Committee approves four MOAs: Plan 4 loan access for law-enforcement supervisors and added holidays for several unions

Wayne County's Government Operations Committee approved four memoranda of agreement modifying collective bargaining agreements that add benefits for several bargaining units.

The committee approved: (1) a modification to Article 36 o 5 I of the AFSCME law enforcement supervisory Local 3317 contract to allow bargaining-unit members to participate in the Plan 4 defined-contribution loan program; (2) a memorandum modifying Article 15 of AFSCME Local 25 (hearing and vision technicians) to add Veterans Day, Juneteenth/Freedom Day and one floating holiday per calendar year; (3) a memorandum modifying Article 26 for the Dietitians and Nutritionists Association to add Veterans Day and one floating holiday; and (4) a memorandum modifying Article 26 for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 324, to add Veterans Day and one floating holiday.

Gwen DeYoung, director of labor relations, explained that the Plan 4 loan program already appears in most county CBAs but Local 3317 was the sole unit that did not permit loans and a number of members had applied for hardship reasons. Bruce Campbell, an attorney in the corporation counsel's office who works on labor and employment matters, gave program details: "They can borrow off of assets in which they are vested, which for most of these people, they've been with the county for more than 2 years. ... There are limitations as to how much they can borrow. What happens is there's a principal amount borrowed. There is an interest rate applied to that, and then there's a repayment schedule for those loans with interest." He added that the county's Plan 4 loans cannot exceed policy limits (for example, "it cannot exceed 50% of the balance"). Campbell also said the loan rules are "under the IRS regulations," which guide program terms.

DeYoung and staff said the hearing and vision technicians perform school-based testing across the county; committee members were told there are 16 technicians. A discussion between commissioners and staff confirmed that the county executive's office and the health director had been pursuing increased hearing and vision testing for students.

Commissioner Wilson moved to approve items 3, 4, 5 and 6 as a block; Commissioner Clark Coleman seconded. The chair announced, "Motion carried." The public transcript does not record a roll-call tally.

Why it matters: the change gives supervisors in the Local 3317 bargaining unit parity with other bargaining units that already permit Plan 4 loans; the holiday additions change paid-time-off schedules for several represented employee groups.

What was not specified in committee discussion: no dollar impacts or actuarial studies were presented for the Plan 4 change, and staff did not list the specific school districts where hearing and vision technicians work, only that they operate countywide.