The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors formally approved the new Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for all six of CAPE’s L.A. County Bargaining Units on January 26th. Board of Supervisors’ approval paved the way for the County to finally administer the first pay increase of the new MOUs to CAPE members.

As part of the new Fringe Benefits contract negotiated by the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), the County agreed to increase its contribution toward the Choices Plan for 2016-2018 to help cover the increases in our medical and dental premiums (any amount we receive over the premium amount can be taken home as taxable cash). Below are the improved 2016 County healthcare contributions:

Employee      $ 860.72
Employee + 1    $ 1,570.43
Employee + 2 or more   $ 1,855.16

October 1, 2015 3%* (12 salary levels)
October 1, 2016 3% (12 salary levels)
October 1, 2017 2% (8 salary levels)
April 1, 2018 2% (8 salary levels)
*Retroactive to October 1, 2015.

On Monday, December 14, the Coalition of County Unions (CCU) reached a Tentative Agreement (T/A) with the County of Los Angeles on a sweeping contract that includes significant enhancements in paid leave – vacation and holidays – and in the County’s negotiated contribution toward our health and dental plans, The Choices Plan. Major highlights include the following:

Due to a mistake in the initial balloting, CAPE is conducting a Contract Ratification RE-VOTE in all L.A. County CAPE Bargaining Units to ensure the integrity of the voting process. As such, we ask all CAPE members to please disregard the previously mailed voting materials. We also apologize for any inconvenience to those who already voted.

Regarding your important fringe benefits, the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), including CAPE representatives, expects to reach an overall agreement with the County very soon and has already achieved several major improvements.  Please know as you cast your salary contract ratification vote in December that a new Cesar Chavez annual Holiday starting in 2017, one extra week of vacation time upon completing 24 years of service, and significant additional funding for your rising healthcare costs over the next three years have already been secured by the CCU.

After several late-night bargaining sessions, the CAPE Negotiating Teams reached Tentative Agreements with Los Angeles County representatives earlier this month on new three-year CAPE Bargaining Unit contracts for CAPE members. The new contracts include the following salary and working condition gains, among other enhancements:

• 10% total across-the-board pay increases for all CAPE Bargaining Unit members within 2 years, 6 months of the start of the new contracts:

Regarding your important fringe benefits, the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), including CAPE representatives, have already secured important gains as the CCU continues to negotiate with the County to achieve the maximum possible fringe benefit improvements this bargaining cycle.

Although the CCU has yet to reach an overall Agreement, the following benefit gains are assured for CAPE members and all CCU-member union employees:

• A New Cesar Chavez annual Holiday every March 31 starting in 2017.