LA City Update: City Workers Speak Out to Stop Mayor's Cuts
Los Angeles workers and community advocates spurred the LA City Council to put off a harmful plan to lay off 1,000 employees.
But Mayor Villaraigosa is pushing ahead with his plan. On February 4, he pledged to speed up implementation of the Coalition of LA City Unions agreement for early retirements and transfers -- but threatened more cuts.
While the Coalition of LA City Unions' agreement protects SEIU 721 members from layoffs this year, city workers spoke out against major cuts and demanded accountability for the millions of dollars wasted as a result of privatizing public services.
During testimony, SEIU 721 President Bob Schoonover took the Council to task, pointing out the billions of dollars that could go toward maintaining services.
"In last year's budget, private contracts came out to $2.5 billion - that's too much," -SEIU 721 President Bob Schoonover.
"It's more cost effective for us to handle services ourselves than to bleed money out to private corporations - especially when tree-trimming, street services and wastewater are facing cuts." -Jake Miller, Animal Care Technician
"The Department of Water and Power spends $36 million annually for tree trimming on outside contractors - we can do that work and save millions." -Gerardo Sanchez, Public Works Gardener and Caretaker
LA City Workers Push Budget Solutions
The City Council vowed to explore other options to balance the budget through implementing a 10% fee cut for private contracts and consultants and targeting $400 million that parking lot operators and other private companies owe the city.
• Immediate moratorium on all consultant and personal services contracts.
• 10% fee cut on contractors, vendors and consultants
• Evaluate all outside contracts against their contribution to core services and terminate unnecessary contracts.
• Target $400 million owed to the city
Watch for more updates at 721.seiu.org/lacity
Victor I totally agree with you! Start at the top! We need to take control and not allow the top to break the back of labor. There is a huge movement to desimate public employees and our pensions and privatize everything for profit. I hope we all wake up and realize that we need crictial mass to stop this.
I work for the County of Ventura, Public health department; we see it starting here too, but surely not as bad as L.A.
Respectfully,
Carolyn Lucille Consoli
It might be nice if Our Dear 11% Mayor dined in LA v Beverly Hills, especially if he is spending $500 a person.
@villaraigosa You betrayed us stab us in the back mayor we the people who elected you in office we will never forget ! listen to our city counsel they are on the right track to figure this mess you created. Let them work on collecting the money the those private contractors owe our city. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GENERATE MONEY. Like they say it's not brain surgery Antonio
The cuts should start from the top where the waste begins. Just how many staff workers does the mayor and city council really need. From a reliable source, I heard not one of the city council or mayor's staff received cuts. And how many retired city employees are receiving a pension from the city from one position, yet are still working for the city in another position and receiving a paycheck? Isn't that called "double dipping" Mr. B. Parks? Let's stop double dipping. Maybe all city employees should just stay home for a day to show those crooked politicians how much they really need us!
Where we need to start cutting is at the top. Take home city cars things like that. What about furlough days for top City officials, defer and cut their pay raises. Our city officials are the biggest abusers of waste and fraud.