The resolution is an untimed item for consideration during the Tuesday meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. The meeting will be televised on TV Channel 8.

After an ongoing negotiation, the county and the California United Homecare Workers Union reached a tentative agreement on Jan. 8, which was approved by a 98.5 percent vote of IHSS workers last week, as Lake County News has reported.

The agreement, or memorandum of understanding, lays out the terms for IHSS providers' health insurance and benefits from Feb. 1, 2008, through Jan. 31, 2010, according to a staff report to the board from the Department of Social Services.

In the memorandum's first year, IHSS providers will receive a wage increase, from $8 per hour to $8.33 per hour, plus 60 cents per hour to go toward health insurance administered by the union's trust fund.

On Feb. 1, 2009, IHSS providers' wages will rise to $8.75.

Also in the contract's first year, the Lake County Public Authority will put in place an enhanced registry, the purpose of which will include helping clients find providers, offering providers backup and “other enhanced registry services,” which are not specified.

Before the Public Authority completes the application procedures and criteria for the registry, it must meet and confer with the union about the proposed compensation for providers who take part and the eligibility criteria “which shall not include drug testing,” the memorandum states.

Drug testing was the cause of serious disagreement between the union and the county last year, when the county suggested a two-tier system to pay more to providers who submitted to drug testing and extra training as part of a registry.

The IHSS Public Authority, however, retains the right to list or suspend providers. An appeal process will be put in place when providers want to contest their removal from the registry.

The memorandum also calls for the formation for a Labor Management Committee to resolve “matters of mutual concern,” which will include representatives of the union and public authority. From that committee, which will meet quarterly, the two sides are expected to work together to offer additional training to the county's IHSS workers.

Under the terms of the agreement, the public authority and union will work together to implement IHSS provider training programs, with the primary goal being to provide CPR and first aid training.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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