Member Flood County Hall to Launch Negotiations for More Effective Services
| OUR PLAN
We will work with the county to negotiate a contract that achieves these goals:
• Preserves critical county services that LA residents depend on
• Maintains the benefits we’ve fought so hard to win
• Ensures we have the tools we need to do our jobs effectively |
More than 200 SEIU 721 members from all over the county attended the Los Angeles County budget hearing May 13 to launch contract negotiations and talk about the need to maintain core services for residents especially during the economic downturn.
Tough Economic Times Call for a Different Approach
“We see this time as an opportunity to utilize the skill, knowledge and commitment of county workers and leaders to find ways to deliver services as effectively and efficiently as possible. We are trying to achieve those goals in our contract bargaining and by tapping into the creativity and knowledge of county workers.” JOHN TANNER – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
No more missed opportunities to:
SAVE MONEY: The County trained staff in health information technology, but instead of placing them they’re still using expensive private contract staff.
“Training committed county staff is smart and makes financial sense. Training us and then hiring registry staff does not.” XIOMARA ARIAS, CLERK, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES who is trained in medical records coding
MEET INCREASED DEMAND: County hospitals are seeing more patients as people lose health insurance.
“We are happy to be in our new and modern facility, but our patients are still waiting 24 to 27 hours to be seen. On a good day a patient might wait 8 to 12 hours.” YVETTE HOLMAN – ER NURSE, LAC+USC MEDICAL CENTER
BOOST LA COUNTY’S ECONOMY: The Department of Public Social Services will receive funds from the federal Recovery Act, but to take full advantage we have to staff accordingly.
“I know there is a stereotype of the families we serve, but in these times you can throw that stereotype out the window. With the economic downturn we are seeing every type of family in our offices – including people who have never been without a job and never expected to be sitting in a welfare office.” MARLENE ALLEN – GAIN, Department of PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
IMPROVE SERVICES: Long lines and wait times are frustrating for the public and staff.
“Every day without fail the public has to wait outside in the hot sun with no shade, and if it’s raining with no cover, for at least an hour, sometimes two hours just to get to the public window. Through improved scheduling we can anticipate the need at certain windows and shorten lines and improve morale.” RODOLFO MEZA – REGISTRAR RECORDER
CHANGE HOW WE WORK: Centralized book buying practices that ignore community needs and cost the county more.
“Centralized buying means we are not meeting the needs of customers and is wasteful and expensive. And, because of these choices, there are not enough copies of the titles people do want, with long waiting lists for new and popular titles.” KIM PETERS – LIBRARY ASSISTANT