passed ordinance

*Ratify Letter of Agreement between the Department of Asset Management/Fleet Services with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District W24 and American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 189 to provide represented employees reimbursement for prescription safety eyewear purchases

labor
labor agreement

Department: Human Resources
Introduced by: Former Mayor Ted Wheeler
Status: Passed

Impact statement

Purpose & background

In Fiscal Year 2022 - 2023, Fleet Services identified a potential safety risk for their employees regarding eye injuries. They created a policy requiring all employees to wear safety eyewear while on any shop floor or wear vehicle maintenance and repair work occurred. IAMAW, for the DCTU, filed a demand-to-bargain, which AFSCME joined in November 2022. A letter of agreement was reached March 13, 2023 to allow reimbursement to employees needing prescription eyewear. Non-prescription safety eyewear is provided at no cost to all other employees. This policy reduces the City's liability for eye injury claims and encourages employees to purchase prescription eyewear, if needed.

Financial impacts

Anticipated costs are approximately $6000.00 in Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024 and ongoing costs of $3,000.00 in Fiscal Year 2024 - 2025. The bureau is able to absorb these costs in their current budget.

Community impacts

N/A

▸ Full text (the legislation as adopted)

The City of Portland ordains: Section 1. The Council finds: The District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) which includes the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District W24 (IAMAW) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 189 (AFSCME) as affiliates to the collective bargaining agreement. The City and the DCTU are parties to a collective bargaining agreement effective January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2024. To increase safety for employees on the shop floors, the City developed a Safety Eyewear policy requiring employees to always wear safety eyewear while on the shop floors or while repair work is conducted. The Parties entered interim bargaining on December 12, 2022 and met several times, reaching an agreement on March 13,2023. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: The Chief Human Resources Officer, with approval as to form by the assigned attorney in the City Attorney’s Office, is authorized to execute the letter of agreement, attached as Exhibit 1, between the City and the DCTU to provide employees represented by IAMAW and AFSCME to receive $400 in Fiscal Year 2023-2024 toward a reimbursement for prescription safety eyewear. Additionally, employees from the above unions may be reimbursed an additional $200 for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, not to exceed the total purchase price of the safety eyewear. This ordinance is binding City policy. Section 2. The Council declares that an emergency exists so as to expeditiously to provide a reimbursement for prescription safety eyewear in the collective bargaining agreement; therefore, this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Council.

Tally

5 yea 0 nay