§ 2-03-550. Personnel Systems—Labor Relations (Collective Bargaining)—Negotiation procedures.

(a)

Teams. Negotiating teams will consist of a maximum of five (5) persons designated by the employee organization and a maximum of five (5) persons designated by the city manager.

(b)

Contract opening.

(1)

Upon written request by the employee organization to the city manager or his designee or by the city manager or his designee to the employee organization, negotiating sessions will be scheduled to discuss items mutually agreed upon. Such request for negotiating sessions shall indicate the matter to be discussed and shall be answered within ten (10) working days.

(2)

Not less than sixty (60) days prior to the contract ending date, either side may request the opening of negotiations as indicated above.

(3)

Prior to the start of negotiations, the city manager and the employee organizations will designate their chairperson and spokesperson from among the designated members of their negotiating team.

(c)

Procedure for negotiations.

(1)

Negotiations will be conducted as provided below and will take place at the facilities and at a time mutually agreed to by the negotiating teams.

(2)

All negotiations shall be held in closed sessions.

(3)

Negotiations will start with the negotiating team of the party requesting negotiations delivering its proposed changes one (1) section or subsection at a time. Each section will be read out loud with the changes and the reasons therefor indicated in some detail. This procedure will continue to be followed until the entire proposal has been presented.

(4)

Upon complete presentation of the proposal, the other negotiating team will present its issues and its counter proposal in the same manner.

(5)

Thereafter, each side will take turns presenting counter proposals with supporting data until agreement is reached a section at a time.

(6)

Negotiating sessions will proceed with deliberate speed, but recesses and study sessions may be called for by either side. Prior to recess, the reconvening time will be agreed upon.

(7)

Members of the employee organization negotiating team may be released from their normal duties without pay to participate in negotiations when, in the discretion of the City Manager, it is determined that such paid release time will be to the benefit of the City, unless the City Manager makes such a determination any leave taken for negotiation purposes will be without pay.

(d)

Tentative agreement.

(1)

Tentative agreements reached during negotiations will be reduced to writing and initialed by each team spokesperson.

(2)

Such tentative agreement is conditional and may be withdrawn should later discussion change either team's understanding of the section as it relates to another part of the agreement.

(e)

Ratification. Complete agreement on any matter in negotiations will be reached when the employee organization membership and the city manager have ratified the agreement except that, in event of any multiyear agreement which includes economic increases in subsequent years, such economic increases shall be considered ratified if and when the governing body appropriates sufficient funds for the subsequent year or years of the agreement.

(Ord. No. 876; Ord. No. 789, § 3(11), 6-12-90)