COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS
Contract Action Team (CAT)
If you are committed to supporting a strong contract, then the Contract Action Team (CAT) is for you. If you believe in safer working conditions, fair compensation, adequate staffing, and protecting the future of our profession, we encourage you to become part of the Local 685 Contract Action Team.
CAT members are engaged and ready to mobilize when the bargaining team calls for action. Members of the CAT may be asked to help share information with co-workers, participate in workplace actions, attend Board of Supervisors meetings and other public forums, assist with member outreach, and stand together when unity and visibility are needed.
The strength of Local 685 at the bargaining table depends not only on the Executive Board and negotiating team, but on an informed, engaged, and united membership. Management may sit across the table from the bargaining team, but the real power behind Local 685 is the membership.
Advocacy Committee
The Advocacy Committee is a member-driven committee focused on protecting and advancing the rights, safety, and working conditions of Local 685 members while also promoting greater public understanding of the critical role probation professionals play in community safety and rehabilitation. The committee serves as a voice for members by identifying workplace concerns, supporting individuals through grievances, disciplinary matters, and administrative processes, and helping ensure that policies, contracts, and legal protections are properly followed. It also works to develop strategies to engage the public, victims, community stakeholders, and policymakers in meaningful conversations about accountability, rehabilitation, victim impact, and public safety. Through advocacy, outreach, education, and organized member engagement, the committee helps strengthen collective power, improve transparency and communication, and ensure that the concerns of frontline members and the communities they serve are heard and addressed.
Officer Safety & Safety Retirement
The Officer Safety and Safety Retirement Committee is a member-driven committee focused on protecting the safety, well-being, and long-term retirement security of probation peace officers. The committee advocates for safe working conditions, fair safety retirement protections, and strong pension benefits that recognize the demanding and hazardous nature of probation work. It will address issues impacting officer safety, including staffing shortages, mandatory overtime, workplace violence, fatigue, training, equipment, and mental health support, while also serving as a resource for members on retirement planning, pension benefits, deferred compensation, and legislative or contractual issues affecting member protections. Through advocacy, education, and member engagement, the committee works to ensure that Local 685 members are protected throughout their careers and able to retire with dignity, stability, and long-term security.
Communications & Media Committee
The Communications and Media Committee is a member-driven committee focused on strengthening communication, transparency, and public awareness on issues impacting probation peace officers and the communities they serve. The committee works to ensure that members are informed, engaged, and connected through union communications, social media, newsletters, public statements, and media outreach. It also helps elevate the voices and experiences of frontline probation staff by promoting accurate information about workplace conditions, public safety concerns, staffing issues, and the critical work performed by Local 685 members. Through strategic communication, storytelling, and member engagement, the committee supports the union’s efforts to build solidarity, strengthen public understanding, and advocate for the interests of probation officers and the profession as a whole.