Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014

Representing over 3200 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers,
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel

Happy Friday!
February 10, 2017

As yet another winter storm hits LA County and Local 1014 Members cover the front lines to serve our citizens, Local 1014 Executive Board continues to prepare for storms affecting our membership.

We have met with both County Fire Management and Big LA County CEO staff to discuss the additional Vacation and Holiday time we secured during bargaining.  As most of you are aware the CEO for LA County directed the Department to not allow us to accrue those V and F days in accordance with our contract.  The County is having heartburn with the way we accrue and are paid for excess benefit time and would like to alter how we accrue and are compensated for the new hours we have achieved at the bargaining table. 

We have stopped the Department from carrying out the order of the County, and while they are caught in the middle, we have put both the County and the Fire Department on notice with regard to any unilateral actions they are considering as being unlawful, out of compliance with our MOU and County Code.  We have filed a grievance general in character on the vacation day accrual issues and we will soon file on the holiday accrual issue. 

A grievance general in character, filed by 1014 as per our MOU, is a formal appeal process that will end in arbitration against the County.  This is very similar to court in process and we have already been through the first meetings with the County and on are on our way to the next steps and likely arbitration.  We will be meeting with the CEO to discuss this further to attempt to find a solution, and we will consider talking to the Board of Supervisors on this as well but going to Arbitration looks to be a solid and good platform to prevail on this item and get an order handed to the County and the Fire District to handle it our way...the proper way...in compliance with the MOU fairly negotiated between the County and 1014. 

All members affected, and those who are affected going forward, please keep the Union informed if you are not getting the new V and F days on your check.  We know that on the pay warrent of 1/13/2017 if you had excees hours that you stopped accruing in 2016 they were added to your excess hours.  We also know that on your check of 1/31/2017 you were given only 132 hours of holiday time instead of 144.  These both affect 56 hour firefighters only.  We will incorporate every member in the remedy for our grievance but knowing who has been affected helps us greatly.  As well as if you were told anything about these hours in writing by payroll.

This is not unlike many issues we have had to battle the County on to settle either in a grievance or in Court.  We are confident we will resolve this issue as we have every other action we have taken.  This issue affects other public safety union members in LA County also and we are in communication and collaboration with those Unions.  We will get more information to you as it is available and please feel free to call the Union with any questions.  

Have a great weekend and be safe.

In Solidarity,

President Dave Gillotte and the Local 1014 Executive Board