Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers AssociationLos Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association

Greg Torres

COVID-19 Accommodation Forms Distributed

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As predicted last Friday (9/17/21), the Department of Human Resources, over the strenuous objections of PPOA and other CCU members, distributed COVID-19 Accommodation Forms and Guidelines this evening. This action, despite the fact that negotiations have not yet concluded, is inappropriate and from a PPOA perspective, represents bad faith negotiations. At this time, PPOA recommends members familiarize themselves with the provided forms and guidelines, as they may be needed when the vaccination policy is finalized. Notwithstanding this development, negotiations continue and details of this policy are still fluid. 
 
Regarding these Accommodation forms, unfortunately, negotiations with the County are incomplete and ever-changing, leaving PPOA very little additional information to offer at this time. Should you have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding the forms, PPOA highly recommends contacting the LA County Department of Human Resources at (213) 974-2406.

COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate – UPDATE 9/18/21

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This week, PPOA, along with ALADS and the other unions of the County Coalition of Unions (CCU) continued impact bargaining negotiations related to the proposed COVID-19 vaccination policy. PPOA, as an organization, is an unyielding advocate during these negotiations, fighting for all of our members regardless of personal beliefs or positions on this issue, as due process was bypassed, and your rights to employment are being challenged. 
 
The PPOA Board of Directors is following a legal, political, and collaborative strategy with our labor partners, ALADS, and the other members of the CCU. We have thoroughly researched legal options and opinions from the top legal defense attorneys utilized by our coalition partners (FOP, California Coalition of Law Enforcement, Southern California Alliance of Law Enforcement, Peace Officer’s Research Association of California) and monitor numerous lawsuits nationwide for any nuggets of knowledge which may adjust our strategy. 
 
The COVID-19 vaccination mandate issue has caused more confusion between the Chief Executive Office, County Departments, the unions and our members, than any other concern in recent times. The Board of Supervisors set direction which the County Departments do not have the resources to accomplish by October 1. The CEO’s negotiators present information from the Department of Human Resources which is complex, convoluted, and sometimes incorrect. The Sheriff has said “I must state my belief this is a labor issue which must be worked out between the unions and the Board of Supervisors.” Who at the County can provide clear direction? This is the problem.
 
PPOA is doing our best to provide membership with the best information available. The problem is, there is very little! Negotiations are slow going, lengthy, and far between, as scheduling with the County is difficult based on their negotiations with other unions also.
 
Please be patient as this confusion is generating voluminous inquiries. PPOA will continue to provide factual information as it develops. Should you have any questions or concerns not being addressed, be sure to email PPOA at info@ppoa.com.

COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate UPDATE – 8/26/21

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Over the last two days, PPOA, together with the County Coalition of Unions (CCU), has participated in lengthy meetings, well into the late evening hours, with the County regarding the COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
 
As described in the PPOA update of 08/24/21 (click here to read), executives of the Sheriff’s Department recently received the anticipated County communication over PPOA’s objections of the previous day. 
 
On 08/25/21, the Sheriff’s Department distributed an even more confusing synopsis of the County’s intentions, to all of its employees, not just those affected by the CA Department of Public Health vaccine mandate, which went into effect on August 23, 2021.  
 
An additional meeting was held this morning where the County and Sheriff’s Department acknowledged the inappropriate communication as evidence of a “plan” to demonstrate efforts to comply with the timeline of the CA Department of Public Health mandate. After negotiations, an agreement was reached with the County and Department that they would provide further clarifying language to be distributed in the very near future.
 
Without going into tedious details, these negotiation meetings have demonstrated that the County and its Departments are not fully prepared to implement the Executive Order in the near future as planned. These last two days of negotiations have identified many concerns, including: 
  • Numerous contradictions within their own documents;
  • Security concerns regarding the new Fulgent Genetics vaccine/testing tracking software;
  • The time restrictions and unavailability of resources for members attempting to comply with being “fully vaccinated” by the proposed deadline of October 1;
  • The substantial lack of resources within each County Department to process the anticipated submission of voluminous exemption applications, and
  • The continued conversations of alternatives to discipline 
 
PPOA’s negotiation team includes both sworn and non-sworn representatives as well as legal counsel. Additionally, PPOA staff have now returned to scheduled meetings, twice a week, to stay current in all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related negotiations. This dedication of PPOA resources will continue to supplement and enhance the efforts of the CCU to negotiate reasonable terms as well as mitigate impacts on PPOA membership regarding this issue.
 
PPOA will be meeting with other member unions of the CCU tomorrow morning to continue internal discussion related to the negotiations with the County. Please monitor PPOA communications for accurate and timely information. PPOA will continue to provide our membership with correct information as the impacts of the vaccine mandates are negotiated. 

Vaccine Mandate 8/16/21 Update

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On August 16, 2021, PPOA was made aware of an announcement at 9:03 AM sent to all County employees providing perspective on the Board of Supervisors recent COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate.
 
