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CIty Creates Labor Management Committees

In June 2005 Portland City Council agreed to endorse the Framework for Labor Management Committees in City Bureaus prepared by Bureau Innovation Project Team #6 to guide the establishment of Labor Management Committees within each City bureau Resolution # 36434

The project called upon city to form a joint work group of labor and management representatives to formulate a citywide scope of work for Labor Management Committees within each City bureau. The intent of the Labor Management Committees is to improve the delivery of services and responses to our citizens. Employees of all levels can contribute to the solutions with out retaliation. Workers feel valued for their skills and ideas. Management can learn to be a partner with the unions. The rate payer is ultimately served efficiently.

38 representatives from all the organized labor unions, Key Bureau management and staff from each council office meet several times and agreed to the basic frame work for all Bureau Labor management committees.

Each Bureau of 12 or more employees will have a LMC. The cost of creation and training would be split between the labor unions and the city. The city wide LMC is formed to oversee the process in each bureau and to be a resource to those Bureau committees. LMC can resolve work site issues; from training and sick leave, to distribution of the work load. The committees can address most any issue that gets in the way of the delivery of services.

In Bureau of Maintenance LMC agreed to emergencies procedures for an ice or snow storm. It potentially, can the save the city many dollars and still provide needed services for our customers.

In Bureau of Environmental Services is working on safety equipment at the East Side Big Pipe project. The committee found that some safety boots were not suited for the work. The result is a safer work place with no injuries.

LMC's are not new for the city. There are a few bureaus that have long standing LMC's since the late 90's. This is a renewal of a city's commitment working collaboratively with labor to resolve work issues. Portland is the city that works.