HERE WE GO AGAIN...
Sheriff Continues to Stomp on Negotiation Rights
Yesterday (1/14/22) at 1:45 PM, PPOA was advised, “some of your members who have not provided proof of full vaccination will be receiving the attached message later today.” 

“You are receiving this email because you have been identified as a Department member that has not provided proof of full vaccination. The County policy requires proof of full vaccination, or submit to weekly testing.” PPOA was informed the distribution of this message was directed by Sheriff Villanueva.

Didn’t you, Sheriff Villanueva, say that you were not enforcing the County COVID-19 vaccination mandate?

Upon receiving this information, PPOA immediately and vehemently objected, verbally to Employee Relations and followed up in writing from our legal staff. Over our objection, starting at 2:08PM, members began contacting PPOA having received this Department message.

Is Sheriff Villanueva now enforcing the County mandate? When did this happen?

This ask of members, without a lawfully required Meet and Confer, and notification coming on Friday afternoon going into a three-day weekend as well as starting on a County holiday is UNREASONABLE to say the least.

The information contained in this notification contradicts previous Department direction and appears to misrepresent County policy, creates many more questions, and undermines any continuity of direction to members from the Sheriff.  
 
Who are the vendors behind these various testing sites? Are they Fulgent testing sites? 

Didn’t you, Sheriff Villanueva, direct Department members not to utilize Fulgent-related products?

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.

Attempts by PPOA to directly contact Sheriff Villanueva for assistance and/or consideration received no response.
Sheriff Candidates Forum Invitation Sent to PPOA Members
January 10: PPOA emailed an invitation to members on Monday for the upcoming Sheriff Candidates Forum co-hosted by PPOA and ALADS. Extremely limited seating and a rapid RSVP response from members has resulted in very few seats remaining available for LASD active, full-dues PPOA members. If you are interested in attending the event on January 26th and have not already RSVP'd, please send email to info@ppoa.com with your name, employee number and personal (non-County) email address. Seating is reserved exclusively for members of PPOA and ALADS. Priority will be extended to LASD active, full-dues members.
Meeting with New LASD Sergeants
January 10: Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr. and PPOA staff members were proud to meet with 35 new members at Sergeant Supervisory School on Monday. This was the first of three classes from the 99 Sergeants who were recently promoted.
Sheriff Election Committee Meeting
January 10: PPOA Board Members and selected Delegates met again to continue the process of thoroughly evaluating the 2022 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s election. The focus of the meeting remained on the upcoming January 26th Sheriff Candidates Forum co-hosted by PPOA and ALADS. The committee members also continued to develop the process of candidate interviews, endorsement evaluations and more.
Legal Team Meeting re: COVID-19
January 11: As Omicron surges and COVID-19 continues to present a growing number of workplace challenges, PPOA representatives met for their weekly teleconference to discuss these issues and how to mitigate their impact on PPOA members. Meeting participants from PPOA included President Tab Rhodes, Executive Director Quint, Senior Labor Rep. Venise Wallace, Labor Rep. Teresa O'Neil, Intake Rep. Kevin Thompson and PPOA attorneys.
PPOA Board of Directors Meeting;
New Unit 612 Representative Sworn In
January 12: The monthly PPOA Board of Directors meeting took place on Wednesday. During this video conference, LADA Bureau of Investigation Sergeant Jay Chapman, a PPOA Delegate, was sworn in to fill the remainder of the term vacated by the resignation of Lieutenant Robert Maus. Sergeant Chapman has 19 years of dedicated law enforcement experience and PPOA members in the DA's Office will no doubt benefit from his representation on the Board and the Unit 612 contract negotiations team.

The PPOA Board is extremely grateful to Lieutenant Maus for his commitment and professionalism while serving as the Board Treasurer for the last two years. We wish him well as he transitions toward a well-deserved retirement.
Sheriff Discusses Current Issues
January 12: Sheriff Villanueva hosted a Facebook live stream on Wednesday to discuss current issues including the MTA plan to replace peace officers with "ambassadors," an update on hiring Deputies and Custody Assistants, providing public safety for the Super Bowl, and more.

COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate Mediation
January 13: Representatives from PPOA and the Coalition of County Unions took part in the third round of the formal process of mediation with the County regarding the vaccination mandate. The initial round of mediation occurred on 11/16/21 and like that one, the meeting this week was overseen by two mediators assigned to help move this contentious process toward a resolution. PPOA was represented by Executive Director Quint and President Rhodes at the meeting. 
Supreme Court Decision on Mandatory Vaccinations
January 13: PPOA Attorney Jim Cunningham provided the update below regarding two recent Supreme Court decisions related to vaccine mandates.

Today (12/13/22), the United States Supreme Court rendered two decisions relating to the President’s orders to have private employers with over 100 employees, and medical facilities with healthcare workers, have all of their employees vaccinated or be tested and masked with the exception of employees who qualify for religious or medical exemptions.
 
The first decision dealt with the Secretary of Health, at the direction of the President, mandating the medical facilities who receive Medicare and/or Medicaid funds have their employees vaccinated with the above exceptions. The Court opined that since the Secretary has in the past legislated mandates and conditions to receive funding from the Government and the fact that Congress has enabled them to do so, the President’s mandates as they applies to Healthcare workers are legal and enforceable. 
 
However, the President’s mandate as it applies to private employers with more than 100 employees, utilizing OSHA as the enforcing agency, was an abuse of the President’s authority since Congress has never authorized OSHA to exercise that power or authority. 
 
To be clear this decision has no impact on a Public Employer’s (City, County or State) ability to implement a vaccine mandate or require an employee to register their vaccine status. The Supreme Court made it clear that State’s still have the ability to mandate Vaccinations and registrations. Thus, these cases have no appreciable impact on our local mandates.
Unit 612 Salary Contract Negotiations
January 13: Members of the PPOA Unit 612 negotiations team met with County representatives via video conference to continue negotiations for a new salary contract. The current contract for Sergeants and Lieutenants from the Sheriff's Department and DA's Office expires on January 31, 2022.

This was the fourth round of negotiations between PPOA and the County regarding the Unit 612 contract. At this time, both parties have tentatively accepted each other's proposals related to articles in the contract where there appears to be mutual agreement. Because the County negotiators do not have fiscal authority at this time to provide a counter proposal, the next negotiations meeting is scheduled for January 27th.

The Unit 612 team is comprised of the following PPOA members:

  • President/LT. Tab Rhodes, Negotiations Chair
  • SGT. Juan Calderon
  • SGT. Ruben Pastran
  • SGT. Jose Rios
  • SGT. Anthony Romo
  • LT. Geoffrey Chadwick
  • LT. Nancy Escobedo
  • LT. Todd Knight
  • LT. William Moulder
  • LT. Marshall Yelverton
  • DA SGT. Jay Chapman
  • DA SGT. Yvette Hartwell
  • PPOA Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr.
  • PPOA Legal Counsel
Fraternal Order of Police
PPOA is a longtime member of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the world's largest organization of law enforcement officers, with more than 364,000 members in more than 2,100 lodges nationwide. All active PPOA members are part of California FOP Lodge 1, which represents public safety organizations throughout LA County and operates under the capable leadership of former PPOA President Roger Mayberry. Click here to read the latest weekly news update from the California FOP.

Please make it a point to check out the Washington Watch — a weekly update provided by the National FOP. We encourage PPOA members to stay up to date on the legislative news and activity impacting public safety personnel nationwide. 


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