2.1.  Dues Deduction

The Union may have members’ dues deducted from employees’ pay checks under procedures prescribed by the County Controller. Dues deduction shall be made only upon certification from the Union that an employee has authorized such deduction and shall continue until: (1) such certification is revoked in writing, by the Union; or (2) the employee transfers to a unit represented by another employee organization or transfers to another unit that is unrepresented.  Employees may authorize dues deductions only for the organization certified as the recognized employee organization of the unit.

Not more than once per week (preferably bi-weekly on non-payroll Fridays), the Union will send a list of changes to its member listing by email to the Controller’s Office at [email protected] with the following Certification statement:

  • “I, NAME, TITLE, hereby certify that BCTC possesses and will maintain an authorization (for dues deductions and/or voluntary political contribution deductions, as indicated) signed by the individuals on this list from whose salary or wages the deductions is to be made.”

Certified spreadsheets that arrive by the non-payday Friday will be processed for the following week’s payroll.

2.2. Forfeiture of Deduction

If, after all other involuntary and insurance premium deductions are made in any pay period, the balance is not sufficient to pay the deduction of Council dues required by this Section, no such deduction shall be made for the current pay period.

2.3. Maintenance of Membership

All employees who are members of the Union and who become members of the Union during the term of the MOU shall continue to pay dues for the duration of this and each subsequent MOU. For a period of one hundred and ten (110) to ninety days (90) prior to the expiration of this and any subsequent MOU, employees who are members shall have the right to withdraw from the Union by discontinuing dues deduction. Said withdrawal shall be communicated during that period of time in writing to the Union by certified mail and must be postmarked during the one hundred and ten to ninety day period. An employee who is subsequently employed in a position outside of the unit shall not be required to continue dues deduction. The Union shall hold the County of San Mateo and its officers and employees, including but not limited to the Controller, harmless for following the instructions contained in such dues deduction authorizations. The Union shall deliver revocations of membership to the Director of Human Resources on a biweekly basis by certified mail.

2.4.   The Union agrees that it has a duty to provide fair and nondiscriminatory representation to all employees in all classes in the unit for which this section is applicable regardless of whether they are members of the Union.

2.5.   The Union shall indemnify, defend, and hold the County harmless against any and all claims, demands, suits, orders, judgments, damages related to dues deduction and union security, or other forms of liability that arise out of or by reason of this union security section, or action taken or not taken by the County under this Section. This includes, but is not limited to, the County’s attorneys’ fees and costs.

2.6. Communications with Employees

The Union shall be allowed, by departments in which it represents employees, to use available bulletin board space for communications involving official Union business, such as times and places of meetings, provided such use does not interfere with department needs. The Union may distribute materials to unit employees through County mail channels if approved by the Director of Human Resources.  This privilege may be revoked if abused, after the Director of Human Resources consults with Union representatives. Union repre­sentatives shall give notice to the department head or his/her designated representative at least twenty‑four (24) hours in advance of contacting departmental employees during an employee’s duty period, provided that solicitation for membership or other internal employee organiza­tion business shall be conducted only during the non-duty hours of all employees concerned. Prearrangement for routine contact may be made by agree­ment between the Union and the Department Head, and, once made, shall continue until revoked.

2.7.  Use of County Buildings

County buildings and other facilities may be made available to County employees, or the Union or its representatives, in accordance with such adminis­trative procedures as may be established by the County Manager or department heads.

2.8.  Advance Notice

Except in cases of emergency as provided below, the Union, if affected, shall be given reasonable, advance, written notice of any new or change to an existing ordinance, resolution, rule or regulation within the scope of representation proposed to be adopted by the County, and shall, upon request, be given the opportunity to meet with the appropriate management representatives prior to adoption.

In cases of emergency when the foregoing procedure is not practical or in the best public interest, the County may adopt or put into practice immediately such measures as are required. At the earliest practicable date thereafter the Union shall be provided with the notice described in the preceding para­graph and be given an opportunity to meet with the appropriate management representatives.

2.9.  New Employee Orientation

The County and the Union shall continue to work on best practices to ensure labor access to new employees for the purpose of educating them on their representation opportunities.  Toward that goal, the County shall administer an opportunity for the Union to meet with new employees as follows:

All new employees are encouraged to attend the first new employee benefits orientation following the commencement of their employment.  New employee benefits orientation is scheduled for every other Monday, and the Union shall have up to thirty (30) minutes at the end of each new employee benefits orientation session to provide information regarding its organization to represented employees and members.  One steward may be granted release time for this purpose.

For employees who do not attend a new employee benefits orientation within the first month of their employment, the Union may schedule, at the new employee’s supervisor’s discretion, up to thirty (30) minutes with each employee to meet directly with them to provide information.  Release Time requested for this activity will be reviewed and approved by Employee Relations under normal Release Time processes.

2.10.  Employee Roster

The County shall supply the Union, at no cost, a monthly electronic and sortable list report of the names and classifications of all employees represented by the Union, indicating whether Union dues are being with­held from their pay checks as of the date the report was prepared, whether names were added to or deleted from the previous reports, and whether each such change in status was due to any type of leave of absence, termination or withdrawal from the Union

2.11. The County shall notify the Union of employees who are on an unpaid leave of absence status in excess of twenty-eight (28) days.

2016-02-23