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REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE 2003-2004 STAFF COMMITTEE
APRIL- JUNE 2004
Joint Advisory Committee
on Employee Parking
The staff representative to
the Parking Committee reported that, if present trends continued, the Fund
would have a deficit by the end of this year. He also submitted a new rate
increase proposal aimed at a single fee. The previous proposal had involved
three phases: the first began with nine rates and the third ended with six
rates. The first phase of that proposal had already been implemented, the
second was now to be implemented, and the third was to be implemented in
November of this year. After recalculation, it was determined that the
increase could be lower than initially planned.
The Committee considered
three proposals: 1. keeping the rate schedule presented in 2002; 2. a new
rate schedule with three levels: (a) $70 (G3-G5); (b) $85 (G6-P2); and (c)
$100 (P3-D2); 3. a new rate schedule with four levels: (a) $60 (G3-G5); (b)
$80 (G6-P1); (c) $90 (P2-P4); and (d) $110 (P5-D2).
The Committee, by majority,
adopted the second proposal.
The members of the Committee
requested information from the staff representative as follows:
1. Revise the Parking
Regulations to reflect the present needs of staff. It was agreed that the
revised version should include a clause stipulating how the balance in the
fund shall be used.
2. Confirm whether the 10%
of spaces set aside for the Director of the Department of Technology and
Facility Services is in effect 30 spaces. Also, in the interest of
transparency, request the list of persons to which this privilege applies,
showing which are staff of International Building Services (IBS) and which
are staff of the Department of Technology and Facility Services (DTFS).
3. Determine what the
arrangement is with the staff of the Credit Union, i.e., how many spaces
they occupy and what rate they are charged.
4. Find out why IBS staff
would be given preferential treatment for parking at OAS buildings when
General Secretariat staff must sign onto a waiting list for that privilege.
5. Present a detailed table
of income, expenses, and annual operating deficits or surpluses.
6. Provide a breakdown of
expenses relating to the “maintenance” charge shown on the Committee’s
financial statement.
7. Study what parking would
cost staff should a single rate be instituted.
8. Considering that security
at OAS buildings is the exclusive responsibility of the General
Secretariat, estimate the savings that would result if the guards had
double duty as both parking and security guards.
Before giving us an answer,
the Parking Committee representative noted that his participation on the
Committee allowed him solely to make recommendations. On that basis, he
gave us some of the information requested.
Replies:
1. He acknowledged that the
Parking Regulations were not very clear and needed to be revised. For its
part, the Committee decided to read and study the Regulations so as to
recommend amendments.
2. Item 2 is totally linked
to the Regulations, since no point stipulating the 10% could be found. The
Regulations only mention the granting authority of the Director of the
Department of Material Resources. Since that department no longer exists,
it was recognized that the Regulations must be updated. It was also
determined that the list of persons eligible included interns, which the
entire Committee found unacceptable.
3. The representative
replied that they were provided five parking spaces and paid the full fee.
4. This item would also be
related to item 1.
5. A table containing
partial data was presented and circulated.
6. The representative
promised to provide the breakdown of maintenance figures later; that item
remained pending.
7. This item also remained
pending.
8. On this item, the
representative pointed to changes in all public places stemming from the
September 11 attacks. He indicated that a recommendation in this regard
could also be submitted.
The Committee decided to
recommend that the Parking Regulations be revised and updated as soon as
possible to reflect present needs, that unclear points be clarified, and
that such recommendations be given to our representative on the Parking
Committee so that they may be presented to the Assistant Secretary for
Management for his consideration.
Health Unit request /
Health Fair
The Committee received a
request from the Health Unit to cover some expenses associated with the
Health Fair held on May 19, 2004. The Committee decided to contribute
US$300.00 to the Health Fair.
Gift Shop
The President reported on
the increase in sales of products offered by the Association at its toy
store. He pointed to the free publicity in the latest issue (June 2004) of
Américas magazine, which advertises the products sold by the Staff
Association on the back inside cover.
Children’s Christmas
Party coordinator
The President announced that
our colleague Aida Magaly Rothe would be the official coordinator of the
2004 Children’s Christmas Party.
Child care
The Committee considered the
possibility of offering a child care service, either at the General
Secretariat or through an arrangement at a nearby facility. The President
recalled that this topic was not new and had been addressed on various
occasions. He added that, although the General Secretariat had no means of
offering such a service to its staff at this time, the Committee could
research the various options and report on its findings. The Committee
entrusted Ana María Lemos with coordinating this research by first
conducting a survey to determine the number of staff members interested in
this service and, on that basis, assessing the possibility of continuing
with this project. The Committee proposed to invite Maria Teresa Mellenkamp
and Lily Romero to join this group. The President will communicate as soon
as possible with the Staff Association of the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO) on the possibility of conducting the same survey at
PAHO.
