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City, union evaluating treatment-plant shifts
(by Sue Reid - January 11, 2012)
City, union evaluating treatment-plant shifts
By SUE REID
A shift change at Solon's sewage-treatment plant is still being evaluated as a four-month trial period is due to end later this month.
The six operators at the plant, represented by Teamsters Local 436, have changed from a straight eight-hour shift to eight- and 12-hour shifts being part of the 40-hour work week.
The trial is a result of a plan developed during a team-building exercise last summer. The city and union worked with Future Sculpting Consulting and Career Services, of Medina, in reorganizing operations at the Cochran Road facility following outsourcing negotiations.
The city outsourced its sludge-hauling operations in an effort to cut costs in relation to declining revenue at the plant.
"I think the team-building exercise was valuable from the standpoint where I believe management is listening to the employees' suggestions, and the employees are listening to management's suggestion," Solon Human Resource Director Thomas Cornhoff said. "They are coming together to try to work on a compromise in areas that there were issues. It's been helpful from that standpoint."
Plant Director Paul Solanics said the city and union concluded, through team building, that a shift change would be something they would try. The trial would determine if it meets the city's needs of getting the work accomplished and the employees' needs to be able to take their vacation and compensatory time, he said.
Reaching a compromise that the two shifts could work "was a major hurdle to get over," Mr. Solanics said. "We are obviously working with a reduced work staff, and we had to make sure we had all the hours covered, because we are required to maintain 24-hour operational coverage," he said.
The plant has reduced its staff from 28 to 17 and does not anticipate any future hires at this point, Mr. Solanics said. "We're trying to manage at this current staffing level," which was part of the agreement of the union," he said.
The plant's staff had decreased following retirements and two employees finding jobs elsewhere, in anticipation of layoffs due to the outsourcing, he said.
Mr. Solanics said a lot of the discussion during the team building revolved around the fact that some operators wanted to work 12-hour shifts, and some wanted to work eight. "We agreed to the combination of the two shifts," he said. That enables staff to four days a week, instead of five, and still be productive, he said.
"We're still evaluating if this is meeting our needs as far as allowing sufficient vacation coverage and getting the work accomplished," he said. "It's got some give and take to it."
Mr. Solanics said plans are to reconvene as a group and discuss the pros and cons of the shift change.
He said the team building was a helpful exercise for all parties. "It allowed the employees to voice their opinions and concerns and allowed them to be a part of the decision-making process," he said.
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