After a two-year battle, SEIU Local 721 and LA County entered into a settlement agreement that will provide back pay for a two percent (2%) Advanced Degree Bonus for one year from January 31, 2017 through January 31, 2018 to eligible Nurse Practitioners assigned to the Department of Health Services (DHS). Due to amended job specifications, Nurse Practitioners are currently no longer eligible to receive an Advanced Degree Bonus for having a Bachelors Degree in nursing or in a closely-related field.
This outcome comes as a result of SEIU 721 prevailing at arbitration on January 31, 2017 on a grievance filed on behalf of a group of nurse practitioners who held a Bachelors Degree or Accelerated Masters Degree. These NP’s qualified for the Advanced Degree Bonus pursuant to Article 57 of the MOU for BU 311. Soon after, the County unilaterally changed the job specification so that nurse practitioners with a Bachelors Degree or Accelerated Masters Degree could no longer be eligible for the bonus. The Union filed a Group Grievance in Character (GGIC) for all impacted Nurse Practitioners in DHS and an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge for the unilateral change and other claims of unfair practices. The Parties reached the above-settlement on the eve of the hearing for the ULP.
In order to claim the Advanced Degree Bonus back pay, you MUST download the Advanced Degree Bonus form and submit it with a copy of your Bachelors Degree in nursing or an Accelerated Masters Degree in nursing or a closely related field by MAY 13, 2019. The Bachelors Degree form is readily available on the DHS Intra-Net.
Submit the Advanced Degree Bonus form and proof of your degree to the DHS Bonus Unit and request a receipt for your application. DHS Bonus Unit: dhshrbonus@dhs.lacounty.gov.
If you previously submitted your packet to another email address, please also send it to the email address listed above. This update is to ensure that all submissions are received by the DHS Bonus Unit for processing.
Contact SEIU 721 RN Coordinator, Marisa Szeps: marisa.szeps@seiu721.org for more info.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ADVANCED DEGREE BONUS FORM