Agenda — August 3, 2005
9:30 a.m.—-Meeting: Pleasants Family Assembly Room
I. Call to Order
II. Welcome Guests & Members of the Press
III. Opening Remarks
IV. Special Presentations:
• Emil J. Kang, Center for Dramatic Arts
• Jim Alty, Facilities Services (10 a.m.)
V. Human Resources Update
• Laurie Charest, Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources
VI. Chair’s Report, Executive Committee (Tommy Griffin) & Committee Reports
• Orientation: Meredith Clason
• Personnel Issues: David Brannigan
• University Assignments: Tom Arnel
• Career Development: Leon Hamlett
• Communications: Brian White
–> Forum Newsletter
• Community Affairs, Recognition and Awards: Debra Galvin
• Employee Presentations: Ernie Patterson
• Nominating: Patty Prentice
–> Forum Elections
VII. Minutes of the July 7 meeting
VIII. New Business
- Resolution Concerning Support of a Living Wage Education Campaign (1st Reading)
- Resolution Concerning University Team Cleaning Procedures (1st Reading)
IX. Stretch Time
XI. “Around the Room”/Employee Presentations
XII. Task Force/University Committee Reports
XIV. Announcements/Questions
XV. Adjournment
MINUTES
August 3, 2005 minutes (abridged)
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Shelley Green spoke on upcoming plans for Employee Appreciation week in October. Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Laurie Charest said that Employees would need their supervisors’ approval to use work time to volunteer at the Appreciation event boothes.
Executive Director for the Arts Emil Kang said that the Memorial Hall pricing program was designed to reach the widest audience possible. This year’s program charges an average of $38 a ticket, compared to $20-25 a ticket at Duke University and $30-35 a ticket for the symphony or ballet. The program does give faculty and staff a 20% discount on ticket packages. Tom Arnel asked if the University could give a discount for individual tickets to staff. Kang said that this practice would risk cannibalizing audiences. His office would study this option for next year. He noted that student fees support subsidies for student tickets. He also noted that his office had only six and a half months to program 43 performances featuring over 700 artists; usually an arts programming office requires up to two and a half years for the same amount of programming. Katherine Graves asked about a Nutcracker ballet event for children. Jacqueline Carlock suggested a volunteer program providing reduced ticket prices for volunteers. The Chair suggested that Memorial Hall host a Saturday or Sunday free or reduced price matinee for staff earning under $50,000.
Facilities Services Director Jim Alty spoke on the OS1 Team Cleaning process in advance of his meetings with housekeepers August 9 and 10. He said that the Team Cleaning process would create a different system of cleaning that would provide a better work environment, safer work practices, better employee training, more opportunities for career advancement and safer, more modern equipment for housekeepers. He said that his office was in the communication phase of introducing the OS1 concept. Soon his office would begin a pilot program in a series of buildings to test the idea.
Brenda Denzler asked why the University needed to introduce the OS1 process when it could simply do the reorganization and buy the safer equipment and chemicals on its own. Alty said that his office did not function as researchers but had looked at several systems, deciding the OS1 model was the best one. Tom Arnel asked if University Employees would have the chance to meet with workers at other OS1 sites, and Alty said that they would. Ernie Patterson asked what percentage of University buildings housekeepers support. Alty said that housekeepers support two-thirds of campus buildings with outside agencies supporting the other one-third through receipt-supported operations.
Kirk McNaughton asked the longterm effect of asking one housekeeper to work eight hours a day at one task such as vacuuming or cleaning bathrooms. Alty said that the organization could set a monthly or quarterly rotation schedule among housekeepers doing different tasks. Brenda Denzler asked about the possibility of repetitive strain injuries. Alty said that proper training should reduce the occurrence of these injuries but wished to defer to public health experts on the frequency of these injuries.
A housekeeper asked how the team cleaning system would work in bad weather, when individuals must shift from building to building in rain or snow. Alty said that the housekeeping division should set up its teams so that most housekeepers need never leave their buildings. He said that individual housekeepers could be assigned to the smallest buildings. David Brannigan said that Alty’s previous experience with OS1 methods at the University of Texas set up newly restrictive time standards for various cleaning tasks. Alty said that his office had never created or installed new time standards, but rather had applied commonly used industry standards.
David Brannigan said that in Grounds, he had encountered a greater esprit de corps among Employees using a zone system rather than a team system. Alty thought the comparison between Grounds and Housekeeping is difficult to make. He said that most housekeepers not work alone with only a remote connection to other Employees via radio.
Jill Hartman asked Alty to speak more about the career opportunities to be made available under OS1. Alty said that the OS1 system would establish a tier of 20 crew leader positions that did not exist previously. These positions would serve as a salary grade 45, compared to a salary grade 50 for line housekeepers. In addition, these crew positions would earn supervisory experience required for zone manager and other higher level jobs.
A housekeeper said that the shoulder-mounted vacuum was not safe for climbing stairs. Barbara Prear said that campus housekeepers should be classified as custodians as they are in Durham and Orange county government agencies. Anthony Eubanks agreed, saying that these positions should be classified to receive higher salaries.
Chuck Brink noted that hurricane system is approaching and recalled questions about the language of the Facilities Services policy for critical workers.
Laurie Charest said that the number of Educational Assistance Program applications had decreased from previous years. She said that Labor Day would be a class day this year but units would allow most Employees to take the day as a holiday. Units remaining open should provide extra pay or comp time for Employees forced to work.
The Chair specially thanked Charest and Katherine Graves for their hard work on the UNC pilot health insurance program. He hoped that the Legislature would reconsider their refusal to pass the program in its deliberations next year. The Chair planned to remind legislators who voted them into office in upcoming elections.
The Forum approved a resolution seeking more information from the Office of Facilities Services concerning the OS1 team cleaning process. David Brannigan particularly wanted information concerning a possible about-face from Housekeeping Director Bill Burston on the merits of team cleaning. The Forum approved the resolution after suspending its rules for to allow a second reading by a vote of 24 in favor, 1 against and 1 abstaining. The Forum approved the resolution on second reading unanimously.
The Forum voted to refer a resolution on a campaign for a living wage to the Communications committee for revision.
Laurie Mesibov said that progress continues in the search for an executive assistant for the ombudsoffice. The Chair praised the progress of the Provost/Vice Chancellor meetings. He hoped a five year plan for increasing staff salaries would come to fruition. Chuck Brink said that the Advisory Committee on Transportation (ACT) should work to find every way possible to reduce parking fees for Employees in every way possible. Kirk McNaughton noted that the satellite park and ride lot in north Chatham county near Cole Park Plaza would soon open for University Employees.
David Brannigan said that the Personnel Issues committee continues its work on inviting Sorien Schmidt of the North Carolina Justice Center to an upcoming event and plans to host a community meeting soon. Tom Arnel of the University Assignments committee said that group was updating the on-line roster of University committees. Leon Hamlett of the Career Development committee said that group was working to help Employees meet the prerequisites to attend the University Managers’ Development Program (UMDP). Brian White said that the Communications committee had published its insert in the University Gazette. Debra Galvin said that the Community Affairs, Recognition & Awards committee had distributed its peer recognition questionnaires.
The Chair urged that the University adopt a more effective hot weather policy, noting that temperatures on campus building roofs had reached 145 degrees that week.
The Forum approved the July 2005 minutes with some grammatical corrections.
In the absence of further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 11:34 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Matt Banks, Recording Secretary