DOT/PEF Statewide Labor/Management Meeting

50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY

September 30, 2009

 

Present:

 

PEF                                                                                                    Management                                                                                                                         

 

Louis Ferrone, Chair                                                                           Gerry Smith, Chair

                                                                                                           

Lorraine Turturro                                                                                Erian Backu

Dawn Klemm                                                                                      Pamela Kelly

Bill Holthausen                                                                                   Erica Behan

Paul Gendron, Health and Safety Chair                                             Rick Keefer

Ed Lucas                                                                                             Chiru Shilash

Jack Carroll                                                                                         Ron Weiss

John Duengfelder                                                                               Sara Cavanaugh

S. Srinivasan                                                                                       Brian Gibney

Mike Stella                                                                                          Tom Lynch

Don Kehoskie                                                                                     Kristi Kilmartin

Andrew Puleo                                                                                     Richard Lee

Jerry Jobson                                                                                        Rodney Delisle

Susan Stepp                                                                                        David harris

Bob Tompkins , PEF Field rep

Josephine Rice, Recorder

 

Old Business:

 

            I.          Civil Service:

 

A.        Provide an update on upcoming Civil Service exams.  (provide before meeting)

 

            B.        Provide an update on all (PEF, CSEA, MC) title consolidations, revisions, eliminations and reclassifications since our May 6, 2009 meeting. (provide before meeting)

 

C.        i.          Provide a list of all new hires (broken down by title and region, including TCIs, Student Interns and Engineering Interns) and promotions in the PS&T unit that have taken place since our May 6, 2009 meeting. (provide before meeting) 

 

            All of the above information was provided to Lou Ferrone, but not timely enough for him to share with the rest of the L/M Team.  Lou suggested that in the future, Management send the information to him when they receive the agenda since the requested information is always the same.  Management agreed to send out the information sooner.

 

            ii.         What is the status of the Student Intern/Assistant program?  Does DOT have a program in place that will allow it to keep these employees?  What is the retainage rate?

 

            The Division of Budget (DOB) did not give DOT permission to continue the program, so it is currently on hold.  Some students have stayed on as unpaid interns while others have accepted TCI positions.  DOT hopes to re-implement the program sometime in the future.  Recruitment efforts aimed towards students are ongoing.

 

            iii. [Item added by PEF] DOT’s recent announcement on JE retainage seems contrary to DOT’s commitment to recruitment and retention.  What is the background of the decision?

 

            Since this question was not originally on the agenda, Management deferred on a discussion due to lack of preparation time.

 

                        D.        Provide an update on the status of the proposed technician traineeship, the technician series and the JE reclassifications, along with an update on the proposed professional land surveyor title reclassification.

 

                                    All of the technician traineeship information is in Civil Service’s Class and Compensation Unit.  DOB has asked that any proposals with financial impacts not be submitted at this time.  DOT has communicated to Civil Service that the technician traineeship will save money in the long run in an attempt to get the proposal moving again.  The JE reclassification proposal has been pending in DOB since 05/06/09.

 

            IV.       Compressed Work Week:  What is the status of this program’s renewal?

 

            PEF acknowledged Management’s request for input on the draft policy and recognized Management’s revisions based on PEF comments.  DOT reported that CSEA hasn’t yet “signed off” on the policy, but expects a 10/02/09 conference call will resolve the two outstanding issues.  DOT said that the mandatory electronic survey is ready to be posted to the IntraDOT and it should be there within the next two weeks, as soon as CSEA and GOER give the guidelines their blessings.  Management will give PEF a heads up prior to posting.  Two voluntary phone surveys will also be conducted:  one to about 10% of participating employees and one to 10% of non-participating employees.  The phone surveys will be more detailed than the electronic survey as to employees’ travel habits and how the extra pass day is used.  The Commissioner also wants to know what impact the compressed schedules have on the non-participating work force. 

 

V.                Commission on Public Integrity:  Has DOT received a formal, written opinion from the Commission on Public Integrity regarding the two-year post employment ban on Engineering Interns, Student Assistants and TCIs?  If so, what is the opinion?

 

The formal opinion has been received by DOT .  PEF membership will not invoke the two-year post-employment ban for students.

 

VI.            Design/Build and Public/Private Partnerships:  Per our May 6, 2009 meeting, has Management continued developing proposals on these types of legislation?  What does Management advocate?  Please provide details such as proposals, drafts, proposed legislation, projects, etc.

 

Currently, there are no pending legislative bills that Management knows of, nor have any proposals been made.  The call hasn’t yet gone out to DOT for next session’s bill proposals, although it is expected in the next two weeks.  DOT is waiting to see the SAM Commission’s findings before preparing anything.

 

VII.          Program to Eliminate the Gap:  Where on the Division of Budget’s website can we find the quarterly summaries for the Program to Eliminate the Gap?  DOB recently announced that the Governor expects to have the PEG ready for legislative consideration in early fall.  Will DOT share the proposed level of reduction with PEF when it is received from DOB?

