TxPELRA Annual Workshop/Civil Service Workshop

Texas Public Employer Labor Relations Association
(TxPELRA) Annual Workshop
February 29, 2012

Co-Sponsored by the Texas Public Employer Labor Relations Association (TxPELRA) and the
Texas Municipal Human Resources Association (TMHRA)

AND

26th Annual Civil Service Workshop
March 1-2, 2012

Sponsored by the Texas Municipal Human Resources Association

Moody Gardens Hotel
Seven Hope Boulevard • Galveston, Texas

TWO TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

A workshop on Public Employer Labor Relations will be held on February 29, 2012, prior to the 26th Annual Civil Service Workshop on March 1-2, 2012. Both workshops will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel in Galveston. The programs are sponsored by the Texas Municipal Human Resources Association (TMHRA) and the Texas Public Employer Labor Relations Association (TxPELRA).

Enrollment for both workshops is limited to human resources professionals and management representatives from Texas municipal governments (for example, the city manager’s office, the city attorney’s office, civil service commissioners, the human resources department, the police department, and the fire department).

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

The TxPELRA and Civil Service Workshops offer a broad developmental experience for all participants, no matter their level of knowledge or experience. There will be opportunities in each session to ask questions about administering the State Civil Service Law in your city and legislation on mandatory collective bargaining for public safety. In addition to the formal program, you will have the opportunity to network with others who share similar problems and challenges. The speakers are experts in their fields who have extensive experience in civil service, labor relations, and human resources management. This year’s programs promise to be two of the best in the 26-year history of the workshops.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

city managers	assistant city managers	civil service commissioners
compensation managers	human resource managers	attorneys
risk manager	personnel professionals	city secretaries
police chiefs	fire chiefs	YOU!

The members of the 2012 Program Planning Committee for these two workshops are:
Craig Barnes, Human Resources Manager, Garland
Bonita J. Hall, Director of Human Resources and Safety Management, Pearland
Brian Hayes, SPHR, IPMA-CP, Director of Human Resources and Civil Service, League City
Ronnie C. Kidd, Managing Director for Administration, Abilene
Bettye Lynn, Partner, Lynn Ross Smith & Gannaway, LLP, Fort Worth
Debbie L. Maynor, SPHR, IPMA-CP, Executive Director of Human Resources, Killeen
Jill McAdams, Human Resources Director, Bedford
Miguel Ozuna, Director of Human Resources, Cedar Park
Tadd Phillips, Director of Human Resources, McKinney

Texas Public Employer Labor Relations Association
(TxPELRA) Annual Workshop • February 29, 2012

Co-Sponsored by the Texas Public Employer Labor Relations Association and the
Texas Municipal Human Resources Association

Tentative Agenda (Speakers and sessions are subject to change.)

Wednesday, February 29

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.	Registration
8:30 – 8:45 a.m.	Welcome TxPELRA President Tadd Phillips, Director of Human Resources, McKinney
8:45 – 9:30 a.m.	National Public Employer Labor Relations (NPELRA) Update NPELRA President Sam Penrod, Human Resources Manager, San Clemente, California Moderator: NPELRA Board Member Jim Parrish, Director of Human Resources, Plano
9:30 – 10:45 a.m.	The National Perspective on Public Labor Relations Issues Ted Clark, Partner, Clark Baird Smith, LLP, Rosemont, Illinois Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen public employment labor relations discussed not only by state and national political figures, put by the media, as well. Mr. Clark will give an overview of the national labor relations scene.
10:45 – 11:00 a.m.	Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.	The State Perspective on Public Labor Relations Issues Fred Hill, Former State Representative, Dallas Mr. Hill will discuss public labor relations issues touched upon during the 2011 legislative session and will give us an overview of what to expect in the 2013 session. As a former State Representative, he will also provide tips on how to effectively provide testimony and/or lobby techniques.
12:15 – 1:15 p.m.	Lunch
1:15 – 3:00 p.m.	Fire Association and Fire Administration Expectations During Negotiations Mike Higgins, Chief of Staff, Texas State Fire Fighters Association, Austin; and Chris Connealy, Fire Chief, Cedar Park Mr. Higgins will speak to us regarding the association’s expectations in relation to collective bargaining and meet and confer. Chief Connealy will discuss the expectations fire administration has while going through the collective bargaining process.
3:00 – 3:15 p.m.	Break
3:15 – 5:00 p.m.	Techniques for Successful Negotiations Elizabeth M. Provencio, J.D., Denton, Navarro, Rocha and Bernal, P.C., San Antonio Ms. Provencio has served as lead negotiator for several collective bargaining and meet and confer processes across the state. She will speak about interest-based bargaining and provide techniques and processes that yield success in negotiation cycles and resulting contracts.

26th Annual Civil Service Workshop
March 1-2, 2012

Sponsored by the Texas Municipal Human Resources Association

Tentative Agenda (Speakers and sessions are subject to change.)