Management Study
The rest of the Committee
was informed that a presentation had been given on April 22, 2004, to the
working group of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs of
the Permanent Council charged with reviewing the Management Study conducted
by Deloitte & Touche. They were presented with a document entitled
“Observations of the OAS Staff Association on the Human Capital Aspects of
the Study on the Operations of the General Secretariat conducted by
Deloitte & Touche.”
Mouse pad / t-shirt
design contest
The President of the
Committee proposed a design contest for a new mouse pad and new T-shirt
using the OAS logo. As an incentive, the winner will receive US$250.00.
Updated list of
candidates for continuing contracts
The President recalled that
in the months of April and October the Department of Human Resource
Services was to publish an updated list of all persons eligible to compete
for continuing contracts. The Department of Human Resource Services has
reported that the list will be published somewhat behind schedule.
Administrative Tribunal
The President reported on
the assumption of office of the new member of the Administrative Tribunal,
judge Alma Montenegro de Fletcher. The President noted that this was the
first time there had been an installation ceremony. He also noted that this
was the second time the Tribunal had a female member. The press release on
this event was sent to the entire staff through a Staff Association
circular.
Request from the Softball
Team “Los Picantes AMIGOAS”
The President presented to
the Committee a request for a contribution of US$400.00, received from the
softball team “Los Picantes Amigoas” for the 2004 season. Since they had
submitted a document specifying why they were requesting that amount, and
because most of their members were members of the Staff Association, the
request was approved.
Rowe Fund loan guarantees
Manuel Metz, Technical
Secretary of the Rowe Fund, reported to the Staff Committee on last year’s
agreement between the Committee and the Rowe Fund for staff members who
apply for a loan and cannot use their benefits as collateral. So far this
agreement has been working well and a number of our colleagues have been
helped. The President recalled that the prior Committee had considered
replenishing this seed fund with a similar amount should the financial
situation require it. The Technical Secretary requested that this
agreement, rather than being renewed year after year, remain in force
indefinitely, in the understanding that either party could terminate it at
any time, as established in the agreement. The Committee decided to
increase the Staff Association contribution under this agreement by
US$10,000 (ten thousand dollars) and to extend the agreement indefinitely.
As of June 30, 2004, eight
staff members had received a total of nine loans, for a total of
US$74,209.33. The balance on those accounts, as of June 30, was
US$62,428.77. As of June, total payroll deductions for payment of those
loans were US$2,593.23 per month. The cumulative total of the 1% transfers
made for these loans was US$351.44. To date it has been unnecessary to make
withdrawals from this joint account (No. 5899 of the OAS Staff Credit
Union). Therefore, the balance to date is US$20,164.68, plus US$351.44, for
a total of US$20,516.12.
Report of the Joint
Working Group on Harassment in the Workplace
Carlos Humud, as a member of
the Joint Working Group to draft a proposed policy and regulations
prohibiting psychological harassment in the workplace, submitted a report
by the group members (Christina Cerna, Laura Haran, Lina Sevillano, Louis
Ferrand, and Michael Thomas), containing proposed amendments to the Staff
Rules, a draft executive order, and an attachment on rules and procedures
to prevent and punish psychological harassment in the workplace.
He said he was very
satisfied with the way the work had progressed and with the highly
constructive spirit that had motivated the group members throughout. He
recommended that the Committee support the report and the accompanying
documentation and suggested that the report be presented to the Secretary
General for possible approval and implementation.
The Committee approved the
proposed rules and policy prohibiting psychological harassment in the
workplace and entrusted the President with presenting it to the Secretary
General as soon as possible. These actions will also be reported to the
Department of Legal Services and the Department of Human Resource Services.
Report on life insurance
for retirees
Carlos Humud reported that
he had spoken with the Secretary/Treasurer of the Retirement and Pension
Fund on the possibility of life insurance for retiring staff who take a
pension. The Retirement and Pension Fund appears to be studying the matter
and seeking options. The Secretary/Treasurer of the Fund promised to send
the Committee whatever information he could obtain on this subject.
Study of salaries in the
Eastern Caribbean countries
The Committee received a
consultant’s report on the study of salaries in the Eastern Caribbean
countries. The study proposes that a single salary scale be adopted for the
six countries, reducing the present differences in salaries established in
1995. In accordance with resolution AG/RES. 1974 (XXXIII-O/03), the General
Secretariat will present this report to the Permanent Council so that it
may approve a salary system for staff working in countries where the United
Nations does not circulate salary scales or post adjustments.
Assistance to the
Dominican Republic and Haiti
In response to the damage
caused by rainfall in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the Staff Committee
requested donations from staff by way of Staff News 84 and opened an
account at the OAS Staff Credit Union. As of June 30, it was able to
collect US$1,003.66, which would be sent to two nongovernmental
organizations working in those countries.
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