Yesterday, 06/22/2020, at 1535 Hours, PPOA received email notification from LASD Employee Relations that DHS has elected not to renew the Sheriff Department’s personnel that manages the LAC+USC Medical Center Dispatch Center, and provides public safety to the hospital. The contract ends on June 30, 2020, and will have an impact on six (6) Security Officers and five (5) Law Enforcement Technicians.
PPOA immediately requested a meet and confer, attended by Director Jody Clounch, Vice-President Jim Blankenship, President Rhodes, Executive Director Quint, and PPOA Senior Labor Representative Venice Wallace, to gather information and to ensure our members’ rights are protected during this involuntary reassignment. During the meeting this afternoon (6/23/20), representatives of the Department also advised PPOA of additional anticipated contract cutbacks within County Services Bureau, which could impact as many as 30-40 Security Officers. PPOA has requested and will continue to demand specific information and implementation plans, which we have not yet received.
At today’s meeting, PPOA expressed concerns, offered suggestions, and demanded our members’ rights to a fair and objective reassignment based on past practices of seniority. The Department was receptive to our issues and is taking our suggestions under advisement, with a follow-up meeting to be scheduled in the next couple of days.
Both PPOA and the Department agree on one thing: to do everything possible to absorb these curtailments in such a manner as to AVOID layoffs. Those Security Officers lower in Department seniority should expect to be contacted in the near future regarding the possibility of reassignment within the Department as well as potentially being asked to work out of classification, if needed to ensure County employment.
PPOA will update the membership after the next meeting with the Department.