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Sisters and Brothers,
LEADERSHIP
We are a few weeks into our time with Acting Chief Marrone in interim. We have been asked many times, “How are we doing?" Well, that remains to be seen, and time and actions of the Chief and the Executive Staff will tell. We have embraced Chief Marrone, a friend and long-time Executive Staff member chief with experience and passion to work hard and lean into the job. He brings hope for a change in leadership tone and, frankly, work output. He has many important and heavy decisions to make. To be candid, we are working with the BOS and CEO to take the handcuffs off his appointment and give him unfettered ability to set up a team, an Executive Staff with the right people in the right positions to help our Department find its way again, both operationally and financially.
Here is a short list of the items of intense priority we have “On Marrone’s Desk.” We look forward to his response and our report back to you on his positions and possible collaborative action plans:
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS - We remain at unofficial impasse with the County, but we have been meeting on individual items in the contract to seek common ground and support to finish the bargain. Items center on COLA, Plan C Items, and Other Unit Items with regard to Vacation Day Banking, Comp Time, and a few other things. The hold-up is the funding projections for a full COLA that we set ironically as a driving force with Unions United, and we remain in that coalition. In short, we are seeking Fire Chief Marrone’s support for the funding proposal we put forward to settle the contract with the COLA. We look forward to his response and ultimately support and collaboration to get CEO and BOS support. We did this many times with Chief Freeman, and Chief Marrone is open to the work. More as discussions continue.
The other items on his desk for work and or response:
- Workers Compensation Vacancies and RTW Issues and Corresponding Recalls as a Result and the Staffing Issues both temporary and permanent to get our members back to work, promote into the vacancies and fill entry-level spots annually with a plan to keep the vacancy number manageable. BOS motion drives this work.
- 48/96 Trial Shift Schedule Proposal - Deal with previous administration and committee work to start a trial in April 2023 with corresponding logistical and payroll, and staffing items to be further developed and agreed upon prior to start. We look for the FC to give his support and or position on this issue to handle this item of business once and for all.
- Covid Mandate and Weekly Testing Cessation
- Measure F - Possible 2023 or 2024 launch signature ballot measure
- Infrastructure Bond Measure - Stations and Sites
- Sierra Incident - Follow up BOS motion - Leadership Training - Behavioral Health Program with resiliency and pro-active expectations for behavior and training with conflict mediation and resolution services and plans. No more CPOE scapegoat or PPS for that matter. Real solutions for real people. This is not going away.
- Camp Funding and Rewrite of Program - State Money for 37 Act Counties
- Revisit and Shore Up - Physical training with sports, online overload, training
There are many more smaller issues, but these are the priority items that are on the desk for review and position and action plans with Chief Marrone. We have had excellent preliminary discussions between President Gillotte and Chief Marrone, and now the Executive Staff and Executive Boards will be working together in groups to tackle all of these items. We look forward to Chief Marrone’s perspective and plans.
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| Photos from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Fallen Firefighters Memorial last weekend in Colorado Springs. 469 fallen firefighters were added to the IAFF 2022 Wall of Honor. Thank you to 1014, Director Jason Cervantes, for coordinating our memorial teams for the IAFF and our Chaplains, Honor Guard, Pipes and Drums, and Chief Marrone for authorizing and sending our teams to honor our fallen and their families. |
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Covid Vaccine Mandate
Local 1014 is leading the push to get back at the Covid Vaccine Mandate and related weekly testing requirements for our members. President Gillotte led a robust and powerful conversation with all the Unions representing nearly 40,000 County employees, and with public safety partnership with the Sheriffs of ALADS and PPOA, the CCU adopted a position and path of travel to approach the BOS to rescind the emergency executive order and mandate and related weekly testing and put Covid 19 risk management and policies and procedures back at the bargaining table for a collaborative approach through collective bargaining. |
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The CCU with Local 1014 leading the meetings will be meeting with the BOS and working to secure support to end the mandate based on the new data and numbers and CDC and State push to move in this direction. We have seen successes in Contra Costa County, Santa Clara County and City and San Jose to rescind the mandate orders.
We asked the Fire Chief to suspend weekly testing. He indicated he could not officially give that order until the CEO and DHR authorized it. While we believe this is imminent, we also have a Cease and Desist and Unfair Labor Practice filed. Our deal is no discipline compliance measures in place until we finish dealing with the Unfair. We want our members informed of this in case you get any pushback or disciplinary actions from your supervisors.
Stay strategic and stay in the lane to protect your job while we battle. We are still under the order, and you must either be vaccinated or in process or with an exemption until we gain support to rescind the mandated order. Work with us and stay smart as we push this to a finish.
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Patches and Station Logos
We want to thank Chief Marrone for his decisive and unequivocal work in handling two issues simultaneously regarding patches and logos. The BOS put before the Department breast cancer awareness and pride patches to be voluntary only for the months of recognition. The Chief approved these patches. LACOLA and Local 1014, like ALADS and the Sheriff himself, have supported them as well. We support all of the members of our organization.
The Chief also met with us regarding the CEO move through county counsel to rip to shreds our traditions and some approved station logos and patches due to “copy-write infringement” issues by the County’s assessment. He ordered a halt to all efforts to simply remove the logos and patches, and ordered his Chiefs to go look at each and every one of them and look for solutions to either gain copyright permission from entities or amend certain logos and patches to be outside copyright infringement.
We appreciate the strong leadership on all of this and the commitment to shoring up the tradition, equal opportunity, and support for all our members. This will translate in the future into supporting other patches and logos like Blue Line, Red Line, and Yellow Line and, of course, the Dodgers, Lakers, and the Kings! Let’s move forward with all of this as one with support as we tackle other heavy important operational and financial issues. We have much to do. |
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In Solidarity We Work to the Rule,
President Dave Gillotte and the Local 1014 Executive Board |
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