TITLE
Recommendation to adopt resolution amending the Fiscal Year 2019 Salary Resolution to revise the salary range for Gas Field Technician II and III and Gas Construction Worker III. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to revise the salary for the Gas Field Technician and Gas Construction Worker job classifications, consistent with City Council instructions. These classifications are in the Skilled and General-Basic bargaining unit represented by the Association of Long Beach Employees (ALBE). To implement salary adjustments, the City engaged in the meet and confer process with the aim of reaching agreement with the bargaining unit representatives.
The Energy Resources Department identified a need for a new job classification with three distinct paygrade levels to provide specialized skills necessary to ensure state and federal compliance associated with the delivery of natural gas to utility customers and certification requirements in specialized job assignments such as leak survey, corrosion control, telemetry, or valves and regulatory maintenance. The new Gas Field Technician classification will provide the department with the necessary skills to continue to deliver gas utility services to their customers while staying in compliance with existing and new federal and state law. In addition, the department proposed to modify the Gas Construction Worker III classification to reflect the specialized skills required to drill into live natural gas mains, which is of significant responsibility and a high consequence of error.
The City and ALBE representatives engaged in negotiations and held six meet and confer sessions regarding the proposed salary adjustments and the new job classifications between February 2017 and April 2018. While a tentative agreement was reached on the proposed salary adjustments, the parties could not reach agreement regarding the placement of employees into the grade levels of the new classification. As a result, ALBE declared impasse on April 11, 2018 on the entire proposal. The City followed up on April 15, 2018 proposing voluntary mediation to reach an agreement or compromise. The City and ALBE continued discussions regarding the new classification on April 24, 2018. The City followed up with ALBE on May 11, 2018 and ALBE responded on May 21, 2018 that they were still at impasse. ALBE did not request fact-finding as an option in an attempt to alleviate the impasse pursuant to Government Code Section 3505.4, et seq.
After engaging in a lengthy period of bargaining, including a fair consideration of ALBE's proposals, the City and ALBE are at impasse in these negotiations and future meetings would be futile. In accordance with City Council instructions to implement the attached proposed Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 19) Salary Resolution Amendment, revising the salary range for Gas Field Technician II and III and Gas Construction Worker III, effective the first day of the first pay period following adoption by the City Council, the ranges will be revised as follows:
Gas Field Technician II 540 550
Gas Field Technician III 560 570
Gas Construction Worker III 482 500
The summarized duties of the Gas Field Technician classification series are as follows:
• Gas Field Technician I (journey-level): Performs state and federal compliance activities and meter installations associated with the delivery of natural gas to gas utility customers at the journey-level of the classification. Surveys for leaks, responds to Underground Service Alerts, and monitors corrosion control systems. May assist with telemetry or advanced corrosion control duties.
• Gas Field Technician II (moderately complex): Performs moderately complex duties of the classification including corrosion control, valve and regulator station maintenance, and/or telemetry.
• Gas Field Technician III (lead): Performs the more complex corrosion control and/or telemetry duties, maintains and repairs the AMI network, and acts in a lead capacity.
Upon City Council approval of the attached Resolution, the Gas Field Technician I-III classification specification will be submitted to the Civil Service Commission for final approval and adoption.
The summarized duties of the Gas Construction Worker III are as follows:
• Gas Construction Worker III: Performs moderately complex duties of the classification and may act in a lead capacity. Performs construction, maintenance, and repair of natural gas pipelines and related distribution system facilities and equipment.
The adoption of the attached Resolution does not establish a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). ALBE will retain the ability to negotiate a new MOU that will cover the period starting October 1, 2018. The City is currently engaged in MOU negotiations with ALBE.
This matter was reviewed by Principal Deputy City Attorney Gary J. Anderson and by Budget Analysis Officer Julissa Jose-Murray on January 8, 2019.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on January 22, 2019, to ensure timely implementation of the proposed ranges.
FISCAL IMPACT
The costs of the proposed salary ranges for the Gas Field Technician II and III and Gas Construction Worker III for FY 19 are estimated at $14,000. There is sufficient appropriation in the Gas Fund (GF) in the Energy Resources Department (ER) to absorb these costs. The ongoing annual cost is anticipated to be $20,330 and will be incorporated into the budget as part of the FY 20 budget development process. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
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Respectfully Submitted,
ALEJANDRINA BASQUEZ
DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER