Oakland County’s Legislative Affairs — Operations Committee on an unspecific date recommended that county leaders advance a three-year tentative collective bargaining agreement with the Michigan Nurses Association covering nonsupervisory public-health nurses.

County staff described the agreement as the final contract in the current bargaining cycle. “This is the latest and last in the series of contracts up for this season,” the county presenter said during the meeting.

Under the tentative agreement, nurses would receive a 5% wage increase in the first contract year and a $1,500 one-time payment if the board approves the contract. The presenter described additional wage adjustments scheduled in the later years of the contract and said the changes are tied to the county’s multi-tier pay roadmap. The agreement would hold retirement contribution rates at 9% for the first two years and increase to 12% in the third year, according to the staff summary.

The contract also includes nonwage changes the county said are intended to aid recruitment and retention. Those changes listed by staff include:

- Personal leave: 10 personal “lead” days (80 hours) per calendar year, accruable to 20 days (160 hours).
- Annual wellness incentive: an increase over the nonrepresented level (amount cited in the summary).
- Tuition reimbursement: capped at the applicable IRS exclusion (staff noted the IRS cap, $5,250, is the reason for the stated limit).
- Death-in-line-of-duty and bereavement: expanded coverage and an increase in bereavement leave for close family members.
- Shift differentials: increased hourly differentials for evening, weekend and holiday work.
- One buyback payment to be paid in December, limited to on-premises employees.

Staff said the agreement had been tentatively agreed to and ratified by the union membership and now awaits the board’s final approval. The presenter noted that some public-health nurses who previously reported to juvenile-justice supervisors are now supervised by health professionals, and that staffing at Children’s Village is largely filled with one or two vacancies remaining.

Committee members asked about classification distinctions among nurse levels and how Children’s Village was staffed after supervisory changes. The presenter said classification differences are based on qualifications and experience and offered to provide a written classification summary after the meeting. The presenter confirmed that most nurses remained in place and that the supervisory change to health supervision was viewed positively.

One commissioner disclosed a family relationship and announced an abstention from the recommendation vote, saying, “I am abstaining. I am not her dependent, but just in case anyone was aware.” The motion to recommend the contract to the Finance Committee was moved by Commissioner Taylor and seconded by Commissioner Loops; the meeting transcript records an abstention but does not clearly transcribe the final numeric tally.

Next steps: the committee recommended the agreement to the board’s finance committee; final adoption would require subsequent board action and any required budget adjustments.