AFSCME Council 14 and Hennepin County, Minnesota
Background
Hennepin County has been engaged in joint problem-solving efforts for over 10 years with the six AFSCME Locals that represent about 5,000 county employees. The first effort started in 1986 with the formation of a joint committee to address the rising cost of health insurance. The parties shared information, consulted with health experts, and agreed to use consensus decision-making in the choice of health care providers. Success in controlling health insurance costs led to the establishment of problem-solving teams to deal with other issues. Today, the use of labor-management committees is ingrained as the county’s way of conducting business, resulting in increased trust between the parties and enhancing the generally positive labor relations climate.
Structure
There is no centralized steering committee. Rather, labor-management committees are formed as needed to address specific issues. Each side appoints their own members. On AFSCME's side, members are appointed by the officers of the Locals, often with assistance from Council staff.
Accomplishments
The parties managed to decrease health insurance costs by 9% from 1986 to 1990. By switching EAP carriers, $50,000 was saved over the contract term. A wellness program is now underway, which is improving the physical health of the workforce through measures such as an inoculation program.
In the Economic Assistance department, management and labor formed a quality partnership to oversee the change process from the old welfare system to the new. The transition from a system geared for providing monetary assistance to one oriented towards moving people into jobs was very successful thanks to the efforts of multiple problem-solving teams.
Welfare-to-work efforts have continued with the formation of the Community Workforce Partnership (CWP), a program that provides training and job placement in county jobs for welfare recipients. In 1998, the first year of the program, 16 participants are entering a six-month training program for clerical jobs, with group mentoring provided by AFSCME members (the coordinator of the program is also an AFSCME member). Upon completion of the training program, the participants will qualify for regular, full-time jobs, with an individual mentor being provided to assist with any job-related issues. The program will also provide for outside mentors (community volunteers) to help the participants address any personal or non-work-related issues that might arise.
A problem-solving team was been formed in the Taxpayer Service department to formulate a new dress code policy. The project was successful.
A labor-management committee examined the classification system and devised a job class consolidation plan that collapsed 40 job classifications into seven. This plan was adopted in contract negotiations in 1994. As a result, numerous employees received upgrades and the county benefited from efficiencies gained through a simpler and more flexible classification system.
Recognition
In 1995, the parties provided testimony for the U.S. Secretary of Labor's Task Force on Excellence in State and Local Government through Labor-Management Cooperation. Hennepin County was one of 53 case studies that were included in the final report of the Task Force, entitled Working Together for Public Service (May 1996).
