Title
Possible Approval of the Collective Bargaining Agreement Between The Incorporated County of Los Alamos and The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 611 (Public Works)
Recommended Action
I move that the Council approve the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Incorporated County of Los Alamos and The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 611 (Public Works) and direct the County Manager to execute the Agreement on behalf of the County.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve the Agreement as requested.
Body
On September 20, 2023, a card-check was held to determine if a new bargaining unit of County employees was to be certified. The results indicated that there was a majority support for exclusive representation in a new and separate Public Works Department bargaining unit by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 611.
A new Bargaining Unit includes all regular, non-probationary staff in the following job descriptions in the Public Works Department referred to as "Bargaining Unit Employees":
Electrical Apprentice
Electrical Journeyman
Electrical Foreman
Traffic Electrician 1
Traffic Electrician 2
Traffic Electrician 3
Los Alamos County and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 611 (Public Works) entered into negotiations on January 25, 2024, and through a series of mutually agreed upon meetings, came to a tentative agreement on April 10, 2024. Attachment A shows the proposed collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The highlights of the CBA include:
1. Term of April 30, 2024 to June 30, 2027.
2. The following pay ranges (hourly rates) for Bargaining Unit Employees effective first full pay period following ratification and signature of agreement and through FY2025:
Electrical Apprentice $22.93 - $37.34
Electrical Journeyman $27.87 - $45.49
Electrical Foreman $32.27 - $52.54
Traffic Electrician 1 $26.54 - $43.23
Traffic Electrician 2 $27.87 - $45.49
Traffic Electrician 3 $32.27 - $52.54
3. Bargaining Unit Employees may earn salary increases of 1%, 2%, or 3% for “Meets Expectations”, “Exceeds Expectations”, or “Far Exceeds Expectations”, respectively, on their performance appraisal evaluation.
4. Boot allowance of $500 annually for purchase of electrical hazard safety boots.
5. Provision of Fire Resistant uniform for all Bargaining Unit Employees.
6. Description of grievance process.
7. Salary structure increases of 2% (minimum) in FY2026 and FY2027.
The IBEW members of Local 611 (Public Works) have ratified the CBA on April 23, 2024.
Alternatives
The alternative is to disapprove the negotiated Agreement and direct the County to return to the negotiations table.
This proposed CBA is the result of good-faith negotiations between the County and the Public Works IBEW. Although the parties could continue to negotiate different terms, the staff believes that approval of this contract is in the parties’ best interests.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Unplanned Item
The fiscal impact of this agreement is approximately $152k/year which will be recurring in FY25, and an additional 1-5% increase based on agreed upon Merit and Structure Increases in FY26 and FY27. A budget revision may be necessary and will be brought to Council since the funding is not part of the FY25 proposed budget, after carryover budget savings are analyzed.
Attachments
A - IBEW (Public Works) CBA - Final