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LOCAL 1014 C.P.A.T. FAMILY DAY!!!
DEFENDING OUR MEMBERS AND OUR DEPARTMENT
Local 1014 continues to defend our family members and the hard work of those who dedicate themselves to our job. While everyone would like to see a good, fair recruitment and testing and hiring process and system, it is not uncommon to have children and relatives of those serving compete and earn the right to serve also.
We continue to push back on the LA Times Articles that have been downright motivated below the belt shots at our Department and our Members. We also have had to battle back a near overreaction by the Department, The County and the Board of Supervisors.
We responded with solutions to fix the hiring and testing process and continue with the current written test to fill our vacancies. We have even have added in true quality of candidate with emphasis on women’s recruiting and mentoring which is an issue that needs to be addressed but handled correctly. If we didn’t provide the solutions then the County was set to over-react and strip the testing processes away from the Department and give them to Big County DHR. This would have been a move in the wrong direction to recruit, test and hire qualified candidates who really want to work here and want to be the best…regardless if they are related to someone on the job or not.
Supervisor Molina put forward a motion to strip all testing authority from the Department and give it over to DHR and trash the current exam putting in jeopardy filling our vacancies including moving the FSA Bridge Program back into full swing, which has been stalled due to the written exam not being ready and in play. Our own County Fire Human Relations is to blame and behind the curve on just about every aspect of recruiting, testing and hiring…something that is about to change dramatically.
President Gillotte set forward on a series of heated negotiations with all 5 Board Offices all the way up to a very heated behind closed doors last minute negotiations to eventually win 5 VOTES of the BOS (A rarity on any given day) to support solutions submitted by Local 1014 and the Department. A BOS Motion on item 9 as seen below in the video of the BOS Meeting on Nov. 5 tells the finish to the story and a historic ordering of a Strike Team of Stakeholders including LOCAL 1014 to move the current test forward and provide solutions to the BOS in weekly updates and jointly submitted formulas for success.
(Select meeting date, using the drop down, 11/5. Then select Agenda item 9 from the drop down next to the Meeting Segment)
http://bosvideoap.co.la.ca.us/mgasp/lacounty/VideoPlayer_NS.asp?Audio=ENGLISH
Edited transcripts from 11/5/14 BOS Meeting discussing the above issue
This will frame the future which will likely include the use of the CFFJAC (California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee) who currently administers our CPAT Test, as a prime candidate to administer our written exam also. President Gillotte has been very active in the CFFJAC and along with our Members who we have placed within JAC and especially the good work of Fire Fighter Specialist Kelly Abadie who runs our recruitment Division and is a well involved member of the Local 1014 Women’s Commission, the Explorers Program, our FSA and Camp Program and more… and I think knew a guy on our job who might have mentored her at one time…. Air and Wildland Czar Scott Jones.
We will have input to simplify the testing process to get away from trivial pursuit style of questions and back to things oral interviews or assessment centers, requirements of EMT and CPAT before we will take your application a requirement the Fire Chief and the Union have already agreed upon for the next entry testing process. We will also have the ability to use our position with CFFJAC for Career Days and Mentoring Programs for Women and for all interested candidates who want to earn their way onto our job. Continuing with the Fire Fighter Preparation Seminars which were just fantastic and provided a good road map to get folks headed in the right direction to prepare for our process. This 5-VOTE support for our Union was a vote to support our members and our Department in light of the pressure of a motivated reporter who is only telling his story, not the whole story.
Attached is our response to his remarks, and we need not worry about his follow ups and his motivation because we are going to go solve any problems and in fact try and move well past any issues to a system that works from recruiting and career days, to Explorer Program, to Camps, and any other “Inside” garden of achievers who put in the time to earn our job, inclusive of children of our own who are really the recipients of a lifetime of mentoring from a father or in fact mother… be they sons or daughters. It is natural for children to follow in the footsteps of their parents and we need not apologize for that or hide from it or play into a hand that would conclude this is wrong.
We are excited to bring some of the ideas we have been working on for years at CFFJAC and in partnership with the Department prior to the unfortunate 15 minutes of fame for a tired old reporter who took the easy way out and easy low blow shots at our members. More to come on the progress of this Strike Team Coalition work and you can check out a few links we have included to help you gain some vision of the work we have done.
“LOCAL 1014 FAMILY DAY!!!”… We recently talked to Fire Suppression Aids (FSA’s), Dispatchers, Forestry members, Explorers, Local 1014 Members who are not Fire Series Employees but have been working on it, and found some did not have their CPAT Cards or they were expired and we also found that there is a backlog of dates and times to get their cards before the release of our testing and hiring announcement and written test as proposed. Again we found a solution…Local 1014 will host a “Family Day CPAT Test Date”. Members in good standing and yes FAMILY MEMBERS of Members in good standing are invited to contact us and we will host a CPAT Test Date in the next 2 to 3 weeks Date and Time to be announced. This will be a day we sponsor for all 17 year and older participants that are Members, Explorers or Family of Members to take the CPAT.
