Agenda

Return

SD. 6

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	William Walker, M.D., Health Services Director
Date:	January 19, 2010

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Side Letter between Contra Costa County and California Nurses Association re: Detention Differential

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 01/19/2010

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

ABSENT:

Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor

Contact:

Teji O'Malley, 925-957-5249

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: January 19, 2010
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

Approve and authorize the Health Services Director to execute a Side Letter with the California Nurses Association for Detention Facility Advance Level Nurses regarding the detention differential.

FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no fiscal impact associated with this request.

BACKGROUND:

The CNA MOU (Attachment C) states that "The County agrees to modify the RN Advanced Level classification job description to permit Detention nurses to promote to the Advanced level provided that they meet the criteria for promotion. The County also agrees to meet and confer with the Association to develop the criteria and establish an implementation date. The implementation date shall be no later than September 1, 2006.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

Upon a detention nurse becomes eligible for Advanced Level I pay (5% increase), his or her detention differential shall be correspondingly lowered by 5%. Upon a detention nurse becomes eligible for Advanced Level II pay (6% increase), his or her detention differential shall be discontinued."

It was discovered by the Department that the implementation of this Section of the MOU negatively impacts the nurses that meet the eligibility for pomotion and that was never the intent. When a Detention nurse promotes to Advanced Level (Step) I, the pay increase is actually closer to 6.7% instead of 5%, and lowering the differential by 5% does not negatively impact them, instead the nurses receive an extra $134.13 per month.

However, when the nurse goes up to Advanced Level (Step) II, the increase is only 2.5% instead of 6%, so discontinuing the differential actually results in the nurses getting a reduction of $206.76 in their pay. The side letter will allow the Department to continue the decreased differential once the nurse has become eligible for the Advanced Level (Step) II pay increase instead of completely eliminating the differential.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If the request is not approved, the detention nurses who meet the criteria for promotion under this section of the MOU will, over time, get a reduction in pay.