The Snohomish Health District and PROTEC17 engaged in collective bargaining with Environmental Health Supervisors bargaining unit for a successor contract to its 2018-2020 labor contract 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 a tentative agreement for the Environmental Health Supervisor Unit (See exhibit A) on May 24, 2021, which was ratified by the membership on June 7, 2021.

A brief summary of the relevant contract changes/elements for the 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 2.5 If an employee does not successfully complete the trial service period the employee will be able to return to a vacant EHS position or bump the least senior employee in the EH bargaining unit provided the least senior employee was hired on or after May 24, 2021. If the employee did not complete the trial service period as an EHS then the employee could apply for a vacant EHS role.
• Added section 2.13 for Classification Seniority identifying how service credits will be utilized for purposes of reduction in force.
• 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 3.6 Notice to the union of new employees will be on the 1^st and 15^th of the month.
• Section 3.7 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 5.6 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 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 new position start date will retain all rights under the agreement.
• Section 7.17 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 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 re opener removed as it is no longer applicable.
• Section 14 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 to a vacant EH non-supervisory bargaining unit position, or bumping into a EH non-supervisor bargaining unit position displacing the employee with the least classification seniority.
• 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 21.1 Term of Agreement updated to June 8, 2021 to December 31, 2022.
• Section 21.3 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 2% effective January 1, 2022.

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 Environmental Health Supervisors agreement (as shown in Exhibit A) between Snohomish Health District and PROTEC17, effective when fully executed through December 31, 2022.