Labor Relations

Creation of the RPV Employee Association

The Rancho Palos Verdes Employees Association (Association) filed a petition, dated October 4, 2011, requesting recognition as an employee organization representing the City's approximately 40 non-management, full-time employees. On October 18, 2011, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 2011-85, formally recognizing the Association. Subsequently, on February 21, 2012, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 2012-14, approving an agency shop agreement between the City and the Association. California public sector labor law, as applicable to cities, expressly provides for the establishment of an agency shop in a bargaining unit represented by a union recognized as the exclusive representative. The exclusive representative has an obligation to represent all employees in the unit. An agency shop requires unit employees to either join the union or to pay a service fee for representation.

Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)

A baseline MOU for the Rancho Palos Verdes City Employees Association (RPVEA) was approved by the City Council on February 18, 2014 with the adoption of Resolution Number 2014-09. The baseline MOU was a compilation of all existing City documents, policies, resolutions, and rules that pertained to existing working conditions, salaries, and benefits of the City employees over the last 40 years.

On Tuesday, July 18, 2017, City Council approved an MOU between the City and RPVEA for the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020 (RPVEA MOU 2017 to 2020). On November 8, 2017, City Council approved the First Amendment to the RPVEA MOU 2017 to 2020.

"Open" Labor Negotiations

The City Council adopted the Open Public Employee Negotiations ("Open") Ordinance on May 6, 2014. The Ordinance, which went into effect on June 7, 2014, required transparent negotiations between the City and any employee labor organization. Modeled in part after ordinances previously adopted by the Cities of Beverly Hills and Costa Mesa, the Open Ordinance was intended to increase transparency through the following provisions:

• A fiscal impact analysis by the City's Department of Finance of all written proposals, made either by the City or the labor organization, which would then be reviewed by an independent certified public accountant.
• The City's lead negotiator will not be a City employee.
• Written "meet and confer" proposals that have been rejected by either side and are no longer being considered will be posted on the City's website along with their corresponding fiscal analyses.
• A decision to adopt or amend a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a labor organization will be placed on 2 City Council meeting agendas at least 2 weeks apart and cannot be adopted on the consent calendar.
• Any proposed MOU or subsequent amendment will be posted on the City's website at least 72 hours in advance of the City Council meeting at which it will be considered.

City Council rescinded the "Open" Ordinance on August 2, 2016 and replaced with an "Open" labor relations policy (Administrative Instruction Number 2-20). The policy shall apply when the City negotiates a Tentative Agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding, or an amendment to a Memorandum of Understanding with a recognized employee organization. The policy addresses the following: 1) Negotiations Team; 2) Fiscal Analysis; 3) Publication of Accepted Meet and Confer Proposals; 4) Action on Tentative Agreement; and 5) Agenda Posting.

Employee Classification & Compensation Study

On May 14, 2014, the City Council directed staff to conduct a Classification and Compensation Study to determine whether or not the City's defined classification and compensation levels were set appropriately to meet the labor market and a request for proposals (RFP) was released. A classification and total compensation study, including benefits, was conducted by Koff & Associates. The City Council received and filed the final study on February 17, 2015.