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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STAFF COMMITTEE 2008-2009
The
2008-2009 Staff Committee was made up of Yacsire Cutler,
President; Gillian Bristol, Vice President (July 2008–April
2009); Beatriz Santos, Vice President (May–July 2009) and
Treasurer; Rosana Martinelli, Secretary; and members Luiz
Marcelo Azevedo, Alejandro Aristizabal, Martha Beltrán
(March–July 2009), Miguel Escudero, and Oscar Guerra (July 2008
– February 2009). Oscar Harasic and Enrique Bello were the
Representative and Alternate Representative, respectively, on
the Retirement and Pension Fund Committee. We also enjoyed the
valuable assistance of Alicia Pita in administrative matters.
On behalf
of this Committee’s members and on my own behalf, I would like
to express appreciation to all those who worked in various
areas related to the staff’s well-being for their support and
their contribution to the ideals of our Organization. In
particular, we express our thanks to our colleagues who
represented us on the following committees: Family Matters,
Parking, Insurance Matters, Reconsideration, Discipline,
Performance Evaluations, Staff Incentives, and Medical Benefits
Trust Fund, as well as to those who took part in the
subcommittees and special groups: Review of the Statutes of the
Association, Arts, Sports, Children’s Holiday Party,
Alternative Work Schedule, and Mentor Program. Reference
should also be made to the work done by the Nominating
Committee and the Teller Committee during the 2009 election
process.
The
Committee also wishes to express its appreciation to the
Secretary General and the Assistant Secretary General and to
the staff of their respective offices for the support they
provided during our term. In particular, we would like to
mention the Secretariat areas with which we worked on matters
of mutual interest, namely, the Secretariat for Administration
and Finance through the Department of Human Resources (DHR) and
the Office of General Services. Likewise, we are grateful for
the assistance we received from the staff of the Department of
Conferences and Meetings and the Department of Communications
and Institutional Image in holding the special meetings and
this annual meeting of the Association.
Special
appreciation goes out to the Credit Union for its donations and
to the members of the Association of Retirees of the OAS
(AROAS) for their advice and collaboration.
This
report refers to the principal activities carried out during
the Committee’s 2008-2009 terms and draws attention to some
matters that require follow-up.
Meetings
of the Staff Committee with administration officials
Throughout our term, meetings on areas of common interest were
held with the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary
General, the Secretary General’s Chief of Staff, advisers to
the Secretary General, the Secretary for Administration and
Finance, and the Director of the Department of Human
Resources. Taking into account recommendations from the
2007-2008 Committee and requests from the staff, the following
items, among others, were brought to the Administration’s
attention: the need for a personnel policy that includes an
appropriate performance evaluation system, incentives for
training and personnel development, and streamlined and
efficient contracting mechanisms; a call for applications in
the context of the third continuing contracts competition
process; a proposal for implementation of an alternative work
schedule; the need for the Staff Committee to be informed of
and take part in any proposed amendment of the Staff Rules;
follow-up on post classification and competitions; the
financial situation of the Organization and the requirement
that it not have an adverse impact on the staff and their
rights; the hiring of an ombudsman; the provision of lactation
rooms and the establishment of a no-smoking policy; a proposal
for a mentor program; and the concerns expressed by some staff
members about psychological harassment in the workplace. Brief
accounts of the work done on these topics are contained in the
body of this report.
Special
staff meetings
During
the 2008-2009 term, the Committee held two special staff
meetings.
The first
was held on November 14, 2008, in the Rubén Darío Room. The
meeting was convened to receive information from the Secretary
General on the Organization’s financial situation and the 2009
program-budget. The Secretary General assured the staff that
there would not be any staff cuts and that efforts would
continue to cover operating costs and reduce spending. This
information was well received by those in attendance.
