Title
Recommendation to Approve Gerry Beaudin, Interim City Manager, Nancy Bronstein, Human Resources Director, Nico Procos, General Manager Alameda Municipal Power, Jessica Romeo, Human Resources Manager, Steve Woo, Senior Human Resources Analyst and Alan Cohen, Assistant City Attorney, as Labor Negotiators for the City of Alameda. (Human Resources 10025060)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
California cities are governed by State law that sets out the rules for conducting negotiations over wages, hours and other working conditions with bargaining units representing public workers. Per the Brown Act, Government Code Section 54957.6, the City Council designates representatives to participate in closed session with the City Council to discuss labor negotiations with certain unions and unrepresented employees. These discussions with City Council in closed session allow staff to conduct the City’s labor relations in a confidential manner. Staff recommends Gerry Beaudin, Interim City Manager, Nancy Bronstein, Human Resources Director, Nico Procos, General Manager Alameda Municipal Power, Jessica Romeo, Human Resources Manager, Steve Woo, Senior Human Resources Analyst and Alan Cohen Assistant City Attorney be designated as labor negotiators for the City of Alameda (City).
BACKGROUND
The City has nine labor groups and administers two compensation plans. This includes four Public Safety groups, five miscellaneous groups and two unrepresented miscellaneous group. Currently all parties listed above with the exception of Nico Procos, General Manager Alameda Municipal Power, are designated as labor negotiators for the City. Mr. Procos will now be representing the City on the negotiation team for successive agreements with the two labor groups assigned to Alameda Municipal Power, the Electric Utility Professionals of Alameda (EUPA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and will need to participate in closed session.
DISCUSSION
California Government Code Section 3500 et seq., commonly known as the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, provides that public employees have a right to organize and bargain collectively with local government employers over wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. Government Code Section 54957.6 of the Brown Act, provides that prior to meeting in closed session with its negotiators, the local agency must hold an open session in which the agency identifies its designated labor representatives. To implement requirements set forth in Government Code Section 54957.6, the City seeks to create a standing list of representatives to participate in closed session with the City Council and engage in labor negotiations.
Staff are now recommending that the standing list of negotiators be updated to include Nico Procos, General Manager Alameda Municipal Power. This will allow Interim City Manager Beaudin, Human Resources Director Bronstein, General Manager Procos, Human Resource Manager Romeo and Senior Analyst Woo to negotiate on the City’s behalf, and for the City Attorney’s Office to provide necessary legal support and supervise special counsel as necessary, based on direction provided by the City Council.
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may:
• Approve Gerry Beaudin, Nancy Bronstein, Nico Procos, Jessica Romeo, Steve Woo and Alan Cohen as labor negotiators for the City of Alameda.
• Identify other staff as negotiators.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from the approval of labor negotiators.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required.
CLIMATE IMPACTS
There are no identifiable climate impacts or climate action opportunities associated with the subject of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve Gerry Beaudin, Interim City Manager, Nancy Bronstein, Human Resources Director, Nico Procos General Manager Alameda Municipal Power, Jessica Romeo, Human Resources Manager, Steve Woo, Senior Human Resources Analyst and Alan Cohen, Assistant City Attorney as Labor Negotiators for the City of Alameda.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Bronstein, Human Resource Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Jennifer Tell, Principal Financial Analyst
cc: Gerry Beaudin, Interim City Manager