CAPE Prepares for 2012 Contract Negotiations; Protecting County Services Emerging as Key Priority

CAPE members provide a wide variety of vitally important services for County residents and businesses.  Properly identifying those services, especially the work that expedites the region’s economic recovery, has become a primary task for CAPE representatives as they prepare for 2012 salary and benefit contract negotiations.

The contracts that govern CAPE members’ salary and working conditions, and fringe benefits, both expire on September 30, 2012. While twelve months might seem like a long time, properly preparing for formal discussions with County representatives requires an enormous amount of preparation and research, both inside and outside the CAPE bargaining units.

Internally, union representatives are prepared to launch the association’s new website and a first-of-a-kind comprehensive online membership survey, covering salary and benefit issues, as well as a long list of other communications, political and working condition issues.  Outside research to prepare for contract negotiations will include salary and benefit comparison analyses, economic projections and other information to support our proposals.

In preparation for the County’s proposals, CAPE representatives are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.  Knowledge of the County’s financial future, and what could happen to state and federal funding for County programs, is at the very least, cause for caution in the union’s approach to next year’s negotiations.

At risk in the next fiscal year are federal programs, including the $400 million Medicare Waiver program; and cuts in state funds as a result of the 2011-12 State Budget that triggers nearly $3 billion in cuts if the Legislature’s optimistic revenue projections fail to materialize.

With job cuts on the table in surrounding agencies, CAPE representatives are already at work making sure that the vital services provided by CAPE members are not subject to the budgetary whims of politicians.  Alliances with the many stakeholders that depend on fast and efficient services from County staff will be fully developed in the coming months. 

Other County employee units have salary contract expiration dates that precede those of CAPE units.  Watch for the County’s proposals, if any, to those units in the next edition of the CAPE Professional, or this website.