The
second was held on May 11, 2009, in the Padilha Vidal Room, to
present the proposed amended text of the Association’s
Statutes. A quorum having been established, the proposed text
was put to the meeting for consideration. Several staff
members asked questions and made comments as well as specific
suggestions. The suggestions accepted by the meeting were
incorporated into the proposal, which was then put to a vote.
Of the 200 members who voted, 165 were in favor of the
proposed changes.
Adoption
of the new Statutes of the Association
In 2008,
the Staff Committee received a formal request to amend Article
31 of the Statutes of the Staff Association. Consequently, a
special meeting was held on July 1 of that year, but it did not
have the necessary quorum. In view of that problem and the
obvious need to update the Statutes, the 2008-2009 Staff
Committee appointed an Association subcommittee, composed of
Luiz Marcelo Azevedo, Gillian Bristol, Carla Sorani, and
Michael Thomas, to work on the matter. The Subcommittee was
entrusted with conducting a thorough review (in English and
Spanish) of the Statutes and then of drafting a new version,
which was submitted to the Advisory Board of the Association
for consultation. Among the most important proposed amendments
were the criteria for the eligibility of candidates for the
Staff Committee and the right to vote on decisions regarding
the Retirement and Pension Fund. As established in the
Statutes, the new version entered into force after its adoption
by the Assembly on May 11 and its approval by the Secretary
General on May 29.
Performance evaluation system
Following
up on the process initiated in July 2007, the Committee met
with the Department of Human Resources on several occasions to
provide its input and make comments on the proposal drafted by
the Administration.
What
was sought was a fair, effective performance evaluation
system. Emphasis was placed on the need for it to be correctly
implemented and used by everyone and for some process to be
established to familiarize all levels of staff with it. It was
agreed that the proposed evaluation system would be tried out
during a first pilot phase. Meetings with the DHR concluded in
late April, and in May the Department of Information and
Technology Services submitted the application it is developing
to automate the process.
Continuing contracts process
The
Committee requested the General Secretariat to review, in April
and October, the list of staff members eligible for continuing
contracts, as established in Staff Rule 104.3 (d). In March
2009, in response to this request, the DHR apprised the
Committee of a work plan and schedule to get the process under
way. The Committee held a series of meetings with the DHR to
review the work plan and a proposal for a standardized
interview. At the end of May 2009, the DHR launched the third
continuing contracts competition process and issued calls for
applications to be submitted through an automated mechanism.
The Department received 34 applications and is currently
reviewing documentation and organizing the language exams. The
incoming President of the Committee, in his capacity as a
member of the Advisory Committee on Selection and Promotions,
will participate in the staff interviews and in all meetings
related to the process.
Follow-up
on post classification and competitions
The
Committee continued to follow up on efforts initiated by the
2007-2008 Staff Committee to regularize the contractual
situation of staff members whose posts were in the process of
being reclassified. The Department of Human Resources drew up
a schedule for announcing competitions for the posts that had
been reclassified thus far. The competition process is being
carried out as scheduled. We are pleased to report that new
post audits were done in the case of staff members who
requested a second one.
Proposal
for an alternative work schedule
In late
2008, the Staff Association received a petition, signed by more
than 270 staff members, requesting that a proposal be drawn up
on implementation of an alternative work schedule (known as CWS
– Compressed Work Schedule). Under the CWS, a staff member,
with his or her supervisor’s approval, would work a minimum of
80 hours over a period of nine working days. Then, if his or
her workload permitted, the staff member would have the 10th
day off.
A working
subgroup of the Committee did a detailed review of the
experiences that other international organizations (the IDB,
the World Bank, the IMF), the U.S. Federal Government, and
private organizations have had with this type of schedule and
drew up a proposal for the Department of Human Resources. That
proposal has been looked at by the DHR and was submitted in
late May of this year to the Secretary General.
