Section 19-25 Employee relations.

(a) The city manager shall have the authority to recommend to the city council (following certified elections or other assurances of interest deemed appropriate by the city manager and not inconsistent with state legislation) recognition of appropriate representative units of employees with a mutually acceptable community of interest for the purpose of meeting, conferring and discussing salaries and other conditions of employment which are mutually agreed upon as proper subjects for such discussions.

(c) The city council, as a council or as individuals, shall not, in any manner, engage in any form of collective bargaining with employees, employee groups, or employee representatives; and the city council shall issue instructions on labor relations matters and working agreement provisions only to the city manager, and the city manager shall keep the council informed of all developments and potential impacts in a timely manner.

(d) The following timetable is established as a guideline for the meet-and-confer process. It is not intended to limit the right of employee groups to present proposals to the city relative to salaries and other conditions of employment. Neither is it intended to establish absolute deadlines for subsections (1) through (3). Subsections (4), (5) and (6) must be requested timely and after completion of the preceding section. Untimely requests made under subsections (4), (5) or (6) shall be scheduled the following year in the appropriate month unless both employee representatives and management agree otherwise .

(1) January. Representatives of the city and the various employee groups may meet to discuss goals and objectives for the meet and confer process.

(2) February. Representatives of the various employee groups shall prepare written summaries of their goals and objectives for the meet-and-confer process. The summaries shall be submitted to the city council prior to the first meeting in February . At the first regular meeting in February , or at a work session meeting in February , the various employee groups shall be given the opportunity to make oral presentations to the council. The city council shall establish policy guidelines to be followed by the city's representatives during the meet-and-confer process.

(4) April. After April 1 and before May 1 , any employee group dissatisfied with the progress of the meet-and-confer sessions may present their views directly to the city council at a work session meeting. The council shall meet at least once with the employee group requesting the opportunity of presenting its views directly to the city council.

(5) May. After May 1 and before June 1 , the city's representatives or any employee group dissatisfied with the progress of the meet-and-confer sessions may request the services of a mediator from the federal mediation and conciliation service or any other mediator mutually agreed upon by the employee group and the city's representative. The cost of any such mediation shall be borne equally by the employee group and the city.

(6) June. After June 1 and before July 1 , if discussions have reached an impasse, any employee group or the city's representatives may request the services of a fact finder mutually agreed upon by the employee group and the city's representatives. The cost of any fact-finding shall be borne equally by the employee group and the city.

(Code 1964, § 22.350; Ord. 12597, § 1, 4-16-90; Ord. No. 17442, § 1, 9-16-02; Ord. No. 21097, § 1, 9-19-11; Ord. No. 21193, § 1, 12-19-11)

(Ord. 21193, Amended, 12/19/2011, Prior Text; Ord. 21097, Amended, 09/19/2011, Prior Text; Ord. 17442, Amended, 09/16/2002, Prior Text)