Salary Compaction Adjustment Tractor Trailer Driver and Solid Waste Loader Operator Classifications

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1 Office of the City Manager CONSENT CALENDAR September 22, 2009 To: From: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council Phil Kamlarz, City Manager Submitted by: David W. Hodgkins, Director of Human Resources Subject: Salary Compaction Adjustment Tractor Trailer Driver and Solid Waste Loader Operator Classifications RECOMMENDATION Adopt a Resolution to amend Resolution No. 64,171-N.S., Classification and Salary Resolution for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021 (Maintenance & Clerical Chapters), to increase the salaries of the Tractor Trailer Driver by 3.5% and the Solid Waste Loader Operator by 6.1% effective June 28, FISCAL IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION There are eight Tractor Trailer Driver positions and two Solid Waste Loader Operator positions in the Public Works Department. The additional annual cost of salaries and benefits to be incurred as a result of this recommendation is approximately $45,000. The Public Works Department will fund the cost of this increase from the Refuse Fund, (and related benefit accounts). CURRENT SITUATION AND ITS EFFECTS For the last several years, the Public Works Department has experienced difficulty in filling Tractor Trailer Driver and Solid Waste Loader Operator assignments in the Solid Waste Division. These assignments are filled by promotion from the Solid Waste Worker classification, and in the case of Tractor Trailer Driver, from employees in the Solid Waste Truck Driver classification. Historically, the differences among the relative salary ranges have provided enough economic incentive to encourage individuals in the lower level classes to seek promotion to the higher paying assignments. Previous equity adjustments negotiated in 2002 inadvertently created internal compaction issues among these classifications that negatively impacted the recruitment and filling of the Tractor Trailer Driver and Solid Waste Loader Operator classifications. Prior to the Memorandum Agreement between the City and the Union, the Tractor Trailer Driver salary range was 5.8% above Solid Waste Truck Driver, and the Solid Waste Truck Driver salary range was 5.1% above Solid Waste Loader Operator. A series of equity adjustments for the Solid Waste Truck Driver classification that were negotiated in the 2002 agreement reduced the difference between the Tractor Trailer Driver and the Solid Waste Driver salary to just 1.4%. The previous equity adjustments 2180 Milvia1 Street Berkeley CA TEL: (510) TTY: (510) FAX: (510) manager@ci.berkeley.ca.us Website :

2 Salary Compaction Adjustment Tractor Trailer Driver and CONSENT CALENDAR Solid Waste Loader Operator Classifications September 22, 2009 also caused the Solid Waste Loader Operator salary to slip from 5.1% to 11.2 % below that of Solid Waste Truck Driver. The erosion among the salary relationships has become problematic in that Solid Waste Loader Operator assignments are inherently less attractive than Solid Waste Truck Driver or Tractor Trailer Driver assignments because of the longer work shift and physical demands associated with operating the loader. The erosion of the Solid Waste Loader Operator salary relationship relative to Solid Waste Truck Driver has exacerbated this problem in that Solid Waste Workers are opting to forgo Solid Waste Loader Operator assignments in favor of Solid Waste Truck Driver promotions, even if it takes longer to achieve. Additionally, the compaction that has developed between the Solid Waste Truck Driver and Tractor Trailer Driver salaries (5.1% to 1.4% difference) has created a disincentive for lower level employees to pursue Tractor Trailer Driver assignments. The proposed increases to the Tractor Trailer Driver and Solid Waste Loader Operator classifications restore the differentials among these classes very nearly to what existed prior to This proposal is expected to mitigate the compaction and recruitment problems. BACKGROUND Section of the Memorandum Agreement between the City and SEIU Local 1021 (Maintenance & Clerical Chapters) states that The City and the Union will meet to discuss internal salary compaction issues that affect the classifications of Skilled Laborer, Solid Waste Worker and Tractor Trailer Driver. The parties will mutually agree to a method to adjust salaries to resolve internal compaction among these named classifications. Any changes will be effective June 28, Pursuant to the language in the Memorandum Agreement, Human Resources staff held a series of meetings with Union representatives and Public Works executive management to formulate a resolution to the salary compaction issues. In July, the parties agreed to the proposed adjustments that address the compaction and internal alignment issues for the Tractor Trailer Driver and Solid Waste Loader Operator job classifications. It was determined that there were no compaction issues effecting the Skilled Laborer classification. RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATION It has been the policy of the City to maintain and revise the classification and salary schedule on a regular basis to accommodate assignment of new duties and responsibilities, reflect programmatic changes, maintain competitive salaries, resolve salary equity and alignment issues and when applicable, comply with regulatory requirements. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS CONSIDERED None

3 Salary Compaction Adjustment Tractor Trailer Driver and CONSENT CALENDAR Solid Waste Loader Operator Classifications September 22, 2009 CONTACT PERSON David W. Hodgkins, Director of Human Resources, Paul Howard Sr. Human Resources Analyst, Attachments: 1. Resolution and Exhibit A: Salary Schedule

4 RESOLUTION NO. ##,### N.S. SALARY COMPACTION ADJUSTMENT: TRACTOR TRAILER DRIVER AND SOLID WASTE LOADER OPERATOR CLASSIFICATIONS WHEREAS, the Human Resources Department maintains the Compensation Plan for the City of Berkeley; and WHEREAS, the current (June 29, 2009 to June 23, 2012) Memorandum Agreement between the City and the Service Employees International Union, Local 1021 (Maintenance & Clerical Chapters) provides that the City and the Union will meet and mutually agree on a method to adjust salaries to relieve internal compaction among various solid waste job classifications, with adjustments being effective June 28, 2009; and WHEREAS, the City and the Union have met and mutually agreed on compaction relief adjustments to the salaries for the Tractor Trailer Driver and Solid Waste Loader Operator classifications. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Berkeley that Resolution No. 64,171 N.S., Classification and Salary Resolution for Service Employees International Union, Local 1021 (Maintenance & Clerical Chapters) is amended to reflect the agreement between the City and the Union as shown in Exhibit A.

5 Exhibit A Salary Schedule Job Code Steps Rep Unit Class FLSA A B C D E Effective Date 6514 D Tractor Trailer Driver N /28/ D Tractor Trailer Driver N /27/ D Tractor Trailer Driver N /26/ D Tractor Trailer Driver N /25/11* 6517 D Solid Waste Loader Operator N /28/ D Solid Waste Loader Operator N /27/ D Solid Waste Loader Operator N /26/ D Solid Waste Loader Operator N /25/11* * However, if revenue increases from sales tax and property tax are less than three percent (3%) for the period of July 1, 2008 through July 1, 2011 then the City will look to reduce labor costs to offset the reduction in revenue but any reduction in salary is limited to one percent (1%) of salary only for the December 25, 2011 salary increase.

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