On Monday, September 28th, during the longest and most intense negotiation session of this salary contract bargaining cycle, the CAPE Negotiating Teams representing Appraisers, Engineering Technicians, and Professional Engineers pressed hard to make real progress with the County prior to CAPE members' current contracts expiring on October 1st.
Although the CAPE Teams achieved some important movement, as the negotiations carried into the early morning hours Tuesday, too many issues that are critical for our side remained unresolved to be able to reach an overall agreement.
Around 1:00 AM on Tuesday morning, the parties decided we would need to continue negotiating beyond the contract expiration date to try to reconcile our remaining differences. The terms and conditions of the now expired salary contracts for CAPE's Bargaining Units will continue to be honored by the County as the negotiations continue.
COLA PAY INCREASE UPDATE: The CAPE Negotiating Teams' made progress Monday improving across-the-board pay for CAPE members. The full 10% cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) pay increase package is now on the bargaining table for all CAPE Bargaining Units.
"We have said for some time that nothing less than a 10% pay increase package would be acceptable," said CAPE President, Carlos Clayton. "We achieved the 10%; however, we are still attempting to improve the COLA implementation dates and other compensation related provisions of the contracts, so there is more work to do."
Likewise, some major issues regarding CAPE members' career paths, job safety, and working conditions remain unresolved.
OTHER COMPENSATION & WORKING CONDITION ISSUES: As previously reported, the CEO's office has so far categorically denied all of the requests made by CAPE-represented employee groups to correct salary inequities and various operational problems in their ranks. In response, CAPE is now seeking a re-opener during the term of the successor contracts that would give these employees a chance to present their concerns directly to their Departments and CEO officials for support. Such an approach does not commit the County to anything, other than hearing out their employees. Why would any public employer who is serious about giving its employees the tools and support they need to better serve the public deny such a request?
At the Department of Public Works (DPW), management continues to use increasing numbers of private, non-union, contract employees to perform CAPE members' work. CAPE will not idly stand by while DPW management continues to jeopardize public service and cutoff our members' career paths by contracting out the work of professional employees.
Furthermore, in a shocking display of callous disregard for employee safety, DPW management continues to refuse to support a CAPE Negotiating Team proposal for annual reimbursement for the cost of safety boots for field employees. DPW already provides such reimbursements to other employees who work alongside CAPE members in the field. Likewise, the Department of Regional Planning is offering such safety boot reimbursement for their zoning enforcement personnel represented by CAPE. Why would DPW management deny a legitimate request to help prevent job-related injuries, especially when there is clearly money in the budget and a precedent both within DPW and Department of Regional Planning for providing such reimbursement?
WHAT'S NEXT? The CAPE Appraisers Negotiating Team will resume discussions with County negotiators on Monday, October 5th. The CAPE Engineering Technicians & Professional Engineers Negotiating Team is expected to reconvene with County negotiators soon thereafter.
Despite going beyond the midnight, September 30th contract expiration deadline, the current contract will remain in effect for CAPE-represented employees as the salary contract negotiations continue. The County will continue to honor the terms and conditions of the expired MOUs day-to-day until we reach a settlement. We remain hopeful we will achieve overall contract agreements soon that will meet both CAPE members' and the County's vital interests in ensuring quality, effective services for L.A. County residents moving forward.
We will continue to keep CAPE members informed.