The following e-mail just appeared in my mailbox.

Joint Email to City of Houston Employees

City of Houston and HOPE Reach Tentative Agreement on Contract

We are pleased to announce that the City of Houston and the Houston Organization of Public Employees (HOPE) have reached a tentative agreement in contract negotiations. This agreement reflects our mutual commitment to delivering quality public services to all Houston residents while ensuring fair compensation for every city worker.

The proposed agreement runs for three years and takes effect after it has been ratified by HOPE members and approved by the Houston City Council. Highlights of the agreement include:

– Guaranteed raises for every year of the contract for municipal employees.

– Additional performance-based compensation based principally on Employee Performance Evaluations.

– A minimum wage of $10 an hour for every city worker by September 2009, with an immediate minimum of $9.50 an hour.

– A freeze on the percentage of health care premiums paid by employees.

The first step in making this historic agreement a reality begins with the important process of approval and ratification by city employees. From March 6 to March 20, HOPE will be holding informational meetings about the contract at worksites across the city. All municipal employees will be allowed 1 hour to attend these meetings to learn more about the contract. At the close of each meeting, voting will take place. Voting will also be held at the HOPE office. To view a complete schedule of sessions, click here

Sincerely,

Mayor Bill White
City of Houston

Norm Yen
President of HOPE

Ok, now down to the quibbling.

Guaranteed raises for every year of the contract for municipal employees: I notice it doesn’t say how much the raises are. I presume we’re going to get more information soon.

A freeze on the percentage of health care premiums paid by employees: Say goodbye to the city budget. There is no way to predict how much the next increase will be, when the health-care package comes up for negotiation again. Since the city’s saying “no increase in your contributions” the only alternative is to cut service or hike the city’s share.

Additional performance-based compensation based principally on Employee Performance Evaluations: Well, it’s got to be based on something, but nobody really trusts the system. As I’ve noted before, it’s all but impossible to get the highest score (will add link to a demonstration I did to show this, when I have time)

…the important process of approval and ratification by city employees. From March 6 to March 20, HOPE will be holding informational meetings about the contract at worksites across the city: The alarm bells are going off. First off, we’ve never had an approval process before. We got what the city gave us, whether we “approved” of it or not. Second, the city has never let anyone else explain changes in compensation; if anyone tells us what we’re going to get, the city does. Is the first a change because of the new meet-and-confer law? Is the second a craftily disguised chance that Bill White is giving the union a chance to come in and recruit? “See what we did for you? Sign up today!” Or are both explanations true? Given Bill’s prior efforts in the private sector on behalf of labor, I cannot rule out ulterior motives, such as ensuring labor’s support in the future.

A minimum wage of $10 an hour for every city worker by September 2009, with an immediate minimum of $9.50 an hour: Not good. First off, this goes right back to the SEIU’s “living wage” argument. Secondly, this is going to play hell with COH salary structures. There’s an artifact known as “salary compression” whereby additional compensation is given to the people who are the newest arrivals, but not to long-time employees. Pretty soon, your new hires are making as much (or more) than your veterans doing exactly the same job, and anyone will tell you that’s a bad idea. Then there’s the related “salary overrun” in which raises go the bottom ranks, but not to those in the middle. Eventually, the junior levels catch up to their seniors & supervisors in pay, leading to resentment among the latter, and a feeling of “why try to advance?” among the former. Considering that the lowest entry-level jobs with the city are significantly less than $10 an hour, there’s going to be a several-year long process of adjustments that will drive up costs even more than projected. Not to mention a loss of morale and efficiency at the lower-middle levels.

Think I’m kidding?

PLANT OPERATOR TRAINEE Salary: $617.00 – $846.00 biweekly, $16,042.00 – $21,996.00 annually. Let me be clear — nobody gets the top end, ever. That bottom end figure is more likely and it = $7.71/hr.

SEMI-SKILLED LABORER Salary: $839.00 – $839.00 biweekly, $21,814.00 – $21,814.00 annually. This is 10.49/hr.

After 2009, their wages will be $10.00/hr. and 10.49/hr.

I’m going to step further aside from the letter for a moment and go a little deeper into these two jobs, just to give you an idea of some of the inequities this is going to make worse. Here are the duties and expectations:

PLANT OPERATOR TRAINEE Assists the lead treatment plant operator in maintaining and performing routine activities, while learning the treatment processes and plant equipment. Assists in maintaining plant compliance with EPA standards and Texas Water Commission. Performs general cleaning of grounds and buildings, including removing debris from various mechanical systems. Ensure plant safety and sanitary requirements; washes down plant; maintains plant grounds; cleans clarifiers, blower filters, rotor screens, etc. Within one year of entry into classification, must obtain a Texas Class “D” Water/Wastewater Operator’s certificate. Must obtain a Texas Class “C” Water/Wastewater Operator’s certificate appropriate to position location, such as surface water, groundwater, distribution, maintenance wastewater plant or wastewater, within two (2) years after obtaining “D” certification.

How many $7.71/hr jobs do you know of would consider you to be a trainee after three years? No wonder kids would rather flip burgers than work for the City of Houston.

SEMI-SKILLED LABORER Work consists of routine standard procedures and task where simple analytical ability is required to select and execute actions. Performs basic maintenance and repairs to structures, facilities and equipment, i.e. housekeeping activities, fabrication and installations, routine cleaning and servicing of vehicles and cement mixing and preparation. Operates power and hand tool equipment. Performs painting, roofing, carpentry and plumbing activities. May operate vehicles to and from work locations. Monitors inventory control. Performs additional miscellaneous assignments as required.

Now compare duties:

PLANT OPERATOR TRAINEE: Assists the lead treatment plant operator in maintaining and performing routine activities, while learning the treatment processes and plant equipment. Assists in maintaining plant compliance with EPA standards and Texas Water Commission. Performs general cleaning of grounds and buildings, including removing debris from various mechanical systems. Ensure plant safety and sanitary requirements; washes down plant; maintains plant grounds; cleans clarifiers, blower filters, rotor screens, etc. The position involves considerable physical exertion, such as regular climbing of ladders, lifting of heavy objects up to eighty (80 pounds) on a highly frequent basis and/or assuming awkward positions for long periods of time. There are frequent exposures to extreme levels of temperature, air and noise pollution.

SEMI-SKILLED LABORER: This position requires extensive, near-continuous physical exertion such as repeated lifting of very heavy objects (more than 80 pounds), deep bending, climbing steps and/or assuming awkward positions. There are routine exposures to significant levels of heat, cold, moisture and air pollution. The position may involve periodic exposure to chemical substances and physical trauma of a minor nature such as cuts, bruises and minor burns.

Assume it’s 2009 and you are equally qualified for these two jobs. Which one would you apply for, given that they have less than a $0.50/hr difference in pay? Folks, straightenting this mess out is going to take years – if, given the constraints of city budgets, politics and bureacracy, it’s even possible.

Am I complaining that people who are badly in need of raises are getting them? Hell no. I’m complaining that the city’s half-assing it and screwing things up for the future, as usual.

But hey, it won’t be Bill’s problem. He’ll be sitting in the Governor’s mansion.