Share
Share
By Bob Schoonover
SEIU 721 President
and Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic, City of Los Angeles
This week the City of Los Angeles is proposing major changes to the retirement of civilian, police and fire employees. Future hires at LAPD, LAFD and across the city would retire later, pay more and get less. And here’s the strange part: most of the changes won’t generate savings for 20 years.
SEIU 721 has been pushing for solutions that actually make a difference. Everyone has seen the corruption in cities like Bell. We want to stop double-dipping and pension “spiking,” where high-paid employees backload their contracts for big paydays. Whether you are a city attorney, mechanic, engineer, or gardener — it’s in everyone’s best interest to end these practices.But the changes proposed by the city for civilian workers go much farther: raising the retirement age from 55 to 60, reducing annual increases in pension payments and contributing 2% more to retiree health care.
We are looking at all our options to stop the city from imposing these changes. Last week we sent a letter to the CAO that said the city’s unilateral change would “render benefit programs splintered, inconsistent, impossible to administer in a coordinated manner, and more costly.”
SEIU 721 members will work with the City to find solutions to the budget crisis — things like collecting some of the $540 million in overdue debt, or cracking down on millions going into the pockets of out-of-state contractors.
I have spoken with fire and police representatives who are concerned about the direction of our city. We are united to oppose changes that weaken the retirement system or make it unsustainable for future employees.
PS I was just named to the City of Los Angeles Deferred Compensation Board. As labor’s representative I will help protect city workers’ individual investments. Thousands of you count on these to supplement your retirement. Click here to learn more about deferred compensations plans available to you.