business Representative Joe Wildman at
(707) 653-3162 and he would be happy to discuss them with you.
IMPORTANT
If you are joining and WANT TO VOTE,
you must contact our Secretary Crystle Williams at Secretary@lcea.info or (707) 995-4304 to get an application!
We must receive your application BEFORE close of business on
Friday, December 15th 2017
If you have questions you may contact the Negotiations Team as follows:
Joe Wildman (707) 653-3162, James Scott (707) 263-1164 ext. 118, Barb Cole phone (707) 995-4336,
Vanessa Mayer (707) 350-0098, Cindy Silva (707) 263-1090, Dave Hendrick (707) 245-5121.
I absolutely understand the inconvenience of this (unprecedented) 2nd vote on a last, best, and final proposal. However, it is our hope that this new vote will reflect a clearer measure of the will of the membership.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Mayer
LCEA President
(707) 350-0098
president@lcea.info
This passage was originally posted on a blog that has since been retired. The date listed in this title is the date the information was originally posted online.
LCEA Blog 