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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.e. Review draft Position Paper to approve proposed salary increases of fiver percent for classifications of instrument technician and electrical technicial and two and one-half percent for electrical/instrumentation supervisorPage 1 of 3 Item 3.e. DCENTRALSAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS POSITION PAPER DRAFT MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 5, 2024 SUBJECT: REVIEW DRAFT POSITION PAPER TO APPROVE PROPOSED SALARY INCREASES OF FIVE PERCENT FOR THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF INSTRUMENT TECHNICIAN AND ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN; AND TWO AND ONE-HALF PERCENT FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF ELECTRICAL/INSTRUMENTATION SUPERVISOR SUBMITTED BY: INITIATING DEPARTMENT: TEJI O-MALLEY, HUMAN RESOURCES AND OFFICE OF THE GENERAL MANAGER - ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER REVIEWED BY: ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER ISSUE Board approval is required for salary adjustments forjob classifications. BACKGROUND Recruiting for the Electrical and Instrument Technician classes has been historically difficult. The skill set is in high demand across our industry while the number of qualified candidates is low resulting in a very competitive environment for hiring and retaining these employees. Recent recruitments for these positions have been unsuccessful as detailed below: The Instrument Technician recruitment has been conducted twice in 2024. During the first recruitment, only five candidates out of the 35 who submitted an application met the minimum qualifications and passed the testing process. Two of these candidates were offered the position, however both declined due to the low salary and the requirement to be on -call. The second recruitment, which is currently open on a continuous basis (open until filled), has only attracted five minimally qualified candidates. There is currently one vacant position and two filled positions. 2. The Electrical Technician recruitment has yielded similar results. The first recruitment produced only a few minimally qualified candidates. The second recruitment was recently opened on a continuous basis and to date, no qualified candidates have applied. There are currently two vacant positions. The impact of an Instrument Technician or Electrical Technician position going unfilled has a severe and significant impact to plant reliability and performance. The District has over 6,300 assets organized into 75 November 5, 2024 Regular ADM IN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 53 of 63 Page 2 of 3 asset classes. The Instrument shop's three technicians process 19 percent of all work orders at the treatment plant. This is the largest volume of work orders per shop/employee. The instrument shop work's orders have a direct impact on our permits. I n the last year the instrument shop completed 1,040 regulatory -related work orders. Example of critical tasks performed by the Instrument technicians include: • Inspect, Maintain, Repair and Calibrate all Emissions and Compliance Analyzers • Inspect, Maintain and Repair Combustion Controls on Mhf • Inspect, Maintain, Repair, Test and Calibrate All Steam Generation (Cogen) and Steam Powered (Turbine) Equipment • Inspect, Maintain, Repair and Test all Fixed Gas Safety Monitoring Equipment • Inspect, Maintain, Calibrate Fuel Gas Systems • Assist With Scada, Hmi and Plc Program Development The electrical shop maintains the entire electrical distribution system originating at the 12kv source provided by the utility including its interface with our standby power facility and our cogeneration unit. The shop's five technicians process about 10 percent of the treatment plant's work orders. These are all related to critical electrical infrastructure which is part of a highly complex system that consists of medium and low voltage switchgear, feeders, and protective relaying. Both shops support not only the treatment plant but also the pumping stations and other District facilities in addition to the unprecedented additional workload resulting from the capital projects in planning and currently underway. Not being able to recruit qualified candidates significantly decreases the ability to respond to issues as they arise which can be critical in an emergency where time is of the essence. The impact of an Electrical and Instrument Technician position going unfilled has an immediate and severe impact to plant reliability, equipment availability and capital project execution. I n summary, the inability to fill positions is creating a staffing shortage and putting additional strain on the remaining technicians which affects the level of service provided to other areas maintained by the shop. Due to the difficulty in recruiting and the criticality of the functions performed by these classifications, a salary increase is warranted. Although the impetus for the adjustment was the difficulty in externally recruiting for both the technician level classifications, staff is also requesting an adjustment for the supervisor classification to ensure that there is enough of a differential between the two levels to alleviate compaction while also making this level more competitive for recruiting internally and externally. ALTERNATIVES/CONSIDERATIONS Deny salary increases for the Electrical Technician, Instrument Technician, and the Electrical/I nstrumentation Supervisor classifications. FINANCIAL IMPACTS If approved, this action will result in an annual cost of $74,780. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION The Administration Committee reviewed this matter at its meeting on November 5, 2024 and recommended November 5, 2024 Regular ADMIN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 54 of 63 Page 3 of 3 RECOMMENDED BOARD ACTION Approve Human Resources recommendation to increase the salary of the Electrical Technician and I nstrument Technician classifications by five percent and the Electrical/I nstrumentation Supervisor by two and one-half percent. Strategic Plan re -In GOAL THREE: Workforce Diversity and Development Strategy 2 - Engage employees and conduct labor relations in a transparent, effective, and collaborative environment, Strategy 3 - Retain skilled workers by investing in resources and opportunities for all employees to grow and thrive November 5, 2024 Regular ADM IN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 55 of 63