 

Management reminds PEF to look on DOB’s website.  A recent announcement has been made that PEG will be coming out again soon.  Will Management share its cost-cutting ideas with PEF?  Management responds by saying it’s the mid point of New York’s fiscal year; the supposed $2.1 billion gap is for the first quarter only.  The number will be revised up or down sometime in October to take the second quarter into account.  The Governor’s Office’s requests for proposals have become much less formal recently and DOT has not yet made any new cost cutting proposals.  The governor will need real numbers in December so that he can prepare the budget for next fiscal year.

 

New Business:

 

            I.          Corporate Credit Cards/Travel Expenses

 

A.                As per the Comptroller’s Bulletin G-236, will DOT consider exercising its right to include vehicle maintenance, such as new tires and oil changes, as items allowable for purchase with corporate credit cards?

 

Right now, the cards are for gasoline purchases only.  PEF’s interpretation of the OSC bulletin is that other travel expenses can be allowed.  DOT’s concern is that once it allows some travel charges, it will be difficult to draw the line as to what is and isn’t appropriate.  Tracking of the 3000+ credit cards is pretty much manual right now, meaning it would be difficult to track different types of purchases.  So, for now, DOT will not change its directive that the cards are only to be used for gasoline.

 

B.                 Per DOT’s bulletin B-09-G080, if the amount of an employee’s expense account must cover the amount charged on the credit card, what difference does it make as to what items have been charged?

 

Again, the issue for DOT is difficulty of tracking purchases.  There may not be a cost benefit due to the use of the cards if tracking expenses rise.  The cards are for travel use only.

 

C.                Will Management provide training as to the proper use of corporate credit cards?

 

Employees must sign an instruction form when they receive the card and instructional bulletins are posted.  PEF asks what the advantage of using the cards is.  Management explains the cards can be used for hotels, parking, tolls, etc. when an employee is in travel status which minimizes the out-of-pocket expense to the employee.  Also, the cards allowed DOT to discontinue travel advances which were more difficult to reconcile.  Purchase exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis for extraordinary circumstances, such as a flat tire or broken tie-rod, but Management reminds PEF that it is not in the business of making loans to its employees.  PEF states that its main concern is regarding disciplinary actions.  Management responds that honest mistakes aren’t normally disciplined.  Management looks for patterns of abuse before charges are made.  Main Office audits the use of the cards and notifies the region when an anomaly is found.  In some cases, Main Office attempts to get an explanation directly from the employee before the region is contacted.  Any discipline takes place in the region.  Management states that when an employee is not in travel status, the cards are exclusively for the purchase of gasoline.  PEF thinks that Management needs to clarify the policy.  Management states that it trying to be proactive.  PEF suggests “black out” cards that wouldn’t work for certain purchases.  Management said the cards black out certain merchants already, but specific product codes are not yet technologically available.  Management will put some FAQs on the DOT travel webpage.

 

II.                [Item added by PEF]  Why do surveyors in different regions work different hours, i.e. some work a 37.5 hour work week while others are required to work 40?

 

Management would also like to know the answer to this question.  All surveyors started out working 40 hour weeks, so Management isn’t about to decrease the 40-hour workers to 37.5.  Management suggests that PEF go through its own channels in an attempt to fix the disparity.

 

III.             [Item added by PEF]  Will DOT provide information on the Governor’s severance “buy out” program and DOT’s participation in it?

 

PEF thought if a position was targeted and the incumbent refused the buy out, the offer would then be made to the next senior person in the same title.  Management said that’s not the way the program was set up and referred PEF to DOB’s budget bulletin D19-25.  At this point in time, DOT has not been directed to make the offer beyond the people who said no.  Statewide, 635 DOT employees responded positively to the interest survey.  31 people were targeted and 17 accepted.  PEF points out that employees who were essential enough to be ineligible for the buyout should be essential enough to avoid furloughs or layoffs. Management will provide PEF with a list of targeted positions.

 

IV.             [Item added by Management]  Serious injuries were sustained by Region 1 employees involved in a traffic accident over the summer, in part because the employees were not wearing their seat belts.  Management has prepared a joint statement regarding seatbelt safety and hopes to sign it jointly with CSEA and PEF.  Will the Labor/Management Team advocate for PEF’s signature on the statement?

 

Yes.

 

V.                [Item added by Management]  Management gave PEF a heads-up that it is in the midst of rewriting DOT’s weight restriction bulletin for aerial devices and ladders.  Correspondingly, the employee wellness program is being partnered by Management and the unions.

 

PEF states that it will work with and support employee wellness efforts.  PEF  suggested DOT’s use of tailgate safety meetings to address matters regarding weight and equipment restrictions.  PEF also recommended that Management explore the Employee Assistance Program as a financial resource for the wellness program.

 

VI.       Joint Labor/Management training will be held on January 11 – 13, 2009, most likely at the Homewood Suites on Wolf Road in Albany.  Alternate snow dates will be arranged.