As seems to be the case regarding this issue, the messaging and actions are confusing to say the least.
 
“My office is now working with a cross-departmental team, including the Department of Human Resources and County Counsel, in consultation with our labor partners, to quickly to stand up a comprehensive program for all departments.” — LA County CEO Fesia Davenport. Click here to read the CEO’s letter in full.
 
While the CEO’s message seemed to indicate labor unions were “consulting” on these draft documents, PPOA can represent we have not been contacted to “consult,” nor participated in any “consulting.” NO agreement has been reached, or for that matter, even discussed.
 
In what appears to be an attempt to comply with the message, yesterday afternoon the CEO’s Office suddenly sent a set of draft documents to the County Coalition of Unions (CCU). These documents are now being reviewed by legal counsel, and a request for additional information has been submitted to the County.
 
PPOA has been, and will continue to be in communications with the other labor organizations of the CCU, and will continue to work collaboratively with all parties in an attempt to resolve the concerns of the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate.
 
Please continue to monitor PPOA communications for the most reliable information on this and other labor related issues.

BOS Vaccination Mandates

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At the LA County Board of Supervisors’ (BOS) meeting on Tuesday (8/10/21), two items related to COVID-19 vaccination mandates were on the agenda. The first was the Executive Order mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all County employees, authored by the Board Chair, Supervisor Hilda Solis. The second was a motion authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn, also mandating COVID-19 vaccines, but with a testing option for those not desiring to be vaccinated.
 
During this meeting, PPOA President Tab Rhodes addressed the BOS during public comment and communicated membership’s concerns and objection to the Executive Order and support for additional consideration of the motion authored by Supervisor Hahn. You can read President Rhodes’ comments here: https://files.constantcontact.com/…/692a7211-2189-4225…
 
Following public comments and lengthy conversations amongst the Supervisors, in a surprising move, the BOS both ratified the Executive Order and passed the motion by Supervisor Hahn, seemingly giving two different directions to employees.
 
PPOA has been in communication with the CEO’s Office since first being notified of Supervisor Hahn’s motion and discovery of the Supervisor Solis’ Executive Order via Twitter last week. As communicated in our email blast of August 5, 2021, the PPOA Board of Directors and legal counsel continue to review the current information provided and await further proposals and policies as the results of the BOS actions are even more confusing. PPOA has notified the County, Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation and Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner of our intent to assert our bargaining rights as to the impacts of these mandates on our membership.
 
One particularly contentious moment of the BOS meeting came during comments from Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, which later exploded through our membership via social media. During her comments, Supervisor Kuehl referenced the low vaccination rate, “astounding they are lower in the Sheriff’s Department, Fire, and Probation than in other areas…concerns about several employees and supervisors of the Sheriff’s Department …and a couple of them have said they would rather be fired then to be stuck with, you know the cells of dead babies (COVID-19 vaccine) and I of course would love to accommodate them and fire them tomorrow, but you know, be careful what you ask for.” PPOA is supportive of any and all efforts to move beyond this pandemic and return to life as normal, but always remains respectful of our members opinions, perspective, and right to make personal health decisions. These unnecessary and inflammatory comments by Supervisor Kuehl enraged members of PPOA, requiring a response.
 
Today, President Rhodes personally contacted both Supervisor Kuehl and Board Chair, Supervisor Solis. During the conversation with Supervisor Kuehl, she doubled-down on her comments, as she believes public safety and employees should be leaders in protecting the County’s citizens against exposure to COVID-19. Supervisor Kuehl offered no apology for her passion and perceived harshness as she explained her responsibilities to the overall health and welfare of the community members. Her perspective remains that “attitudes” in opposition to mandatory vaccination are detrimental to efforts in combatting the pandemic and that public safety should embrace their duty to the communities they serve. President Rhodes explained that her comments insulted PPOA members, created unnecessary animosity, and only through collaboration and mutual respect can solutions be achieved.
 
Soon thereafter, President Rhodes spoke with Supervisor Solis. President Rhodes was able to communicate many of the members’ concerns and confusion regarding the Board actions to her during this call. Supervisor Solis listened intently, commenting in reply that her expectations are that mandatory vaccinations are the way of the future. She believes that FDA approval of the COVID-19 vaccines is imminent, as well as the Federal Government, military, the State, and a voluminous numbers of private entities will mandate vaccinations. Supervisor Solis did inquire as to progress on information provided by the County to PPOA and any upcoming timeline of Meet and Confer meetings, to which President Rhodes had minimal information. Supervisor Solis expressed her expectations that further proposals and meetings will be forthcoming in the immediate future.
 
PPOA recognizes the many complexities of the vaccination mandate issue, and remains respectful of members’ concerns. If there is any good news to come out of this communication, PPOA can represent that the County has acknowledged our rights to negotiate the impacts on our members, of the recent BOS Executive Order and motion. Further information will be distributed as it is received.