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We want to make sure you saw this fantastic “Letter to the Editor” that recently appeared in the Los Angeles Times. It does a great job of explaining why fair pay for Los Angeles County workers is not a burden on public resources and is, in fact, a very good use of taxpayer dollars.
You can read the letter onlinehere– or you can read it below.
Letters to the Editor: Fair pay for L.A. County employees isn’t a burden on the public’s resources
To the editor: Complaining about Los Angeles County’s budget, while being responsible for it, reveals a serious contradiction (“Looming raises for L.A. County employees could cost $2 billion, CEO says,” June 24). The L.A. County supervisors and Chief Executive Fesia Davenport want us to believe that fair pay is a burden on the public’s resources. It is not.
The Department of Public Social Services, for example, ensures county residents receive food stamps, Medi-Cal, housing, job support and essential care. These services keep families stable and communities afloat. Does the board really think now is the time to undermine L.A. County’s safety net?
The board’s actions do more than dismiss the work of 55,000 county employees represented by SEIU 721. They effectively echo the Trump administration’s efforts to defund public welfare systems that millions rely on.
County workers belong to the same community and electorate that put the board in office. The board can’t claim to serve the county while turning its back on those who serve and live in it. Denying workers a fair agreement isn’t more fiscally responsible — it’s a failure of duty to Angelenos on multiple levels.
Christine Truong, West Covina
It is so satisfying to see such a strong and eloquent defense of the work we do – and it is wonderful to see it appear in what is arguably Los Angeles County’s newspaper of record. Let’s keep this letter it in mind as we continue fighting hard at the bargaining table to reach a deal with the County at our individual Bargaining Unit tables. Our hard work deserves to be well compensated – and we should never stop fighting for what we deserve.
Together, we win!
Nobody should be getting 10 times the pay of the average worker, then complain that the worker is asking for COLA..
What is the status of the contract? I recall there was a meeting on June 18. What are the updates from that meeting? Where are we now? What’s next?
Right now, individual Bargaining Units are still negotiating. But we will be providing an update on how things are going soon.
How long before our contracts our in force seeming we are so far out of contract. And to echo someone else it just seems unfair how the Board and CEO makes 10 – 20 times more than the average employee, but does not want us to have a COLA raise. Something is really wrong with the board and CEO. Most employees are a check away from Food Stamps, but they don’t seem to care.