JLMIT Meeting Summary

 

Meeting Date/Time: 2-18-09 10:00 am -11:30 am

Location: Chinook Building, Room 120

 

Attendees: Fred Bentler (DNRP), Patti Cole-Tindall (OIRM), Gary Hocking (DNRP), Jim Meith (HRD), Behnaz Nelson (IFPTE Local 17), Judy O’Leary (PH), Matt Pope (DOT), Beth Sohlberg (PH), Betty Sorbo (Teamsters Local 117), Peg Taglianetti (OIRM), Christine Ynzunza (OIRM)

 

 

Agenda

 

·          Meeting summary

·          Unions’ Issues

·          Local 17X

·          DES Update

·          IT Reorg Update

 

 

Meeting Summary

 

Meeting notes from 1/21/09 were distributed and approved via email.  They have been posted on the Local 17 IT web page.

 

 

Unions’ Issues

 

Peg presented the unions' issues.  These include (but are not limited to) the following:

 

 

Jobs Lost: Many of the proposed changes, such as moving off the mainframe, server consolidation, etc., seem to indicate that the employees currently doing jobs primarily in those areas will become redundant.  There have been assurances that those employees will be repurposed.  However, it’s not clear if that will happen or how.

 

Work Tasks Lost: Several job duties that staff currently perform are likely to be centralized/relocated and/or outsourced.  These include document and/or file management that LAN admin and web content staff do.  The employees affected may lose status in their jobs by losing these tasks.  They may also lose permissions to perform activities they did before.  It’s possible that other staff who are users will still expect these tasks done by the same people they have relied upon previously.

 

Reclass IT to Non-IT: Some staff do a percentage of IT work, but it’s not their entire job.  It’s been planned that these staff will be reclassed to non-IT classifications with a Class/Comp done for that purpose.  Many of these people are currently data specialists of one kind or another.  They may create queries and reports on request.  Or, they are project managers or have blended positions and wearing multiple hats.  The concern is that the staff will lose status when they lose the IT tasks.  They may also lose permissions and still have expectations that they will do this work.

 

Overwork to IT Staff: After jobs and/or tasks are eliminated, the remaining IT staff will likely have an increased workload.  Many of these employees are already overloaded as it is.

 

Relocation: Employees being assigned to new groups will often face physical relocation.  There could also be changes that cause employees to move from one bargaining unit to another, or move from being represented by a union to not being represented.  These can be quite stressful and disruptive and can have an adverse impact on productivity as well as employee morale.

 

Unrealistic Budget Plans: Some departments have made plans that there is no current or anticipated budget for.  Given the County’s budget deficit, these plans do not seem feasible in the near or foreseeable future.

 

Training: Budgets for training are greatly inconsistent throughout the County.  It will be very important for staff to get training to enable them to ramp up to changed and/or new responsibilities.

 

The IT reorg planning staff will consider these concerns with future planning.

 

 

Local 17X

 

The IFPTE Local 17X group will be losing employees.  Jim asked how the discussions about this would be addressed.  After discussion, it was agreed that if a matter like this affected several bargaining units or the general direction of the reorg, it would be brought to the JLMIT.  Otherwise, Behnaz said the specific union rep could be contacted along with whoever else would be appropriate to participate in the discussions.

 

 

DES Update

 

Three staff from DCS will be moving from Chinook Building Floor 7 to Floor 6 within the next few months.  Four positions are changing to DES, but one employee will remain located as they are.  No major financial changes will be made for this year, and the positions will be charged back to OIRM for the time being.  Katie Moriarty has conducted an all-staff meeting for DES and briefed the employees on what will be happening.

 

 

IT Reorg Update

 

Patti stated that there would be a session held Wednesday, March 11 to describe the IT reorg progress.  All structures need to be in place by the end of 2009.  Patti mentioned the supplemental budget request that had gone through and that about $940k was approved thus far.  It was asked for more details about the request and results.  Patti said she would get that.  There is an encouragement to starting talking in terms of KCIT Central, or KCIT Dept., etc.  It was asked what effect the imminent departure of the Exec for Washington, DC might have on the reorg plans.  Patti said so far it would be business as usual unless they are told otherwise.

 

 

The meeting adjourned around 11:25 am.

 

 

Follow-up Items

 

 

Next Meetings

 

Mar. 18 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Chinook Room TBD

 

Tentative Agenda for Next Meeting

 

·          DES Update

·          Sharepoint Cost Analysis

·          CMS Class/Comp Status

·          New Org Chart