Staff
ombudsman
The
Committee has reminded the Secretary General on several
occasions of the commitment made to reinstate the post of
ombudsman in the Organization, so that personnel complaints
could be addressed in an even-handed, objective, and
expeditious manner. The Secretary General pledged to continue
working to identify, in consultation with the Committee, a
person who would meet the requirements for that post. The
Committee found documentation and information on the post of
ombudsman in other international organizations, the ombudsman’s
functions, and basic principles governing the ombudsman’s work,
and provided it to the Administration for reference purposes.
Follow-up
to financial issues in the Organization
The Staff
Committee followed up on the meetings of the Committee on
Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CAAP) regarding the
financing of the Organization’s 2010 budget, given the possible
impact it could have on the staff. The President and members
of the Staff Committee held meetings with the Secretary
General, the Chair of the CAAP, and the Ambassador of the
United States–the country that is the largest contributor to
the Regular Fund–to convey the staff’s concerns and express the
need for compliance with the contractual obligations currently
in force.
Amendments to the Agreement with the Leo Rowe Fund for loans to
OAS staff members
On
December 5, 2008, a Memorandum of Understanding between the
Staff Association and the Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund was
signed, for the purpose of introducing new provisions to the
existing agreement, whereby, the Staff Association serves as a
guarantor of the loans granted by the Fund to contributing
members of the Association. The Memorandum, which will be in
effect for three years and may be extended by common agreement
of the parties, set the following eligibility criteria for the
Association to provide support by acting as a guarantor of
these loans:
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The
staff member requesting a loan must have worked for the OAS
for at least one year, have continuing contract or career
service status, or serve in a position of trust
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The
loan must be for college or university studies, training,
professional courses, or research, with benefits available to
the staff member or his or her dependents (spouse and
children). Loans may also be requested for extreme
emergencies, in which case applications will be reviewed on a
case by case basis.
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To
obtain the maximum amount available through the Fund
(US$30,000), the staff member must have contributed to the
Staff Association for at least one year. Otherwise, he or
she may only receive a percentage of that amount, which will
be calculated by multiplying the months of contribution to
the Association by 30,000 and dividing the result by 12.
Between January and June of this year, 19 loans were given to
staff members, for a total of $106,680.
Family
matters and day care center
The
Subcommittee, made up of Paloma Adams-Allen, Ana María Lemos,
Rosana Martinelli, and Patricia Quiroz continued to focus on
identifying strategies to support mothers and fathers at the
OAS, helping them to fully carry out their professional
functions without neglecting their family responsibilities.
Accordingly, it continued to examine the possibility of an OAS
day care center and to explore alternatives that would meet the
staff’s needs. As concerns nursing mothers, the Subcommittee,
with the support of the Staff Committee and the Secretariat for
Administration and Finance, identified the physical space now
being used for lactation rooms in both the General Services
Building and the Administrative Building at OAS headquarters,
in Washington, D.C. The Association provided the necessary
furnishings for the rooms (tables, armchairs, and screens).
The Administration said it would continue to look for an
appropriate space in the Main Building.
No-smoking policy
The
Committee reiterated the need for a no-smoking policy in all
OAS buildings and worked with the Administration on revising
the text. We are pleased to report that on May 24, 2009, the
DHR sent out Personnel Circular 18/09, which establishes the
policy of a smoke-free environment within OAS headquarters
buildings.
Health
insurance
We were
represented on the Joint Committee on Insurance Matters by Gala
Redington, Gladys Berly, Martin Huenneke, and Yacsire Cutler,
who participated actively in the decisions taken by the
Committee, supporting work on the agreement between the General
Secretariat and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, as
administrators of our health insurance. The representatives
also took part in the deliberations of the Committee’s advisory
firm and the General Secretariat’s Insurance Office, which led,
among other things, to the 9 percent increase in the
self-insurance premiums, effective as of April 1 this year.
The Kaiser Permanente (HMO) premiums also increased beginning
on April 1. They also endorsed the topics covered at the
informational and educational meeting on health insurance
convened by the General Secretariat to promote strategies to
encourage staff members to play a more proactive role in
maintaining their health. It is important to note that the
insurance benefits we use have a direct impact on costs and
therefore on premium increases.