Thursday, March 1

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.	Registration
8:30 – 8:45 a.m.	Welcome TMHRA President Debbie Maynor, Executive Director of Human Resources, Killeen Ms. Maynor will welcome the attendees and provide any current news that is facing the human resources profession and TMHRA.
8:45 – 10:00 a.m.	Modifying Civil Service Rules by Agreement Ric Navarro, Partner, Denton Navarro Rocha & Bernal, P.C., Rio Grande Valley This session will cover the legal authority given to public employers and labor representatives to modify existing civil service provisions by the negotiation process and will provide some pointers about issues to consider. It will also give some examples of such modifications and explain how they have worked in practice and/or been enforced in litigation.
10:00 – 10:15 a.m.	Break
10:15 – 11:30 a.m.	Interaction Between the Fitness for Duty Provision, ADA, Workers’ Compensation, and FLMA Julia Gannaway, Partner, Lynn Ross Smith & Gannaway, LLP, Fort Worth Ms. Gannaway will share what we need to know when dealing with a Fitness for Duty provision of Chapter 143 and its interaction with the ADA, Workers’ Compensation, and FMLA.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	Lunch
12:30 – 2:15 p.m.	Concurrent Sessions (Two Tracks)
	Advanced
	How to Prepare for a Civil Service Commission/Hearing Examiner Disciplinary Appeal Hearing Roberta “Robin” B. Cross, Assistant City Attorney, Galveston You’ll hear an overview of how to prepare for disciplinary appeal hearings conducted with either the Civil Service Commission or a third-party hearing examiner.
12:30 – 2:15 p.m.	Basic
	Role of the Civil Service Director Barbara Boulware-Wells, Partner, Akers & Boulware-Wells, LLP, Austin Ever wonder what authority the civil service director has? Ms. Boulware-Wells will discuss the role of this employee, including the director’s interaction with the police and/or fire department.
2:15 – 2:30 p.m.	Break
2:30 – 4:15 p.m.	Concurrent Sessions (Two Tracks)
	Advanced
	Appealing a Third-Party Hearing Examiner’s Decision Julia M. Vasquez, First Assistant City Attorney, Wichita Falls Ms. Vasquez will give us insight on how to appeal the decision of a third-party hearing examiner.
	Basic
	Establishing Local Civil Service Rules and Regulations–A Statewide Perspective Albert Pena, Partner (San Antonio); Alan Ozuna, Associate Attorney (Rio Grande Valley); and George Hyde, Partner (Austin), Denton, Navarro Rocha & Bernal, P.C. Does your city have local civil service rules and regulations? If so, have they been revised recently? Hear a statewide perspective on these rules and regulations, and learn what should be included and what should not.
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.	Reception Sponsored by Lynn Ross Smith & Gannaway, LLP, Fort Worth

Friday, March 2

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 10:15 a.m.	Civil Service Update Bettye Lynn, Partner, Lynn Ross Smith & Gannaway, LLP, Fort Worth Ms. Lynn will give her latest update on what occurred in the realm of civil service issues across the state.
10:15 – 10:30 a.m.	Break
10:30 a.m. – Noon	Civil Service Update (continued) Bettye Lynn, Partner, Lynn Ross Smith & Gannaway, LLP, Fort Worth

GENERAL INFORMATION

WHO MAY ATTEND

Enrollment for both workshops is limited to human resources professionals and management representatives from Texas municipal governments (for example, city manager’s office, the city attorney’s office, civil service commissioners, the human resources department, the police department, and the fire department).

REGISTRATION FOR THE TxPELRA ANNUAL WORKSHOP AND THE TMHRA CIVIL SERVICE WORKSHOP

* TMHRA Member Rate Wednesday, February 29 o TxPELRA Workshop (by February 7): $100 o TxPELRA Workshop (after February 7): $175 (The fee includes lunch and refreshments on Wednesday.)	Non-TMHRA Member Rate Wednesday, February 29 o TxPELRA Workshop (by February 7): $150 o TxPELRA Workshop (after February 7): $175 (The fee includes lunch and refreshments on Wednesday.)
Thursday and Friday, March 1-2 o Civil Service Workshop (by February 7): $150 o Civil Service Workshop (after February 7): $200 (The fee includes Thursday lunch, Thursday reception, and refreshments both days.)	Thursday and Friday, March 1-2 o Civil Service Workshop (by February 7): $180 o Civil Service Workshop (after February 7): $200 (The fee includes Thursday lunch, Thursday reception, and refreshments both days.)
Combined Registration Fees
TxPELRA and Civil Service Workshops (by February 7): $225	TxPELRA and Civil Service Workshops (by February 7): $300
Membership is based upon board approval. You must be a member prior to February 1, 2012*, in order to qualify for reduced member rate.

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT

Elected officials participating in the Texas Municipal League Institute (TMLI) program can receive credit for these workshops. CEU forms will be available on site at the registration desk.

CANCELLATION AND SUBSTITUTION POLICY

If you are registered and cannot attend, we encourage you to send a substitute. If you cannot send a substitute, a $45 cancellation fee will be assessed if written cancellation is received by February 7, 2012. No refunds will be honored after February 7.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

The conference will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, located at Seven Hope Boulevard in Galveston. To make reservations, please call the hotel toll free at 888-388-8484 and ask for the TMHRA TxPelra and Civil Service Workshops room block. A rate of $139 single/double per night is available until February 7, 2012, or until the block is full.

SHUTTLE TRANSPORATION

Galveston has partnered with several of the most reputable and reliable limousine and shuttle services in the Galveston and Houston areas to provide great prices on transfers to and from Galveston and Houston airports. To make your reservation, log on to http://transportation.destinationnext.com/.

SEMINAR MATERIALS

TMHRA no longer provides handouts for speaker papers or printed materials of any kind. Instead, all speaker papers will be posted on the TMHRA Web site at www.tmhra.org (under “Seminar Materials”) for attendees to download in advance, if they so desire. No written materials will be provided at the seminar.

SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

Let us know on the registration form if you need special assistance of any kind. WE WANT TO HELP! In order to respond to any special request, we would appreciate as much advance notice as possible. Thank you.