PPOA Week in Review: Dec. 24, 2022

PPOA Wins Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against LA County

PPOA is pleased to report the Employee Relations Commission (ERCOM) ruled in our favor regarding the County's ill-advised implementation of Oversight Legislation in 2020.

As members may recall, PPOA filed an unfair labor practice charge after the Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance to permit the Civilian Oversight Commission (COC) to access information, documents, and testimony by directing the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to issue subpoenas when necessary. PPOA Counsel Jim Cunningham filed the unfair labor practice charge in December 2020, alleging the County violated the Employee Relations Ordinance by implementing changes without first meeting and conferring with PPOA and ALADS. Ultimately, a hearing officer found that the County

had violated its duty to engage in the meet and confer process.

PPOA, ALADS and County representatives are now engaged in the meet and confer process regarding the oversight legislation and expect to conclude negotiations by mid-February.

Please note that PPOA members "shall not be required to respond to subpoenas issued pursuant to the Oversight Legislation until the conclusion of the meet-and-confer process." If you are served with a subpoena for your attendance, or for records, from the OIG and/or COC, please contact PPOA immediately.

Click here to read details from PPOA Counsel Jim Cunningham.

LA County Federation "House of Labor" Meeting

December 19: Los Angeles County Federation of Labor members, including Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr., gathered on Monday evening for the monthly "House of Labor" meeting. These sessions help County union leaders compare notes and consult with each other about the many issues impacting public employees throughout the County.

The County Fed is comprised of more than 300 unions and labor organizations, representing more than 800,000 members.

California POST Seminar re: Senate Bill 2

December 20: PPOA President Nancy Escobedo joined fellow law enforcement leaders at a seminar to assess the details of Senate Bill 2 (peace officer certification requirements in California). The event was hosted by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).

Click here to read about Senate Bill 2.

Coalition of County Unions Meeting

December 21: Executive Director Quint joined fellow labor leaders for the monthly Coalition of County Unions (CCU) videoconference to discuss issues impacting PPOA members and other County employees.

The CCU collectively represents more than 30,000 union members employed by the County of Los Angeles and is their unified voice on health insurance, vacation pay, retirement and more.

Click here for more information about the CCU.

PPOA Seeks Experienced Labor Representative

December 21: PPOA sent an email to the membership on Wednesday to inform them of our search for a full-time, experienced Labor Representative.

Click here to read the email about that position.

Meeting with Sheriff Luna

December 22: President Escobedo was joined by 1st Vice President Jay Chapman and 2nd Vice President Tony Coleman for a meeting with Sheriff Robert Luna at the Hall of Justice. Topics of discussion included staffing, budget, COVID, academy classes (sworn/non-sworn) and more.

LASD K-9 Deputy Jack

End of Watch: 12/22/22

December 22: The Sheriff's Department shared the heartbreaking news of the death of beloved Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) K9 Jack.

The Belgium Malinois was tragically shot and killed by a violent, armed suspect during a tactical operation in Gardena on Thursday. The actions of K9 Jack saved the lives of numerous SEB members during this operation.

Click here to read more about K9 Jack.

Deadline for Unit 631/632 Contract Ballots

December 23: Friday marked the deadline to receive completed ballots for the proposed Unit 631/632 salary contract. The ballot count will take place at PPOA on Tuesday, December 27th.

Tradition of Support from the LASD Family

Every year, for the past 15 years, Industry Sheriff’s Station has made it a tradition to “fill the jar” for Savanna Arruda, Sergeant Lidia Arruda’s daughter, for Christmas. Savanna is the daughter of Deputy Michael Arruda, who worked at Industry Sheriff’s Station and tragically lost his life in the line of duty on June 15, 2004.

Merry Christmas from PPOA

The PPOA board and staff would like to wish all members a very Merry Christmas. We are especially grateful to all of you sacrificing family time this weekend in order to keep our communities safe.

PPOA Steer Clear Program for Members

PPOA wants to ensure all members make it home safely while celebrating with family and friends during the holidays. Our annual “Steer Clear” program offers reimbursements to members of this Association who use UBER or LYFT between November 24, 2022 and January 1, 2023. The reimbursement offer is limited to one round-trip or two one-way trips not exceeding 30 miles total. Valid for UberX and Lyft Standard rides only. Tips not included. Offer limited to active, full-dues paying PPOA members.

If you plan to enjoy adult beverages this season, please do so responsibly. And if you’re not in condition to drive safely, make sure to use Uber or Lyft and email your receipt to info@ppoa.com (using your personal non-County email address) for reimbursement. Please include your full name and employee number in the email.

We sincerely hope that all PPOA members enjoy a safe and happy holiday season!

Fraternal Order of Police News Update

PPOA members have long benefitted from our longtime affiliation with 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. Click here to read the latest CAFOP news update.

An important note regarding FOP membership for retired PPOA members: Once a sworn PPOA member retires, and he/she wishes to reactivate their FOP member/benefits, the following steps must be taken:

To reactivate your membership as a retired peace officer, you will need to pay FOP annual dues of $40 for 2022. The link below is available to pay online should you wish to expedite the process. If by check, the mailing address is:

LA County FOP Lodge 1

P.O. Box 6919

Buena Park, CA 90622-6919

Credit card link below:

FOP Los Angeles County Lodge 1 (unionly.io)

Please make it a point to check out 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.

Click here to read this week's Washington Watch.

Boxes of Hand Sanitizers Available to PPOA Members

A local warehouse has donated pallets of hand sanitizers to PPOA for distribution to members. If you would like to pick up a box (24 bottles in each), please send an email to rescalante@ppoa.com. Use subject line "sanitizers" and include your full name and phone number.