News

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

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.

In this issue, we look back at the amazing work and incredible victories secured during the fall and winter of 2023, discuss helpful tips when considering retirement, and gear up for CAPE’s 60th Anniversary in 2024.

CAPE has long recognized the importance of Sick Leave Benefits to our members and has prioritized the improvement of these benefits and enforcing your rights to them.

I, as the Chair of the Coalition of County Unions, per the direction of your Board of Directors, have pursued this priority of improving your Sick Leave Benefits by leading the Coalition in addressing these benefits in our dealings with the County.

Public employee pension benefits are under serious political attack. One critical way that Los Angeles County employees can help protect our well-earned, secure retirement benefits is by electing LACERA Board representatives who will fight for us; Herman Santos and Vivian Gray.

Herman Santos for Board of Investments:

Attacks on public employee pensions continue to surface from a variety of sources in an even wider variety of venues. CAPE members are, by now, familiar with the attempts by pension reform advocates to place pension-cutting proposals on the ballot for voter approval. All of the ballot measures submitted so far have failed to secure the necessary number of signatures, but enough time still remains to submit, circulate and qualify initiatives for the November 2012 Presidential Election ballot.

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.

Public sector collective bargaining rights are under serious attack. All across the nation, public employees and their unions are being wrongfully blamed for public agency budget deficits. It’s as if everyone has forgotten that it was Wall Street not Main Street; and definitely not public employees, who brought our nation’s economy to the brink of collapse.

Last fall the Governor issued a 12-point plan he described as a starting point towards responsible public employee pension reform. The so-called “reform advocates” and public employee union representatives immediately engaged in a heated debate over what the Governor intended and which employees would, or should, be impacted by the reforms.

I was honored to be elected by my colleagues on the Board as CAPE President in September 2011. In the months since, the number and severity of challenges facing the Association, and public employees across the state, have grown exponentially.

State legislative efforts and proposed ballot measures aimed at reducing or eliminating public employee pensions are making headlines daily. Another ballot measure, already qualified for the November Presidential Election, threatens to eliminate political activities by employee groups.

With the struggling economy and continued high unemployment levels, the past few years have been difficult for workers everywhere. Now, more than ever, it is vital for union memberships to remain strong and united.

Overall, CAPE members deserve a great deal of credit for taking steps to increase their collective strength over the last year as we head into what could be a very difficult round of contract negotiations in 2012. Exact figures on our union’s membership growth will be shared at the upcoming Membership Meeting & Dinner on March 8th.