Legislation Details

File #: HIST-26881    Version: 1 Subject:
Type: Historical Status: Consent Agenda
In control: City Council Meeting Agenda
On agenda: 2/23/2015 Final action: 2/23/2015
Title: Adoption of a Resolution Approving a Five Year Memorandum of Understanding with the Culver City Fire Management Group for the Period of January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2019.
Attachments: 1. Adoption of a Resolution Approving a Five Year Mem - C-4__15-02-23__HR__CITY COUNCIL__CCFMG MOU.pdf, 2. Adoption of a Resolution Approving a Five Year Mem - C-4_15-02-23 ATT CCFMG MOU.pdf
City of Culver City, California Agenda Item Report Meeting Date: 02/23/2015 Item Number: C-4 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Adoption of a Resolution Approving a Five Year Memorandum of Understanding with the Culver City Fire Management Group for the Period of January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2019. Contact Person/Dept.: Serena Wright Phone Number: 310-253-5640 Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No [] Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X] Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Dates: Public Notification: (E-Mail) Agenda and Meetings – City Council (02/18/15); Culver City Fire Management Group (02/18/15) Department Approval: Serena Wright (02/18/15) City Attorney Approval: Carol A. Schwab (by H. Baker) (02/18/15) Chief Financial Officer Approval: Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (02/18/15) City Manager Approval: John M. Nachbar (02/18/15) RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a Resolution approving a five year Memorandum of Understanding with the Culver City Fire Management Group for the period of January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2019. BACKGROUND: The previous Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Culver City Fire Management Group (CCFMG) expired on December 31, 2014. The negotiation discussions have concluded, and the City and the CCFMG have reached a tentative agreement. DISCUSSION: The MOU that is being presented to the City Council for consideration and recommended approval includes the following essential changes: ? Provide 4.5% Paramedic pay ? Increase Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) pay from 3% to 7% ? Increase holiday-in lieu and sick leave accrual by 8 hours ? Provide education incentive pay as follows: BA/BS/120 Units - $100/ per pay period MA/MS/150 Units - $200/ per pay period ? Establish longevity pay as follows: City of Culver City, California Agenda Item Report 10 years - $192/ per pay period 15 years - $308/ per pay period ? Increase tuition reimbursement to $250 per unit ? Increase on-duty death benefit to $15,000 ? Require employees to pay up to 5% of Employer CalPERS rate costs above 50% ? Update working conditions or procedural changes with de minimis or no fiscal impact. FISCAL ANALYSIS: The estimated additional on-going annual cost of this agreement (versus status quo) will be approximately $175,000 per year. There are savings that will occur when the public safety employer retirement contribution rate rises above 50%. Each percentage picked up by the employees will result in approximately $12,000 in savings to the City. The City’s financial forecast estimates that public safety employer retirement contribution rates will reach 50% in Fiscal Year 2017/2018. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution with Master Memorandum of Understanding MOTION: That the City Council: Adopt a Resolution approving a five year Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Culver City Fire Management Group for the period of January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2019. MEETING DATE: February 23, 2015 AGENDA ITEM: Adoption of a Resolution Approving a Five Year Memorandum of Understanding with the Culver City Fire Management Group for the Period of January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2019. ATTACHMENTS Pages 1. Resolution with Master Memorandum of Understanding 1-70 -1- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 RESOLUTION NO. 2015-R A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING AND ADOPTING A MASTER MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE CULVER CITY FIRE MANAGEMENT GROUP WHEREAS, the Culver City Fire Management Group employee representatives and City representatives have met and conferred and executed a Master Memorandum of Understanding. NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Culver City, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: 1. The Master Memorandum of Understanding, a copy of which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, is hereby approved for the period January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. 2. The City Manager and Chief Financial Officer are hereby authorized to adjust the budget and the records of employees necessary to pay the salaries and costs related to the terms of the approved Master Memorandum of Understanding. APPROVED and ADOPTED this _____ day of __________ 2015. MEGHAN SAHLI-WELLS, Mayor City of Culver City, California ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: MARTIN R. COLE CAROL A. SCHWAB, City Attorney Assistant City Manager/City Clerk MASTER MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN CITY OF CULVER CITY AND CULVER CITY FIRE MANAGEMENT GROUP January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019 Fire Management 2015 – 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS ARTICLE ONE Employee and Employer Rights…………………………….1 ARTICLE TWO Salaries and Compensation ............................................ 7 ARTICLE THREE Work Periods, Schedules, Staffing and Overtime ........... 16 ARTICLE FOUR Supplemental Benefits .................................................. 23 ARTICLE FIVE Leaves of Absence ......................................................... 42 ARTICLE SIX Working Conditions ......................................................... 62 ARTICLE SEVEN General Provisions ......................................................... 64 PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT ................................................................ 67 INDEX ............................................................................................................. 68 ARTICLE ONE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 1 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN CITY OF CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA AND CULVER CITY FIRE MANAGEMENT GROUP ARTICLE ONE EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER RIGHTS I. PARTIES TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of Understanding, hereinafter called the "MOU” is made by and between the City of Culver City, California, hereinafter called the "City", and the Culver City Fire Management Group (“FMG”), representing Battalion Chief, Fire Marshal, Assistant Fire Chief, and Fire Chief, hereinafter called “unit employees.” This MOU is made pursuant to the California Government Code Section 3500, et seq. II. RECOGNITION 1. The City Council hereby recognizes the Fire Management Group as representative of the classifications of: ? Battalion Chief; ? Fire Marshal; ? Assistant Chief; and ? Fire Chief. 2. The Fire Management Group and the City has met and conferred and agreed to remove the Fire Chief from the bargaining unit, effective at a later date to be determined by the parties. III. BARGAINING UNIT CHANGES Any change in the classes which compose the Fire Management Group Employees unit shall be in accordance with the provisions of the City's Resolution No. 2008-R009, as amended. ARTICLE ONE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 2 IV. NONDISCRIMINATION A. POLICY No unit employee shall be subject to discrimination which is prohibited by applicable federal, state or local law. In accordance with this policy, the City agrees that no unit employee shall be interfered with, intimidated, restrained, coerced, or discriminated against because of political opinions or affiliations, race, religious belief, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, physical or mental disability, or because of the exercise of his or her rights under this MOU. 1. FIRE MANAGEMENT GROUP AGREES NOT TO DISCRIMINATE In accordance with the above policy, the Fire Management Group agrees not to discriminate against a unit employee because of the exercise of his or her rights granted under this MOU, or with respect to admission to membership and the rights of membership in the Fire Management Group. V. DEDUCTIONS A. DUES/INSURANCE CHECKOFF 1. During the term of this M.O.U. the Fire Management Group dues and insurance plan fees (being uniform in dollar amount for all members) shall be deducted by the City in twenty four (24) bi- weekly increments from the salary of each unit employee who has filed a written authorization on the appropriate City form that such deduction be made. 2. A unit employee may cancel a deduction at any time by filing a written authorization, on the appropriate City form, that such deduction be discontinued. 3. If an Agency Shop exists, an employee may request an amount equal to the dues to be paid to an approved charitable organization provided that the employee meets the criteria set forth in Government Code Section 3502.5. The employee shall be responsible for designating such organization on the appropriate City form. ARTICLE ONE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 3 4. Changes in the amount to be deducted for dues may only be made twice a year, during the first payroll period beginning in January and the first payroll period beginning in July. B. INDEMNIFICATION The Fire Management Group agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City against all claims, including costs of suit and reasonable attorney fees and/or other forms of liability arising from the implementation of the provisions of this Section. VI. RIGHTS A. EMPLOYEE RIGHTS 1. Employees of the City shall have the right to form, join and participate in the activities of employee organizations of their own choosing for the purpose of representation on all matters of employee-employer relations including but not limited to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. 2. Employees also shall have the right to refuse to join or participate in the activities of employee organizations. 3. No unit employee shall be interfered with, intimidated, restrained, coerced, or discriminated against by the City or by any employee organization because of the exercise of these rights. B. CITY'S RIGHTS The Fire Management Group acknowledges that the City reserves the right, without the obligation to meet and confer, to make the final determination as to all matters which are necessary to manage, control and administer the City's operations including but not limited to: 1. Determining the mission of the City's constituent departments, commissions and boards; 2. Setting standards of service; ARTICLE ONE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 4 3. Determining the procedures and standards of selection for employment and promotions, directing unit employees, and taking disciplinary action; 4. Relieving unit employees from duty because of lack of work or other legitimate reasons, maintaining the efficiency of governmental operations; 5. Determining the methods, means and personnel by which governmental operations are to be conducted; 6. Determining the content of job classifications; 7. Taking all necessary actions to carry out the City's mission in emergencies; 8. Exercising control and discretion over the City's organization and the technology of performing its work; 9. Regulating the use of all equipment and other property of the City; 10. Establishing, altering or disposing of operations, departments, commissions or boards; 11. Determining the work to be contracted out; 12. Determining the complement of unit employees needed or assigned to a particular function or work location; C. IMPACT OF CITY RIGHTS 1. With the exception of the impacts of any change in staffing, the City recognizes its obligation to meet and confer on the impacts of any decision made by the City under this section if the impact of the decision affects other terms and conditions of employment. 2. If any provision of this subsection is found to be inapplicable and/or in conflict with final court decision or decree or state law affecting Culver City, the remainder of this subsection shall remain in effect. ARTICLE ONE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 5 D. MODIFYING EMPLOYEE STAFFING LEVELS - WAIVER OF MEET AND CONFER 1. The Fire Management Group recognizes that the City may establish and modify employee staffing levels and therefore agrees to waive all rights pursuant to Section 3500 et. seq. of the State Government Code relating to meeting and conferring over any impacts resulting from any changes to staffing levels. 2. In the event the City determines to make a change in staffing levels, it shall provide the Fire Management Group with a (sixty) 60 calendar day written notice setting forth the proposed change(s), prior to taking any action. Upon request by the Fire Management Group, without unreasonable delay, the City's representatives shall meet with the Fire Management Group's representatives to discuss the change(s) and their impact. 3. After sixty (60) calendar days from the date written notice is mailed to the Fire Management Group, the City shall have the right to implement the change(s). Time limits may be extended only upon mutual agreement. VII. PAID TIME OFF FOR FIRE MANAGEMENT GROUP REPRESENTATIVES A. RELEASE TIME 1. Leave of absence with pay is authorized for representatives of the Fire Management Group to attend conferences, meetings, institutes, or similar affairs (in addition to meet and confer sessions with City representatives to include reasonable preparation time). 2. The total leave granted for the calendar year for the bargaining unit shall not exceed: ? 