Title 7 - Wage and Salary Administration

7.1 Salary Increases

Effective December 1, 2004, provide for a general wage adjustment of 3%.

Effective the pay period that includes December 1, 2005, provide for a general wage adjustment of 3%.

Effective the pay period that includes December 1, 2006, provide for a general wage adjustment of 3.25%.

Effective the pay period that includes December 1, 2007, provide for a general wage adjustment equal to 3.75%.

7.2 Payday/Pay Periods

The District pays on a bi-weekly pay day basis with paydays every other Friday. If a payday occurs on a weekend or a holiday, the scheduled payday will be on the preceding regular workday.

7.3 Application of Wage Ranges

1. A new employee normally will be hired at the minimum of the rate range established for his/her job unless, as determined by the District:
   • He/she possesses unusual qualifications or experience above the minimum required for the job.
   • A temporary condition has placed a special premium on individuals with particular skills.
   • He/she is hired on a temporary basis, and such extra compensation is necessary to induce him/her to take the position for a limited time. A temporary employee paid according to this provision who becomes regular will normally be paid at the minimum of the rate range established for that classification.
2. No employee will receive compensation in excess of the maximum of his/her rate range unless he/she was being paid more than the maximum when the range was established.

7.4 Merit Increases

1. A merit increase is defined as the payment of a higher rate, not exceeding the maximum to a deserving employee (as determined by the District) whose classification remains unchanged. Merit increases are granted primarily in recognition of improvement in performance or continued acceptable performance. Only one-step increases will be granted unless unusual circumstances as deemed by the District management exist, in which case the General Manager may authorize additional increases. Marginal performance will not qualify personnel for a merit increase regardless of the time period specified below.
2. The normal time interval for a merit increase, following a favorable performance evaluation, will be one (1) year from the date of the last increase, and with subsequent favorable performance evaluations, shall continue yearly until the employee reaches the top rate of pay for his/her current classification. New employees will be considered for a merit increase following six (6) months of employment provided the employee's current pay is below the maximum rate for the position. Newly promoted employees will be considered for a merit increase following six (6) months in the new position provided the newly promoted employee's current pay is below the maximum rate for the position. Performance evaluations will be completed at the end of each merit review period. The District will advise employees as to any deficiencies, advise employees of remedies, and provide assistance to employees to overcome such deficiencies.
3. Ditchtenders will receive a merit review and will be considered for a merit salary increase twelve (12) months from date of hire as a regular Ditchtender and every twelve (12) months thereafter until reaching the top step.
4. In the case of particularly outstanding work, an increase may be granted by the General Manager in less than the specified time period provided sufficient justification is submitted by the requesting department, correspondingly, it is expected that in some instances the time interval will exceed that listed above.

7.5 Apprentice Advancement

Employees selected for apprentice job vacancies must sign the appropriate apprenticeship agreement and complete all phases of the program in a satisfactory manner including all quizzes and exams in order to remain in the program and reach the appropriate journey level. The normal interval for apprentice advancement, following completion of program requirements for each phase of training, and with a favorable performance evaluation, will be six (6) months from the date of the first advancement and at six (6) month intervals thereafter throughout the program. The District reserves the right to modify course content in apprenticeship programs to ensure that the training reflects the most current practices and is the most efficient method of training. District will consult with the Union prior to implementing changes to course content.

7.6 Wage Rate Determination - Apprentice Level

The wage rate of employees promoted or assigned to an Apprentice classification will be based on skills, knowledge, experience and abilities, and according to any program standards established for the apprentice program.

7.7 Compensation during Inclement Weather

An employee who is unable to work in the field because of inclement weather will receive pay for the full day, provided he/she has reported to work on that day at the scheduled starting time. During an inclement day employees may be held pending emergency calls or commercial planned outages, may be given first aid, safety or other instructions, or may be assigned to perform miscellaneous duties in sheltered locations. If inclement weather commences during the workday while the employees are working, and the employees are released from any work duties, the employee shall receive payment for a full day's work. District supervisors will be responsible for determining when weather conditions shall be considered "inclement” and whether such work can be conducted in a safe manner in consultation with the crew leader.