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.

CCU Fringe Benefits Negotiations Update:

Regarding your important fringe benefits, the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), including CAPE representatives, expects to reach an overall agreement with the County very soon and has already achieved several major improvements.  Please know as you cast your salary contract ratification vote in December that a new Cesar Chavez annual Holiday starting in 2017, one extra week of vacation time upon completing 24 years of service, and significant additional funding for your rising healthcare costs over the next three years have already been secured by the CCU.

CAPE Bargaining Unit Tentative Agreements Achieved!

After several late-night bargaining sessions, the CAPE Negotiating Teams reached Tentative Agreements with Los Angeles County representatives earlier this month on new three-year CAPE Bargaining Unit contracts for CAPE members. The new contracts include the following salary and working condition gains, among other enhancements:

• 10% total across-the-board pay increases for all CAPE Bargaining Unit members within 2 years, 6 months of the start of the new contracts:

CCU Fringe Benefits Negotiations Continue:

Regarding your important fringe benefits, the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), including CAPE representatives, have already secured important gains as the CCU continues to negotiate with the County to achieve the maximum possible fringe benefit improvements this bargaining cycle.

Although the CCU has yet to reach an overall Agreement, the following benefit gains are assured for CAPE members and all CCU-member union employees:

• A New Cesar Chavez annual Holiday every March 31 starting in 2017.

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.