Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, announced a major agreement today regarding recent negotiations with the public safety unions representing over 17,000 County employees. Under the agreement, all six of the County’s public safety bargaining units, plus two other justice-related unions, have agreed to a one-year, no change extension of their current contracts. The extensions include no cost-of-living increases or salary increases for the next year.
The eight unions that agreed to the extension are Firefighters (Local 1014), Supervisory Firefighters (Local 1014), Peace Officers (ALADS), Beach Lifeguards (LACOLA), Supervising Beach Lifeguards (LACOLA), Supervisory Peace Officers (PPOA), plus Deputy Probation Officers (AFSCME, Local 685), and Public Defender Investigators (Peace Officers Counsel of California).
Current contracts with the eight unions had originally expired between December 31, 2008 and January 31, 2009. Under the extension, labor leaders from the County and the public safety unions will now avoid having to negotiate in the midst of the County’s current financial challenges. With the extensions in place, labor leaders from the County and the unions recognize the County is facing significant fiscal challenges and have agreed to work with the County.
Los Angeles County is in difficult financial times right now, between diminishing tax revenue from the local economy and round after round of funding hits from the State of California, said Supervisor Knabe. We are all in this together and I am extremely proud that our partners in the public safety unions recognize these challenges and are supporting this one-year extension.
As partners with the citizens of Los Angeles County, the Firefighters recognize the current economic stress the County is under, and we are ready to step up and help, said Dave Gillotte, President, Los Angles County Fire Fighters Local 1014, representing over 3,100 County firefighters and paramedics.