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Consultation Labor Management MeetingsOctober 10, 2011 Rick Thaler, Director Re: Topics for discussion at Labor Management Meeting Dear Rick: The Correctional Employee Council would like to submit the following items for Labor Management discussion with you and your Management Staff after TDCJ’s Executive Board meeting, October 14, 2011. Toby Tobias and Brian Olsen will be in attendance and we look forward to meeting with you on the following Labor Management Agenda issues. This meeting actually took place on December 20, 2011. The next TDCJ Executive Board Meeting is scheduled for February 9-10, 2012, at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 6121 N I-35, Austin, TX 78752. NOTE: Public Comment Period is the 2nd and 4th meetings of the year.
Huntsville 1. AFSCME/CEC7 & TDCJ Telephonic Conference Calls - We would appreciate reconfirming our understanding that employee hearings, in which telephonic calls were agreed to at the August, 2011, Labor Management meeting, remain unchanged from the long-standing procedural method of handling these telephonic calls. Response by Rick Thaler Re-confirmed the mutual agreement in August, 2011, from which CEC 7 Staff may initiate conference calls from our facilities to TDCJ and vice versa. 2. P.D. 17 Random Drug Testing a. On the October 8, 2010, Labor Management Agenda the following inquiry was posed as it relates to the contract currently serviced by Medtox in the state of Minnesota. We were advised it was a competitive bid associated with an existing contract, and further, it was a one-year contract with two additional year options, and that the agency was in the last year of the agreement and will be open for competitive bidding at the end of the contract year of 2011. Please confirm if the original exiting contract has been put out for open bids to provide RDT for TDCJ employees. Response by Jan Thornton The current contract with Medtox is under review by Contracts and Procurements within TDCJ, and they will coordinate their position within the Agency on a new competitive-bid contract in the very near future. b. On the February 7, 2011, Labor Management Agenda another inquiry was posed regarding time frames for prescription drug validation. As we understand it, Medtox adheres to a one-year prescription validation. As you might recall many of our members, and non-members alike, favored a two-year prescription time frame. The Agency advised you would visit with Health Services on this and perhaps they would be helpful regarding the validation time frames. Please provide the response you were provided by Health Services. Response by Jan Thornton We checked with Health Services and they do not establish the Prescription Drug Validation time frame. We have been advised this is established by the Medical Review Officer (MRO), Medtox; therefore, one year is the current prescription validation time frame we have to work within based on the Medtox contract agreement. c. Finally, please advise the number of TDCJ employees who are randomly selected for drug testing that are separated from service on an average monthly basis, who tested positively; in particular front-line (gray-shirt) Correctional Officers. Response by Jan Thornton The average monthly separation number varies slightly from month to month, but usually 6-7 or less than 1%; however, some months only one or two. ANCILLARY ISSSUE Response by Rick Thaler and Jan Thornton The current turnover rate remains at approximately 20/21%. Recruitment is weak down South (Beeville) due to the boom of oil and gas exploration and work. Other areas of the state remain stable for recruiting. As far as vacancies, we currently have around 2,100 positions available. The CEC 7 Staff and State Locals wish to extend a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all! Sincerely,
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