TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF NOVEMBER 17, 2011
COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Authority to extend until December 1, 2011, the terms of the collective bargaining agreements between the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and 1) SEIU Local 1, Firemen and Oilers Division; 2) the Building Trades Coalition; 3) the Teamsters Local Union 700; 4) the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union No. 9 (Electrical Instrumentation and Testing); 5) the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union No. 9 (Electrical Operations); and 6) the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local Union No. 399
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Dear Sir:
On June 30, 2011, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s collective bargaining agreements with the following six bargaining units expired: 1) SEIU Local 1, Firemen and Oilers Division; 2) the Building Trades Coalition; 3) the Teamsters Local Union 700; 4) the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union No. 9 (Electrical Instrumentation and Testing); 5) the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union No. 9 (Electrical Operations); and 6) the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local Union No. 399. A total of 833 employees are represented in these six units.
Before, and again after, the agreements expired, the authorized representatives of all six bargaining units signed written extensions whereby they agreed, on behalf of the unions, to extend the terms and conditions of the existing agreements to a date specified in the extensions. Based on the most recent extensions submitted to the District, they seek to extend those terms until December 1, 2011.
On November 3, 2011, the Board of Commissioners authorized the extension of the agreements until November 17, 2011.
Negotiations between the District and these unions have concluded and resulted in tentative agreements with all six bargaining units. Final contract language for these agreements is being prepared and is under review by the District and the unions, and it is unlikely that this process will be completed before December 1, 2011. It is therefore requested that the Executive Director recommend to the Board of Commissioners that it approve extending the terms and conditions of these existing agreements until December 1, 2011, which is an extension that all six bargaining units are expected to agree to and properly execute. It is anticipated that the six successor agreements will be placed on the agenda and submitted to the Board of Commissioners for approval at the December 1, 2011 Board Meeting.
It is further requested that the Executive Director recommend to the Board of Commissioners that it authorize and direct the President of the Board of Commissioners, the Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations, the Chairman of the Committee on Finance, and the Clerk/Director of Finance to execute written extensions extending the terms and conditions of these existing agreements until December 1, 2011, after they are approved by the General Counsel as to form and legality.
Requested, Denice E. Korcal, Director of Human Resources, DEK:TJK
Recommended, David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Respectfully Submitted, Michael A. Alvarez, Chairman Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for November 17, 2011