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.
Fringe Benefit Contract Talks Slowed by County -- September 2013
CAPE representatives at the Coalition of County Unions (CCU) remain hard at work in collective bargaining trying to secure a new fringe benefits contract for CAPE members.
The fringe benefits contract covers a wide variety of employee benefits including the County’s contribution to the Choices program to pay for medical benefit premiums, the County’s contribution to the Horizons deferred compensation program, retirement benefits, and much more.
On Thursday, August 8, 2013, the CAPE Board of Directors unanimously voted to back Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis to be the next L.A. County Supervisor in the First District.
Two of the five seats on the County’s Board of Supervisors will be an open election in 2014 without the incumbents running due to term limits. Former Secretary Solis is widely considered to be the best-qualified individual in the running to replace First District County Supervisor Gloria Molina in next year’s election.
Is the County’s lack of preparation and poor responsiveness at this year's negotiations table frustrating for CAPE’s and the Coalition of County Union’s (CCU) negotiation teams? Absolutely!
Should it stop us from pursuing our goals of securing fair salary and fringe benefit contracts? Never!
Who will be the next generation of professional engineers, appraisers, engineering technicians, etc?
The CAPE Board of Directors recently approved implementation of a scholarship program to support students in academic disciplines that would lead to professional work in CAPE-represented jobs.
The program outline calls for participation from County officials, along with college professors and CAPE members to review scholarship applications. The program, as initially designed, targets students at the Cal State University Los Angeles Civil Engineering Department.
Under the former-appointed Chief Deputy Assessor, Santos Kreimann, the Assessor Department received praise from some sources for restoring credibility and improving operations. CAPErepresented employees – with their consistent, professional approach to their jobs – deserve much of the credit.
Regardless of who gets the credit, one area that definitely suffered under the former Chief Deputy Assessor was employee relations. We are sincerely hoping for an improvement in employee relations at the Assessor’s Office under newly appointed Chief Deputy Assessor, Sharon Moller.
After months of preparations and four months at the salary contract negotiations table, the CAPE bargaining teams have tentatively agreed to a new 2-year salary contract that provides for a 6% total across-the-board cost-of-living-adjustment pay increase for all LA County CAPE-represented employees.
The pay-raise agreements were secured by the CAPE teams representing the Professional Engineers, Engineering Technicians, and Appraisers bargaining units during formal bargaining with County negotiators last week.
More than 1,700 CAPE Members Sign the Petition Demanding a Fair Pay Raise Agreement CAPE Petition delivered to County Board of Supervisors Chairman Mark Ridley-Thomas
