Union talks stall NRCHS split

Talk about it

LUVERNE — The committee tasked with working out issues to dissolve the Nobles-Rock Community Health Services agency met in Luverne Wednesday morning to continue discussions related to the approaching Dec. 31 split. Much of the two-hour meeting, however, was spent discussing the recent move by public health employees to unionize.

A month ago, county leaders were notified that employees were pursuing union talks. At that time, a document requesting maintenance of status quo was presented to the board. The document, in essence, put a gag order on any talks between the two counties and public health employees related to positions to be filled by either Nobles County Health and Human Services or Southwest Health and Human Services, which Rock County will contract with as of Jan. 1. The order also freezes compensation, including salaries and benefits.

“What they want is a guarantee of their positions and compensation,” said Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre.

“We’ve been abiding by that until just recently,” said NRCHS board chair Karen Pfeifer, adding that the status quo order has been revoked by the employees.

Meanwhile, Nobles County Administrator Mel Ruppert said there were changes in salaries and benefits to some public health employees that were not enacted because of the status quo order. There was some discussion during the dissolution meeting that the agency does not need to act on those compensation changes.

It was also announced at the meeting that, effective May 4, employees of NRCHS will be represented by AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) Council 65 as it proceeds with formation of a union.

Nobles County Attorney Gordon Moore said the next step for the counties is to begin working on a collective bargaining agreement with the public health employees. Appointed to the bargaining group were Moore and Assistant Rock County Attorney Jeff Haubrich, Ruppert, Oldre, Pfeifer, Nobles County Commissioner Marv Zylstra and Rock County Commissioner Ron Boyenga.

“Long after we split ways, this could still be negotiating,” said Oldre. “It’s going to cost the health board to get this resolved. Attorneys are expensive, and there could be mediation involved.”

The NRCHS board voted in April to authorize up to $5,000 for outside counsel, but that will likely not be enough, he added. The Nobles and Rock county attorney offices were directed to work together on selection of an attorney to provide outside counsel to the agency.

Oldre told the dissolution committee Wednesday that it needs to keep moving forward and commit to a plan. He also asked when it would be appropriate to give employees formal notice that their positions will be terminated at the end of the year. The plan is that existing employees would reapply for their positions, whether it be through Nobles County or Southwest Health and Human Services.

“There are morale issues,” said Haubrich, adding that employees know of the situation already anyway.

“I think you’d be better off addressing it sooner rather than later,” added Moore.

Pfeifer said the drawback would be that the county would face a risk of employees leaving the agency before the end of the year, which could leave NRCHS with the inability to operate effectively.

Ruppert said initial conversations in Nobles County were that employees would receive formal notification in September.

Oldre said he’d like to begin work on identifying which positions would remain in Nobles County, and which would move with Rock County to Southwest Health and Human Services. That topic was placed on the agenda for the next dissolution meeting, which is slated for 9 a.m. June 14 in Room 310 of the Nobles County Government Center.

“Chris (Sorensen at Southwest Health and Human Services) has an org chart,” Oldre said. “He knows what he wants and needs. This (union move) just muddied the waters.”

Following the dissolution meeting, the NRCHS board conducted its monthly business meeting.

In other news, the board:

* Learned that Nobles County was among seven counties in the state identified to receive an evidence-based practice grant to fund family-home visiting. The selection was based on statistics of counties at highest risk and most in need of funding. Because of the ongoing transition process toward a single-county health and human services agency, however, it was reported that Nobles County couldn’t provide the information required for the grant, such as who the agency supervisor would be and how services would reach the people in need. The grant — estimated to be $100,000 to $300,000 per year — would have been available for three to five years.

* Directed staff to send termination letters to 18 agencies that contract with NRCHS by the June 1 deadline. The termination letters will state that the contracts will continue through Dec. 31.

* Received an update on the vacant three-fifths, temporary sanitarian position. Ruppert reported that one application has been received for the job. Advertising for the position will continue through the end of this week. If there are no qualified applicants for the position, the agency’s alternative is to contract with Southwest Health and Human Services for sanitarian services.

* Renewed contracts with three interpreters used by the agency at a cost of $20 per hour. The contracts will be terminated on Dec. 31.

* Approved a contract with the Minnesota Department of Health for an early hearing detection and intervention program.

* Received an update relayed by former NRCHS Sanitarian Jason Kloss regarding the removal of a mobile home park in Adrian. The properties are slated to be removed and taken to the landfill by the end of June.

* Was introduced to Dean Tharp, AFSCME Council 65 representative, who will work with the public health employees on negotiations as they transition into the union. Tharp said notification was filed Wednesday morning regarding a desire to negotiate, and county officials should receive the notice within the next couple of days.

* Learned from health educator Paula Bloemendaal that the agency has been approved for the third year of a three-year grant from Clearway for continued educational efforts. NRCHS received $140,000 the first year and $125,000 the second year. Bloemendaal said the agency is requesting the maximum $150,000 this year because an additional staff member was hired to help with education programming.

“They were very happy with what we did for coalition building and awareness,” she said, adding that Clearway also appreciated now NRCHS leveraged its programming with Clearway’s statewide campaign.

Bloemendaal said the grant money stays with the coordinator, so depending on where she is working as of Jan. 1, 2012, the grant money will follow her.

“They will not do a one-county program,” she added. “Wherever I’m at, I’ll still do (education with the grant money) in the other county.”

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