We will need your Names, Drivers’ License Number, and Current e-mail and cell phone contact number and who you are related to if the relative of a Member. You will then be confirmed and details of the exam date and time will be sent out. The standard costs of the CPAT will apply to all participants except those who have volunteered on the campaigns and for some of the Union work we asked for help on to earn “Local 1014 CPAT Scholarships”.
SEND THE INFORMATION TO mail@local1014.org or andydoyle@local1014.org or michelle@local1014.org or daveg@local1014.org or call the Hall at (310) 925-2358.
Position Letter to BOS
I write to you on behalf of the entire Local 1014 Executive Board and in fact I probably represent the sentiment of every Fire Fighter Father or Mother whose son or daughter serves in our profession so proudly, especially as an LA County Fire Fighter. We take great offense to the LA Times Article in Sunday’s Paper in which Paul Pringle took a low shot in yet another series of articles that serve to attack Firefighters on anything and everything as part of a ploy to continue to pressure cuts and deleverage our Unions. This is a follow up to the same attack on UFLAC 112 – LA City Members that recently occurred.
WE OPPOSE ITEM 9. ON THE AGENDA AND OFFER THE FOLLOWING AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES:
It is a fact that sons and daughters follow in their fathers and mothers footsteps in all aspects of work, and we have often seen Actors, Singers, Entertainers, NFL and MLB and other Sports figures, children of workers in both the private and public sector jobs follow in their parent’s footsteps and this is a great thing. As a matter of fact, when children opt for the same work as their parents, it could be argued the only advantage they have is looking at a role model who can show them the ropes, provide connections for school and job paths to set the stage for them to see what the job is like and if inclined to pursue and go earn it. The County recognizes this each year we participate in “Bring your sons and daughters to work day”. This is designed to specifically expose our children to our job interests and with good purpose and often used in both private and public sector progressive companies, and in New York the children of Firefighters killed in the line of duty are given hiring preference and with good cause. These items could actually be looked at as a job benefit in attracting and retaining the best of the best in both private and public sector if you wanted to be very progressive.
The Union has been working on this item for some time with the Department and this article and the follow up articles were not unexpected and we will continue to monitor and ensure no over-reaction to the article from the Department and the County as we have seen from LA City Elected Officials and Staff.
We should all be proud of our members’ work and accomplishments including those who are related to those who have served or are serving and I can personally attest to the pride and dedication and work ethic and work product of Ryan Tripp who was viciously and unfairly attacked in this article. I work with Ryan in Battalion 13 regularly on fires, strike team assignments, major EMS calls and more and he does a hell of a job… He represents similar stories for all but serves as an example for all. The only thing criminal in Ryan’s story is the picture they used in the article and the fact that he is a San Francisco Fan, but thankfully they did not print that.
Finally, the author of the article left out this little finishing fact for all to read. These sons and daughters who serve and have earned the right to serve like anyone else may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice at any given time. FDNY firefighters on 911 and of course LA County Fire Fighters unfortunately know this all too well. Perhaps Paul Pringle should research that a bit before he writes about the fiber of our members. One Badge, One Bear, One Share! Let us contemplate these thoughts as we do what we do and get back to work as we humbly serve our public.
Having said that, let me try and address the issues of import that should be addressed and can be addressed effectively and expeditiously and put our Department, The Union, The County light years ahead of most for the true items in need of examination and remedy.
The recent LA Times Articles regarding 3 topics embedded in the misplaced rhetoric of an angry reporter (back story to that) are as follows:
- Personnel Issues with regard to test prep and questions and so forth.
- Nepotism and other such unfair advantage allegations and percentage hires etc.
- Recruitment and Retention of Women primarily and others to the Fire Service, Specifically LA County Fire Department.
The solution to deal with each of these items lies in a LABOR-MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP rather than a Fire Department HR or Big County DHR combined or solo solution which will fail for a variety of reasons.
The solutions and follow up with why:
- Personnel Issues – Separate and investigate, facts, due process etc… Action items for individuals as necessary with process and systemic action items change and educate and reinforce etc. as necessary with Labor and Management working together as we have done numerous times to put a system with integrity and process and merit of substance in place.
- Nepotism or favoritism – Implement a system that does not advantage relatives or inside employees over others in an unfair manner, but also does not restrict or unfairly disadvantage the relative and inside candidates who have been mentored and worked so hard for the job meeting or exceeding standards for hiring. A system that is fair to all inclusive of relatives as individuals competing for the job.
