This week, some Departments in LA County have begun to distribute Seniority Fact Sheets to show how layoff seniority is calculated. Don’t be alarmed! Seniority lists are being created even in Departments in which budget curtailments are not projected to result in any layoffs at all.
This is a precautionary exercise that all Departments must go through. Most County Departments are eliminating vacant positions, but are not projecting any layoffs, and, NO County department is facing the prospect of layoffs before October 1 at the earliest.
Meanwhile, we can stop the layoffs!
The key to stopping layoffs in LA County is to get the federal government to provide fiscal relief to local governments in the stimulus package which is currently being debated in Congress. The House of Representatives earlier this Spring passed the HEROES Act, which would provide up to $1 trillion of fiscal relief to states and local governments.
This would stop all layoffs in LA County. But the stimulus proposal unveiled by Senate Republicans this week includes no relief at all for states and local governments, and the “essential workers” who are on the front lines during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The fight is on!
Hundreds of SEIU 721 members have been phone banking to send messages to our US Senators, not only in California, but in neighboring Arizona as well.
You can help!
SIGN UP HERE TO PHONE BANK FOR THE HEROES ACT.
Together we can stop all layoffs in LA County.