News

CAPE Board Election 2025

The election for the CAPE Board of Directors is approaching soon.  This year, the two-year terms of five (5) Board Directors must be filled.

Pride Month CAPE Virtual Backgrounds

June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community's diversity, resilience, and achievements. CAPE is proud to be a union that fights for the rights and well-being of everyone, and we're proud to stand with our LGBTQI+ colleagues and allies.

Together, We Rebuild, Support, and Fight for Our Future

In the aftermath of the devastating California wildfires, we find ourselves grappling with a profound sense of loss and resilience. Many in our CAPE family have faced unimaginable hardships as homes and livelihoods were reduced to ashes.

A 10% COLA Package Is Assured For CAPE Members; Negotiations Continue Beyond The Contract Deadline

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.

CAPE Negotiating Teams Ready To Bargain Beyond The September 30th Contract Deadline To Achieve Fair Salary Contracts For CAPE Members!

Achieving new wage and working condition contract agreements before the existing contracts expire is among the surest ways for County management to guarantee labor peace in Los Angeles County. CAPE members' Salary Contracts expire at midnight on September 30, 2015 and the clock is ticking.

President's Message: CAPE's Changing Leadership By Carlos Clayton, CAPE President

Thank you to Dennis Ruh and John Fallon for their past service; Welcome Jonathon Bell and Carl Lindner. 

Service on the CAPE Board of Directors is time consuming and always a challenge. CAPE members deeply appreciate the decades John Fallon spent on our Board of Directors and on the CAPE Benefit Trust. Likewise, Dennis Ruh leaves big shoes to fill given his many years of experience and fearlessness in standing up for CAPE members’ rights. Both will be greatly missed. On behalf of CAPE members and directors, we wish John and Dennis all the best in retirement!

Remember to Review Your eCounty Pay Check

With the introduction of paperless paychecks, it has become easy for County employees to forget to review their paychecks each pay period for errors or omissions. A recent audit in the County Assessor's Office uncovered that six Appraisers were not receiving their Advance Appraisal Certificate Bonus for up to two years. Management is correcting the omission and the Appraisers will receive their missing bonuses.

Sanitation Districts Update: CAPE Technical Support Bargaining Unit Members End Long-Running Contract Dispute with Sanitation Districts Management

In early August, CAPE’s Technical Support Bargaining Unit members held a re-vote over the Tentative Agreement (TA) their CAPE Bargaining Team reached with Districts’ management in May 2014 for a successor MOU for the Unit’s employees.

The members’ confidential ballots were tallied the morning of August 12th, and by a slim margin, the TA was ratified by CAPE members. The outcome of the re-vote was delivered to management representatives that same afternoon.

Retirement Announcement: Longtime CAPE Organizer/Leader Cheryl Williams Retires

On Tuesday, June 23, 2015 longtime CAPE member and delegate Cheryl Williams, Principal Appraiser from the Assessor Department, celebrated her retirement with a capacity crowd of colleagues, friends, and family at The Petroleum Club in Long Beach. Cheryl (pictured center) was presented with the CAPE Honorary Life Member Award from CAPE Board member, Lisa Andres (l), and CAPE representatives, Tim Farrell (c) and Jessica Castro (r). Thank you, Cheryl for your years of dedicated service and commitment to CAPE members and the County of Los Angeles. We will truly miss you!

CAPE Contract Bargaining Teams Continue To Negotiate with County Officials

CAPE members’ salary and working conditions contracts with Los Angeles County will expire September 30, 2015. Since early April, the CAPE Bargaining Teams have conducted more than a dozen formal negotiating sessions with management representatives over terms for successor contracts. Although the CAPE Teams have made good progress toward achieving a fair cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) pay increase for CAPE-represented employees, there is still much work to do.

CCU Representatives, County Officials Continue Discussions to Secure New Fringe Benefits Contract

County Coalition of Union (CCU) representatives, led by CAPE Counsel Blaine Meek, continued talks this month with County officials aimed at securing a successor Fringe Benefits agreement to provide more than 40,000 County workers with sick days, vacation days, retirement contributions, the County's contribution to the Choices medical benefits, and the County's contributions to the Horizons deferred compensation program. The current Fringe Benefit agreement, which is negotiated with County officials separately from the Salary Contracts, expires next month on September 30, 2015.