HomeMy WebLinkAbout04. Potential Labor Relations Consultant, IEDA4.
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
May 13, 2014
TO: ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
VIA: ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER55t
DAVID HEATH, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION b4
FROM: TEJI O'MALLEY, HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
SUBJECT: LABOR RELATIONS CONSULTANT (IEDA)
At the Board Workshop that took place in October 2013, the Board determined that it
would be prudent to engage the services of a labor relations expert well before the
expiration of the MOUs in December 2017. The need to engage an expert now was
based upon the desire of the Board that items related to the negotiations can be
thoroughly vetted and analyzed prior to commencement of actual negotiations which
are anticipated to begin approximately six months prior to the expiration dates of the
MOUs.
Several Board members requested additional information regarding the Industrial
Employers Distributors Association (IEDA) and the purpose of this memo is to
provide the Board with a summary of the labor relations services offered by IEDA, a
firm specializing in labor relations, as well as any costs associated with the services.
IEDA was founded in 1937 and is a non - profit agency that provides Human
Resources services to over 150 private and public sector employers. Services
include negotiation representation (chief spokesperson role), labor relations
analysis, grievance consultation, management training, benefit administration, and
classification and compensation analysis.
Participating employers have access to a staff of negotiators and other in -house
experts who specialize in providing a range of bargaining techniques from traditional
to interest -based approaches. Additionally, IEDA staff possess extensive knowledge
of the local labor market as they have provided these services to many local public
agencies including counties, cities, and special districts.
Since IEDA is a non - profit agency, employers pay a single monthly fee that is based
upon the number of employees and number of bargaining units. The monthly fee
does not change regardless of the needs of the employer during the fee cycle. This
Administration Committee
Labor Relations Consultant (IEDA)
Page 2 of 2
allows employers to predict and contain costs associated with negotiations and other
labor relations matters.
Effective July 1, 2014, the monthly all- inclusive fee is $3,365. However, since most
Human Resources and Labor Relations matters are managed by the District's
Human Resources Manager and other management staff, and since actual
negotiations would not commence until approximately six months prior to the
expiration of the MOUs, IEDA has offered to reduce the monthly premium by 50%
for the strategic planning phase of negotiations. This reduction in fees would apply
until actual negotiations begin.
For illustrative purposes, if IEDA were to be retained by the District effective July 1,
2014 through contract ratification and adoption in December 2017, the estimated
cost for the 2017 labor negotiations would be roughly $60,570. Please note that
IEDA does increase its fees on an annual basis and they have historically been
aligned with CPI increase.
For comparative purposes, I have included the cost of past labor negotiators in the
table below:
Fiscal Year
Total Cost
96/97
$109,903
99/00
$78,500
02/03
$105,000
08/09
$210, 570
12/13
1 $211,686
If the Board would like to proceed with exploring further the services that IEDA can
offer, a representative from IEDA can be present at a subsequent Administration
Committee Meeting. If the Board would like to consider other labor relations experts,
can provide additional resources for the Board to consider.
I will be able to answer any questions or provide clarification during the meeting.