56-hour per week employees: one-hundred eighty hours (180) hours; or ? 40-hour per week employees: one-hundred twenty hours (120) hours. ARTICLE ONE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 6 3. Such leave is subject to prior approval of the Fire Chief and may be denied if approval requires overtime expenditures for operational coverage for more than two representatives at any one time. 4. The Fire Management Group may approve payment to a representative for his/her off-duty time spent for Union purposes. 5. In using this leave for such purpose, Fire Management Group authorized payment shall not constitute wages or hours worked for computation of overtime in the respective work period. B. USE OF OTHER LEAVES This special leave of absence will not prohibit unit employees from requesting and being granted Vacation Leave, Administrative Leave, or Leave of Absence Without Pay within governing rules and departmental policies. C. RELEASE TIME CERTIFICATION An officer of the Fire Management Group will certify that the Fire Management Group is authorizing the unit employee to use the time. This certification is to be signed and attached to the "Request for Leave of Absence form." ARTICLE TWO Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 7 ARTICLE TWO SALARIES AND COMPENSATION I. SALARIES 1. SALARY INITIATIVE ORDINANCE The parties agree that salary adjustments for unit employees covered herein shall be as provided for by the Police and Fire Initiative Ordinance as amended herein. "Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This ordinance shall be known as "The Salary Ordinance for Police Officers and Fire Fighters of the City of Culver City." "Section 2. DEFINITIONS. The words and terms defined in this section shall have the following meanings in this ordinance: a. Base Monthly Salary - the compensation attached to the positions occupied by employees of the Police Department or the Fire Department, in the job classifications listed in this ordinance. Overtime pay, bonuses, longevity, retirement, assignment pay, or other special pays are excluded. b. Salary Steps - specific salary levels for the classifications of Police Officer and Fire Fighter. The number of steps and time intervals of their occurrence is determined by the City and County of Los Angeles' salary steps and time intervals for comparable positions. c. Salary Rate - each hourly salary listed in the Schedule of Salary Ranges adopted by Resolution CS-7714, as amended.” "Section 3. SALARIES a. The salary steps for the classification of Police Officer in the Police Department of the City of Culver City shall be set at an amount not less than the average of base monthly salaries for comparable steps in classifications in the Police Department of the City of Los Angeles and the Sheriff's Department of the County of Los Angeles. ARTICLE TWO Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 8 b. The salary steps for the classification of Fire Fighter in the Fire Department of the City of Culver City shall be set at an amount not less than the average of base monthly salaries for comparable steps in classifications in the Fire Department of the City of Los Angeles and the Fire Department of the County of Los Angeles. c. The salary for all other classifications in the Police Department shall be set at an amount not less than the percentages listed below: Police Classification Salary not less than: Police Sergeant Top Step Police Officer + 15% Police Lieutenant Police Sergeant + 19% Police Captain Police Lieutenant + 15% Assistant Chief of Police Police Captain + 10% Chief of Police Police Captain + 20% d. The salary for all other classifications in the Fire Department shall be set at an amount not less than the percentages listed below: Fire Classification Salary not less than: Fire Engineer Top Step Firefighter + 15% Fire Captain Fire Engineer + 15% Battalion Chief Fire Captain + 19% Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal Battalion Chief + 15% Battalion Chief/Assistant Chief Battalion Chief + 15% Fire Chief Assistant Chief + 15% e. Notwithstanding subsections 3a. through 3d., each salary step for Culver City Police Officers and Fire Fighters shall be set at the Salary Rate nearest the amount described in subsections 3a. through 3d. f. Whenever base monthly salaries for Police Officers or Fire Fighters are approved for adjustment by the elected governing body of the City of Los Angeles or the County of Los Angeles, or both, the City Council of the City of Culver City within thirty days shall adjust salaries of Culver City Police Officers or Fire Fighters, or both, in accordance with this ordinance. Said salary adjustments shall be effective the first pay period following the effective date in the City of Los ARTICLE TWO Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 9 Angeles or the County of Los Angeles including any retroactive adjustment of the Base Monthly Salary”. "Section 4. APPLICABLE LAWS a. Conditions of employment, except the setting of salaries as herein above stated, are based upon and pursuant to applicable law. b. If any section of this Ordinance or part thereof shall be declared unconstitutional or illegal for any purpose, then the illegal section shall not affect the validity or legality of the remaining portion or portions of this Ordinance. 2. SALARY CALCULATIONS Salary rates determined as provided in Section 3e. of the Ordinance above shall be set at the rate nearest to, but not less than, the average rate calculated. Differentials between ranks, as provided in 3d. above, and for the addition of special pays, shall be calculated by multiplying the base rate of the applicable class and step by the specified percentage amount (rate times 1.xxx), and shall be set at the salary rate nearest to, but not less than, the calculated amount. 3. CONVERSION OF SALARY TABLE The City agrees to make payroll system and Salary Table adjustments that accurately convert pay rates between 56-hour shift rates and 40-hour shift rates. Pay rates based on shift assignments shall be modified by a factor of 1.4 as outlined below: FROM: TO: EQUIVALENCY FORMULA: 40-hour non-suppression pay rate 56-hour suppression pay rate 40 pay rate ÷ 1.4 = 56 pay rate 56-hour suppression pay rate 40-hour non-suppression pay rate 56 pay rate x 1.4 = 40 hours Parties agree that this payment methodology is intended to resolve pay differences between forty (40) hour and fifty six (56) hour ARTICLE TWO Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 10 employees under current Initiative Ordinance’s annual salary calculations. D. SCHEDULE CALENDAR 1. The City agrees to print schedule calendars annually, in color: ? “A” shift in red ? “B” shift in blue ? “C” shift in green 2. The schedule calendars shall identify: ? payroll periods, ? 24-day cycles ? holidays, ? shift schedules, and ? scheduled hours for each shift in each pay period. 3. The size, number and type of calendar will be determined between the Fire Management Group and the Fire Chief. II. SUPPLEMENTAL COMPENSATION A. ACTING PAY 1. Any permanent or probationary employee who is required to, and acts and performs duties included within a higher classification and which are broader than the specifications governing such employee's position shall be paid in accordance with the step and salary range appropriate for such higher classification. An acting employee will be assigned to work in the acting classification in increments of pay periods and his or her acting compensation shall be effective on the first day of the pay period so assigned. 2. During a period of acting service, a unit employee off on any form of paid leave shall be paid at the acting pay rate for such period of paid leave. Unit employees shall not be paid at the acting pay rate for bi-weekly leave payoffs and/or cash-outs. ARTICLE TWO Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 11 3. An employee entitled to overtime compensation during a period of acting service shall be paid at the regular rate of pay based on the acting hourly pay rate. 4. The unit employee’s Department shall submit a Personnel Action Form to start the Acting Pay effective the beginning of the first full pay period in which the employee is acting. The Department shall submit another Personnel Action Form to stop the Acting Pay. 5. Employees receiving acting pay as set forth above shall continue to receive the benefits associated with his/her permanent position and not the benefits associated with the acting position. 6. Pursuant to the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Section 571, Acting Pay shall be reported to CalPERS as special compensation under the category of Premium Pay – Temporary Upgrade Pay. III. SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT PAYS A. CERTIFICATE PAY / EDUCATIONAL INCENTIVE 1. COMPENSATION a. Each Fire Management employee who meets the requirements as listed below shall be paid based on a salary range pay rate which is approximately thirteen percent (13%) greater than the base pay for the class. b. Employees who have not met the requirements upon adoption of this M.O.U. but do so during the term of the M.O.U. shall receive the applicable pay rate effective the first payroll period after they have met the requirements. ARTICLE TWO Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 12 2. REQUIREMENTS a. Possession of a California State Board of Fire Services Certified: ? Chief Officer; or ? Fire Marshal certificate. b. Ten (10) years of fire suppression experience, including two (2) years at the rank of Fire Captain or higher. c. An Associate of Arts degree in Fire Science, or a Bachelor Degree in any subject. B. EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICAL (EMT) CERTIFICATION PAY Emergency Medical Technician Pay shall be provided to Fire Management unit employees at the rate of seven percent (7%), as long as said unit employees maintain EMT Certification. Pursuant to CCR Section 571, EMT Certification Pay shall be reported to CalPERS as special compensation under the category of Education Pay – Emergency Medical Technician Pay. C. PARAMEDIC ASSIGNMENT PAY Unit employees that possess a valid Paramedic certificate may be called upon to perform paramedic services and shall be compensated at four and one-half percent (4.5%) above his/her base hourly rate. Pursuant to CCR Section 571, Paramedic Assignment Pay shall be reported to CalPERS as special compensation under the category of Education Pay – Paramedic Pay. D. EDUCATION INCENTIVE PAY 1. PURPOSE The purpose of Educational Incentive Pay is to: ARTICLE TWO Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 13 a. Motivate unit employees to achieve higher education; b. Enhance career development; c. Increase the professional standards of the department; and d. Increase the level of service to the community. 2. COMPENSATION Unit employees who possess an accredited college degree or accredited college units shall be eligible to receive the following compensation: Accredited Degree or Accredited Units Bi-Weekly Amount BA / BS 120 units $100 MA / MS 150 units $200 All compensation for Educational Incentive Pay shall be awarded only for the highest level of degree or educational units achieved – compensation is non-cumulative. Pursuant to CCR Section 571, Education Incentive Pay shall be reported to CalPERS as special compensation under the category of Education Pay – Educational Incentive. 3. ACCREDITED COLLEGE UNITS a. College or university units must be from a college or university accredited by an organization recognized by the United States Department of Education (USED) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). b. Unit employees must provide proof of accredited college units to the City to be eligible to receive Education Incentive Pay. Education Incentive Pay shall be effective at the beginning of the pay period that includes the date that proof of eligibility was submitted. ARTICLE TWO Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 14 4. LIMITATIONS An employee that first becomes a member of the FMG bargaining unit on or after January 1, 2019 must possess an actual accredited degree to receive this form of Education Incentive Pay. Such employee will not be eligible to receive this Educational Incentive Pay benefit for possession of units only. E. TUITION REIMBURSEMENT The City agrees to reimburse unit employees up to two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per applicable accredited college unit, plus the actual costs of books, registration fees and parking permit fees, pursuant to Administrative Policy II-08, as amended. F. ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF / FIRE MARSHAL COMPENSATION 1. The Assistant Fire Chief classification shall be compensated twenty percent (20%) higher than the base hourly rate for Battalion Chief. 2. The Fire Marshal shall be compensated fifteen percent (15%) higher than the base hourly rate for Battalion Chief. G. LONGEVITY PAY 1. PURPOSE In recognition of full-time employment as a sworn Culver City Fire employee, excluding unpaid breaks in service, the City shall provide Longevity Pay as follows: 2. COMPENSATION Years of Continuous Service Annual Amount Bi-weekly Amount 10 $5,000 per year $192.31 per pay period 15 $8,000 per year $307.70 per pay period ARTICLE TWO Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 15 Pursuant to the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Section 571, Longevity Pay shall be reported to CalPERS as special compensation. 