Ready and Waiting

The last three months have been nothing short of eventful, from the inevitable implementation of the body-worn cameras (BWCs) to the upcoming contract negotiations and an attempt to overhaul the scheduling of an entire facility. Let’s get right into it.

The rollout of the BWCs within custody was anything but smooth. I addressed this at length in my last article and I’ll reiterate LASD has the right to implement new equipment. As a union, PPOA has the right, under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), to meet and confer over the policy in which the new equipment is implemented. After the months-long process of meet-and-confers, the policy was meticulously negotiated and agreed upon. This is not an ongoing issue. The BWCs are live and not going away. Within the Points of Agreement, Custody Assistants were not eligible to attend BWC training for the first 90 days after the publication of the policy, which expired November 16. Also addressed in the Points of Agreement was that all C/As who attended BWC training earlier this year shall re-attend the eight-hour BWC training prior to donning the BWC. This was not written as an option in the Points of Agreement. Therefore, if any C/A is being denied the opportunity to re-attend the training, please reach out to PPOA for this matter to be addressed through the proper channels. Moving forward, BWC training is authorized, and any and all C/As assigned shall attend. The next shift, you shall don the BWC and the 120-day transition period begins.

I have received several inquiries pertaining to our contract, which is in good-faith continuance since its expiration on March 31, 2025. Bargaining Unit 621 has established the negotiations team and we are in the early planning stages of our proposals. A survey was sent out to the personal emails of PPOA members at the end of September. If you did not receive the survey, please contact the PPOA office to confirm your correct email is on file, and check your spam in the future. Regardless of misperceptions, the survey and your vote matter, now more than ever. The lack of response was disheartening, but the results of the survey were not surprising. C/As overwhelmingly feel overworked and undercompensated. “Doing the same work as deputies for half the pay” has become our battle cry. And no, “Just become a deputy” is not the solution to ignored systemic failures that impact roughly 1,200 C/As. I cannot vouch for what has transpired during past negotiations. However, I acknowledge the uphill battle ahead, and we intend to capitalize on this opportunity to have legitimate custody issues addressed and resolved for the betterment of our classification.

This past October, I had a briefing at one of our custody facilities to discuss the new BWC policy and to have an open dialogue about on-the-job concerns. Within this briefing, it was discovered that there was a planned overhaul of the facility scheduling cycles. Regardless of the facilities’ reasoning, under the MMBA, there is a process in place for any attempt to initiate changes that potentially impact union members. That process is notification to the Board of Labor Relations and Compliance (BOLRAC), which then notifies the union entities to allow an opportunity to meet and confer over the proposed changes. An employer can, at times, stand the risk of litigation if it bypasses the union to negotiate directly with the employees about changes to terms and conditions of employment. Subsequently, in late October, PPOA initiated and attended a meet-and-confer with the facility’s leadership and BOLRAC to address the concerns of our members via the appropriate protocol. This confidential conferral process is still ongoing; however, PPOA will continue to provide updates to the impacted members. PPOA has a strong stance on the matter and will continue to act in the best interests of our members.