This can be accomplished by 2 or 3 steps. Go forward with the current fully vetted and finished entry level recruitment test as written and prepared with Fire Department and DHR Collaboration to establish a hiring list and begin filling the 200 vacancies which are critical to our staffing levels to meet the service needs of the District. Also this written exam is critical and part of an MOU item to “Bridge” Fire Suppression Aid Candidates to the Fire Recruit Position and would be an Unfair Labor Charge if altered without meeting and conferring with the Union. This test is credible and is validated and needed. Also this exam is in keeping with the Preparation Seminars and Education provided to the Public for the past year leading up to the exam, and to change midstream would be a great disservice to the candidates at large who have been preparing for our process. Use the exam as a first step to move forward, but with oversight.
Let me also tell you that the Department and the Union for years have been working together in a Labor Management Partnership on items like our physical (Fit for Life), Workers Compensation Reform in a DRA or Carve Out Agreement (netted 10% savings year one), and the CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) which is a Labor Management run Physical Agility Test we currently use for applicants for LA County Fire Department.
The CPAT is run through CFF-JAC (California Fire Fighter Joint Apprentice Committee)…. A classic Apprentice Program between the State and the Unions (CPF – California Professional Firefighters and the Cal Chiefs) to administer and control all material test prep, and validation and legal liability and has long since become the national and state standard. Recently the CFF-JAC bought written test service and is up and running administering the same quality and standard of excellence written tests, with no advantage to any individuals and ample preparation tools and legal authority and vetting to be the state and national standard.
The Department is aware of this and we have been discussing this option for our Department and similarly LA City Fire is also heading down this path as are other Departments Statewide. This would ensure no advantage to any individual be they related to anyone on the job or not. We embrace this testing process and the vision would be a one-stop shop in the future for the physical ability test, and the written test with each candidate with the same access to preparation tools and utilizing federally recognized content validation criteria from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions’ Uniform Guideline for employee Selection Procedures.
This should be either the current exam to be given, or as I have indicated, use the test that is ready to go and do not delay to fill positions critical in our need, but certainly direction to begin negotiations to include the CFF-JAC written as a requirement in the future exams would be appropriate and solve the problems identified.
Women’s recruitment and retention - Similarly the CFF-JAC and Los Angeles County Fire Fighters Local 1014 Women’s Commission have been working on recruitment and retention issues with a Mentoring Program and Community outreach as well as has the Department with the Recruitment Division established with Fire Fighter Specialist Kelly Abadie, a Women’s Commission and Written Exam Advisory Committee Member for CFF-JAC, in the County Wide “Fire Fighter Preparation Seminars”, which I have personally attended and are spectacular with over 200 people reached. This work should not be discarded but rather the foundation for what we do next, where we go next.
I submit that the Labor Management Partnership through CFF-JAC will outshine, outpace and in an outstanding manner be the perfect already established, state and national standard Recruitment Model and process for us to embrace and use. Local 1014 and the Department Co-wrote the Family Policy and the Pregnancy Policy in partnership. Without Labor it would still be but a concept on a desk. We also need to move on a path of travel to ladder the recruiting and mentoring into actually HIRING THESE WOMEN. This is a concept that not only County Fire HR, but County DHR has not been able to grasp nor provide path of travel to accomplish for the last decade…let us now move swiftly to accomplish the task at hand with real work product, not just talk.
Sincerely,
Dave Gillotte
President Local 1014
BACKROUND ON CFF JAC to quickly educate all on what CFF JAC is and with my e-mail gives a good understanding on what we can embrace and accomplish:
Home CFFJAC Page - http://www.cffjac.org/go/jac/
CFFJAC Testing Center Page - http://www.cffjac.org/go/jac/fctc/ also at the bottom of the e-mail as a page for a quick look…. Written testing up for 5 months now…. Tremendous use Nor-Cal and HR from Departments raving and good working relationships with CFFJAC….
CFFJAC Women’s Commission – Kelly Abadie and myself are on this State Commission with a Local 1014 Women’s Commission - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0TGgFqBHfs
CFFJAC Mentoring Program – We helped with development of this (Kelly and I with commission) - http://www.cpf.org/go/cpf/media-center1/cpf-fire-vision/cpf-firevision-cffjac-mentoring-program/
CFFJAC Career Expo’s – 1014 and CFF JAC Sponsored and Department Supported each year - http://www.cpf.org/go/cpf/media-center1/cpf-fire-vision/cpf-firevision-cffjac-career-expos/
This is a magical opportunity finally get these items all inclusive to ACTION not words….
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