Albany County Probation Department Negotiations

PEF’s bargaining team has met to begin preparations for upcoming negotiations.

Team members are:

Tom Capone- PEF Field Representative/lead negotiator
Trish McGinn- team member
Dan Fruscio - team member
Lori Travison- team member
Bob Tashjian- alternate team member
Mary Persico- alternate team member

For additional information contact Tom Capone at PEF Headquarters.
Telephone: 785-1900, extension 237
Email: tcapone@pef.org
 

8/10/2004

Day 5 - May 25, 2004. This session started with a discussion of the fact that the Probation Department has no policy on counseling and counseling memorandum. The Union wants contract language or ACPD rules to address this issue. The Union will submit a contract proposal on counseling for our next negotiation session. The Union and management discussed performance evaluations at length and the PEF negotiating team raised serious concerns about the subjective nature of the evaluation criteria and the fact that employees cannot appeal an unsatisfactory rating. Finally, the Union asked for additional information regarding management’s health insurance proposal and their lack of response to our team. The County apologized for failing to respond to our questions and assured PEF that management will provide answers for the next session.

Day 6 - July 19, 2004. Management’s health insurance representative gave a presentation in response to the Union’s concerns about the proposed language and its potential adverse impact on our members. After a discussion of management’s health insurance proposal, we discussed performance evaluation language. The Union and management continue to exchange proposed contract language over what will be included and what will not be included. The County insists that it will NOT offer a monetary award to employees whose job performance is rated highly effective or outstanding. The Union and management reached an understanding on verbal counseling but written language still seems to be allusive and is not under any circumstance to be considered as discipline. The parties agreed that a letter of reprimand is to considered discipline and subject to the grievance process.

August 10, 2004 is the next date for negotiations.
 

5/13/2004

February 11, 2004 was our first bargaining session with the Albany County Probation Department (ACPD). Each side presented their proposals and provided answers to questions raised during the presentations. PEF and management signed off on ground rules for negotiating a new contract.

We held our second bargaining session on March 29, 2004. The County presented a new proposal regarding performance evaluations and informed the bargaining team that management needs better accountability of bargaining unit members. The County stressed concerns about health insurance costs and benefit levels and said that health insurance issues must be determined prior to reaching a wage agreement.

On day three, April 13, 2004, the parties agreed that bargaining unit members would provide documentation for jury duty (Article 24), and a copy of military orders for calls to active duty (Article 25).

May 11, 2004 was day four (4) of bargaining. PEF asked for additional information and clarification of the County’s health care proposal, including the proposed rate hikes and copies of the current benefit information management gives to PEF members.

The next bargaining session is tentatively scheduled for May 25. We expect to discuss health insurance and the performance evaluation proposal will be discussed at that time.