The Association agrees that it has the duty to provide fair and non-discriminatory representation to all employees in all classes in the units for which this section is applicable regardless of whether they are members of the Association.
2.1 Dues Deduction
The Association may have members’ dues deducted from their paychecks under the County Controller’s procedures. Deductions shall be made only upon certification from the Association that an employee has authorized such deduction and shall continue until 1) such certification is revoked in writing by the Association, or 2) the employee transfers to a unit represented by another employee organization or transfers to another unit that is unrepresented.
The County shall rely on a certification from the Association that the Association will maintain an authorization, signed by the individual from whose salary or wages the deduction or reduction is to be made.
The certification shall take the following form:
“I, NAME, TITLE, certify that the DSA is in possession of and will maintain a written authorization for voluntary dues deductions for membership in the DSA, and/or voluntary political contribution deductions, signed by the individuals on this list from whose salary or wages the deductions is to be made.”
Upon receipt of the certification, the County shall deduct Association dues, initiation fees, assessments, and premiums for approved insurance programs from employee’s pay. The County shall promptly pay over to the designated payee all sums deducted. 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 Association dues required by this Section, no such deduction shall be made for the current pay period.
The County shall rely on information provided by the Association regarding whether deductions for an employee organization were properly canceled by the member.
If a dispute arises regarding the existence or terms of the authorization, then the Association will provide a copy of the authorization to the County.
2.3 Indemnification
The Association shall indemnify, defend, and save the County harmless against any and all claims, demands, suits, orders, or judgments, or other forms of liability that arise out of or by reason of this Association Security Section, or action taken or not taken by the County under this Section. This includes, but is not limited to, the County’s attorney’s fees and costs.
2.4 Communications with Employees
The Association shall be allowed by County departments in which it represents employees use of available bulletin board space for communications having to do with official Association business, such as times and places of meetings, provided such use does not interfere with department needs. The Association may distribute materials to unit employees through County mail distribution channels if approved by the Human Resources Director. This privilege may be revoked in the event of abuse after the Director consults with Association representatives. Any Association representative shall give the Department Head or their representative at least twenty‑four (24) hours advance notice when contacting department employees during the duty period of the employees, provided that solicitation for membership and other internal Association 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 Association and the department head and when made shall continue until revoked.
2.5 New Employee Orientation
The County shall administer an opportunity for the Association 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 week, and the Association will have up to thirty (30) minutes at the end of each session to provide information regarding its organization to its represented employees and members.
For employees who do not attend a benefits orientation within the first month of their employment, the Association may schedule, at the 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.
2.6 Use of County Buildings
County buildings and facilities may be made available for use by County employees or the Association or its representatives in accordance with such administrative procedures as may be established by the County Manager or department head concerned.
2.7 Advance Notice
Except in cases of emergency as provided below in this subsection, the Association, if affected, shall be given reasonable advance written notice of any ordinance, resolution, rule or regulation directly relating to matters within the scope of representation proposed to be adopted by the County and shall 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 practical date thereafter the Association shall be provided with the notice described in the preceding paragraph and be given an opportunity to meet with the appropriate management representatives.
2.8 Employee Roster
The County shall supply without cost to the Association a bi-weekly electronic and sortable data processing run of the names, classifications, work locations, work, home, and personal cellular telephone numbers on file with the County and personal email addresses on file with the County, and home addresses of all employees in the units represented by the Association. Such lists shall indicate hourly rates of pay, hours worked, gross pay, Association dues withheld from employees’ checks as of the date the roster was prepared, membership status, the names added to or deleted from the previous list, and whether each such change in status was due to any type ofleave of absence, termination, layoff, reemployment after layoff, retirement, or withdrawal from the Association. The County shall notify the Association of employees who are on an unpaidstatus in excess of twenty-eight (28) days.