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REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE
2003-2004 STAFF COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY – MARCH 2004
Following is a summary of
the 2003-2004 Staff Committee’s activities in February and March 2004, with
a few notes of interest to staff.
Legal Assistance Fund
and campaign to bring contributions up to date
Because the balance in the
Legal Assistance Fund is insufficient to cover the Fund’s objectives, the
President proposed that members of the Association be asked for voluntary
contributions to the Fund. The Committee considered including the “Loyalty
Benefit” on the new membership forms and offering a new legal assistance
service, the costs of which would be covered by the Legal Assistance Fund.
Some Committee members proposed fortifying the Legal Assistance Fund with
resources transferred from the general account and looking into ways it
could earn higher interest.
At the Staff Association
of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), for example, this benefit
is provided for in the statutes themselves, although all PAHO Staff
Association members are contributing members and, unlike its OAS
counterpart, the PAHO Staff Association receives considerable monetary
support from the Administration.
On the possibility of
securing legal advisory services, the President contacted Robert Aguirre,
who presently provides such services at PAHO. His fee is $125 per hour. He
could offer his services twice a week. In principle, this service would be
free to contributing staff members. The members of the Committee suggested
that, if legal services were required for a prolonged period, the staff
member in question could be asked for a contribution. To that end, it was
decided that a maximum number of hours per service would be established.
The Committee decided to ask Mr. Robert Aguirre for a services proposal.
The Committee took note of
the study presented by Manuel Metz on staff contributions to the Staff
Association. The Committee decided to assess the budgetary implications of
implementing a new scale, with the possibility of contributions being made
in a manner fair to both professional and general services staff.
Extension of life
insurance
Some members have proposed
a new alternative to the Retirement and Pension Fund in terms of extending
the life insurance offered by the General Secretariat to active staff.
Presently, this benefit is received by family members when the staff member
dies while still employed, and expires when the staff member retires. The
new alternative would allow the staff member to keep this insurance even
after retiring from the Organization, on the understanding that that it
would be an additional policy whose cost would be covered by those staff
members who opted for it upon retirement from the General Secretariat. The
Committee decided to look into obtaining life insurance for staff members
who retire with a pension. This proposal would benefit both the staff and
the Retirement and Pension Fund. Staff would be attracted by the pension,
knowing that their families would have access to some part of it if the
retiree died. The Fund could get a larger number of people to choose a
pension and thus keep the capital in the Fund. The Committee decided to
study this possibility. It entrusted Carlos Humud, on behalf of the Staff
Committee, with making the initial contacts with the Fund.
Presentation of awards
The President of the
Committee reported that the Chief of Staff had already approved April 14,
Pan American Day, for the presentation of the Terry Woods and Leo S. Rowe
Awards. It is hoped that establishing this date for the presentation of the
awards will expedite the evaluation system, so that future evaluations may
be conducted on a January-to-December basis. See also Staff News #72.
Active for Life
The President reported
that María Victoria Rodríguez, in charge of the General Secretariat Health
Unit, wanted to launch a program called “Active for Life.” This program is
intended to help interested staff members stay in good physical shape and
is based on 30 minutes of exercise a day for 10 weeks. The Staff Committee
supports this initiative.
Survey on cafeteria
services
The Staff Committee took
note of an initiative by the Department of Technology and Facility Services
to conduct a survey on cafeteria services in the General Secretariat
buildings. Our colleague Claudia Montoya will conduct the survey, with
assistance from Miguel Merino and Carlos Humud in writing up a short,
to-the-point questionnaire.
The Committee decided to
invite Claudia Montoya, who was in charge of the survey, and of tastings,
during the selection of food service providers for the General Secretariat
cafeterias, to submit a report on the findings. She reported that the
questionnaire was designed to ascertain the preferences and needs of staff.
A majority of staff said they would like soup, sandwich, and dessert to be
available at lunchtime. After two tastings, three of the four contractors
offering services were chosen. However, the names of the other applicants
were kept on a waiting list for future reference. She also reported that
these services would be offered both at the F Street Building and at the
Main Building. A lunch hall is being set up in the Main Building for staff
working there and in the Administration Building.
Training
The Staff Committee was
pleased to learn of the development opportunities offered to staff by the
General Secretariat through its computer classes, announced February 11,
2004. The Committee understands that the cost of these courses or training
opportunities is initially paid by staff and can then be reimbursed, in an
amount up to US$400 per year, through the training subsidy provided under
Staff Rule 105.8. See also Staff News #68.
Meeting with the
Director of Human Resource Services
The Director of Human
Resource Services was in attendance because of a statement by the Committee
on the charges made for the training courses. The President explained to
the Director that that had been a decision of the Committee, based on
countless complaints received from staff members.
The Committee told him it
was unfortunate that vocational training that benefited not only employees
but also the Organization must be paid for by the employees themselves.
