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Saginaw County approves MOUs giving health officer discretion on nurse pay steps; deputies contract ratified
Summary
The Board approved two MOUs allowing the Public Health Officer to start newly hired public-health nurses up to Step 5 depending on experience and to adjust certain existing nurses’ pay steps; the board also approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement with POAM – Deputies.
The Saginaw County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 20 approved labor agreements and memorandums of understanding intended to address recruitment and retention of public-health nurses and to finalize terms for deputies.
The board approved two MOUs that give the Public Health Officer, Christina Harrington, discretion to start newly hired Public Health Nurse 1 or 2 positions at up to Step 5 of the pay scale depending on experience. The MOUs also permit the Public Health Officer to adjust step placement for three named current nurses up to Step 5 to reflect new hires, while treating new hires as new employees for seniority and other benefits.
David M. Gilbert, civil/labor counsel, presented the committee language saying the changes respond to hiring challenges at current starting salaries. The board’s Labor Relations Committee recommended approval and the board carried the motions.
Separately, the board approved a collective bargaining agreement with POAM – Deputies covering Oct. 1, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2028. Committee materials list a package of changes that includes a market adjustment, 3% base wage increases in each contract year, a $1,000 discretionary bonus, a $300 boot allowance, healthcare and wellness updates, and miscellaneous administrative changes. Committee discussion noted financial impacts will be borne within existing respective budgets. Chairman Jack B. Tany recorded an abstention on the deputies contract vote.
The MOUs and contract language say the MOUs are not precedent-setting beyond the specific personnel provisions described and that healthcare and retiree-health provisions will follow the implementation decisions of the Union Management Committee and the board.
Implementation steps identified in committee materials include adjusting payroll step placements where applicable and updating personnel records; no specific dates for new hires were recorded in the minutes.