3. LIMITATIONS Longevity Pay is not cumulative and is paid at the highest level of continuous service achieved, as specified above. H. MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PAY – Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Marshall Unit employees in the classifications of Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Marshal shall receive Management Incentive Pay of five percent (5%). This additional pay provides eligible unit employees with extra pay in recognition of the unique nature of their jobs and the special skills, knowledge and abilities that are required. The compensation is paid as earned for normally required duties performed during normal work hours. It is not compensation in lieu of overtime or in lieu of other benefits that are excluded from consideration under the statutes and regulations of the Public Employees’ Retirement System. Management Incentive Pay shall be calculated based upon the unit employee’s base hourly rate plus EMT pay, Paramedic Pay and Chief Officer Certificate pay. Pursuant to the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Section 571, Management Incentive Pay shall be reported to CalPERS as special compensation. ARTICLE THREE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 16 ARTICLE THREE WORK PERIODS, SCHEDULES CONSTANT STAFFING AND EMERGENCY SERVICE REFILL (ESR) PLAN I. WORK SCHEDULE The appointing authority is authorized to establish work schedules for employees reporting to him/her subject to the provisions of the MOU. A. SHIFT CHANGE 1. The parties acknowledge the mutual benefits the City and the Fire Management Group receive in having the unit employees covered herein spend additional time at the time of shift change to exchange information on the activities, equipment conditions, and management directives which occurred during the period the off-going shift was on duty. 2. Details regarding shift changes are set forth in the Fire Department Rules and Regulations and are incorporated herein by reference. B. TIME RECORDS The City shall provide for the maintenance of records of time worked including overtime, time docked, and time on leave of absence. II. EQUIVALENT BIWEEKLY, MONTHLY AND ANNUAL RATE 1. For Non-Fire Suppression unit employees, equivalent biweekly pay rates shall be determined by dividing the annual rates by twenty-six (26) pay periods, and equivalent hourly pay rates shall be determined by dividing the annual rates by two thousand and eighty (2,080) hours. 2. Fire Suppression biweekly pay rates shall be determined by dividing the annual rates by twenty-six (26) pay periods, and the equivalent hourly pay rates shall be determined by dividing the annual rates by two thousand nine hundred and twelve (2,912) hours. 3. Equivalent monthly pay rates shall be determined by dividing the equivalent annual rates by twelve (12) months. ARTICLE THREE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 17 III. SUPPLEMENTAL COMPENSATION A. OVERTIME 1. All Fire Management positions covered herein are considered exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), pursuant to the specifications of 29 CFR 541.1. 2. The Fire Management Group understands and agrees it is the nature of Fire Management work assignments that some overtime may be periodically required to accomplish City functions. B. ELIMINATION OF OVERTIME PAY / EMERGENCY SERVICE REFILL (ESR) PLAN The City and Fire Management establish the Emergency Services Refill (ESR) plan. 1. Relief coverage for suppression shifts will be compensated by straight-time pay at the Battalion Chief forty (40) hour pay rate, to a maximum of twenty (20) hours per shift. 2. Unit employee’s leave banks will be maintained, and will be converted, as necessary, to or from the fifty six (56) hour value, when the time is taken off. 3. The Fire Department will work out an equitable ESR distribution among affected members. 4. The savings achieved by this program were redistributed to certificate pay, described herein. 5. Strike team assignments, and ESR for unit employees covering shifts for those assigned to strike teams, shall not be subject to the twenty (20) hour limitation, if such time is reimbursed to the City. C. EMERGENCY RECALL 1. The City agrees to pay employees at the rate of time and one- half for time worked at Suppression hourly rate on Emergency Recall. ARTICLE THREE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 18 2. "Emergency Recall" is defined as a return to work on an otherwise off-duty day during a declared emergency (Federal, State [i.e., OES] or Local Mayor, Council Member, City Manager, Fire Chief or his/her designee): a. by staffing an additional engine company, truck company, rescue unit, or a combination of the units listed (beyond normal on-duty staffing as defined under Subsection I-14 - Work Schedule); or b. for the purpose of assignment to replace on-duty personnel assigned to respond to such emergencies. 3. Assignments to replace an employee during sick leave, vacation, in-lieu (holiday) time, training, education, IOD (Labor Code Section 4850 time), jury duty, bereavement leave, voting leave, military leave, emergency leave, or to perform staff assignments, including attendance at staff meetings, shall not be considered emergency recall, whether or not such vacancy occurs during an emergency. 4. The minimum duration of Emergency Recall for payment shall be four (4) hours, and the maximum duration would end at 0659 hours (end of that shift), except as provided hereafter. a. On-duty employees whose assignment on an emergency response extends into an off-duty shift will receive time and one-half for all hours worked on the emergency which occurred during scheduled off-duty time. b. Off-duty employees who initially respond to fill in at the station during the scheduled duty days of the member assigned to the emergency shall receive time and one half on the first shift, and for strike team coverage, if such time is reimbursed to the City. IV. CONSTANT STAFFING A. DEFINITION "CONSTANT STAFFING" is a concept of employee assignment under which there is one appointed unit employee on each shift ARTICLE THREE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 19 (platoon) for each authorized (on-duty) position. At any given time under constant staffing, one of the three (3) persons assigned to a position will normally be on-duty according to a regular established schedule. 1. The City will observe the principle of "constant staffing," as provided in Divisions 208 and 209 of the Department Rules and Regulations. 2. There shall be three (3) platoons in the Fire Suppression Division (A-Shift, B-Shift, and C-Shift). Each platoon will be regularly scheduled to work no more than ninety-six (96) hours in a nine (9) day period. One shift will constitute a twenty-four (24) hour work period. 3. Members shall not be forced to work a period in excess of ninety-six (96) hours on platoon duty without a minimum twenty-four (24) hour period off-duty, except in an emergency situation as determined by the Fire Chief. 4. Platoon assignments shall be completed and posted by December 1st for the next calendar year. 5. Annual shift assignments shall begin in January of each new calendar year. 6. There shall be a minimum of three (3) appointed sworn Battalion Chief positions for fifty-six (56) hour personnel (Suppression). 7. Minimum Standard Fire Department Staffing Schedule: Each on-duty Fire Suppression Platoon will be staffed with eighteen (18) duly appointed sworn safety members. 8. Vacancies will be filled using the Telestaff process and Fire Department Rules and Regulations. 9. The Parties mutually agree that they will meet and confer regarding any proposed significant or permanent changes in the current work schedule. B. TWENTY FOUR (24) DAY WORK PERIOD The City hereby establishes a twenty-four (24) day work period. ARTICLE THREE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 20 C. NO EFFECT ON CITY RIGHTS This entire section is understood by both parties to have no effect on the rights reserved to the City pursuant to Article I, City Rights. D. HOURS CONVERSION FORMULA The City agrees to make payroll system adjustments that accurately convert between 56-hour shift rates and 40-hour shift rates. Pay rates shall be converted by a factor of 1.4, as set forth below: FROM: TO: EQUIVALENCY FORMULA: 40-hour non-suppression assigned work schedule 56-hour suppression assigned work schedule 40 hours x 1.4 = 56 hours 56-hour suppression assigned work schedule 40-hour non-suppression assigned work schedule 56 hours ÷ 1.4 = 40 hours V. SHIFT CONVERSION For purposes of clarification the City and the Fire Management Group have converted "shifts" to "hours" throughout the MOU. It is not the intent of the parties to any way modify, increase, or decrease any portion of this MOU due to this conversion. VI. NON-SUPPRESSION STAFFING – FORTY (40) HOUR ASSIGNMENT A. MINIMUM THIRTY (30) DAY ADVANCE NOTICE City agrees that the Fire Chief will give a minimum 30-day advance written notice to unit employees regarding any proposed change in the number, type or functions of forty (40) hour non-suppression sworn positions, and will provide an opportunity to discuss the proposed changes before adding, deleting or modifying such assignments or positions. VII. EMERGENCY SERVICE REFILL (ESR) COMPENSATION A. EXTENSION OF DUTY ARTICLE THREE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 21 Whenever a Fire Management employee is required to extend their duty shift beyond their regular work assignment shift, they shall be paid the ESR rate at the unit employees’ regular rate of pay for time worked. B. LIMITATIONS The four (4) hour minimum does not apply to extension of duty. VIII. FORCED HIRE CONSTANT STAFFING OR ESR 1. It is understood and agreed that the City will observe the procedural steps for recalling unit employees for non- emergency staffing as detailed in the Fire Department Rules and Regulations and Telestaff. 2. In the event no volunteers are available, and a unit employee is mandatorily recalled to work, when he/she would otherwise be off duty, he/she shall be paid at the ESR Plan rate for all hours worked until relieved, but not less than four (4) hours at time and one-half for this non-extension of duty. 3. Four (4) hour minimum does not apply to extension of duty as defined in Article Three, Section VII.A. IX. SHIFT TRADE AGREEMENT A. APPROVAL BY CHIEF / NO ADDITIONAL COST Following the effective date of this MOU, eligible unit employees may trade shifts subject to the prior approval of the Fire Chief and subject to the City not incurring any additional costs as a result of the shift trade. B. TRANSFER OF VESTED LEAVE HOURS 1. Unit employees will be allowed to transfer vested leave hours to another unit employee in the event that a unit employee is unable to fulfill a trade agreement due to unforeseen bereavement, medical, retirement, promotion, or personal injury or illness. 2. A written explanation shall be submitted to the Fire Chief for review and approval within thirty (30) days of the event. ARTICLE THREE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 22 a. Disputed trade agreements shall be resolved between the unit employees. b. Both parties of the trade agreement must agree upon the amount of hours being transferred prior to submission. c. Transfer of vested hours will not be hour for hour, but will be modified based on each unit employee’s salary, such that the value of the hours remains the same. X. CITY RETAINS RIGHTS City retains the right to add, delete or modify positions and assignments in its sole discretion after consulting with the Fire Management Group, and meeting and conferring, as may be required, only over the impact on wages, hours or terms and conditions of employment of affected unit employees. ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 23 ARTICLE FOUR SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS I. RETIREMENT A. PERS RETIREMENT BENEFITS As of the effective date of this MOU the City agrees to provide retirement benefits under the California Public Employees’ Retirement System as follows: GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION BENEFIT 7522.20 (a) 21363.1 “New” Members, as defined by the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA), hired on or after January 1, 2013 A base retirement plan of 2.7% at age 57. “Classic” Member, as defined by PEPRA, regardless of date of hire A base retirement plan of 3% at age 55. 20037 For unit employees hired on or after January 1, 2012: Three-year Final Compensation: Final compensation is the average full-time monthly pay rate for the highest thirty-six (36) consecutive months. 20042 For unit employees hired prior to January 1, 2012: One-Year Final Compensation - Final compensation is the average full-time monthly pay rate for the highest twelve (12) consecutive months. 20055 Prior Service Credit: Unit employees may be eligible to purchase prior service credit. ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 24 GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION BENEFIT 20996 Military Service Credit: Unit employees may elect to purchase up to four (4) years of service credit. 21329 Two percent (2%) COLA: Beginning the 2 nd calendar year after the year of retirement, retirement and survivor allowances will be adjusted annually on a compound basis of two percent (2%); the adjustment may not be greater than the change in the CPI. 21363.1 Base retirement plan of three percent (3%) at age 55 for all eligible unit employees. 21548 Pre-Retirement Optional Settlement 2 Death Benefit: Upon the death of a member who was eligible to retire, the spouse may receive an allowance equal to the amount the member would have received if the member had retired for service retirement on the date of death and elected Option 2W. 21574 Fourth Level 1959 Survivor Benefit 21624-21626 Post-Retirement Survivor Allowance B. PERS EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS Except as may be provided for herein, the City shall pay to the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) for the account of each employee hired prior to January 1, 2012 the amount of the employee's retirement contribution as required by Government Code Section 20678, which is currently nine percent (9%) of eligible compensation. C. PERS BENEFIT PROVIDED BY GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 20636 (c) (4) ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 25 1. Pursuant to Government Code section 20636 (c) (4), the City shall continue to pay and report to CalPERS as compensation earnable the monetary value of contributions, known as “employer-paid member contributions”, paid by the City on behalf of each unit employee hired prior to January 1, 2012. 