As a result of concerns that LA County employees raised with SEIU 721 and L.A. County department heads, LA County Counsel
instructed County department heads to notify LA County employees
that they have the opportunity to request the redaction of their name due to personal safety concerns and other legitimate reasons. According to County Counsel such requests are due by the close of business Wednesday, Sept. 29.
As of Sept. 15, LA County Counsel made public a list of employee data that excludes employees’ names, pending further review of personal safety claims and other potentially legitimate reasons for redaction of an employee’s information.
However, a full disclosure including employee names will be provided on Oct. 5, after employees who meet the criteria below have had the opportunity to request an exemption.
The following are examples of facts that may justify redaction of an employee’s name:
· The employee is currently an approved participant in the California Secretary of State’s Safe at Home program to protect the identities of victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault.
· The employee is a victim of domestic violence, or another violent crime, and has changed their residence and employment to conceal their location, and the perpetrator does not know their residence or employer.
· The employee has a restraining order (temporary or permanent) in effect and the person named in the restraining order is not aware of the name of their employer.
· The employee has sought, or has been granted, political asylum.
The following are examples of reasons that do not justify redaction of the employee’s name:
· The employee does not want financial information about themselves publicized.
· The employee believes their right to privacy is more important than the public’s right to know this information.
· The employee wants to avoid alerting creditors of their whereabouts.
· The employee considers their work location or the population that they serve to be dangerous.
· As previously advised, certain employees in the Public Safety sector, such as undercover Sheriff deputies, as determined by those departments, will remain anonymous.
Legal facts about public records requests
- Under the California Public Records Act, certain information about public employment is considered a public record and a governmental agency must disclose it upon request.
- The California Supreme Court has held that the names, job titles and salaries of government employees are considered public records subject to disclosure.
- Other personal information such as home addresses, Social Security, insurance enrollment, marital status and dependents cannot be disclosed.
Questions? Please call the SEIU 721 Member Action Center at (877) 721-4YOU, between 7 am and 7 pm, Monday through Friday.
Even though we are public employees, I do not believe our names should be given out. We had nothing to do with the idiots in Bell, CA! I work in the healthcare field and I cannot even look into patient information if it isn’t exactly tied to my specific job or function and I can lose my job for even divulging any information. HIPPA protects them. What protections do we have?! Next thing, we are going to be contacted by any fool because once our names are released, we are open game. I say L.A County employees need to stand up and fight for our privacy! Wake up people! 721, what are you doing to protect us? I guarantee you that we will contacted by some fool who gets this information. Shame on L.A. County for allowing this. And the news group is up north. What is their agenda? WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!!
Well another way we can look at this as members, is that the public will see that we are not making that much to receive a big pension once we retire. The world is out that we are making all this money and on top of this we are getting very good benefits and we have this nice retirement plan. I hope if the salaries and names are put out they can put in parenthesis what our take home pay is also LOL. Also it needs to be shown what the top managers including the Board of Supervisors salaries are also Whats good for one is good for all.
In Solidarity,
Tracey Boykins
Who is going to protect us from identity theft? Thieves are already lined up waiting to get the list of names and salaries. Will the county or the writers from the LA Times pay for fraud protection? What about with the LAPD writing so many tickets anyone can say that they do not have I’d on them and that they are borrowing someone else’s car and pick whomever’s name they memorized off of this list. These are public exams that anyone can sit for, we are not elected or appointed. We do not have the POWER to steal public funds.
If people break the law they should be dealt with accordingly. I have been employed for 22 years for LA County. Its not my fault the economy took a dive and hard times fell upon some workers. Are they jealous and want to take what others have to make themselves feel better? The lynch mob mentally is contagious and people love to jump on the bandwagon when they feel empowered. What’s next, my address and phone number? Should I send the newspaper my photo too? Make the salaries public, leave me the hell alone. Bunch of a-holes if you ask me.
As a County employee with the Probation Department it is mandatory that we protect all information regarding the public. We had to sign the CORI form protecting the confidential information pertaining to the public (see Directive No.1146, issued 10/05/07), which states what information can and can’t be release to the public, but because we’re employed by the county our information can be release under the California Public Records Acts. The Probation Department is part of Law Enforcement and should be also exempt from this list because of our safety. If we must be added to the list then I suggest that only the first initials of our names and full last name be added. And also I need to know if this pertain to the Judges, the Board of Supervisors and some part of the Police Department?
Another one of my right being taken away. It is a shame being ignored by not being concerned about my right of privacy. I as a county employee do not have a problem with posting my salary or item name or number. But using my name is wrong and should not be and I am outraged about that. So much for my privacy.
Why would they make it public? What’s wrong with our miserable salaries we get? Why don’t they just publicize only those salaries that are, let’s say, more than $100,000.00 a year? I do not want any of those fools having access to my personal information! Why is it that everybody has the right to trash public employees? Why don’t they put everybody’s salaries out there, so we also know what they are making including private sector? Why do bastards in the private sector and mainly republicans and those who are making big money have so much jealousy for public employees’ salaries and pensions? They make much more money and they get more pensions! If they are so interested in our pensions, why don’t they quit their jobs in the private sector and come join us in the public sector? Maybe they will also get some “big pensions” as we do and they won’t have to garbage talk about it any more. Why is the union not organizing massive protests?
I agree with Ms. Boykins. There are a lot of people who believe that we may a lot of money. I think it would be good for the public to know that we are not like the officials in Bell, CA. I also think that managers and the BOS salaries should also be posted. I don’t care if they make public what I make. I bet it will be less than the newspaper person. Maybe they can write a piece that County Employees are the working poor. Remember that
HOME ADDRESSES
SOCIAL SECURITY
INSURANCE ENROLLMENT
MARITAL STATUS and DEPENDENTS CANNOT BE DISLCOSED.
Attention all DPSS – SEIU – Local 721 Members
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
I work hard for the money I make and am underpaid, each and every time I do more work than my Contract calls for, which is quite frequently.
Additionally, each time I have to give up my Raises and other Benefits, because another Politician can’t balance any budget, I beceome more underpaid.
And each time, I have to go to work in what should be a people, oriented, public service environment and end up in a political environment, with constant fights between, Management, Workers, etc., where the Union has to step in, I am definetely underpaid, having to listen to and have others try to pull me into somethings I want no part of.
So, this disclosing of all County employees, names, salaries, etc., is just too ,much, for anyone on the outside to ask. The general info is already available, regarding our positions, salaries,etc. at the DPSS website anytime someone wants to do job research. Give me abreak, most of us don’t make enough to warrant the time and money, spent on this nonsense. In a economic crisis, the money could be better spent.