PPOA Board Secretary
Custody Assistant, LASD
tcoleman@ppoa.com
As the County health officials begin to lax some of the COVID restrictions allowing for some limited gatherings, I will begin to set up a schedule of initial visits for 2021. I look forward not only to again speaking with personnel from our custody and station facilities, but other courts and some of our individual units within the unit, such as PMB, Access to Care and others.
As of this writing, the Department budget has yet to be set. Based on information provided by the Sheriff, there is hope that it would happen sometime in mid-to-late April or May. This will provide us a clearer direction as to what, if any, changes that impact our Custody Assistants will occur.
The potential ranging impact of Measure J cannot fully be understood until we know the numbers. We’ve already felt the impact of cost-cutting as CARP has once again come into play. Although it is a management right, it will alter how some specialized units run, as personnel are vacating their positions and workloads to cover others. We will continue to monitor the issue to keep the parameters manageable for impacted personnel, notably as we enter the family season of vacations, graduations and weddings — events that were not available in COVID-ravaged 2020.
The Fringe Benefits contract expires June 30. This is negotiated by the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), which is composed of 14 unions, including PPOA. Our Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr. has attended the initial meetings as they begin to construct their strategy and itemize items affecting our benefits, such as:
• The County’s financial contribution to Choices (medical, dental, etc.)
• The County’s match towards Horizons
• Paid time off (holiday, vacation, sick, injury and bereavement)
• Bilingual pay, as well as other provisions
For those of you looking to purchase the tactical uniform, United currently does not make a green shirt. PPOA and the Department are aware of this “oversight,” and United has stated it will have green shirts coming. In the meantime, the Flying Cross brand will still be available at the PPOA online uniform store and at Galls.
Also, if you ever have a question, concern or want to verify information, please contact me. Rumors are disruptive to our growth and unity. False information impedes any potential progress and limits our ability to properly stabilize and direct our classification toward the order we feel it should have and continues to demand.
If you have a small unit that has space to accommodate a briefing, I will be more than willing to come and address your unit directly.
I thank you for your time, patience and professionalism. Take care and stay safe.