2. In the event that legislation prohibits public agencies from paying any portion of the employees’ required CalPERS member contribution and/or reporting as compensation earnable to CalPERS the monetary value of employer-paid member contributions such that members’ final compensation is augmented by the value of the employer-paid member contributions, the parties agree to (1) concomitantly increase the Chief Officer certificate by 3% in lieu of City paying for such contributions and thus participating in Government Code section 20636 (c) (4); (2) terminate any cost sharing pursuant to subparagraph E, below; and (3) have all unit employees pay their share of employees’ required CalPERS member contributions . 3. Unit employees hired after January 1, 2012 shall be responsible for the 9% payment of the PERS member contribution rate and shall not be subject to Government Code section 20636 (c) (4). D. CALPERS EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION FOR “NEW MEMBER” EMPLOYEES HIRED ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2013 AND DEFINED AS SUCH IN ACCORDANCE WITH AB 340 1. Unit employees defined as new members by PEPRA are covered under the 2.7% at age 57 retirement formula. New members shall be responsible for paying the employee contribution rate of one-half of the total normal cost of the plan as determined by CalPERS. 2. Unit employees shall be responsible for the full CalPERS employee contribution payment which is currently 12.25%. 3. The City has adopted the CalPERS resolution in accordance with Internal Revenue Code section 414(h)(2) to ensure that the employee contribution is made on a pre-tax basis. E. COST SHARING In accordance with Government Code 20516 (f), “Classic Member” unit employees hired prior to January 1, 2012 shall share the costs of ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 26 optional benefits. Said unit employees shall pay a total of 9% of the PERS employer contribution rate. Participation in Cost Sharing shall be mandatory and said contributions shall be designated as employee contributions. F. ADDITIONAL COST SHARING The employer contribution rate is established and adjusted annually by the CalPERS Board. In FY 14-15, the Culver City employer safety contribution rate is 39.23%. 1. Effective beginning January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2017,if the City’s employer contribution rate exceeds 50%, unit employees shall pay one half of such amount in excess of 50%, up to a maximum of 5%, pursuant to CA Gov’t Code §20516(f). 2. Effective beginning January 1, 2018, in the event the City’s employer contribution rate exceeds 50%, unit employees’ pay one half of such amount in excess of 50%, up to a maximum of 5%, as follows: the first 3% shall be allocated to the “employee” contribution rate and the next 2% to the “employer” contribution rate per CA Gov’t Code §20516(f). 3. Unit employees shall have no responsibility to pick up any portion of the City’s employer rate in excess of 50% attributable to elective actions by the City that has the effect of increasing the employer contribution rate (e.g., voluntarily modifying or shortening amortization periods, accelerating payments of unfunded liabilities, etc.). E. TAX LIMITATIONS Cost Sharing contributions shall be made on a pre-tax basis unless and until a Private Letter Ruling (PLR) by the Internal Revenue Service is issued to the City by the Internal Revenue Service designating that the payments must be post-tax. The City does not warrant that this contribution is "qualified" for tax deferral and is not to be held liable for such tax payments as may be determined assessable. ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 27 The City has retained specialized legal counsel in order to render a written opinion as to whether or not said employee contributions to the employer contribution rate can be considered on a “pre-tax” basis. The rendered legal opinion is supportive of City treatment of said contributions as “pre-tax”; therefore, the City shall take the steps necessary, including adoption of appropriate City Council resolution(s), to allow the Payroll Section to treat these distributions as “pre-tax”. It is expressly understood and agreed to by the parties that the City has no authority or jurisdiction by which to bind CalPERS, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Franchise Tax Board or any other agency (collective “Entities”) to a determination that such contributions are indeed “pre-tax”. Thus, the parties agree and acknowledge that the City shall have no liability to any individual unit employee or collective bargaining unit, should any of the aforementioned Entities reject treatment of said contributions as “pre- tax”. The City hereby adopts the provisions of IRC Section 414(h)(2). Any payment or pick up of employer contributions or required member contributions set forth in this Article shall be regarded as “pre-tax” in accordance therewith. F. WHEN MOU COSTS EXCEED SIX PERCENT (6%) IN A FISCAL YEAR The City and Fire Management agree to meet to review options for cost savings if increases in salary and health insurance costs exceed six percent (6%) from one fiscal year to the next fiscal year. No reduction in Fire Management compensation or benefits would occur during the term of the MOU unless agreed to by both parties in writing. G. COMPENSATION REPORTED TO PERS The City shall report compensation to PERS for unit employee retirement benefits as required by its contract with PERS and State law. II. MEDICAL INSURANCE A. MEDICAL INSURANCE – PERS MEDICAL PLANS ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 28 The City contracts with the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) for medical insurance coverage. Eligible new hires are covered under the program on the first day of the month following enrollment. Effective January 1, 2012 the City will contribute the Public Employees’ Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA) statutory minimum on behalf of each participant in the program. A participant is defined as 1) an enrolled employee and eligible dependents 2) an enrolled retiree and eligible dependents and 3) a surviving annuitant. The PEMHCA statutory minimum for 2015 is $122 per month. Inclusive of the statutory minimum, flexible benefits shall be provided in a Cafeteria Plan as follows. B. CAFETERIA PLAN The City shall implement a full flex cafeteria plan in accordance with IRS Code Section 125 for all active employees. Unit employees participating in the City’s full flex cafeteria plan shall receive a monthly flex dollar allowance to purchase benefits offered under the full flex cafeteria plan. The following health care benefits shall be offered through the cafeteria plan: medical, dental, vision and life. The monthly dollar allowance, which is inclusive of the statutory PEMHCA minimum, shall be: Employee only: $ 664.00 Employee + 1: $ 1,143.00 Family: $ 1,422.00 The monthly flex dollar allowance may be used in accordance with the terms of the cafeteria plan to purchase benefits offered under the cafeteria plan and other supplementary products. After the mandatory insurance has been purchased, the employee has the option to waive the other benefits and have the excess flex dollars converted to taxable income or purchase other supplementary products. In the event that premiums and/or costs for the selected benefits exceed the monthly flex dollar allowance, the balance will be paid by the employee through automatic pre-tax payroll deduction, as permitted under IRS Code Section 125. Effective each January 1 st , the City will contribute up to an additional 4% towards the increased cost of medical premiums in a calendar year to employees’ flex cafeteria plans. The average increase in PERS monthly health care premiums shall be calculated by ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 29 subtracting the average cost of Los Angeles area Basic premiums for all available City-offered CalPERS health-care plans for the current year from the average cost of Los Angeles area Basic premiums for all available City-offered CalPERS health-care plans for the upcoming year. If this percentage is less than 4%, then the City allowances shall be increased by that actual percentage. If this percentage equals or exceeds 4%, the City allowances shall be increased by 4%. If there is a year where the average premium increase is 0%, or there is an overall decrease, the City contribution shall not be adjusted. In addition, the City shall continue to provide flex dollars to cover 100% of HMO dental, vision and life insurance premiums. C. MEDICAL INSURANCE PREMIUMS – OPT-OUT/CASH OUT OPTION (NON-PERSABLE) 1. Unit employees may elect not to participate in the City’s medical insurance program (“Opt Out”). The intent of this provision is to share premium savings that the City will derive as a result of a unit employee canceling City coverage. 2. Upon proof of other coverage, unit employees who “opt-out” shall be allotted the value of single-party flex dollars toward other items in the full flex cafeteria plan or convert it to taxable income. D. PROOF OF COVERAGE / WAIVE CITY LIABILITY Unit employees electing to waive City medical insurance coverage for themselves and any eligible family members must provide proof of coverage through another benefit plan and must waive any liability to the City for their decision to cease coverage under the City’s medical insurance plan. E. EMPLOYEE SPOUSES / REGISTERED DOMESTIC PARTNERS/ DEPENDENTS ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 30 1. For medical insurance plans, when a unit employee is the spouse or registered domestic partner of another benefited City employee, the affected employees shall have the option of: ? Each employee have a flex dollar amount of a single employee; or ? one (1) employee may select a plan and list the spouse as a dependent under the two-party or family coverage, as applicable and the remaining employee may opt-out as outlined above. F. RE-ENROLLMENT IN CITY MEDICAL INSURANCE PLAN 1. After electing to opt out, a unit employee who later requests to re- enroll under the City plan can only do so during the open enrollment period or after a qualifying event as permitted by the insurance carrier and Cafeteria Plan regulations. Employees shall be re- enrolled per the Cafeteria Plan as provided in Article Four Section II.B. 2. A qualifying event shall be defined as set forth in the PERS Medical Plan and the City’s Cafeteria Plan document, a copy of which is available to unit employees in the Human Resources Department. G. JOINT LABOR / MANAGEMENT HEALTH BENEFITS STUDY COMMITTEE 1. The City and the Fire Management Group agree to participate in a Joint Labor/Management Health Benefit Committee which will study the feasibility of withdrawing from the PERS Health Care Plan and participating in other employee medical benefit plans. 2. The City and the Fire Management Group must mutually agree in writing to change from CalPERS Health Care to another health care plan. H. RETIREE MEDICAL INSURANCE 1. The City’s monthly contribution for medical insurance provided through the PERS Health plan, for employees that retire on or before December 31, 2011 or “Grandfathered” employees, shall be as follows: ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 31 All plans except PERSCare: ? City shall pay ninety-five percent (95%) of the monthly medical plan premium; and ? Retirees shall pay five percent (5%) of the monthly medical plan premium. PERSCare Plan: ? City shall pay seventy percent (70%) of the monthly PERSCare premium; and ? Retirees shall pay thirty percent (30%) of the monthly PERSCare premium. “Grandfathered employees” is defined as unit employees that, as of December 31, 2011, have twenty (20) or more years of CalPERS service (excluding “Air Time”) or, unit employees that retire on or before January 1, 2022 with twenty-five (25) years or more of Culver City service. An employee who promotes into FMG shall have the retiree medical benefit in which they were eligible under the 2012 – 2014 Culver City Firefighters Local 1927, AFL-CIO MOU. 2. The City’s monthly contribution for retiree medical insurance provided through the PERS Health plan, for employees hired prior to July 1, 2011 that retire on or after January 1, 2012, shall be as follows: Upon retirement with a minimum of 5 years City service, employees who were hired prior to July 1, 2011 shall be eligible to receive, inclusive of the PEMHCA minimum, up to $520.68/mo based on plan enrollment for retiree only; and pre-65 spousal/dependent coverage shall be provided up to an additional $454.48/mo subject to vesting. Vesting for pre-65 spousal/dependent coverage is contingent upon the employees’ years of City service at retirement such that the additional amount for pre-65 spousal/dependent coverage vests as follows: 6 years = 20%, 7 years = 40%, 8 years = 60%, 9 years = 80%, 10 years = 100%). Upon retirement with 10 or more years of service, 100% of the pre-65 spousal/dependent coverage is vested. Each January 1 st , the City’s contribution towards retiree medical insurance shall increase by up to 4% annually, based on the ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 32 average percentage increase of CalPERS rates. If the average premium increase of CalPERS Los Angeles area Basic (non- Medicare) medical insurance plans exceeds 4%, any additional amount shall be borne by the annuitant. The average increase in PERS monthly health care premiums shall be calculated by subtracting the average cost of Los Angeles area Basic (non- Medicare) premiums for all available City-offered CalPERS health-care plans for the current year from the average cost of Los Angeles area Basic (non-Medicare) premiums for all available City-offered CalPERS health-care plans for the upcoming year. If this percentage is less than 4%, then the City allowances shall be increased only by that percentage. If this percentage equals or exceeds 4%, the City allowances shall be increased by 4%. If there is a year where the average premium increase is 0%, or there is an overall decrease, the City contribution shall not be adjusted. Employees shall only be eligible to receive the City contribution towards retiree medical insurance based on his or her family status at the time of retirement. This amount shall only be increased by up to 4% of the average cost of CalPERS Los Angeles area Basic (non- Medicare) premiums as described above. 