On April 7, 2025, UPE met with the Merced County Department of Child Support Services to discuss workplace violence prevention. During the meeting, UPE raised several important safety concerns. These included issues like parking lot safety, building access, security cameras, protestors, employee-only doors, Incoming Mail, Bomb Threats, Arson, and Active Shooter situations. During the meeting, UPE proposed checking for the presence of evacuation route maps at the worksite as part of the workplace inspection checklist (Addendum B), and the County agreed to include it. Notably, the County also included checking for "check emergency action plans" to Addendum B. UPE also proposed adding an area of concern covering arson to Addendum A, which the County added to the final policy.
To ensure the protection of your union rights, UPE asked that the word “strike” be removed from the area of concern section on protests. UPE wanted no confusion that might lead members to believe that their right to union-protected activities was being infringed upon. The County accepted and removed the words “Strike” in the final policy. The County also assured UPE that future Workplace Violence Prevention Program (WVPP) training will include information about available resources, such as the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and workers’ compensation. This ensures that employees who experience workplace violence are aware of the support available to them afterward.
Notably, the County informed UPE that employees will have access to hardcopy materials, such as Emergency Action Plans at their workstations, to help ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency, such as a bomb threat.
UPE WOULD LIKE TO THANK UPE MERCED COUNTY UNIT 3 GOVERNING BOARD MEMBERS LISA SYKES, CARMELITA RODRIGUEZ, AND KRISTEN ZDANOWSKI FOR THEIR ADVOCACY AND PARTICIPATION.
