News

CAPE Night: Worker's Compensation Event

The Partners of Ford & Wallach, one of California’s preeminent workers’ compensation law firms, will be holding a special CAPE Night: Worker’s Compensation training session on Wednesday, May

Investing in Our Health: The Importance of Regular Dental Check-ups

We often hear the saying, "Health is wealth," and it couldn't be truer.

New CAPE Representation Handbook Available Now

We are a successful and thriving union, but a strong contract means little if members aren’t aware of our rights in the workplace and empowered to exercise them.

President's Message: CAPE Outreach Program Highlights Value of CAPE Career Track, Involves County Officials and University Academics By Carlos Clayton, CAPE President

One of the most popular organizing efforts initiated in recent years is the CAPE Outreach Program.   The program is designed to educate the public, the press and elected officials about the skills, education and experience of CAPE members and how those abilities help make the County run more efficiently and effectively.

Technical Support Unit Negotiations Update:

July 2014

After holding a Technical Support Bargaining Unit CAPE Membership Meeting on June 30th, the CAPE Technical Support Unit Negotiation Team returned to the contract negotiations table with Sanitation Districts’ management representatives in July to convey the members’ concerns with the recent Tentative Agreement (TA) over the terms for a successor MOU for the Unit’s employees.

Representation Update: Vacation Alert!

A brief word of caution before planning your vacation trips:

Before putting any money down for vacation plans, e.g. for planes, trains, busses, or hotels, make sure to obtain pre-approval for the time-off requested. You could lose money, for example in non-refundable deposits or other pre-payments, should your vacation request be denied.

CAPE Policy for Promotional Exam Challenges Updated to Ensure Timely Filings

CAPE representatives recently adopted a new policy and an updated method for the Association's assistance to members on their Promotional Exam Challenges.  The new policy will officially take effect on September 1, 2014.

CAPE Political Endorsement Committee Interviews Candidates for L.A. County Supervisor, 3rd District, and County Assessor

The twenty-one member CAPE Political Endorsement Committee (PEC) gathered in February & March to engage and measure the candidates for L.A. County Supervisor, 3rd District, and L.A. County Assessor.

The two leading candidates for the Third District L.A. County Supervisor, as well as eight of the candidates for County Assessor including some CAPE members, participated in the CAPE endorsement process.

CAPE Annual Dinner Celebrates Association’s 50th Anniversary

2014 marks the 50th Anniversary of our Association representing the collective interests of more than 2,700 of L.A. County’s professional employees and Sanitation Districts’ technicians.

On Thursday evening, March 27, 2014 more than 600 CAPE members and guests gathered at Santa Anita Park for a celebratory dinner and casino night party to commemorate this momentous occasion in CAPE’s history.

President's Message: They’re Still Coming After Your Pension By Carlos Clayton, CAPE President

California’s public employees breathed a huge sigh of relief when San Jose Mayor Charles Rufus “Chuck” Reed finally made the official announcement that his ballot measure would fail to appear on the November 2014 statewide ballot.

Reed’s ballot measure was designed to strip public employees of their defined benefit pensions, a policy made popular by shortsighted public officials and AM radio talk shows.

Fringe Benefit & Salary Contract Update:

Second & Third Cost-of-living Pay Hikes Effective 10/1/14 and 4/1/15, Fringe Benefit Contract Adds to Paychecks


All six of CAPE’s Los Angeles County bargaining units ratified the salary contract agreement late last year providing for a 6% total across-the-board cost-of-living-adjustment pay increase. The first 2% pay increase was implemented retroactive to October 1, 2013 and hit members’ paychecks at the end of last year. The second and third pay hikes will be implemented in the next 12 months. 2% on October 1, 2014, and 2% on April 1, 2015.