During budget deliberations this week, Los Angeles city professionals and frontline workers challenged the need for dangerous cuts proposed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa when alternative cost-savings solutions exist.
SEIU 721 members, including engineers, architects, chemists, tree trimmers and animal licensing canvassers, described their contributions and solutions to solve the city’s budget deficit. They highlighted recommendations such as suspending multi-million dollar privatized contracts and supporting revenue generating departments.
LA City workers took vacation time to attend budget deliberations. Coalition Union members are showing up in force at Council – but more support is needed to hold the line against the 1,000 layoffs proposed by the mayor.
Join the Fight: Come to Council Meetings, Show Up, Speak Out!
Join the Fight: Come to Council Meetings, Show Up, Speak Out!
Thursday and Friday (Feb. 11 and 12)
Tuesday and Wednesday (Feb. 16 and 17)
Meetings begin at 10 a.m. in City Hall
Tell your city council member to protect services: Find council contact information by clicking here.
To save services, city professionals propose:
• Suspending costly contracts estimated to cost the city hundreds of millions.
• Establish an efficiency review process of outsourced contracts and consultants.
• End the unilaterally implemented 10% furlough cuts of engineers and scientists to spearhead the completion of critical projects.
Members Speak Out
“What we are doing is forcing the council to live up to our agreement. Forcing the council to lead, by making decisions that make sense. The reason we have a union is because fights like this come up.” – Art Sweatman, Tree Surgeon and SEIU 721 Steward
“The services I provide allow the public to flush a toilet, take a shower and wash clothes without thinking twice about where the water goes. My services help maintain the largest waste water and storm water collection system in the nation.” -Rafael Yanez, Environmental Engineering Associate, Bureau of Sanitation Wastewater Collection System Division
“Each day, more than 54 miles of coastal water are analyzed for bacterial contamination to make sure it is safe for public swimming. As city professionals, we are at the frontlines of keeping the public safe and healthy.” – Stacee Karnya, Chemist, Environmental Monitoring Division
Protecting Revenue Generating Departments
Workers in the Department of Animal Services emphasized the benefits of supporting a revenue generating department, which earned $249,000 in the collection of licensing fees and an additional $37,000 through animal shelters last fiscal year as a result of canvassing efforts of SEIU 721 members.
“Cuts to animal services will lead to more breeding, more dogfights and disappearing revenue generated from the licensing of spayed and neutered animals.” -Wendy Brown, Animal Licensing Canvasser, Department of Animal Services
“We knock on doors, bring in revenue daily, host mobile pet adoptions and educate the public about animal care and licensing. If we’re not around, who would address reports of a stray dog biting a child? We need to protect these services.” -Carliose Lane, Animal Licensing Canvasser, Department of Animal Services
Take Action: Keep pressure on the LA City Council
Attend budget deliberations on Feb. 11-12 and Feb. 16 – Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. in City Hall.
Tell your city council member to protect services: Find council contact information by clicking here.
why do we need to fight all the time we have a contract signed sealed and deliver .
take the council and the mayor to court and if that don”t work stop the whole city from working.
Offer the early retirement package to dwp wokers, that will open positions for city workers
I did applid for ERIP and received from the CAO a letter of approval, but unfortunately I waived my ERIP.
Now in view of city financial situation, I would like to re-apply for ERIP in order to help every one.
Can the Coalition thinks about requesting CAO and City Council for people like me to re-apply for ERIP
Thanks