PPOA Protects Members’ Union Sponsored Health Care Plans – Joins Coalition of County Unions

July 23: PPOA board members convened a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss membership in the Coalition of Los Angeles County Unions (CCU). Following weeks of research and deliberation, the board decided to join the Coalition and is confident that PPOA members will benefit from the strength of numbers that comes with CCU membership. Less than a month ago, more than 775 members of PPOA received letters describing changes in the Fringe Benefit contract recently negotiated between the County and CCU. These changes included a notification that those members participating in the CAPE Union-Sponsored Health Care Plan would potentially lose the ability to renew this plan through Choices open enrollment in October 2019. As PPOA in the recent past had always received the benefits of the negotiated Fringe Benefit contract, this loss was unexpected and unacceptable. Additionally, this development represented a future potential risk to PPOA members’ access to other CCU Union-Sponsored Health Care Plans and benefits. PPOA leadership and staff immediately began the outreach to CCU, CAPE, and the County to identify options. As a result of many efforts and numerous meetings, the PPOA Board of Directors was presented potential solutions on Tuesday. In the end, the board decided rejoining the CCU was the best decision to protect our members and ensure new opportunities in the future. President Rhodes stated, “I am so pleased the PPOA Board recognized the urgency of the situation and value of rejoining the CCU. As the first major challenge to hit this new administration, I am very pleased to have had everyone’s assistance in this process. Additionally, a big thank you to the leadership of ALADS, for their help and guidance in our research and readmittance into the CCU, which demonstrates a new collaborative relationship.” The CCU represents more than 30,000 men and women employed by the County of Los Angeles and negotiates for your fringe benefits collectively with no less than 10 CCU affiliate unions. PPOA looks forward to working with the CCU to protect and enhance benefits for our membership. For more information, please visit www.coalitionofcountyunions.com.