MEET AND CONFER

PRESENTATION

by Stephen Gilman PFFA Staff Representative

Meet and Confer is an effective process for labor-management communications.

Principles were developed and home-grown right here in Arizona.

Development over last few decades have provided for effective and non-contentious working relationships in communities throughout the State.

Tenets – communication, accountability, government transparency

INTRODUCTION

60’s and 70’s City of Phoenix, City of Tucson and several school districts experienced labor-management strife

Parties were looking for solutions; however State law prevented collective bargaining

Experts got together and created Meet and Confer

BACKGROUND

Adversarial style

Demands, proposals, counterproposals

The end result is a contract, which is binding and can be enforced by the courts, if necessary

Weapons – strikes (labor) lockouts (management)

This approach is not conducive to effective public employee-employer relations and to long term productive

relationships in our opinion.

COMPONENTS OF TRADITIONAL BARGAINING

"OK, let's hack out an agreement."

Interest-based negotiation style

End result is a memorandum of understanding (MOU)

MOU ‘s are governed by the City Council

Final decision making power lies with the governing body who may accept, reject, or modify the agreement

WHAT MAKES M&C DIFFERENT?

Each year employee groups meet with management to work together on employment issues

Firefighters have vast resources and collaborative ideas for a variety of solutions and enhancements for any Town, City or Fire District

Employees not organized in an employee group are not prevented from meeting with management, “open door” polices remain

HOW M&C WORKS

All parties are expected to work together in good faith with an eye on productive and effective solutions

In the rare event of impasse, disputes are attempted to be resolved through non-binding mediation

All agreements and disputes are ultimately decided by Elected City Council or Fire Board members and that decision is final

HOW M&C WORKS

Without meet and confer, association representatives only avenue to speak to elected officials directly about wage and other employment decisions is through (ARS 23-1411).

ARS 23-1411

23-1411. Public safety employee organizational rights; definition

A. Public safety employees serving any city, town, county or fire district in this state have the right to join employee associations which comply with the laws of this state and have freedom to present proposals and testimony to the governing body of any city, town, county or fire district and their representatives. A person shall not be discharged, disciplined or discriminated against because of the exercise of these rights.

B. This section shall not be construed to compel or prohibit in any manner any employee wage and benefit negotiations.

C. For the purposes of this section, "public safety employee" includes a probation officer or surveillance officer who is employed by this state or a political subdivision of this state.

ARS 23-1411

Collaborative approach

Partnership style

Strive for a mutual understanding and common education on the part of both labor and management

Focus on goals and concerns common to both parties

Labor and management each list and explain their needs, and the ensuing discussion revolves around ways to meet those needs that will be not only acceptable but also beneficial to both parties.

INTEREST – BASED PROCESS

State laws permitted by section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act provide in general that employees are not required to join a union as a condition of getting or retaining a job.

Right-to-work laws forbid unions and employers to enter into agreements requiring employees to join a union and pay dues and fees in order to get or keep a job.

BUT WE ARE A “RIGHT TO WORK STATE”

Meet and Confer does not force anyone to join a union and is perfectly

legal in a right to work state

Jobs saved in Phoenix and Mesa Fire and Police involvement in City revenue protection Significant employer-employee savings for 457 plans Social Security savings Positive solutions for GASB/OPEB obligations Leadership development

HISTORY OF POSITIVE RESULTS

City of Phoenix Mesa Public Schools City of Tempe City of Peoria City of Glendale City of Lake Havasu City of Bisbee Tucson School District Central Yavapai Fire District AVRA Valley Fire District Buckeye Valley Fire District South Tucson City of Tucson Sedona Fire District Apache Junction School District Deer Valley School District Fountain Hills School District Glendale Union School District Phoenix Union School District Roosevelt School District Sunnyside School District Pinewood Fire District

WHO USES MEET AND CONFER?

Arizona Department of Public Safety Town of Gilbert Pima County Arizona Department of Corrections City of Chandler City of Maricopa Tempe Secondary Schools Apache Junction Fire District City of Mesa City of Mayer Chandler Public schools Higley School District City of Surprise Daisy Mountain Fire District Avondale School District Dysart School District Gilbert School District Kyrene School District Paradise valley School District Scottsdale School District Tempe Elementary School District

WHAT DO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE TO SAY?

“I sincerely believe having the meet and confer process in place has allowed our organization to quickly and successfully resolve some major issues that were previously insurmountable. We’re able to communicate a clear and unified message to our governing board that improves their ability to provide policy guidance. In the past year, we’ve developed a balanced budget, reduced pay compression for firefighters and have included labor representatives in everything from regular organizational consistency meetings to budget and policy development to promotional testing. We’ve still got a few holes to patch from the prior administration, but I think the cooperative relationship we’ve developed is focused on improving our organization and our people, together, and I genuinely believe it will be critical for us to maintain as we chart our course for the next decade.” - Mark Savage Fry Fire District Chief

FRY FIRE DISTRICT

“Our firefighters had worked hard for several years to establish a meet and confer process at the City of Goodyear Fire Department. Their interests were very simple. They wanted Inclusion into a dialogue that effected their wages, benefits, and working conditions. Our experience is that once we, as management and labor, have a process to create that dialogue, the ensuing results are more creative outcomes made possible by inclusion. The byproduct of all this is higher morale from a workforce that is part of the solution with an active voice in making the department successful.”

-Mark A. Gaillard Flagstaff Fire Department

FLAGSTAFF FIRE DEPARTMENT

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) provides interest based communications, labor-management relations training

Training is no cost to the organization

TRAINING AND PREPARATION

Meet and Confer does not abdicate any local decision making to an outside party

Meet and Confer provides increased transparency in employment relations and government

Strikes and job actions are strictly forbidden

Employees are not compelled in any way to form or join unions

Meet and Confer has a proven track record of positive results

Training and preparation is provided at no fee to the organization

SUMMARY

QUESTIONS?