LA city leaders and activists came together last night to plan the fight for a strong LA budget that will keep us working and keep city services running.

80 people reviewed research by SEIU with strong recommendations for cutting contracts, renegotiating bank deals and cracking down on deadbeat debtors. They talked about what it will take to implement our strong budget, not the mayor's plan.

"I'm special funded and my furloughs do nothing to help solve the budget problem.  Who's going to explain to all of these people that their concerns aren't going to be addressed because the city is furloughing people they don't need to?"  --Transportation Engineer Michael Hunt's testimony to City Council on February 24

(Read Hunt's account of his meeting with Councilmember Bill Rosendahl and his follow-up letter to the Councilmember here).

Grievance Update: The Fight Against Furloughs

SEIU 721 has adopted a focused strategy to fight the furloughs for LA City Professionals, that hamper their work for the citizens of Los Angeles, and get out from under the mutually contradictory approaches pursued by EAA in violation of the MOUs they negotiated.

Bob Schoonover, who on Friday, March 26, was elected president of SEIU 721, writes about what he has learned in 30 years working for the City of Los Angeles.  

By Bob Schoonover
SEIU 721 President

The City of Los Angeles is spinning its wheels, threatening to lay off thousands of workers and shred neighborhood services like parks programs, street repair, animal control and tree trimming. City leaders' plan is to slash and burn, and they don't have a vision for how we can keep people working and services running. 

Workers say the "Price Is Wrong" when it comes to spending more than $2.3 billion in private contracts. Strong oversight is needed over these costly contracts before services are cut.  

Prestige Parking Owes $73 Million in Withheld Taxes That Could Pay for City Services on the Chopping Block.

A message to LA City professionals from Michael Hunt, Department of Transportation and MOU 17 Bargaining Team Member.

We are bargaining but the City's Executive Employee Relations Committee has not given instructions to their chief negotiator - so we haven't been able to move forward. I joined more than 400 SEIU members at City Council on Wednesday, February 24, to tell them about the negative impacts furloughs have on our jobs and to get the City moving on bargaining. Here's some of what I told them:

"I'm special funded and my furloughs do nothing to help solve the budget problem.  Who's going to explain to all of these people that their concerns aren't going to be addressed because the city is furloughing people they don't need to?"
 
After my testimony, Councilmember Rosendahl immediately pulled me out of the audience to discuss this issue in more detail. He assumed that because we had joined SEIU back in November 2009, that we were no longer being furloughed.  He was unaware that we're still beholden to the furloughs with our old contract.  He wants to see this issue resolved as soon as possible and will assist any way he can.  He asked me to keep him informed of our progress.

I sat down with Councilman Rosendahl on Tuesday, March 9. Keep reading to see the letter I sent him after our meeting.

LA city tree trimmer Art Sweatman and transportation engineer Michael Hunt sat down with Steve Lopez from the LA Times yesterday to talk about the city budget crisis and SEIU 721 members' ideas to address it while preserving services.

"Sweatman noted," Lopez writes, "that he and other employees have already [contributed] to the cost of an early retirement program that will eventually take 2,400 city employees off the payroll" and they've already taken pay cuts through furlough hours.

When asked by Lopez what he'd do if he had to take the Mayor's proposed 15% wage cut, Art said, "I'd jump out of a tree."

Lopez also took on the mayor and council for "throwing numbers around" about layoffs. "It has looked, at times, like they're throwing darts," he wrote.

News Updates: Duarte, South Gate, Monterey Park, El Monte and the LAPD Jail Division

Los Angeles may get the headlines, but SEIU members at cities across LA County are facing budget cuts and threats to city services. Members are helping solve city deficits by recommending efficiency solutions, partnering with community groups and keeping open lines of communication with elected officials.    

Martha Rojas gave a big smile and hugged Lindoria Horn when she saw her at LA City Council today. 

The two SEIU members met when Lindoria reached out for help. She was facing foreclosure on the house where she lives with her teenage daughter. "I was upside down on my loan," she said. "I thought I'd let the bank take it."

Now the LA City gardener-caretaker is trying to modify her loan and keep her house, and the City of Los Angeles is ready to help other people like her.

The City Council voted 13-0 today for new rules holding banks accountable to help the city recover from its budget crisis. The rules require banks to do more to prevent foreclosures, increase lending to small businesses, and renegotiate interest deals on municipal debt that are costing taxpayers up to $19 million a year. That would help reduce the budget deficit that is threatening huge cuts at LA's parks, public safety and neighborhood.

"We have a lot of SEIU members and Los Angeles residents that we're helping to stay in their homes. Banks need to start modifying loans -- we are their customers. It's so unfair that they don't help more families stay in their homes and stay together. The children are the ones that suffer the most," said SEIU member Martha Rojas.

"Banks need to help the people that really need it," added LA City gardener Lindoria Horn.

 

LA City Council Amending Motion for Responsible Banking.pdf

SEIU members in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties will have the opportunity to hear from candidates running for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, and State Superintendant of Public instruction on March 20. 

The public services SEIU members do, the education all California children receive and the health and well-being of communities all depend on leaders who know that rebuilding California requires investment. Candidates for these offices will be joining SEIU members at Rebuild California Town Halls throughout the state to ask for SEIU endorsement. 

"Do you care about the future of our State and the communities we live and serve?  Do you think California officials put the concerns of working families above their own political agenda?  I'm not sure that many of our current leaders think about the people they were elected to serve when they make legislative decisions that's why I'll be attending the Rebuild California forum on March 20, 2010."  Carolyn Consoli, Community Services Worker III, Ventura County Public Health Dept.

SEIU members know that support for public services is critical to whether or not California can recover and rebuild.  All SEIU members are encouraged to help choose the team that will rebuild California by attending one of the town halls.

Take Action:
RSVP for the March 20 Town Hall Meeting (click here)
Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
2101 Mandalay Beach Road, Oxnard, CA 93035
Jeannette Sanchez, Political Coordinator or your Worksite Organizer at (805) 644-8291