The Snohomish Health District and PROTEC17 engaged in collective bargaining with all three bargaining units for successor contracts to their 2018-2020 labor contracts that expired on December 31, 2020. The Health District’s negotiations team met nine times with bargaining-unit representatives then moved to mediation for three sessions yielding tentative agreements for the Environmental Health Unit (EH) and the Allied Professional Health Unit (APHU) (See exhibits A and B) on May 24, 2021, which were ratified by the membership on June 3, 2021.

A brief summary of the relevant contract changes/elements for both agreements, including section reference, are noted below:

• References to Health Officer have been replaced with Administrative Officer to match the District’s current structure.
• Section 3.2 updated to reflect Janus vs. AFSCME Supreme Court decision stating employees have the option to become members of the Association.
• Section 3.3 process updated to reflect when the District will begin withholding dues.
• Section 3.4 added to explain the process if an employee wishes to cancel their deductions of dues.
• Section 3.5 employees can request time off to attend shop steward training.
• Section 3.7 (APHU and EH) and 3.6 (EH Supervisors) Notice to the union of new employees will be on the 1^st and 15^th of the month.
• Section 3.8 (APHU and EH) Association will have the ability to meet with new employees for 30 minutes within 90 days of employment.
• Section 5.1 changed the reference of a bulletin board to a job opportunities website.
• Section 5.4, removed a date reference, provides the ability for the District to periodically run criminal background checks on employees who as part of the job duties have unsupervised access to children under sixteen year of age and disabled persons or vulnerable adults as defined in RCW 43.830.
• Section 5.6 removed a date reference and added that prophylactic medications, vaccines and laboratory testing for immunity required for employment that are not covered by the employees’ insurance will be provided without cost to employees.
• Section 5.8 (APHU and EH) expanded on the definition of original appointments/trial service to include original appointments to a regular position shall begin with a trial service period.
• Section 5.11 (APHU and EH) updated wording for the promotional appointment/trial service Period.
• Section 5.12 (APHU and EH) evaluation - The district has a different evaluation schedule.
• Section 5.13 (APHU and EH) Position transfer requested by management removed from the contract.
• Section 6.3 added section for employees who accept a temporary assignment to a position outside of the bargaining unit in less than six months from their position start date?? will retain all rights under the agreement.
• Section 7.16 (APHU) and 7.17 (EH) payroll procedures updated to our current process of utilizing an electronic payroll system.
• Section 11.1, Holidays reference RCW 1.16.050, sentence added that in the event the state adds Juneteenth as a legal holiday the District will recognize it as such. House bill 1016, approved and effective July 25, 2021. Changed the Day After Thanksgiving to Native American Heritage Day.
• Section 12.10.1, Bereavement leave changed to 40 hours from five days which has been the practice of the District. Changed from additional three days beyond 500 miles to additional 24 hours may be approved where necessary to address special circumstances.
• Section 12.13 Inclement weather updated to match MOU signed in 2019; employees can use floating holiday in addition to the four hours of leave for inclement leave. Leave can be used for tardiness OR early departure.
• Section 12.16 Employees that are enrolled in the Consumer Directed Health Plan (CDHP) medical plan with the Health Savings Account (HSA) can convert sick leave hours in excess of 480 hours to funds deposited into their HSA.
• Section 12.17 Paid Leave reopener removed as it is no longer applicable.
• Section 16 Disciplinary Actions. Rewrote section to be more descriptive of process as original version was too vague and caused confusion.
• Section 17.6 Grievance Procedure/Step Four, updated the selection of the arbitrator to be by mutual agreement and a list of seven arbitrator from Washington and/or Oregon. And the decision will be issued in writing within 30 days.
• Section 18.2 Board of Health agendas and minutes will be posted on the internet.
• Section 22.1 (APHU and EH) Term of Agreement updated to June 8, 2021 to December 31, 2022.
• Section 22.3 (APHU and EH) Modification of subsequent agreement updated to December 31, 2022.
• Addendum A COLA increase of 2% effective June 8, 2021, with retroactively to January 1, 2021, and an additional 2% effective January 1, 2022.

Specific to the Allied Professional Health Unit (APHU) contract

• Added section 2.13 for classification seniority identifying how service credits will be utilized for purposes of reduction in force.
• Section 4.2 Removed dated reference to bargain the impacts of the decision to subcontract out information services.
• Section 10.2 reference information services division removed.
• Section 12.12 (APHU) Added sentence that education leave requests must be presented well in advance so they can be reviewed.
• Section 14.3 Reduction in force language revised. In the event the District determines a layoff is needed, the employee with the least seniority in the classification will be the affected employee provided options of layoff, demotion, or bumping.
• Section 20.5 removed as it was relevant to WIC staff.
• Addendum A removed positions no longer with the District and added positions that are part of the union.
• Emergency Management Specialists adjusted to Range 16 effective June 1, 2021.

Specific to the Environmental Health Unit contract

• Section 7.6 removed reference to employees hired after 1/1/1990 must be registered sanitarians as all EH employees are registered sanitarians.
• Section 14.3 Reduction in force language revised. In the event the District determines a layoff is needed, an EHS may be laid off when an EH Supervisor position is reduced to allow the supervisor to revert to an EHS role. The least senior employee will be laid off.
• Addendum A removed reference of the EHS III recruitment that occurred in the previous contract cycle.

Consistent with Resolution 19-20 and the revised Division of Responsibilities (10/8/19), the Board of Health approves collective bargaining agreements.

MOVE TO authorize the Administrative Officer and the Board Chairperson to sign the Allied Professional Health Unit and Environmental Health agreements (as shown in Exhibits A and B) between Snohomish Health District and PROTEC17, effective when fully executed through December 31, 2022.