Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT: Reorganization - Sanitation Services

RECOMMENDATION

COUNCIL POLICY

City Council, as a matter of directing effective municipal government, endorses organizational changes which improve City services, especially if cost savings are involved in the changes. Creation of new salaried positions require Council authorization.

PURPOSE

Several improvements are required in the Recycling Operations and the Transfer Station (VSTS) operation of the Sanitation Branch. To strengthen the supervisory hierarchy and reduce costs in the Recycling Section, this report recommends the creation of an additional Foreman position. To resolve ergonomic problems for Weighscale Operators at VSTS, one additional Weighscale position is recommended at VSTS. To achieve compliance with WCB guidelines for fall protection at VSTS, an additional 1.5 fte (full time equivalent) Laborer II is required at the VSTS.

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

Since 1989, there have been many changes in the delivery of service to the public in Sanitation operations with construction of the Vancouver South Transfer Station (VSTS), collection of recyclables, and introduction of yard waste drop-off and composting. These changes have generated a need to reorganize and fine tune some of our staffing arrangements in recycling supervision, Weighmaster workload and staff to assist unloading refuse adjacent the pit in the Transfer Station.

Recycling supervision:

Since the start of the City’s Blue Box collection program in 1989, a supervision hierarchy consisting of one Foreman II and two Sub-Foremen has been employed. It has worked satisfactorily utilizing the Sub-Foremen to do both supervision and physical work in the field associated with this growing civic operation.

The Sub-Foremen are in the same bargaining group as the CUPE 1004 employees they supervise. The Foremen are in a different bargaining group (i.e., The City of Vancouver Foremen’s Association).

The collection schedule for blue box recyclables is the same as the schedule for garbage collection, although garbage collection uses a two-man crew whereas recycling use a one-man crew. Supervision in garbage collection is done by two Foremen.

Experience with the two methods of supervising these two, similar collection groups (residential garbage and recycling ) has demonstrated that the two Foremen II system used in garbage collection is more effective and offers better value than the single Foreman I and two Sub-Foremen system used in recycling. Using Foremen as supervisors provides the necessary authority in dealing with working crews.

Consolidating the supervision of recycling crews into two Foreman II positions will reduce salary costs and likely improve efficiency of recycling operations.

Weighmaster Workload:

Over time, and with the introduction of composting yard and garden waste, vehicular traffic has grown from 259 loads per day, in 1990, to an average of 495 loads per day in the VSTS. Because many vehicles must be weighed both as they enter and as they leave the site, the number of scale crossings is now about 770 individual transactions per day, or in excess of one transaction per minute, for the entire day.

Working conditions for Weighmasters at this facility have been difficult. Staff worked their entire shifts without rest breaks, as there was no one available to cover their functions while they were away. Traffic is quite steady all day, with volumes growing after 10:00 a.m., and staff must work from a standing position most of the time.

Since 1997, on a trial basis, a second Weighmaster has been assigned to assist the regular Weighmaster from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., during the busiest time of the day. This situation is similar to the operation in the G.V.R.D. Transfer Station on the North Shore.

Since implementation of this trial operation, the ergonomic problems for staff, which were identified by a consultant in 1997, have been resolved. Accordingly, it is proposed to continue this staffing arrangement ongoing by adding a Weighmaster I position full-time (at a cost of $54,600 per annum) and eliminating the temporary help position. This position will continue to be funded from the Solid Waste Utility user fees ($15,300) and the balance ($39,300) from the VSTS user revenues.

Fall Protection Requirements:

Recent changes to the WCB Regulations have required further revisions to our operations of the Transfer Station related to provision of fall protection for contractors and the public. To ensure we adequately monitor “control zones” in the VSTS, the WCB Regulations require a full-time monitor for each set of eight dumping bays. To meet this provision, 18 person months of Laborer II additional staff are required over the course of a year; one additional person full-time during the workday, seven days a week, and an additional person for the busiest six-month period.

Funding for these positions ($112,800 per annum) would be provided from the VSTS user revenues ($81,200), and the Solid Waste Utility user fees ($31,600).

PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS

Creation of the Recycling Foreman position will add a new Foreman II under the jurisdiction of the City of Vancouver Foremen’s Association Union.

Two Sub-Foremen positions are recommended for elimination. One of these is a temporaryCUPE 1004 position and one is a regular CUPE 1004 position. Staff in these positions are subject to relocation as determined under the provisions of the Collective Agreement. CUPE 1004 has expressed some concern about the loss of these two positions from CUPE’S 1004's jurisdiction.

The additional Weighmaster I position is a CUPE 15 position currently being filled by temporary staff.

The additional 18 person months of Laborer II would result in one additional CUPE 1004 Laborer II position and an increase in temporary help of 6 months of Laborer II.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The Recycling Foreman organization reduces the cost of one supervisory position and one pick-up truck for supervisor transportation. As a result, this proposal offers annual savings to the Solid Waste Utility of about $ 60,000 per year. See attached Appendix.

The Weighmaster position ($54,600 p.a.) is currently funded through charges to the VSTS charge-out rate under the Regional Rate for refuse disposal. Currently 28% of this charge is recovered from Vancouver’s Solid Waste Utility; there will be no additional cost to the Utility because this has been done in a trial mode for the past year and will continue to be incurred at a cost of $15,300 per annum.

The 18 person months of additional Laborer II will cost $112,800. Funding will be provided by VSTS revenues which will result in a charge of 28% or $31,600 to the Solid Waste Utility paid by Vancouver residents.

In summary as shown in the Appendix A, there are annual increases in costs of $68,900 for a foreman, $54,600 for weighmaster and $112,800 for laborers; a reduction of $128,900 occurs from elimination of two (2) sub-foremen and a truck. Overall, there is a net annual savings of $13,100 to the Solid Waste Utility; the balance of the costs will be funded from the VSTS User Revenues.

CONCLUSION

An opportunity exists to strengthen the supervisory arrangement in the City’s recycling program operated by the Engineering Department. The recommended creation of a Foreman II position, along with the elimination of two Sub-Foremen positions, would be a more efficient and effective system of supervision. Furthermore, the changes would mean annual savings of approximately $60,000 to the Solid Waste Utility.

Creating an additional permanent Weighmaster I position will permit staff to work in anergonomically appropriate fashion which will minimize staff problems and expedite traffic flow. This is confirmed by our year of trial operation and is consistent with other comparable operations.

Providing an additional 18 person months annually of Laborer II to monitor off-loading of refuse in the Transfer Pit will enable Vancouver to comply with the WCB fall protection requirements in the WCB Regulations.

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APPENDIX A

ANNUAL COSTS AND SAVINGS

A. RECYCLING

B. VANCOUVER SOUTH TRANSFER STATION (VSTS)

C. IMPACT ON SOLID WASTE UTILITY

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