3. The City’s monthly contribution for medical insurance provided through the PERS Health plan, for employees hired by the City on or after July 1, 2011 shall be as follows: Upon retirement, employees shall be eligible to receive a City contribution for retiree medical in accordance with Government Code 22892. The statutory minimum amount for 2015 is $122/mo. 4. The City shall make available a retiree health care trust (RHS) to enable employees to prefund retiree health care expenses while employed by the City. Mandatory employee participation of $25 per pay period is required. The City shall match the first $25 per pay period of the employee contribution to the RHS. The individual accounts can be utilized after separation of service for reimbursement of all qualified medical expenses, including insurance premiums, in accordance with IRS Section 213. Employees who separate from City service for any reason shall be eligible to receive the full amounts in the RHS at the time of separation. The Retiree Health Savings Trust shall reimburse expenses in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 33 FMG understands that changes to contributions and/or disbursements from the RHS can change at any time pursuant to federal laws and regulations. III. DENTAL INSURANCE 1. The City shall continue contracting for the current or comparable dental insurance program. Any alternate program must provide substantially identical benefits, unless otherwise agreed by the parties during the meet and confer process. All unit employees shall be eligible to enroll qualified dependents and will pay the premium costs for such enrollment through the full flex cafeteria plan. 2. For dental insurance plans, when a unit employee is the spouse of another benefited City employee, the affected employees shall have the option of: ? individual coverage; or ? one (1) employee may select a plan and list the spouse as a dependent. IV. VISION CARE INSURANCE 1. The City shall continue contracting for the current or comparable vision insurance program. Any alternate program must provide substantially identical benefits, unless otherwise agreed by the parties in the meet and confer process. All unit employees shall be eligible to enroll qualified dependents and will pay the premium costs for such enrollment through the full flex cafeteria plan. 2. For vision insurance plans, when a unit employee is the spouse of another benefited City employee, the affected employees shall have the option of: ? individual coverage; or ? one (1) employee may select a plan and list the spouse as a dependent. V. LIFE INSURANCE The City shall continue contracting for the current or comparable program for Term Life Insurance Group coverage of $50,000. Any alternate program ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 34 must provide substantially identical benefits, unless otherwise agreed by the parties in the meet and confer process. VI. IRS SECTION 125 FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT The City provides a flexible spending account for medical expenses and dependent care, pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Service Code (Section 125), as amended. Under Section 125, the maximum annual amount an employee may contribute on a pre-tax basis is statutorily set. Pursuant to Section 125, employees may contribute pre-tax earnings into these accounts. The medical expense contribution may be used for reimbursement of medical expenses such as deductibles, co-pays and expenses in excess of what insurance covers. Dependent care expenses may not be reimbursed until after they are actually incurred - i.e., after the care has been provided, and not when the participant is formally billed. Reimbursable dependent care expenses are non-health care expenses that include insuring a qualified dependent’s well-being and protection. Qualified dependents are children under age 13, disabled spouses and other dependents who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care, and who regularly spend at least eight hours each day in the taxpayer's household. Pursuant to Section 125, eligible reimbursable expenses must be incurred within the calendar year, January 1 st through December 31 st , and must be submitted for reimbursement no later than March 31 st of the following calendar year. Receipts submitted after March 31 st in the following calendar year shall be forfeited. There are other limitations and restrictions set forth by the Internal Revenue Service. VII. CITY RIGHTS – CONTENT AND CONTRACTORS 1. The City retains the exclusive right to determine the content and contractor(s) for dental, vision and life insurance plans, and any other employee benefits except as otherwise provided for in this MOU. 2. The City agrees to consult with representatives of FMG over any City-proposed change in the benefit levels of dental, vision or life insurance plans during the term of this agreement. ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 35 3. It is understood that no significant changes in benefit levels will occur without meeting and conferring with FMG. VIII. UNIFORM ALLOWANCE A. INITIAL CLOTHING REIMBURSEMENT 1. Unit employees required to wear City uniforms during the performance of their duties shall be reimbursed for the initial purchase of uniform items at the successful conclusion of the probationary period. 2. The amount of reimbursement shall be equal to the full annual amount in effect at the time of permanent appointment. B. AMOUNT OF UNIFORM ALLOWANCE 1. Permanent unit employees covered herein shall be provided a biweekly uniform allowance of thirty-six dollars and fifty-four cents ($36.54) based upon a pro-rated annual allowance of nine hundred and fifty dollars ($950). Pursuant to CCR Section 571, Uniform Allowance shall be reported, for eligible unit employees, to CalPERS as special compensation under the category of Statutory Items – Uniform Allowance. 2. In addition to the allowance, the City will provide specific items of the uniform complement, including but not limited to: ? Belt buckles ? Chevron stripes ? Name tags (e.g., embroidery) ? Patches ? Uniform and cap badges ? Other required items which attach to the uniform as may be determined at the sole discretion of the Fire Chief. C. CHANGE OF DEPARTMENT UNIFORMS In the event the City deems it necessary for safety reasons or identification preference to change the Fire Department uniforms, the City shall, at no cost to the employee, supply all members with three ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 36 (3) sets of work uniforms and one (1) work jacket, unless the prior work uniform can be replaced through attrition. D. UNIFORM ALLOWANCE (PERSABLE) The City agrees to pay the employee's contribution to the Public Employees' Retirement System as it pertains to uniform reimbursement amounts. The annual retirement contribution shall be based on the above stated amounts for the term of the MOU. IX. SAFETY EQUIPMENT A. REQUIRED SAFETY EQUIPMENT Safety equipment necessary for the performance of required duties and/or required by law shall be supplied to the members of the Culver City Fire Department at City expense. B. CITY SUPPLIED REQUIRED SAFETY ITEMS 1. The City will supply and replace for use of the employee the following items of safety equipment: ? Brush pants ? Brush jacket ? Chalk ? Door stops ? Flashlights ? Gloves ? Goggles ? Helmet ? Helmet shield ? Hose ropes ? Nomex hoods ? Safety boots ? SCBA mask ? Spanner wrenches ? Turnout boots ? Turnout coat ? Turnout pants ? Any other related equipment the Department deems necessary for the purpose of emergency operations 2. Safety equipment will not be purchased from clothing allowance funds. X. COMMUNICABLE DISEASES A. RISK FROM COMMUNICABLE DISEASES ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 37 1. The City, the Fire Department and the Fire Management Group recognize that firefighting personnel are exposed to a higher than average risk from communicable diseases. 2. Therefore, those personnel exposed to such risks should submit industrial accident claims with as much information as is available, as soon as known. B. PREVENTIVE MEASURES The City agrees to make available to all members of the Culver City Fire Department any preventive vaccines, periodic tests, and documentation recommended by the Culver City Fire Department Medical Director and the Culver City Fire Department Communicable Disease Guidelines Policy. C. ANNUAL IMMUNIZATIONS, TESTING AND DOCUMENTATION 1. Each year all members will be offered applicable immunizations, testing and documentation including but not limited to the following: ? Hepatitis ? Influenza ? Tetanus/Diphtheria ? Tuberculosis ? Measles, Mumps and Rubella 2. The schedule of immunizations shall be determined between the Fire Department and Risk Management according to recommended frequencies. XI. WORKER'S COMPENSATION A. RIGHTS AND BENEFITS GRANTED BY STATE LAW Worker's compensation rights and benefits for fire safety employees shall be governed by applicable State law. B. OFF-DUTY WORK Unit employees that are assigned by the Fire Department to work off- duty details (i.e., studio details or other off-duty work which the City has determined to require the assignment of Fire Department ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 38 employees, and for which an employer other than the City assumes responsibility for compensation to the off-duty Fire employees) shall nevertheless be considered employees of the City of Culver City for purposes of workers' compensation and industrial disability retirement benefits for any injuries received during such duty. C. LABOR CODE SECTION 4850 / TEMPORARY TOTAL DISABILITY (TTD) / EXTENDED LEAVE 1. When a unit employee covered herein is injured in the course of employment and unable to work, he/she may be placed on a leave of absence pursuant to the Worker's Compensation laws of the State of California, Labor Code Section 4850. 2. If a unit employee's paid leave extends beyond the term covered by the above provision, the unit employee may supplement temporary disability payments with accrued sick leave and accrued vacation. 3. The City or unit employee may initiate a disability retirement application, pursuant to applicable laws. 4. When a disabled unit employee's temporary disability payments stop, the unit employee may elect to utilize accumulated sick leave or vacation leave credits to continue on paid leave, subject to normal deductions. XII. PHYSICAL WELL-BEING 1. The parties agree that the physical well-being of unit employees is a mutual benefit to the City and the employee. To that end, the City agrees to provide an annual allowance of $550 to each unit employee effective on the first full pay period after July 1 st . 2. The Physical Well-Being benefit is recommended to be used for one (1) or more of the following purposes: ? Medical examination by the health provider of the unit employee's choice. ? Membership in a health club or fitness center. ? Other formal wellness programs provided by professionals (smoking cessation, weight control, nutrition, or similar programs). ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 39 ? Medical expenses (deductibles or co-payments) not covered by the employee’s health, dental or vision insurance. 3. The annual Physical Well-Being benefit shall be contingent upon the unit employee providing acceptable proof to the Fire Chief of a physical examination at a minimum of every other year. Acceptable proof can be in the form of a physician or physician’s assistant written certification of: ? Physical exam consisting of a cardiac stress test, pulmonary function test, eye exam and hearing test; or ? A signed certification of medical fitness under the Culver City Fire Department Respiratory Protection Program. 4 The Fire Chief is exempt from the Respiratory Protection Program Requirements. C. MEDICAL RECORDS Medical records resulting from this program and provided to the City shall be maintained in confidential medical files separate from personnel or administrative files. XIII. MEDICAL CERTIFICATE – DRIVERS LICENSE with FIREFIGHTER ENDORSEMENT 1. Unit employees may be required to undergo a physical examination to maintain their medical certificate for a California Department of Motor Vehicles Driver License with a Firefighter Endorsement in order to drive and operate Department vehicles as a condition of employment, or to obtain other medical examinations as a requirement of employment. 2. If a unit employee has any such required medical certificate or examination, the employee on their own time will be required to use their annual Physical Well-Being benefit to obtain the medical certificate or examination. XIV. DEFERRED COMPENSATION A. VOLUNTARY DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 40 1. City agrees to provide a deferred compensation plan as a benefit to Fire Management employees. Plan specifications and details are determined pursuant to IRS Code Section 457 and the organizations providing the investment and savings program for such deferred compensation. 2. Plan documents are maintained by and copies may be obtained from the Human Resources Department. 