The Director said the
charge was due, in part, to the fact that many people registered,
instructors were hired, and then the necessary number of people did not
show up. The Committee proposed finding a way to penalize those employees
who did not show up for class, involving a payroll deduction, since it
would be unfortunate to punish employees who wished to receive training and
advance in their careers.
Joint Advisory
Committee on Employee Parking
The Committee received the
report of the staff representatives on the Joint Advisory Committee on
Employee Parking, which stated that the waiting list would be updated every
month, rather than every three months as has been the practice.
In 2002, it had been
agreed to increase the parking fees in three phases. The first phase has
been completed, and the second increase is now due. At present, the
Committee has a deficit of $128,000, so an increase would help to solve
that problem. Our representatives are considering other measures for
reducing the deficit, such as: (1) requesting full payment for parking from
staff who are paid from the specific funds; (2) charging the actual cost to
CPR personnel. According to information received by the Committee,
employees who retire from the Organization and return under CPRs are still
parking and receiving the same benefits as the rest of the staff. Our
representatives report that consideration is being given to reducing the
fee scales, from 5 to 3, and that the Joint Advisory Committee is proposing
new fees in line with those customary in the metropolitan area: G3-G5: $70;
G6-P2: $85; and P3-D2: $100. The OAS has a sliding scale of fees according
to a staff member’s grade level, while at other organizations parking fees
are the same for all employees.
Another item of which the
Committee was unaware is that all the parking security guards are paid by
this Committee; that is, they are paid, in part, by the employees. This
generated some discussion, since the Organization is obligated to see to
the safety of its staff.
The Committee requested
that our representatives provide additional information on maintenance
costs, the allocation of payments by PAHO and the Credit Union, and
operational expenses of the parking facilities.
Supplemental
appropriations, 2005
Because this year the
areas have been allowed to request, under the 2005 program-budget, the
supplemental appropriations necessary for their proper functioning, the
Staff Committee decided to request an increase in the General Secretariat
contribution to the Staff Association. The request was presented to the
Assistant Secretary for Management, who later reported that it had been
included in the proposed budget for 2005.
OAS Gift Shop
An informal request was
received from the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) that the Staff
Association include among its products for sale those offered by the CIM.
The Editor of Américas
magazine also offered to publish an advertisement of some of the articles
offered for sale by the Staff Association. The notice will appear on the
inside cover of the June 2004 issue of Américas magazine.
The Committee is studying
the possibility that sales made outside the area may be paid for by credit
card.
Request for soccer team
sponsor
The Committee approved a
contribution to the OAS soccer team in the amount of $250.00 for 2004 and
invited all members of the team to become contributing members of the
Association.
Members of the Joint
Advisory Committee on Employee Parking
Marleng Molina began to
serve on this Committee upon the official resignation of Rafael Franzini.
The Chair proposed Tereza Davis to fill the position of alternate that
would be left vacant by Marleng Molina, noting that, since Ms. Davis works
in the Administration Building, the Joint Advisory Committee on Employee
Parking would be more representative. The proposal was accepted.
Joint Committee on
Insurance Matters
The Committee heard Gala
Redington, member of the Joint Committee on Insurance Matters, who reported
that in the month of July 2003 the Joint Committee had received a
memorandum from the Director of the Department of Financial Services (DFS)
on the possibility that a fee for administrative costs of the Health
Insurance Fund would be requested. However, this charge was never mentioned
again until March 2004, when they received another memorandum, indicating
that there would be a charge of $24,000 (twenty-four thousand dollars),
retroactive to January 2004. The Joint Committee sent a reply to this
memorandum, rejecting the charge on the basis of the “Trust Declaration,
the Medical Benefits Trust Fund of the General Secretariat of the
Organization of American States,” signed by the Secretary General on June
27, 2000. That agreement was negotiated precisely to eliminate
administrative costs.
The Staff Committee
supported the decision of the Joint Committee.
Report on performance
evaluations
Gala Redington and Carlos
Humud presented the final report, begun in August 2003, on the performance
evaluations. It is entitled “Consultation to the Staff on the Performance
Evaluations.” They reported that 121 replies had been received, from 20% of
the total staff, and that this was a fairly representative sample. The
report goes into the background, results, and conclusions, the latter
pertaining to recommendations on aspects of design, coverage, and
implementation to be considered in the redesign of the present system, as
well as a number of graphs eloquently illustrating the trends. Appendix I
presents the five questions posed to supervisors (Nos. 25 to 30) and the
replies. Appendix II details 39 problems and strengths of the current
system.
The Committee decided to
present a copy of this report to the Secretary General, since his office
had supported the survey. It was also decided to present a copy to the
Director of the Department of Human Resource Services (DHRS) and, lastly,
to distribute the report to General Secretariat staff and to the permanent
missions. See Staff News #71.
Changes within the
Committee
The Committee accepted the
resignation by colleague Nubia González, for personal reasons, of her
position as member of the 2003-2004 Staff Committee and as Treasurer. The
Committee decided to designate Lucrecia Zea-Yonker, the alternate
treasurer, as Treasurer, and to designate Ana María Lemos, first alternate,
as member.
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