The current Bargaining Unit contracts controlling salary and working conditions for all CAPE members will expire on September 30, 2012, which is the same expiration date for the Fringe Benefit contract for all Los Angeles County employees. CAPE bargaining team members met for the 2nd time on April 11 to continue their preparations, including orientation to the collective bargaining process and an in-depth analysis of the current negotiations environment for public employees.
First and foremost, CAPE's bargaining team representatives reasserted the Association's longstanding priority of first protecting members' pay, benefits, and working conditions. Los Angeles County bargaining units remain one of the few public employee groups in California to emerge from the economic crisis without layoffs or reductions in pay. With the economy on a slow recovery, CAPE's bargaining team members set their top priority as continuing to protect members' pay, benefits and working conditions, as well as the vital County services provided by CAPE members, through the next contract term.
CAPE's bargaining team members also recognize the need to build toward the realistic potential for cost-of-living-adjustment increases for L.A. County's employees as soon as possible. The bargaining teams requested additional time to discuss the current bargaining environment, negotiations priorities, and strategy with CAPE members at their worksites before they reconvene for their next meeting on May 17.
Roughly 6 of the unions representing Los Angeles County employees have salary contract expiration dates in September, like CAPE. The four unions representing public safety employees had contract expiration dates in December 2011, January and February of this year. All four unions, including the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS), the Professional Peace Officers' Association (PPOA), the L.A. County Firefighters, and the Probation Officers' Association agreed to one-year Unit (salary) contract extensions. To learn more about contract negotiations (click here).
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| CAPE bargaining team members discuss the 2012 negotiations environment at April 11th meeting. |