MOU Grievance Issue

GRIEVANCE ON BEHALF OF RPOA

Research done on the MOU discovered that in 1997, the language was changed by a clerical error on the part of the city. The City wished to insert the Personnel Director into the discipline process as a step, which they did. However, when they did this, it moved step 4, which was arbitration, to step 5 and out of the process for non disciplinary MOU grievances. This has not been an issue since 1997 and has not been caught by any negotiating team.

According to Steve Allen (former negotiator for RPOA), RPOA is now the only association in the City that is not allowed to go to arbitration for non-disciplinary MOU violations, to include RPOA Misc and RPMA, both of whose contract says the final step is arbitration. When this was brought to the attention of Sheri DeMaagd during a meeting with Steve Allen, she conferred with the City Attorney and sent an email stating the decision stands (on a current related RPOA discipline issue) and that there is no arbitration allowed.

RPOA is filing grievance in regards to the MOU language clerical error to get that cleaned up. That grievance is being requested to start at the CM and move to the courts from there. Goyette & Assoc is hoping to file both in court at the same time.