The L.A. County Probation Oversight Commission (POC) will be holding a special meeting on Monday addressing ongoing issues within the Probation Department, including staffing, operations, and conditions throughout the system. It is critical that policymakers and oversight bodies hear directly from the people doing the work. Click here for meeting agenda. When: Monday, May 11, 2026, 9:00 A.M. Where: St. Anne’s Conference & Event Center, 155 North Occidental Blvd., L.A. 900

Nominations and elections for delegates to the 47th AFSCME International Convention in Chicago, originally scheduled for May 14th, has been rescheduled. Nominations and elections will now be held on June 11th during the General Membership Meeting. We will keep you updated.

Yesterday’s article (click here) highlights growing concerns about staffing and supervision, while noting that some still believe the system may be holding together. The reality is, no one understands conditions in the field better than the officers doing the work. We cannot allow decisions to be made based on incomplete or inaccurate narratives. Read the article, then take a minute to share your frontline experience. Your testimony will help ensure the full picture is unders

The time has come for the AFSCME’s 47th International Convention, which will be held in Chicago from August 17–21. Click here to learn more. AFSCME Local 685 will be accepting nominations for delegates and alternates to attend the Convention. Delegates will be elected at the May 14, 2026, General Membership Meeting. If you are interested in representing Local 685, we encourage you to participate in the nomination and election process. All active Local 685 members in good

The AFSCME Local 685 Executive Board is pleased to announce a new member benefit designed to protect you and your family when it matters most: TEAMLEGAL Legal Defense Coverage. This program provides comprehensive legal protection for duty-related matters, giving members access to experienced attorneys and financial support in the event of legal challenges arising from the job. Coverage Includes: Civil representation for duty-related matters Criminal defense for duty-rel

Today, AFSCME Local 685 joined AFSCME Local 1967, AFSCME Council 36, and the Coalition of County Unions in a meeting with County management to address the County’s proposed changes to Civil Service Rules impacting sworn probation staff. This meeting did not happen by accident. It was convened at the request of multiple members of the Board of Supervisors after a unified push from the broader labor community, including Local 685, Local 1967, Council 36, the Supervising Deput

Action Needed: DPO II Hall Deployments – Union Grievance Update Dear Sisters and Brothers, Attorney Tom Yu is moving forward with a union-wide grievance on behalf of all DPO IIs who were forced to be reassigned or deployed to the Halls. This grievance is not related to discipline. It is focused specifically on protecting your transfer rights under the MOU. We are now compiling a complete list of every impacted DPO II. Once finalized, the union will file a combined gri

Brothers and Sisters, This week, Local 685 President Curtis Chambers, alongside Supervising Deputy Probation Officers’ Union President Reggie Torres, took our fight directly to a statewide audience with a published op-ed in CalMatters addressing the County’s $4 billion sexual abuse settlement. Click here to read. This was not just commentary. It was a continuation of the formal action union leadership took in our March 26 letter to state leaders (click here), where we war

Dear Sisters and Brothers, A significant number of criminal cases tied to the so-called “gladiator fights” and alleged sex abuse prosecutions against members are now being dismissed. Click here to read today’s LA Times article “‘Gladiator fight’ cases against L.A. juvenile hall staffers are falling apart.” Click here to read the LA Times article “False sex abuse claim filed ‘without consent’ in L.A.’s $4-billion settlement, man says.” As these high-profile cases con

Brothers and Sisters, On Friday, on behalf of a DPO II, our attorney Tom Yu filed an ERCOM Request for Arbitration in a disciplinary case that directly arose from the transfer provisions under Article 15, Section 2 of the 2023 MOU. This is a major step, and it goes directly to the heart of what we have all been raising. In February, we asked you to weigh in through the Article 15 survey, and your response was clear. A total of 342 members participated. Nearly 98% report

Brothers and Sisters, A major article published by the Los Angeles Times on March 25 has confirmed what many of us already knew: serious questions are now being raised about false claims tied to the County’s $4 billion settlement. Let that sink in. Four billion taxpayer dollars. Careers put at risk. Reputations damaged. And now, the integrity of the entire process is under scrutiny. This is not just a headline. This is a turning point. WE TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION To

Brothers and Sisters, Today, our strategy delivered results. After coordinated advocacy by AFSCME Local 685, the Supervising Deputy Probation Officers’ Union, Professional Managers Association, AFSCME Council 36, and the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors held Agenda Item #12 for 30 days and directed the County to meet with the unions representing Probation staff. This did not happen by accident. It happened because we made it

Sisters and Brothers, Tomorrow, the L.A . County Board of Supervisors will vote on Agenda Item #12 , a proposal that directly impacts our rights as probation-peace officers. These changes are sweeping and serious. Among other things, they would: Allow discipline to be based entirely on hearsay Double probationary periods from 12 to 24 months Double unpaid suspension time from 30 to 60 days Allow unpaid suspensions based solely on an accusation Limit your ability to cha

Sisters and Brothers, We know how difficult things have been. Many of you are working extended hours, getting held over, and coming right back with little time to recover. Others are being asked to take on assignments that place real strain on you and your families. Across the board, the staffing crisis is being felt every day – in your schedules, your safety, and your ability to do the job the right way. We hear you. And we have your backs. We will begin bargaining w

Sisters and Brothers, We know this is a difficult moment. The current reassignments are disruptive, and many of you are being asked to take on challenging assignments under difficult circumstances. Stay strong. These Chief-mandated reassignments are not a permanent solution, and we are actively working to address both the immediate impacts and the long-term path forward. Your Union is fighting for you on every front. We are working to protect your jobs, your rights, and

Sisters and Brothers, We are aware that Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa has issued a department-wide memorandum regarding staffing adjustments and the reassignment of full-duty peace officers to juvenile facilities. Your Union Executive Board is actively reviewing the directive and its impacts on our members. We will be meeting and conferring with the Chief Executive Office, which is the authorized agent on behalf of the Board of Supervisors. The impacts of the reassignments

Dear Sisters and Brothers, As previously reported, Assembly Bill 2419 (Quirk-Silva) would require probation officers to wear body-worn cameras. This is an issue that has generated strong opinions across our membership. Because of that, we believed it was important not to assume where our members stood, but to ask you directly. We conducted a membership survey to gather your views on the bill as written, and on our proposed amendments to hold the youth accountable, to allo

Dear Sisters and Brothers, Attorney Tom Yu will be conducting a focused workshop for all Deputy Probation Officer IIs who were deployed or reassigned to the juvenile halls AND who subsequently received discipline arising out of duties performed during that deployment. This workshop is intended to review and assess potential legal remedies available to affected members. Specifically, we will evaluate the logistics of pursuing appeals of discipline and examine issues relat

Dear Sisters and Brothers, Your Executive Board is asking all members to take a short survey regarding Assembly Bill 2419 (Quirk-Silva), new legislation that would require probation officers in the L.A. County Probation Department to wear body-worn cameras in both juvenile and adult operations. We know many members have serious concerns about body-worn cameras. For that reason, we are asking you to weigh in specifically on whether the bill would be more acceptable if it w

Many of you have raised serious concerns about Assembly Bill 1646 (Bryan), which would expand physical contact during visitation in juvenile facilities. We share those concerns, particularly when it comes to the risk of narcotics and other contraband entering our halls. The political reality is that this bill has strong support and is very likely to reach the governor’s desk. As reported in today’s Daily News article ( click here to read ), the Board of Supervisors voted 5–0