3. The City does not warrant that amounts deposited in the deferred compensation plans are "qualified" for tax deferral and is not to be held liable for such tax payments as may be determined assessable. B. CONVERSION OF HOLIDAY PAY TO VOLUNTARY DEFERRED COMPENSATION 1. The City will permit unit employees covered hereunder a one- time annual election to convert In-lieu (holiday) pay, at each unit employee's regular hourly rate of pay, for deposit into their deferred compensation plan, up to a maximum of: ? 56-hour employees: 144 hours per calendar year ? 40-hour employees: 96 hours per calendar year 2. Such election must be made by December 10, for deposits to the plan commencing in January of the succeeding year. 3. Amounts deferred for deposit shall be deducted from the employee's bi-weekly accrual. C. CITY CONTRIBUTION TO VOLUNTARY DEFERRED COMPENSATION (NON-PERSABLE) 1. The City’s contribution to deferred compensation shall be one- hundred forty-two dollars and twenty-five cents ($142.25) per pay period (non-PERSable). The maximum contribution shall only be paid on behalf of Fire Management employees contributing at least $76.25 per pay period. For unit employees contributing less than $76.25, the City will contribute a dollar-per-dollar match. 3. Each unit employee may contribute to only one plan at any time. The City retains the right to change plan administrators ARTICLE FOUR Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 41 and investment vehicles to preserve the integrity of deposited assets, but will discuss proposed changes with affected employee organizations prior to making the change. 4. The plan is a benefit, and as such the contribution by the City on behalf of the unit employee shall not change the unit employee's salary classification range. 5. Unit employees may, at their option, contribute in excess of the City's matching contribution per pay period to the plan. XV. ON-DUTY DEATH/FUNERAL BENEFIT A. FUNERAL BENEFIT Should any Fire Management Group employee die in the line of duty, the City will provide the family of the unit employee a funeral benefit payment of $15,000. B. BENEFIT ABOVE PERS / LABOR CODE PROVISIONS This benefit shall be payable over and above any benefit payable through PERS or Labor Code provisions. C. PAYMENT Payment to the beneficiary shall be made as soon as possible, but in no event later than fifteen (15) working days following the death. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 42 ARTICLE FIVE LEAVES OF ABSENCE I. POLICY It shall be the policy of the City to grant leaves of absence to permanent and probationary employees for the purpose of rest and relaxation, and for recuperation from illness, based on each employee’s total length of service with the City. Employees are expected to take advantage of the vacation provisions afforded them in order to maintain their mental and physical health. II. ACCUMULATION, USE AND REQUESTS FOR LEAVE A. ACCUMULATION OF LEAVE 1. The unit employee's anniversary date (date of original employment adjusted for breaks in service) shall determine the category of leave accumulation. 2. Unit employees shall continue to accumulate sick and vacation leave when on authorized leave with pay of any kind. B. FORMULAS FOR EQUATING LEAVE HOURS When a unit employee changes assignments, accrued leave on the books shall be converted using the equivalency formula as set forth below: FROM: TO: EQUIVALENCY FORMULA 40-hrs per week 56-hrs per week Number of Accrued Leave Hours x 1.5 56-hrs per week 40-hrs per week Number of Accrued Leave Hours ÷ 1.5 C. USE OF LEAVE 1. Leave of absence shall be taken in multiples of one (1) hour. 2. Unit employees can take up to the total amount of accumulated leave credit. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 43 3. Charges against sick leave or vacation leave credits shall be made for only those days on which regularly assigned work would be performed. D. ADVANCE OF VACATION OR SICK LEAVE A request for one (1) year's advance of vacation or sick leave credit may be approved for use by the City Manager. E. REQUESTING LEAVE 1. Except as otherwise provided, no leave of absence with pay shall be granted to any unit employee without the approval of the Fire Chief. 2. Whenever possible, unit employees shall file a request for a leave of absence through Telestaff, and shall receive approval before taking such leave. 3. When conditions prevent a prior request, the unit employee, upon return from said leave, may be required to file a report explaining the conditions which prevented a prior request. F. FAILURE TO FILE A PRIOR REQUEST Failure to file a prior request, in the absence of extenuating conditions, shall be grounds for disciplinary action. III. HOLIDAY / IN-LIEU TIME A. BI-WEEKLY HOLIDAY IN-LIEU ACCRUAL RATE Battalion Chiefs shall be credited with holiday in-lieu leave, to be accrued each bi-weekly pay period on a pro-rata annual basis, to the maximum as set forth below: Hours worked per week Bi-weekly Accrual Rate Monthly Accrual Rate Annual Accrual Rate Maximum Annual Accrual Balance 56-hour employees 6.31 hrs 13.66 hrs 164 hrs 216 hrs ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 44 B. NON-SUPPRESSION WORK ASSIGNMENTS Unit employees in the classifications of Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, and Fire Marshall shall not accrue in-lieu holiday time. Such employees are required to work City recognized holidays that fall on a regularly scheduled work day or must use approved paid leave. Any affected employees that have existing in-lieu holiday time shall have the option of using such leave hours until the bank is exhausted or maintaining the in-lieu holiday leave bank and, upon separation or sooner having all such hours paid to the employee in cash as non- PERSable compensation. C. ACCRUAL BALANCE NOT TO EXCEED MAXIMUM ANNUAL HOLIDAY IN-LIEU 1. A balance not to exceed the maximum accrual as set forth in the table in Section II.A. above, may be maintained by the safety unit employee. Accruals which would exceed this maximum balance will be paid to the affected unit employee as earned. 2. If time is taken off to reduce the individual unit employee's balance to less than the maximum, he/she can accrue once again to the maximum allowable. 3. Upon retirement or separation, unused in-lieu time will be paid out (non-PERSable) to a maximum of: ? 56-hour employees: 216 hours at the 56-hour rate D. HOLIDAY IN-LIEU TIME TAKEN OR PAYOFF 1. Holiday in-lieu time may be taken as time off duty with pay, or may be paid to the unit employee in-lieu of time off. 2. Payments may be requested with advance notice to Payroll on or prior to any Payday Friday for payment to appear on the paycheck following two-weeks later. 3. Any unit employee whose accrual of holiday in-lieu time would exceed the maximum shall be paid on the bi-weekly paycheck for the excess amount. 4. Unit employees may also elect to be paid bi-weekly for annual accruals for the purpose of making deferred compensation contributions. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 45 5. Holiday in-lieu shall be calculated based upon the unit employee’s base hourly rate plus EMT pay, Paramedic Pay and Chief Officer certificate pay. D. AUTHORIZED HOLIDAY ROUTINE Unit employees shall have authorized holiday routine as provided for in Division 308 of the Department Rules and Regulations. IV. VACATION A. ELIGIBILITY FOR VACATION 1. All permanent and probationary unit employees shall be eligible to take vacation leave after serving twelve (12) months employment with the City. Vacation leave shall accrue during the first twelve (12) month period, but not be available for use. 2. Accumulated vacation time earned shall be shown on each paycheck stub. B. ACCRUAL OF VACATION 1. Vacation hours shall accrue each pay period at one twenty- sixth (1/26) of the annual rate (i.e., annual accrual rate divided by 26). 2. Unused vacation shall accumulate to the maximum allowed below. 3. Exceptions to the maximum allowable accruals may be granted by the City Manager, or his/her designee, to meet exceptional departmental staffing needs. 4. No vacation shall be authorized for leave or payment, unless the vacation is accrued prior to the time of the vacation, except as authorized by the City Manager. C. MAXIMUM ANNUAL VACATION ACCRUAL 1. Vacation time may be accrued to a maximum of twice the unit employee's annual accrual. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 46 2. Vacation accrued after reaching the maximum balance shall be paid to the unit employee in the regular paycheck for each pay period. D. TABLES OF VACATION LEAVE BENEFITS 1. The Tables of Vacation Leave Benefits shown below sets forth the number of working hours per year to which a unit employee is entitled as a paid vacation leave benefit. 2. The benefit shown in each category shall commence upon entering the first day of the new category as follows: TABLE OF VACATION LEAVE BENEFITS FORTY (40) HOUR WORK SCHEDULE: |1010|st and |1010|nd year |1010|rd thru |10 10|th Year 10 th thru 14 th Year 15 th thru 19 th Year 20 Yrs 20 Yrs and above 96 hrs 112 hrs 144 hrs 152 hrs 192 hrs 192 hours, plus 8 hours for each year over 20 FIFTY SIX (56) HOUR WORK SCHEDULE: |1010|st and |1010|nd year |1010|rd thru |10 10|th Year 10 th thru 14 th Year 15 th thru 19 th Year 20 Years and above 144 hrs 168 hrs 216 hrs 228 hrs 288 hours, plus 12 hours for each year over 20 E. INJURY ON-DUTY (IOD) OR EXTENDED SICK LEAVE STATUS 1. Unit employees off on IOD or extended sick leave (exceeding ninety [90] calendar days) may request to accrue excess vacation if they are unable to take such vacation time off because of the IOD or sick leave status. 2. Such excess accruals must be used within six (6) months following the unit employee's return to work, or it shall be paid to the unit employee in a lump sum on their paycheck. F. PRESCHEDULED LEAVE ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 47 1. Prescheduled leave (January 1 through March 1) for vacation, attached in-lieu (holiday) time and/or Service Award Leave time, shall be taken in increments of twenty four (24) hours for fifty-six (56) hour employees, or the length of the regular workday for 40-hour employees. 2. Any leave less than twenty-four (24) hours under the prescheduled leave window shall be considered unscheduled vacation leave, and will be allowed only if a volunteer is selected. G. UNSCHEDULED LEAVE 1. Unscheduled leave (after March 1) for vacation, in-lieu (holiday) and/or Service Award Leave, shall be a minimum of: ? 56-hour employees: one (1) hour ? 40-hour employees: one (1) hour 2. This can be done if there are volunteers willing to work the time requested off (no member can be compelled to work under this section). H. UNAUTHORIZED USE OF VACATION Vacation shall not be used in-lieu of accumulated sick leave or when sick leave request is disapproved. I. MAXIMUM ACCUMULATION OF VACATION 1. Vacation time may be accumulated to a maximum of twice the unit employee’s annual accrual. Vacation accrued after reaching the maximum balance shall be paid to the unit employee in the regular paycheck for each pay period. 2. The maximum consecutive vacation time, including any holiday in-lieu time attached to the vacation that a unit employee can select in a single selection is one year's accumulation. 3. The second year's vacation time goes into the Telestaff distribution system. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 48 4. If no volunteers are found the member desiring the time off must find voluntary relief for those days in excess of one year's accumulation. J. BI-WEEKLY PAYOFF OF EXCESS VACATION ACCRUALS Vacation time which accumulates in excess of the maximum allowed each unit employee shall be paid in cash on the next regular bi- weekly paycheck, thereby bringing the unit employee's vacation balance to no more than the maximum allowable (except as provided in this article). K. VACATION PAYOFF UPON TERMINATION Any unit employee who terminates employment shall be paid for such vacation time accrued but unused as of the date of the termination. V. SICK LEAVE A. ELIGIBILITY FOR SICK LEAVE No sick leave shall be granted until the unit employee has completed three (3) full months of service, including time spent on provisional or temporary appointment. B. ACCRUAL OF SICK LEAVE Sick leave credit accrues each bi-weekly pay period pro-rated on an annual basis as follows: ? 56-hour employees shall be credited with 12.66 hours of sick leave for each month of service. ? 40-hour employees shall be credited with 8.66 hours of sick leave for each month of service. C. MAXIMUM ACCUMULATION OF SICK LEAVE 1. The maximum accumulation of sick leave time per unit employee is as follows: ? 56-hour employees: 1,080 hours maximum ? 40-hour employees: 720 hours maximum 2. Sick leave may be taken in increments of one (1) hour or more. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 49 D. PROCEDURE, USE AND VERIFICATION OF SICK LEAVE 1. Vacation time may not be used for disapproved sick leave. 2. With proper verification, sick leave may be allowed for the following: ? Personal illness or injury of the unit employee; ? Illness of the unit employee's spouse, registered domestic partner, or child; ? Medical or dental appointments; ? Cases of quarantine; or ? Where exposure to contagious disease would endanger the health of other employees. 3. The unit employee shall notify his/her immediate superior within one day of the beginning of sick leave, or pursuant to the rules of the department. 4. Upon return to duty, the unit employee shall present evidence of the necessity of sick leave, if so requested by the appointing authority. 5. At the end of the second day of sick leave, the appointing authority may request verification to be made by a qualified person. 6. For absences of over two (2) days, a medical certificate from a qualified physician, chiropractor or practitioner may be required. 7. The responsibility of proving the validity of a request for sick leave shall be upon the unit employee. E. BONUS PLAN - BI-WEEKLY PAYOFF OF UNUSED SICK LEAVE ACCRUAL / NON-PERSABLE 1. As set forth in the Tier 1 table, upon reaching the maximum accumulation of unused sick leave accrual, the unit employee will thereafter be paid in each pay period (non-PERSable) for one-half (50%) of the unused sick leave accrual for that pay period; the remaining one-half (50%) will then be accumulated as additional sick leave until Tier 2 is reached. