Assistant Staff Specialist Proposal and History.
Back in August of 2014, the Air District starting recruiting for an Air Quality Specialist in Strategic Incentives Division. The EA filed a grievance stating that the job duties are outside the scope of the Air Quality Specialist classification. This grievance goes to step 3 and on to step 3A in which the EA requested mediation. During mediation, the Air District proposed the creation of the “Staff Specialist” position. The EA was amenable and over the next several months, the Air District and the EA negotiated this classification and reached a tentative agreement in September 2015. On October 27, 2015 at the General membership meeting, the EA membership approved the new Staff Specialist classification and this created the Staff Specialist I/II, Senior Staff Specialist and Supervising Staff Specialist which resolved the grievance.
During the negotiations of the Staff Specialist classification from 2014-2015, the Air District had mentioned that it wanted to expand the Staff Specialist series. At the time, the EA wanted to resolve the grievance and did not want to focus on expanding the series at the time.
In 2015, The EA and the Air District jointly agreed to a classification study of Inspectors, Engineers, and Administrative Analysts. During the classification study, the contractor Koff & Associates, came up with recommendations to reclassify several Administrative Analysts as the work they were performing was more in-line with the Staff Specialist classification. In August 2016, the EA agreed to this reclassification and eleven union members were reclassified from Administrative Analyst to Staff Specialist (which was a nice salary increase, and more reflective of the work they do).
On April 4, 2016 during Meet and Confer, the Air District proposed the Assistant Staff Specialist classification. Over the next 12 months the EA and the Air District negotiated the terms and conditions of this classification. The EA’s main concern over this classification was we did not want to see this classification conduct technical work which would be more appropriate Air Quality Technician work. The Air District has stated that work in this classification will be different from the Air Quality Technicians and the EA is satisfied and accepted the Air District’s latest proposal (March 9, 2017). This proposal can be found under the 2017 Documents and Activities section of this website.
On May 8, 2017, the Air District proposes that the Assistant Staff Specialist I/II be placed at the following salary range:
· Assistant Staff Specialist I, Salary Range 122
· Assistant Staff Specialist II, Salary Range 126
The EA unanimously agreed to this pay scale. This would put the Assistant Staff Specialist equivalent to the technician pay scale.
The EA and the Air District are currently embarking on a classification study of Office Assistance and Secretary. It is conceivable (but not guaranteed), that the Air District may reclassify some of these positions into Assistant Staff Specialists. In addition, it is also not beyond reason that at some point the Air District may come to the EA with a Principle Staff Specialist classification. The Principle Staff Specialist has been discussed but in detail, but there currently on the table.
I encourage all members to attend our special meeting on Monday at 12:30 and vote to support this new classification. Thank you and as always stay vigilant.
Chris Coelho, EA President.
