MONROE - Some local governing bodies have found an easy way to set their new grievance policies.
The City of Monroe, the Town of Monroe and Juda School District, for example, are using and revising sample policies.
The League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Towns Associations and the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) have prepared sample policies for their members. The policies basically spell out the process for advancing a grievance to higher government levels for resolution.
Local governmental units that did not have a civil service system as of June 29 are required to establish a grievance system no later than Oct. 1, in response to state changes made to public employee compensation and collective bargaining provisions this summer.
Union employees will usually continue to use the grievance process outlined in their contract while it is still in effect.
"We mirrored the existing (union) contracts the best we can and made sure the process in place was fair," said Juda Superintendent Phil Updike.
The school's previous policy outlined a procedure starting with the principal, and advancing to the superintendent and then school board.
The new policy is not a lot different, Updike said.
The Juda school Board passed the new policy Sept. 14.
On Sept. 20, The City of Monroe Common Council passed its new policy, based on a long version supplied by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.
City Administrator Phil Rath said the policy was adjusted to "make sense with what we would do" and then reviewed by the city labor attorney Dan Barker.
"It gives the city the flexibility for what it wants to do," Rath said.
Portions of the sample irrelevant to the city, such as references to a city library, which Monroe doesn't control, were removed.
The city's previous grievance process, published in the employee handbook, focused mainly on discipline and a system for workplace safety, Rath added. The collective bargaining agreement held the grievance process.
With the ending of union contracts in 2012, Rath said the only alternative for employees would have been to use the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which the city's liability insurance company, CVMIC, loathes to see.
"The new policy helps alleviates the need for EEOC, and provides some protection (for the city and its employees) before that step is needed," Rath said.
Karen Sutter, the clerk of the Town of Monroe, said the policy sample it used was simple and short.
The one-page policy was passed Sept. 15.
With the use of non-union and part-time employees, "so much of the process doesn't really pertain to us," Sutter said.
The Town of Monroe has made arrangements with neighboring towns to swap hearing officials, because "we don't have the money for lawyers," Sutter said.
According to the process, hearing officials cannot be a member of the aggrieved employee's governing board.
But Sutter doesn't believe the town will have to deal with grievances that advance to a board of hearing.
"We've survived before without this," she added.
The City of Monroe, the Town of Monroe and Juda School District, for example, are using and revising sample policies.
The League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Towns Associations and the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) have prepared sample policies for their members. The policies basically spell out the process for advancing a grievance to higher government levels for resolution.
Local governmental units that did not have a civil service system as of June 29 are required to establish a grievance system no later than Oct. 1, in response to state changes made to public employee compensation and collective bargaining provisions this summer.
Union employees will usually continue to use the grievance process outlined in their contract while it is still in effect.
"We mirrored the existing (union) contracts the best we can and made sure the process in place was fair," said Juda Superintendent Phil Updike.
The school's previous policy outlined a procedure starting with the principal, and advancing to the superintendent and then school board.
The new policy is not a lot different, Updike said.
The Juda school Board passed the new policy Sept. 14.
On Sept. 20, The City of Monroe Common Council passed its new policy, based on a long version supplied by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.
City Administrator Phil Rath said the policy was adjusted to "make sense with what we would do" and then reviewed by the city labor attorney Dan Barker.
"It gives the city the flexibility for what it wants to do," Rath said.
Portions of the sample irrelevant to the city, such as references to a city library, which Monroe doesn't control, were removed.
The city's previous grievance process, published in the employee handbook, focused mainly on discipline and a system for workplace safety, Rath added. The collective bargaining agreement held the grievance process.
With the ending of union contracts in 2012, Rath said the only alternative for employees would have been to use the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which the city's liability insurance company, CVMIC, loathes to see.
"The new policy helps alleviates the need for EEOC, and provides some protection (for the city and its employees) before that step is needed," Rath said.
Karen Sutter, the clerk of the Town of Monroe, said the policy sample it used was simple and short.
The one-page policy was passed Sept. 15.
With the use of non-union and part-time employees, "so much of the process doesn't really pertain to us," Sutter said.
The Town of Monroe has made arrangements with neighboring towns to swap hearing officials, because "we don't have the money for lawyers," Sutter said.
According to the process, hearing officials cannot be a member of the aggrieved employee's governing board.
But Sutter doesn't believe the town will have to deal with grievances that advance to a board of hearing.
"We've survived before without this," she added.