COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate UPDATE
PPOA was made aware of an announcement sent on Monday (8/16/21) morning to all County employees providing perspective on the Board of Supervisors' recent COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate.
 
As seems to be the case regarding this issue, the messaging and actions are confusing to say the least.

“My office is now working with a cross-departmental team, including the Department of Human Resources and County Counsel, in consultation with our labor partners, to quickly to stand up a comprehensive program for all departments.” — LA County CEO Fesia Davenport. 


While the CEO’s message seemed to indicate labor unions were “consulting” on these draft documents, PPOA can represent we have not been contacted to “consult,” nor participated in any “consulting.” NO agreement has been reached, or for that matter, even discussed.
 
In what appears to be an attempt to comply with the message, later that afternoon the CEO’s Office suddenly sent a set of draft documents to the County Coalition of Unions (CCU). These documents are now being reviewed by legal counsel, and a request for additional information has been submitted to the County. PPOA has been, and will continue to be in communications with the other labor organizations of the CCU, and will continue to work collaboratively with all parties in an attempt to resolve the concerns of the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate.
 
Please continue to monitor PPOA communications for the most reliable information on this and other labor related issues.
Fraternal Order of Police 65th National Conference & Exposition
PPOA representatives were honored to join 3,700 fellow Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) members at the FOP National Conference in Indianapolis this week. The FOP hosts this much-anticipated event every two years to set the goals and agenda for the organization. The business of the order is conducted, seminars are offered, Constitution & By-Laws are reviewed and changed, the Executive Board is elected, and National Trustees and Committee Chairs report their activities for FOP members from all over the nation. Participants from PPOA (photo at top) included Board Members Robert Maus, Joyce Kato, Nancy Escobedo, Jose Rios, Joel Barnett, as well as Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr.

The FOP is 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. 
California FOP delegation at the National Conference
LA County Federation of Labor Meeting
August 16: PPOA President Tab Rhodes joined fellow LA County Federation of Labor representatives on Monday for the monthly "House of Labor" teleconference. Discussions were centered on the many issues impacting union members, including COVID-19, the vaccination mandate for County employees, contract talks and more.

The County Fed is comprised of more than 300 unions and labor organizations, representing more than 800,000 members.
PPOA Star & Shield Foundation Meeting
August 18: Board members of PPOA's Star & Shield Foundation took part in a teleconference on Wednesday. Since its inception in 2001, the Foundation has proudly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support worthy causes, including its most important mission: providing assistance to the families of fallen officers. Meeting participants included President Rhodes, Board Secretary Tony Coleman, as well as Members-at-Large Juan Carlos Calderon, Kevin Thompson and Margarita Turpen.
Coalition of County Unions Meeting
August 18: President Rhodes joined fellow Coalition of County Unions (CCU) representatives for a discussion with CCU legal counsel regarding the COVID-19 vaccination mandate impacting LA County employees. LACERA personnel and Board of Retirement Trustee Les Robbins also spoke with the CCU representatives regarding an overview of the LACERA Retiree Healthcare Program. Included in the overview was a preliminary discussion on the current lifetime maximum amount of $1-million on specific nationwide Blue Cross non-Medicare health plans. PPOA strongly supports increasing the “lifetime cap” for retired County employees and looks forward to continuing this important discussion.

The CCU collectively represents more than 30,000 union members employed by the County of Los Angeles and is their unified voice on County-wide matters such as health insurance, vacation pay, retirement, and more.
PPOA/Custody Labor Management Committee Meeting
August 19: PPOA participated in the monthly Custody Labor Management Committee (LMC) teleconference with Employee Relations, Assistant Sheriff (Custody Operations) Brendan Corbett and his command staff on Thursday. Meeting participants from PPOA included President Rhodes and Board Secretary Coleman.
New Issue of Star & Shield Magazine Hits Mailboxes
The August issue of Star & Shield magazine arrived in mailboxes this week. Inside, you'll find: 
  • Heroes Wanted...Needed
  • Don't Take Labor Day for Granted
  • The Work Continues for Custody Assistants
  • LASD Security Personnel: Are Your Prepared?
  • PPOA Achievements & Challenges of the 1980s
  • PPOA Scholarship Ceremony Photos
  • and more!
LACERA General Member Election:
Vote for SANTOS & GRAY
LASD Captain Shawn Kehoe, a longtime PPOA member who serves as a Trustee for the LACERA Board of Investments and Board of Retirement, encourages all general members to vote for the following incumbents:

3rd Member, Board of Investments
Vote for HERMAN B. SANTOS

3rd Member, Board of Retirement
Vote for VIVIAN H. GRAY

"Both of these incumbents are uniquely qualified to protect the interests of PPOA members," said Captain Kehoe. "Please join me in supporting Herman Santos and Vivian Gray as they seek to continue safeguarding our pensions and healthcare benefits."

Eligible LACERA general members are able to cast votes either online or by telephone, through the closing of the election on August 31, 2021. The online voting and telephone system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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. 

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. 
20th Annual PPOA Pre-Labor Day BBQ
& General Membership Meeting
Please join us on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at Biscailuz Training Academy!
Lunch is FREE for all PPOA members and immediate family. Cost for guests is $8.00.

STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR UNION
DOWNLOAD THE PPOA APP
‌