REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 3, 2024
FROM
LEONARDO GONZALEZ, Director, Human Resources Department
SUBJECT
Title
Memorandum of Understanding with the California Nurses Association
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve the Memorandum of Understanding between San Bernardino County and the California Nurses Association representing employees in the Nurses Unit and Per Diem Nurses Unit, effective November 30, 2024 through November 3, 2028.
(Presenter: Leonardo Gonzalez, Director, 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 result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) of approximately $1.0 million in 2024-25, $2.7 million in 2025-26, $4.8 million in 2026-27, $5.2 million in 2027-28, and $5.6 million in ongoing years. The total estimated ongoing cost associated with the approval of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is $12.6 million in 2024-25, $34.4 million in 2025-26, $51.5 million in 2026-27, $66.6 million in 2027-28, and $71.3 million in ongoing years. Approval of the necessary budget adjustments for 2024-25 is not being requested at this time but will be included in a future budget report presented to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for recommended approval. Sufficient appropriation will also be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Representatives of the County, under direction of the Board, met and conferred with representatives of the California Nurses Association (CNA) to negotiate a successor labor agreement covering wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment for employees in the Nurses Unit and Per Diem Nurses Unit (Units). After several months of bargaining, the parties reached agreement on the proposed MOU.
The proposed MOU includes the following:
• Provide a 4% across-the-board wage increase effective November 30, 2024.
• Provide a 3% across-the-board wage increase effective October 18, 2025, October 17, 2026, and October 16, 2027.
• Increase the Medical Premium Subsidy for all coverage levels effective November 30, 2024, July 12, 2025, July 11, 2026, and July 10, 2027.
• Establish County paid vision coverage for eligible dependents effective November 30, 2024.
• Provide a salary range restructure effective November 30, 2024.
• Provide targeted equity increases to certain classifications that have demonstrated recruitment and/or retention issues effective November 30, 2024, November 29, 2025, November 28, 2026, and on November 27, 2027.
• Establish a 2.5% new non-longevity top step for all classifications effective November 30, 2024 and November 28, 2026.
• Eliminate step 1 for all ranges effective November 30, 2024 and November 28, 2026.
• Increase the County matching contribution to the deferred compensation plan from 0.5% to 1%, effective November 15, 2025.
• Decrease the years of service requirement for the deferred compensation plan from 2 years of service to 1 year of service effective November 30, 2024.
• Update leave provisions in compliance with changes to California law.
• Provide an additional day of paid Bereavement Leave for all employees and reduce the mileage requirement for the additional day of paid Bereavement Leave.
• Provide increases and/or expand eligibility for certain differentials.
• Establish new differentials for employees in certain classifications and/or assignments.
• Increase the maximum allowed unused balance for Vacation leave to 340 hours.
• Increase the Sick Leave Conversion option to 70%.
• Restructure the Sick Leave Conversion Formula to three tiers effective November 15, 2025.
• Provide an increase to the County contribution to the retirement medical trust fund, effective November 15, 2025.
• Increase Tuition Reimbursement to $1,000 per fiscal year and increase the rollover amount to $2,000 per fiscal year effective November 30, 2024.
• Increase Tuition Loan Repayment to $1,500 after 3 years of service, $2,000 after four years of service, $2,500 after five years of service, $3,000 after six years of service, effective November 30, 2024.
• Provide increases to Education and Training Leave banks and increase carryover amounts.
• Establish a Union Leave article.
• Extend the In-House Registry program through the term of the MOU.
• Make administrative changes to articles throughout the MOU.
• Incorporate previously approved Side Letter Agreements into the MOU by mutual agreement.
• Clean up language throughout the entirety of the MOU.
CNA has notified the County that the Units ratified the proposed MOU. If approved, the MOU will constitute a successor labor agreement between the County and CNA covering wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment for the Unit through November 3, 2028.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Cynthia O’Neill, Chief Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 18, 2024; Human Resources (Leonardo Gonzalez, Director, 387-5565) on November 14, 2024; County Administrative Office (Diane Rundles, Assistant Executive Officer, 387-5570) on November 15, 2024; Finance (Abigail Grant, Administrative Analyst, 387-4603) on November 26, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on November 26, 2024.