REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 11, 2024
FROM
DIANE RUNDLES, Assistant Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Side Letter Agreement with Teamsters, Local 1932
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve a Side Letter Agreement between San Bernardino County and Teamsters, Local 1932, representing employees in the Preschool Services Department Non-Supervisory and Supervisory Units, providing the employees with a one-time lump sum Retention Bonus.
(Presenter: Leonardo Gonzalez, County Labor Relations Chief, 387-5565)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The proposed Side Letter Agreement (Agreement) would qualify employees in the Preschool Services Department (PSD) Non-Supervisory and Supervisory Units (Units) for a one-time lump sum Retention Bonus with a cost not to exceed $636,498. This bonus will be funded by Federal Head Start and Early Head Start funds of $464,644 and by California State Preschool Program funds of $171,854. Sufficient appropriation and revenue have been included in the PSD 2023-24 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PSD operates the Early Head Start, Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, Head Start, General Child Care and Development, and State Preschool programs. These programs provide education, health, nutrition, cognitive, social/emotional, physical growth and development, and parent involvement services for children ages 0 to 5 with the goal of increasing family engagement and the school readiness of young children in economically disadvantaged families. Head Start and State Preschool programs have been operating in the county since 1965. Since 1999, PSD has provided these programs through a combination of direct and contracted services.
PSD has available funding to improve the quality of preschool services through staff retention. San Bernardino County engaged in the meet and confer process with Teamsters Local 1932 to discuss the use of the funding, which resulted in the proposed Agreement. The proposed Agreement would qualify employees in the Units for a one-time lump sum Retention Bonus of $1,500. To be eligible for the Retention Bonus stipend, employees in the Units must have been in paid status as of May 31, 2024; an estimated 367 employees are eligible for the stipend. The total cost of the stipend includes rollup costs for retirement, Worker’s Compensation, and payroll taxes. Employees who meet the criteria shall receive the lump sum payment on, or about, June 26, 2024.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Cynthia O’Neill, Chief Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 22, 2024; County Administrative Office (Diane Rundles, Assistant Executive Officer, 387-4717) on May 17, 2024; Finance (Abigail Grant, 387-4603, and Paul Garcia, 386-8392, Administrative Analysts) on May 28, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on May 30, 2024.