Parking
The Joint
Advisory Committee on Employee Parking, on which we were
represented by Luis Batlle and Mónica Gómez, discussed the
improvements that have to be made to the parking lot
infrastructure, such as roof repairs and the installation of a
barrier and card access in the Main Building. The Committee
authorized the installation of new cameras to better control
vehicles entering the Organization’s parking lots. In
addition, the work undertaken by the previous Committee
continued, and discussions are under way, together with the
President of the Committee, on proposed changes to the parking
regulations – Administrative Memorandum 83.
Artistic
activities
As in
prior years, the Committee supported the holding of the X and
XI Annual Exhibitions of the OAS Art Group, held in
August-September 2008 and in June-August 2009, respectively.
The Association also sponsored two prizes for the photography
contest “Showcasing the House of the Americas,” held in the
framework of the XI Annual Exhibition, in commemoration of the
hundredth anniversary of the construction of the Organization’s
Main Building.
Proposal
for a mentor program
In
January 2009, a subcommittee was established to consider the
possibility of establishing a mentor program. The Subcommittee
was made up of Alexandra Barrantes, Mariana Herrera, and Grace
Menck, and set out to identify mentor programs in other
international organizations (World Bank, International Monetary
Fund) and to draft a proposal for the possible implementation
of a program of this type at the OAS. The purpose of this
proposal is, on the one hand, to help young professionals in
launching their careers in the Organization and to facilitate
the sharing of experiences and knowledge about the institution
between long-term staff and staff members who are just starting
out. On the other hand, the program would be aimed at
strengthening organizational culture and retaining
institutional memory. The Committee has discussed the mentor
program on various occasions, and basic guidelines for the
implementation of a pilot program have been proposed. The
Staff Committee decided to support it and to continue its work
in this regard through the Subcommittee.
Miscellaneous
a.
Insurance
policy service will continue to be offered for the domestic
employees of General Secretariat and permanent mission staff.
At present, 37 people are availing themselves of this benefit.
To provide better benefits at somewhat lower costs, a change of
insurance company was negotiated, in coordination with the
United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU). A note in this
connection has been sent to the current customers, announcing
that the new service will become effective on August 1, 2009.
b.
Articles
with the OAS logo are still being offered for sale through the
OAS Gift Shop. Three new articles were introduced and, from
July 2008 to June 2009, the Association saw its profit margin
increase.
c.
The
Children’s Holiday Party was held on December 14, 2009, with
more than 80 children and their respective parents and/or
grandparents attending. The event, which was cosponsored by
the Credit Union, was coordinated by Magaly Rothe, with
assistance from her family and numerous colleagues.
d.
Gym
memberships (Interior Department Recreation Association, WSA
-Washington Sports Club) are still being offered. Fifteen
staff members are making use of this benefit. The Association
also provided support to the Zumba group by making arrangements
for facilities and space reservations.
e.
The
Association maintains five annual memberships with COSTCO,
though which corporate rates are offered to contributing
members of the Association. This benefit is being used by 35
staff members.
f.
The
Christmas Bazaar, held on November 6 and 7, was a big success,
with 32 exhibitors taking part.
g.
In
September 2008, the staff was asked to provide assistance to
the victims of Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna, and Ike, in Haiti. A
total of $4,917 was collected, which is being channeled through
a charitable organization.
h.
A food
donation campaign was held, together with American Airlines,
from March 25 to April 8. Canned and packaged food was
collected in the three buildings and, on April 9, was donated
to the Capital Area Food Bank.
i.
The
Association cosponsored the Health Fair, held on May 14. The
Committee continued to provide breakfast and helped promote the
event.
j.
The
Association continued to sponsor the OAS soccer team with
monetary contributions to help defray some of its costs.
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