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

Greg Torres

Supervisors Vote to Overstep Sheriff’s Authority on Vaccine Mandate

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This afternoon (2/8/22), the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted to approve Agenda Item 18 (Amending the LA County Code to Enhance Compliance with and Enforcement of the County’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy). 
 
This motion directs County attorneys to work with the County CEO and Personnel Director to develop proposed amendments to County Civil Service rules, giving the Personnel Director “overriding authority to discipline the employees of any county department for noncompliance with the county’s policy or directives related to the policy.” Those proposed amendments will be reviewed by the Board of Supervisors at its March 15 meeting for final consideration.
 
Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Holly Mitchell introduced the motion, which was approved on a 4-0 vote, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstaining. In Supervisor Barger’s press release, she asserted that “this action is in response to an individual – Sheriff Villanueva, to be specific.” She also expressed that County administrators need to do more to work with the Sheriff’s Department and labor union leaders to reach a solution that will not result in a large-scale termination of essential workers.
 
PPOA Attorney Jim Cunningham delivered a message from PPOA to the Supervisors today to make sure they understood this motion violates the County charter and oversteps the Board’s authority. His letter to the Board included the following statement: “Any attempt to take over the Sheriff’s ability to oversee the disciplinary process for his employees, it is submitted, would certainly not survive legal scrutiny by the courts who would likely find the BOS exceeded their authority under well-established legal principals.” 
 
Following today’s hearing, County representatives contacted PPOA to begin discussions regarding this newly-approved motion. PPOA objects to this obvious abuse of authority and will fight vigorously to prevent any member from being harmed as a result of this action by the BOS. STAY TUNED for further developments on this matter.
 

COVID Admin. Investigations & Testing

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HELLO SHERIFF: PPOA MEMBERS MATTER…
SHERIFF CONTINUES TO STOMP ON NEGOTIATIONS RIGHTS

On January 18, 2022 at 8:59AM, PPOA was advised by the Department, “There are still several Department members that have failed to register their vaccination status in either the Fulgent database or the Department’s database.” 
 
Didn’t you, Sheriff Villanueva, direct Department members not to utilize Fulgent-related products?
 
The Department notification continued, “This has become problematic to the Department’s ability to properly and efficiently deploy personnel and adhere to contracts with County, State, and Federal entities. Starting today, the Department will move forward with initiating administrative investigations for those Department members who have not registered.” 
 
Is Sheriff Villanueva now enforcing the County mandate? 
 
Again, the information contained in this notification confuses previous Department direction, contradicts the Sheriff’s VERY public comments about not enforcing the COVID-19 mandate, creates many more questions, and undermines any continuity of direction to PPOA members from the Sheriff.  
 
Didn’t you, Sheriff Villanueva, say that you were not enforcing the County COVID-19 vaccination mandate?
 
While still awaiting any communication from Sheriff Villanueva from last Friday’s request to discuss the COVID-19 testing requirements implemented without the required Meet and Confer, the above email was delivered on Tuesday morning following a three-day weekend, in less than eight (8) business hours. PPOA President Tab Rhodes, having not receiving any response from the Sheriff on Friday afternoon or over the weekend, reached out to Undersheriff Murakami at 9:45AM. President Rhodes briefed Mr. Murakami of PPOA’s concerns, the confusion in Department direction, and the obvious contradictions within these two recent notifications. Mr. Murakami stated he would “check into it.” As of the distribution of this email, no response has been received by PPOA from the Sheriff or Undersheriff.
 
As PPOA is in a continued Meet and Confer process with the Department regarding COVID-19 policies, a cease and desist of the distribution of this email and accompanying new policy has been demanded pending completion of our negotiations. Additionally, due to the continued total disregard for legally required Meet and Confer, and ongoing disrespect to the labor relations process, PPOA has initiated the filing of numerous Unfair Labor Practice charges against the Department with the Employee Relations Commission.
 
Impacts to PPOA members:
 
Directly, it is now obvious that some of our members will now be in need of our administrative and legal resources while trying to navigate the vague and contradictory direction of the Department related to the COVID-19 registration, COVID-19 vaccination mandate, and/or testing requirements.
 
Indirectly, PPOA members, both sworn and non-sworn are just plain CONFUSED. Non-sworn members are trying to understand the direction given to them by sworn PPOA member supervisors who are unable to obtain clarifying answers to the direction given from Department management.
 
And during this confusion, PPOA’s continued efforts to help our members through outreach as well as our attempts to collaborate, face silence.
 
SHERIFF VILLANUEVA, where are all of your promises of supporting employees now? PPOA members deserve answers which the organization cannot provide if your Department does not participate in the labor relations process. What is the difference between your unilateral actions and requirements without Meet and Confer, versus the action of the Board of Supervisors in implementing the County’s COVID-19 Executive Order?
 
Should PPOA be contacted to meet on these issues, further information will be communicated to members. Until then, rest assured that PPOA will continue to object to any adverse action taken against our membership or organization, utilizing all available resources.