"First the awards and now this contract. This is a defining moment for Fleet Services," said Rafe Garcia, an equipment mechanic at the 7th Street Yard. 

Fleet Services beat out several private bidders for the LAX contract. That's not surprising. SEIU 721 members who work in Fleet Services maintain over 11,000 pieces of city equipment, from leafblowers to helicopters. A lot of the equipment has a value of more than $500,000.

"Right now people in places like Wisconsin are saying public sector workers have no value," said Garcia. "But we're proving them wrong and demonstrating that we can change to meet the challenges before us and be competitive."

For more information, please contact Renée Anderson by phone at (213) 362-8622 or by email.