Fiscal Note
No appropriation is required to establish this committee.
Title
Creating Section 33.10 of the Madison General Ordinances establishing the Committee on Employee Relations.
Body
DRAFTER'S ANALYSIS: Discussion on these ordinances as well as the employee handbook began in June of 2012. General municipal employees will have their current collective bargaining agreements end on December 31, 2014, to be replaced by the handbook and the Committee on Employee Relations. Representatives of City management, along with the Mayor's office and Human Resources worked to develop the handbook and committee structure. Employee representatives have been active and engaged in this process and have provided continuous input and commentary over the course of several meetings. While not labor agreements, the goal of all involved is to give employees continued input into the conditions of their employment with the City of Madison. Additional ordinances will be drafted for introduction at the July council meeting.
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The Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby ordain as follows:
Section 33.10 entitled "Committee on Employee Relations" of the Madison General Ordinances is created to read as follows:
"33.10 COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYEE RELATIONS.
(1) The Committee on Employee Relations shall act in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and the Common Council in making studies and recommendations relative to rates of pay, hours of work and conditions of employment for employees employed by the City of Madison who are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement. The Committee is advisory only and is not created to, nor shall it engage, at any time, in collective bargaining.
(2) Membership.
(a) The Committee shall be composed of nine (9) members. Three (3) members shall be members holding management positions with the City of Madison. Three (3) members shall be citizen members nominated by the employees. Two members (2) shall be alderpersons currently serving on the Board of Estimates. One member (1) shall be the Human Resources Director who will only vote to break a tie vote among the other members. All members, with the exception of the Human Resources Director, shall be appointed by the Mayor subject to the approval of the Common Council on the third Tuesday of April for a term commencing on that date. The terms of the alderpersons expire with the expiration of their term as an alderperson. The remaining six (6) members shall serve staggered terms of three (3) years, with the terms of two (2) members expiring annually.
(b) The Human Resources Director shall act as executive secretary to the Committee and shall prepare the agenda and minutes of the meetings and perform such other duties as the Committee shall direct.
(c) Appointments to the Committee shall be made with consideration given to the expertise or interest necessary for proper performance of the duties assigned to the Committee members with strong consideration given to experience relating to recognized labor and employment related groups and agencies. All vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the Mayor subject to approval of the Common Council for a term filling out the remainder of the vacated member's term.
(3) The offices of Chair and Vice-Chair shall be filled by majority vote at the first meeting in May annually. Consistent with Sec. 33.01(7)(b), MGO, alders are not eligible to serve as Chair or Vice-Chair. In the event the citizen chair and vice-chair are absent from a meeting, an alder, upon consensus of the members present, may assume the chair. However, in no event shall an alder serve as chair of the Committee for more than two (2) consecutive meetings. The Committee shall adopt rules for the governance of its proceedings not inconsistent with Federal, State or local law. Such rules may include a provision for delegation of the powers and responsibilities of the Committee to subcommittees composed exclusively of Committee members.
(4) Duties. It shall be the function of the Committee to make recommendations on ordinances or resolutions pertaining to rates of pay, hours of work and conditions of employment affecting the City and its employees, including matters pertaining to:
(a) Improving the delivery of City services;
(b) Problems that arise in the workplace which are not covered by the grievance procedure; or City of Madison Personnel Rules;
(c) Rates of pay other than base wages;
(d) The effect of any changes to work hours;
(e) The effect of any changes to employee benefits;
(f) Proposed changes to City ordinances related to wages (other than base wages), rates of pay and conditions of employment;
(g) Matters referred to it by the Common Council.
(5) Mission. The mission of the Committee is to reach an amicable understanding by developing, implementing and fostering interest based problem solving methods and techniques with respect to the Employer-Employee relationship. To that end, the Committee shall, in conjunction with the Mayor and all City departments create, promote and agree to work together in joint employee-management teams to foster open and regular communication between employees, management, City officials, and citizens recognizing that open communication is an essential element in maintaining an atmosphere of trust in the City and continuing to provide the high quality service for which the City is known.
(6) The Committee shall take up no matter, nor propose any ordinance, personnel rule or work rule that interferes, in any way, with the rights of represented general municipal employees to bargain over base wages nor shall the Committee take up any matter, nor propose any ordinance, personnel rule or work rule that interferes with the rights of the City to operate and manage its affairs in keeping with its responsibility and the powers or authority which the City retains by law or custom.
(7) The members of the Committee shall serve without compensation.
(8) The Committee is a standing sub-unit of the City of Madison and may only be dissolved by ordinance."