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 50 TIER 1: SICK LEAVE BONUS PLAN RATE MONTHLY ACCRUAL RATE / (bi-weekly accrual rate) MAXIMUM ACCUMULATION AMOUNT OF BI-WEEKLY SICK LEAVE PAYOFF @ 50% (Non-PERSable) AMOUNT OF BI-WEEKLY SICK LEAVE ACCRUED @ 50% 40 hr 8.66 hours / (4 hours) 384 hours 1.85 hrs x 40 hr rate (½ [50%] of bi-weekly accrual rate of 3.7 hrs) 1.85 hours 56 hr 12.66 hours / (5.85 hours) 576 hours 2.77 hrs x 56 hr rate (½ [50%] of bi-weekly accrual rate of 5.5 hrs) 2.77 hours 2. As set forth in the Tier 2 table, upon reaching the maximum accumulation of unused sick leave accrual, the unit employee will thereafter be paid (non-PERSable) in each pay period for one hundred percent (100%) of the unused sick leave accrual for that pay period. TIER 2: SICK LEAVE BONUS PLAN RATE MONTHLY ACCRUAL RATE / (bi-weekly accrual rate) MAXIMUM ACCUMULATION AMOUNT OF BI-WEEKLY SICK LEAVE PAYOFF @ 100% (Non-PERSable) 40 hr 8.66 hours / (4 hours) 720 hours # of hrs of unused sick leave accrual in excess of 720 hours x 40 hr rate 56 hr 12.66 hours / (5.85 hours) 1,080 hours # of hrs of unused sick leave accrual in excess of 1080 hours x 56 hr rate c. SICK LEAVE CONVERSION PAYOFF UPON RETIREMENT OR FAVORABLE RESIGNATION (NON-PERSABLE) For unit employees resigning or retiring from City employment, unused, accumulated sick leave will be paid (non-PERSable) on the following basis: ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 51 1. With retirement or favorable resignation after ten (10) years (120 months) or more of satisfactory City service, all accumulated sick leave accrual will be added to the unit employee's vacation accrual bank. 2. Any payoff under this benefit is non-PERSable. H. SICK LEAVE PAYOFF UPON THE DEATH OF AN EMPLOYEE Upon a unit employee’s death, his/her heir or estate shall be entitled to receive the same accumulation and conversion benefit payoff as the unit employee would have received were he/she alive and had favorably resigned or retired after ten (10) years (120 months) of City Service. Any payoff under this benefit is non-PERSable. VI. PRE-RETIREMENT DISTRIBUTION OF ACCRUALS / ENHANCEMENT PLAN (NON-PERSABLE) A. THIRTY SIX (36) MONTH NOTICE OF RETIREMENT - IRREVOCABLE A unit employee giving irrevocable notice of his/her intent to retire within three (3) years (36 calendar months) may have accrued leaves, which are otherwise payable upon retirement, distributed in equal installments to his/her paychecks over the months preceding retirement, with a minimum duration of six (6) months and a maximum duration of thirty-six (36) months. B. OPTIONS Such distributions may be taken as taxable earnings, or may be used for deposit in the deferred compensation account under the terms of the Section 457 Catch-up provisions C. NON-PERSABLE Such distributions are not PERSable and not reported to PERS as compensation and will not affect PERS retirement benefits. VII. MISCELLANEOUS LEAVES WITH PAY A. BEREAVEMENT LEAVE ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 52 1. Any employee who is compelled to be absent from duty because of a death in the immediate family shall be allowed time necessary to be absent with pay without deduction from accrued sick leave, vacation or in-lieu (holiday) time as follows: ? 56-hour employees: not more than seventy-two (72) hours per incident; ? 40-hour employees: not more than forty-eight (48) hours per incident. 2. Immediate family is defined as follows: ? Brothers ? Sisters ? Children ? Spouse ? Child’s Spouse ? Spouse’s Brothers ? Grandchildren ? Spouse’s Grandparents ? Grandparents ? Parents ? Registered Domestic Partner ? Siblings’ Spouse ? Spouse’s Parents ? Spouse’s Sisters ? Stepchildren ? Stepparents 3. Should the list of specified family members be increased in any other Culver City bargaining unit MOU, the additional provisions shall apply to this unit. 4. The City may require verification of the death of a member of the immediate family. Verification may include any printed record or notice of the death (e.g., newspaper obituary notice, mortuary leaflet or card, etc.). 5. If special circumstance exists wherein a unit employee believes another person reasonably substitutes for one of the foregoing, (i.e., foster parent, legal guardian, foster child, legal ward, etc.) the unit employee must register that special circumstance with the Human Resources Department in writing in advance in order to qualify for the leave. B. EMERGENCY LEAVE 1. An emergency leave of absence with pay may be granted by the Appointing Authority to any unit employee because of family illness, legal matters, non work related court ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 53 appearances, home emergencies (e.g., burst water heater, or sudden structural damage) etc., providing the unit employee may have such leave charged to his/her sick leave, in-lieu (holiday), compensatory time, service award leave or vacation leave accounts. 2. All emergency leaves of absence shall be limited to forty-eight (48) working hours within any calendar year, except that Fire Suppression employees shall be limited to seventy-two (72) hours per calendar year. 3. Verification of all emergency leaves may be required by the Appointing Authority. C. JURY DUTY LEAVE 1. A unit employee called to active jury service during scheduled work days shall receive his/her regular compensation for such time served to a maximum of ten (10) working days (five [5] shifts for Suppression) for each subpoena for jury service. 2. The unit employee will forfeit jury fees to the City, but shall retain any mileage compensation provided. 3. Unit employees working other than a Monday through Friday daytime schedule may be reassigned to such a schedule during jury duty service if possible, or to another schedule compatible with employee and department interests. 4. Jury service required on a unit employee's off-duty day is not compensable by the City, and the unit employee may retain jury compensation for such days. 5. In the event the unit employee is required to serve in excess of ten (10) compensated work days (or five [5] shifts in Suppression), he/she may use accrued leave and retain excess jury fees for that period. 6. The unit employee shall be responsible for providing proof of jury service upon his/her return to work. 7. Specific procedures for jury duty leave with pay, consistent with this provision, shall be established in Fire Department Rules and Regulations. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 54 D. OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE LEAVE 1. The City may grant up to three (3) days off with pay to unit employees rewarded for outstanding performance, or provide other forms of recognition pursuant to Civil Service Rules. 2. Leave may be taken pursuant to prescheduled or unscheduled leave policy. E. RELIGIOUS SERVICES LEAVE 1. Unit employees shall be permitted to attend or observe religious services, or holidays of major theological importance, which occur during work hours provided that: ? the work load of the organization so permits, and ? the appointing authority authorized the absence. 2. Time taken shall be charged to the unit employee's accumulated in-lieu holiday, vacation, or service award leave time. F. MILITARY LEAVE Military leave with pay shall be granted in accordance with applicable state, federal and municipal law, and applicable City policies. G. VOTING LEAVE 1. Unit employees shall be permitted leave to vote as required by California Elections Code Section 14350-14352, if the unit employee cannot otherwise get to the polling place during non-working hours. 2. Leave may be provided at the beginning or end of the normal work shift, whichever permits the opportunity to vote with minimal interruption of work responsibilities. 3. Unit employees shall be required to give a minimum three (3) day notice of the need for leave, obtain advance approval, and submit proof of voting. H. SCHOOL ACTIVITY LEAVE ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 55 1. Pursuant to California Labor Code Sections 230.7 and 230.8, parents of school-age children shall be allowed leave from their jobs, with or without pay, as may be necessary to participate in school activities such as parent-teacher conferences, disciplinary matters, school programs and related events with their children. 2. Such leave is limited to forty (40) hours per school year, at a maximum of eight (8) hours per month for 40-hour and 56- hour (suppression) employees. 3. This limit shall not apply when a unit employee is required to appear in the school of his/her child pursuant to a request from the school administration pertaining to disciplinary action. 4. Suppression employees shall take a minimum of six (6) hours for force hiring back a member. 5. Members will not be force hired if a suppression employee requests any time off less than the six (6) hour minimum. 6. Members can volunteer to work any time less than the six (6) hour minimum. 7. School activity leave for less than six (6) hours shall fall under the same procedures as filling unscheduled vacation leave. 8. School Activity Leave for six (6) hours or more shall fall under the same schedule procedure for pre-scheduled vacation leave as set forth in the Fire Department Rules and Regulations. 9. Unit employees must give three (3) calendar days advance notice to the employer to permit work coverage, and may be required to provide documentation from the school that the employee participated in the activity on the specific date and time. 10. Leave properly requested in advance shall not be denied. 11. Unit employees may take accrued leave with pay (vacation, compensatory time, in-lieu holiday, or service award leave) for School Activity Leave purposes. I. TRAINING LEAVE ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 56 1. Fire Management employees shall be entitled to paid leave time for approved voluntary job-related training upon approval by the Fire Chief. 2. Should such approved training occur on a unit employee’s scheduled day off, unit employee will be paid for the hours actually spent in such training at the hourly rate normally paid to that unit employee when on duty. 3. Fifty six (56) hour Suppression unit employees will be entitled to a maximum of (sixty [60] hours) 2.5 shifts per calendar year. 4. Forty (40) hour unit employees will be entitled to a maximum of forty two (42) hours per calendar year. J. PAYOFF OF ACCRUAL UPON DEATH OF AN EMPLOYEE (NON- PERSABLE) When separation is caused by the death of an employee, separation pay and other accrued moneys owed shall be paid (non-PERSable) to the designated beneficiary of such employee as filed with the Human Resources Director. VIII. LEAVES OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY A. VOLUNTARY LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY 1. Any unit employee is entitled to present to his/her appointing authority a request for leave of absence without pay not to exceed one (1) year. The unit employee shall indicate the basis of the leave in his/her request. 2. Leaves of absence without pay may be granted for illness exceeding accumulated sick leave, child care absences exceeding pregnancy disability leave, special education, special duty for another governmental agency, extension of vacation time, seeking political office or any other reason which is deemed to be in the best interests of City government. 3. Verification of such requests shall be required by the Appointing Authority who shall attach the evidence of verification to the proper form (Personnel Action). ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 57 4. Any leave without pay must be approved by the City Manager pursuant to Civil Service Rules. B. LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY IN EXCESS OF THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS 1. For any leave of absence without pay in excess of thirty (30) calendar days the employee shall: ? Notify the appointing authority where he/she can be reached, if not at his/her residence of record; and ? How long the employee will be absent. 2. In the absence of such written notification, any notice or correspondence to the employee shall be mailed or delivered to the employee’s residence of record. C. DURATION OF LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY 1. Employees shall be advised of the duration of approved leave of absence without pay. 2. Such leave may be cancelled at any time by the City Manager if he/she determines that: ? The employee is not expected to return by the conclusion of the scheduled leave of absence without pay; ? The employee’s conduct is inconsistent with the purpose(s) of the approved leave of absence without pay; or ? The basis for the leave of absence without pay is no longer valid. 3. If the City intends to cancel an approved leave of absence without pay the employee shall: ? Be notified of the City’s intent and given the opportunity to provide additional information in support of the leave of absence without pay; or ? Return to work within five (5) working days after receipt of such notice. 4. If the employee fails to respond or return to work, he/she shall be deemed to have resigned from his/her position. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 58 D. RETURN FROM LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY 1. Upon return from leave without pay exceeding thirty (30) calendar days, the employee’s anniversary dates shall be adjusted to exclude such leave time for the purpose(s) of: ? Performance evaluation dates; ? Step increase dates; ? Seniority for promotional examinations; and ? Benefit accrual calculations. 