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Earlier this week, the long awaited and over due Cardfile Captains meeting was held and led by both labor and management. Local 1014 had Vice Presidents Kurt Kobler and Tony Carcioppolo, along with Directors Jason Cervantes, and Chris Reade attending. The Department was represented by Chief Deputy Jon O’Brien and other selected managers. All 22 battalion cardfiles were invited or attended over the three day time period capturing A,B and C shift.
The collaboration over the three days was helpful for all. All ears were open to hear what’s working what’s not working from the Cardfile Captains perspective. Many discussions were brought up including how a very small number of our members are using loop holes adversely affecting other employees when it pertains to getting benefit time off. While we have corrected some issues some still remain. With that we encourage people to do what’s right and not ruin it for others.
In addition, we covered all Christmas Staffing, EA-68, other aspects of Volume 2 pertaining to staffing. In addition we had a frequently asked section followed by an open floor for questions and answers. Our goal is to bring consistency throughout our Department for staffing. Labor and management will make every effort to make this at least an annual event based off the positive feedback we got from the participants in the meeting.
We, the Union, understand that what plagues us and creates staffing challenges is proper staffing. We will continue to push the Department to hire and promote. We are seeing the benefits incrementally in staffing but we are far from being out of the woods. The Department is still slow and reluctant to do little things they know will help like permanently lifting an archaic overtime cap.
Finally Local 1014 realizes that being a Cardfile Captain is a thankless job with late nights in the office and we appreciate all of the Cardfile Captains for always putting forth your best efforts. You are the backbone of the system that ensures our members get days off and overtime they desire.
If future questions arise, please feel free to contact Kurt Kobler or Tony Carcioppolo we understand unique staffing challenges occur at times and we are always there to assist our members.
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VACATION DAY POLICY REMINDER
Now that we are at the end of the year, we want to remind our members your Union fought to end the "use or lose" policy for vacation hours for our 20+ year employees. You might notice more excess vacation time on your pay warrant than usual.
As of this year, 2023, as solidified in our last MOU, days of use or lose vacation are over. Any excess vacation time can now be stored in an additional timekeeping bank. Any excess vacation will be stored as banked vacation on your paycheck when the sellback occurs in January 2024.
For pensionability purposes, only 240 hours or 10 shifts will be sold back for an employee's Ventura and highest year. Anyone with excess above 240 up to 280 in excess will get that excess automatically placed into a banked vacation on their pay warrant in January during the automatic sell-back process of excess time accrual.
The Union has been all over the Fire Department and Auditor-Controller to ensure that the process will happen. They both have assured us that it will. Now, only time will tell.
When using banked vacation days in IPFIRS it shall be coded as “BV”. Another positive of not losing the vacation time is those additional vacation days will hold all the rights and privileges of or other vacation days. This will also help our members doing a higher year take an annual vacation with the ability to utilize “BV” days without affecting their sell-back of vacation days for their highest year.
Finally, for those of you who suffered a loss from the "use or lose" vacation time, you are not forgotten. We are actively suing the Department to fight for our members that have been harmed. As that process unfolds, we will update everyone with additional details. |
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BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHECKIN: NAVIGATING THE HOLIDAYS
The holiday season can be a joyous time of year, but for some, the holidays can also be a time of increased risk of post-traumatic stress.
We want to remind you that there are healthy ways to cope and manage stress. Here are some tips from our Director of Behavioral Health & Lead Clinician Dr. Steve Froelich from the National Center for PTSD that can help you manage over this holiday season:
- Don't overschedule. Leave time for yourself.
- Make a plan to get things done. Set small, doable goals.
- When stressed, remind yourself of what has helped in the past.
- Reach out for support if you need it. Know you can rely on for help. If your symptoms are getting worse or you feel down, reach out to our peers.
- If you need extra support, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 and press 1 for Veterans.
If you know someone with PTSD, there are things you can do to make sure the holiday season is pleasant and enjoyable for everyone
- Educate yourself: Download and read Understanding PTSD and PTSD Treatment (PDF), to learn more about how PTSD affects your loved one.
- Talk to your family member about what they need to feel comfortable during the holidays. If your loved one needs services, call Coaching into Care for advice in talking to them about treatment.
Keep important resources at hand, such as the Veterans Crisis Line, a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text. Veterans and their loved ones can call 988 and Press 1, chat online, or send a text message to 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. |
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END-OF-YEAR BENEFITS AND PLANNING FOR 2024
A quick note to remind our members: December is a time to review your medical expenditures, and likely, with deductibles being met, end-of-year medical, dental, and vision work can be handled and get maximum coverage as we close out 2023. Don’t forget the rich orthodontia and vision benefits for Local 1014 Health and Welfare Plan members, which can be claimed for 2023. Leave no money on the table!
| Finally, here's an important reminder to get your catch-up contributions in! If you need assistance, don't hesitate to get in touch with the County Service Center for Horizons, and they’ll set you up. |
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In Solidarity,
President Dave Gillotte and the Local 1014 Executive Board |
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