The California Association of Professional Employees (CAPE, AFL-CIO) is the bargaining unit for more than 2,500 professional employees of the County of Los Angeles.
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.
For those of us who can clearly remember back to 2013, we recall that the Public Employees Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) made drastic changes to every public employee retirement system. CalPERS and every County operated pension system are forever required to manage their finances responsibly.
Of course, our own pension system, LACERA, has always operated responsibly and never had the problems associated with a few of the systems around California. Nevertheless, the State Legislature imposed its own solutions on LACERA and virtually every other public employee pension system.
When your Union investigates a grievance or any adverse action by management or any employee against a CAPE member, your Business Agent will want to know the “who, what, when, where and why” regarding the matter. Part of the “who” would be who may have seen something regarding the claim.
Fact-Finding regarding the long-running contract dispute between CAPE’s Technical Support Bargaining Unit members and Sanitation Districts’ management over the terms of a successor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Unit’s employees occurred on Friday, April 17th.
Longtime CAPE communications consultant Jeffrey Monical was appointed last month to the County Economy and Efficiency Commission by newly elected 3rd District Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.
The appointment presents an opportunity to provide input on County operations. The Economy and Efficiency Commission has recently issued reports expediting the Civil Service Hearing Commission processes, and conducted a thorough review of the County government's transition to "E-Government applications".
The contract that controls pay and working conditions for CAPE members expires on September 30, 2015, but preparations for this year's Salary Contract negotiations are already well underway. The demand letter to commence formal negotiations was sent to County officials in March, along with CAPE’s initial proposals for the negotiations.
The contract agreement that governs CAPE members' fringe benefits, such as the County's contribution to Choices family health care coverage and Horizons, the deferred compensation matching contribution program, are negotiated collectively with all of the CCU-affiliated county employee associations sitting across the bargaining table from County management representatives.
With negotiations starting this year on both our Salary Contract and our Fringe Benefit Contract, it's important that CAPE members know who is making the decisions on proposals from management's side.
Ultimately, it is the five members of the County Board of Supervisors that gives direction on what we'll see at the negotiations table. Likewise, they will vote to ratify whatever agreement we eventually secure at the table.
On November 10, 2014, the CAPE Negotiating Team for the Technical Support Bargaining Unit and Sanitation Districts’ management met with a State Mediator to attempt to bridge the current gap between the parties over the terms of a successor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Unit’s employees.