2. Upon return from a leave of absence without pay exceeding thirty (30) calendar days occasioned by illness or disability of the employee, the employee may be required to provide such medical information as required by the City’s physician to ascertain the employee’s fitness for duty. Failure or refusal to provide this information may delay the employee’s return to work, and may constitute grounds for disciplinary action. E. CITY INITIATED LEAVE WITHOUT PAY The City may place a unit employee on leave without pay for non- disciplinary reasons when the status of the unit employee, due to injury or other involuntary circumstances, cannot be covered by paid leave time. F. BENEFIT / ACCRUAL ELIGIBILITY WHILE ON LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY 1. No month shall be counted for benefit eligibility or for the accumulation of vacation or sick leave when the employee is absent on leave without pay, including suspension from duty without pay, or has a break in service of more than thirteen (13) work days, or seven (7) shifts in Fire Suppression, in that month. 2. No biweekly period shall be counted for eligibility periods or for the accumulation of vacation or sick leave when the employee is absent on leave without pay or has a break in service of more than sixty five percent (65%) of the working hours in the biweekly period. 3. An employee on unpaid leave of absence under this section shall be responsible for the payment of insurance premiums ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 59 in any month when there is insufficient paid leave available or authorized to maintain benefited status except when the employee has been authorized for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). IX. FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA) AND CALIFORNIA FAMILY RIGHTS ACT (CFRA) 1. This section does not purport to provide all the provisions of law, but summarizes the general intent at the time this MOU was adopted. 2. Specific details of the State and Federal laws relating to FMLA and CFRA are available in the Human Resources Department. 3. Unit employees and department management must contact the Human Resources Department to verify current provisions and requirements. 4. Failure to do so could result in a misunderstanding of rights and obligations, and could cause loss of leave benefits or loss of insurance coverage. A. ELIGIBILITY FOR FMLA AND CFRA 1. Pursuant to State and Federal laws, employees shall be eligible for Family and Medical Leave of absence (FMLA) for: ? The birth of a child of the employee; ? Disability due to pregnancy – FMLA only; ? The placement of a child with an employee in connection with the adoption or foster care of that employee; ? The care of the employee’s child with a serious health condition; ? The care of a spouse or parent with a serious health condition; ? The employee's own serious health condition; or ? Any qualifying exigency arising out of a spouse, child or parent called to active military duty 2. Such leave rights apply to all employees with twelve (12) months or more service with the City prior to the leave request who have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours in the preceding twelve (12) months. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 60 B. EMPLOYEE RIGHTS UNDER FMLA 1. The maximum amount of leave shall be twelve (12) weeks in a twelve (12) month period. 2. The twelve-month period is rolling, and is measured backward from the date leave is used. 3. Leave may be taken as days off, or intermittent or modified work schedules. 4. The employee is guaranteed a return to his/her position at the end of approved leave. 5. During the 12-work week FMLA period, the City shall maintain the employee's medical, dental, life and vision care insurance. C. APPROVAL PROCESS FOR FMLA 1. Employees must give 30-days advance written notice, on a form provided by the City, of the need for such leave, unless the absence could not be anticipated. In such cases, the employee must give notice as soon as possible. 2. Verification by the attending physician or health care provider will be required for absences relating to the employee’s or family member's serious health condition. 3. The Human Resources Department shall determine if the leave qualifies under the Family and Medical leave laws, and may determine the commencement date. D. PRIVACY UNDER FMLA For privacy reasons, the City may not require specific medical diagnosis of a unit employee or family member's health condition D. USE OF ACCRUALS WHILE ON FMLA 1. The employee shall be required to use sick leave for any FMLA illness or medical-related absence, and may use vacation or other accrued leaves if sick leave has been exhausted. 2. FMLA shall run concurrently with Pregnancy Disability Leave. ARTICLE FIVE Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 61 F. EXPIRATION OF FMLA Upon expiration of FMLA leave, if the employee remains on unpaid leave, he/she shall be responsible for maintaining his/her insurance benefits, either by use of sufficient accrued paid leave or by payment of the required premiums. IX. PREGNANCY DISABILITY LEAVE (PDL) 1. Pregnancy Disability Leave of up to four (4) months, with or without pay, shall be provided to employees covered herein pursuant to the Fair Employment Housing Act (FEHA). 2. Such leave shall be granted for disability of the employee, determined by a physician, for the duration of such disability, provided, however, that the cumulative unpaid leave for disability and non-disability reasons shall not exceed one year. 3. Pregnancy Disability Leave without pay shall not be granted until accrued sick leave has been exhausted. 4. Employees may voluntarily use accrued vacation or other paid leave before commencing unpaid leave. X. UNAUTHORIZED LEAVE / ABANDONMENT OF POSITION 1. An employee absent without authorization for three (3) or more consecutive days and/or work shifts, and who fails to contact his/her supervisor to provide justification for the absence, shall be considered to have abandoned his/her position and resigned from City employment as of the third day or third shift of absence. 2. The employee shall be notified by his/her appointing authority that the City considers him/her to be absent without leave, and that, under this section, a separation (resignation) will be processed. 3. Such notification shall be made pursuant to the procedures for notification of intent to discipline as provided in Civil Service Rules. 4. The employee may be reinstated, subject to disciplinary action for other causes, if adequate justification for the absence is provided to the appointing authority prior to the end of the notification period. ARTICLE SIX Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 62 ARTICLE SIX WORKING CONDITIONS I. SENIORITY A. SENIORITY LISTS 1. When necessary, the City shall establish seniority lists and, in certain situations, shall inform each unit employee of their seniority status. Seniority status may give a unit employee priority preference in work schedules, including shifts, where the City is able to offer unit employees a choice. 2. Unit employees commuting to work in a carpool, and therefore dependent on co-workers for transportation, may also be given preference in work assignments and schedules to accommodate the carpool arrangement. B. SENIORITY WITHIN CURRENT CLASSIFICATION 1. Seniority, as used herein, is determined by the length of service a unit employee has been in the position of the current classification and is only applicable for the purposes stated herein. 2. When two or more unit employees are appointed on the same date, seniority among those unit employees shall be based upon the rank order of those unit employees on the eligible list from which they were appointed, with the highest ranking unit employee being considered the most senior. II. SAFETY RULES 1. It is of mutual benefit to the City and to the Fire Management unit employees represented in this M.O.U. to be fully aware of all safety rules and regulations regarding employment duties. 2. The intent of this clause is to work towards preventing job-related injuries to unit employees and damage to both public and private property. 3. It is the responsibility of all unit employees as a condition of employment with the City, to be aware of, to follow and to enforce ARTICLE SIX Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 63 the City's safety rules, regulations, policies and procedures or be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Civil Service Rules. III. GRIEVANCE A classified unit employee grievance shall be processed as provided for in the City's Civil Service Rules. IV. DISCIPLINE Disciplining of classified unit employees shall be as provided in the City's Civil Service Rules. ARTICLE SEVEN Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 64 ARTICLE SEVEN GENERAL PROVISIONS I. TERM OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING This MOU shall be effective January 1, 2015 and together with all the terms, conditions and effects thereof, shall expire as of midnight on December 31, 2019. II. EMERGENCY WAIVER In the event of circumstances beyond the control of the City, such as acts of God, fire, flood, insurrection, civil disorder, national emergency, or similar circumstances, the provisions of this Memorandum of Understanding shall not restrict the City’s ability to respond to these emergencies. III. SEVERABILITY PROVISION Should any article, section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or provision of this Memorandum of Understanding be found to be inoperative, void, or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, all other provisions of this Memorandum of Understanding shall remain in full force and effect for the duration of this Memorandum of Understanding. In the event of such invalidation, the City and the Fire Management Group agree to meet and confer in good faith to determine an alternate equivalent article, section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase or provision. IV. CIVIL SERVICE RULES/CITY POLICY The parties agree that all conditions of employment, as they pertain to employees covered by this MOU, subject to meet and confer provided for by the City's Civil Service Rules, Ordinances, Resolutions, Departmental Rules and Regulations or Policy Statements in effect prior to the date of this MOU, unless specifically provided for to the contrary in this MOU, shall remain in force and effect during the term of this MOU and shall not be changed unilaterally by the City through exercise of its rights under Article One of this MOU. Any changes to the Civil Service Rules shall be as provided therein. ARTICLE SEVEN Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 65 V. FULL AGREEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION A. TOTAL PACKAGE The offers submitted herein are a total package and not to be construed as agreement on any individual item. All other proposals are rejected. B. WAIVER OF MEET AND CONFER This MOU contains all of the covenants, stipulations, and provisions, agreed upon by the parties. Therefore, for purposes of this MOU neither party shall be compelled to meet and confer with the other concerning any issue, whether specifically discussed prior to the execution of this MOU or which may have been omitted in the meet and confer process which led up to the execution of the MOU except by mutual agreement of the parties. C. COMPLIANCE 1. If the effective date or the implementation of any benefit in this MOU cannot be adhered to as the result of law, regulation, or policy outside the control of the City, the City will take action on the first date on which it has authority to take action in compliance with such law, regulation, or policy to effectuate the benefit. 2. Each party acknowledges that it had the full and unlimited opportunity to meet and confer over any issue it either did raise or could have raised and hereby waives the right to meet and confer further during the term of this MOU, except as specifically provided herein. D. OBLIGATION TO SUPPORT The parties agree that upon tentative agreement being reached on a successor MOU and prior to the implementation of this successor MOU and during the time of its being considered by the City Council for action, neither the Fire Management Group nor the City nor their authorized representatives will appear before the City Council, nor meet with the City Council members individually to advocate any addition or deletion to the terms and conditions to this MOU. However, this section shall not preclude the parties from appearing before the City Council, nor meeting with individual members of the City Council to advocate or urge the adoption and approval of this MOU. ARTICLE SEVEN Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 66 VI. RATIFICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION A. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The City and Culver City Fire Management Group acknowledge that this Memorandum of Understanding shall not be in force and effect until ratified by a simple majority vote of unit employees voting who are in classifications represented by the Culver City Fire Management Group set forth in this agreement and adopted in the form of a resolution of the City Council. B. MUTUAL RECOMMENDATION – APPROVAL OF MOU This agreement constitutes a mutual recommendation of this new MOU by the parties hereto, to the City Council, that one or more ordinances and/or resolutions be adopted and implemented accepting its provisions and effecting the changes enumerated herein relating to wages, hours, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment for unit employees represented by the Culver City Fire Management Group. ARTICLE SEVEN Fire Management 2015 – 2019 Page 67 PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT CULVER CITY FIRE MANAGEMENT GROUP CITY OF CULVER CITY, CA Rob M. Wexler, Chief Negotiator John M. Nachbar, Chief Negotiator Labor Attorney City Manager Mike Nagy Jeff Muir Culver City Fire Management Group Chief Financial Officer Mike Bowden Serena Wright Culver City Fire Management Group Human Resources Director