Coalition of LA City Unions

EAA Agreement Threatens to Lower City Work Standards

July 27, 2010

Coalition members have been alarmed to learn the details of EAA’s recent tentative agreement with the City. We have no idea why anyone would agree to make such significant concessions throughout their careers and into retirement in exchange for small one-time gains.

The EAA agreement would permanently give up hard-fought gains in benefits and employment rights that had been built up over decades…all in exchange for a one-time reduction in furlough days (restoring 6% of salary for this year only).

Permanent Concessions from EAA include:

Health Care Concessions

Unprecedented cap on health care benefits. Employees would see their paychecks deducted by at least 5% of the City’s premium cost.
Workers could be on the hook for all future increases. If health costs increase as they have in the past, workers could be choosing between covering health care or basic living costs.
Co-pays increased to $20 for doctor visits.
Exclusion from JLMC Benefits, where unions have been able to help control costs and preserve benefits
Elimination of FLEX credit payment
Flat-rating of bonuses – such as bilingual pay. Such bonuses would no longer be tied to wages and would no longer keep up in future years.

Pension Concessions

Increase employee contributions. EAA has signaled willingness to move toward the City’s goal of 9% employee contributions.

Elimination of bonuses from pension calculations. Many workers rely on bonuses that are a regularly assigned part of compensation, in order to earn a modest retirement benefit.

Cut in retiree health care. The City is working on a proposal to shift health care costs onto employees and retirees.

No protections against contracting out, which has been the City’s main strategy to provide stripped-down services on the cheap.
No protections for future years, as even the protections on furloughs last only for this year

EAA’s concessions in health care, bonuses, and retirement will never come back. Meanwhile, they succeeded in lowering furlough days from 26 days to 10 days (renamed “unpaid holidays”) for this year only.

This agreement will impact us all by lowering the bar.
It would create a lower tier of benefits and protections for City workers.

Layoffs and Furloughs Spell Danger for Residents and Workers Alike

July 2, 2010

LA City leaders are telling residents to prepare for service cuts in the form of layoffs and furloughs that will affect our parks, libraries, public safety, streets and sewers. As LA City workers, we're concerned about what the city isn't telling residents.

The CAO still has not put forward real plans – a month after finalizing a budget. More than 200 employees have been laid off so far, and additional layoffs have been promised – just to pay for the layoffs so far.

Ten percent service cuts through furloughs will impact important almost all services across the City – yet the CAO has refused to approve plans that departments are supposed to implement next week.

What we do know about the City’s plan is that many of today’s decisions are intended to pave the way for contracting out work in the future. Our ratified contracts prevent any loss of jobs or pay due to contracting out, and we will address any threats aggressively.

Laid Off Workers: Contact Your Union Right Away

It is vital that those who have been laid off contact their union in order to secure their rights and receive all support to which they’re entitled. The CAO has refused to give unions information on the layoffs, so we don’t actually know everyone who has received pink slips.

If you have been given a layoff notice, or know of a co-worker who has been laid off, please let your union know right away. You can also email info@lacitycoalition.com with your classification and worksite, and a representative will contact you.

For those whose layoff became effective on July 1 (including those who received notice two weeks ago), deadline for appeals is July 8. After that there is very little chance of correcting any wrongs, such as error in seniority calculation or failure to offer transfer to an appropriate funded position. Everyone receiving layoff notice should consider filing an appeal, to ensure that seniority decisions were fair.

Democracy Denied: Council Refuses Public Debate on Layoffs

June 30, 2010

Today the Mayor and City Council met in closed session to discuss a proposal from Councilmembers Janice Hahn, Richard Alarcon, and Paul Koretz that would have brought workers back who had received layoff notice and paved the way for an agreement to avoid layoffs and furloughs. However, opponents who are politically committed to layoffs and furloughs used a procedural rule to avoid any public discussion or vote on the matter.

As a result, the City continues down the path of layoffs and furloughs, while digging a deeper hole in this year’s and future budgets. The Coalition will continue fighting layoffs and furloughs on every level: at Council, in the Courts, and through grievances.

Rumor Control: Coalition Unions Do Not Support Stoppage

Recently some members received information from a blog that there was going to be a work stoppage on July 1, 2010, and that the Coalition of LA City Unions was somehow involved in the action. This is not true. We have no information about this action. We have not participated in its planning. In fact we feel that it might set us back.

Coalition leaders are still pressing the City Council for a plan to rescind the service cuts from layoffs and furloughs. We will continue to hold the Council and Mayor accountable to Angelenos who will see library hours cut back, child care cut, and neighborhood services slashed.

LA City Workers Respond to Devastating Service Cuts, Layoff Notices

We are extremely disappointed in the Mayor and City officials. This decision will lead to an unacceptable loss of services to the public. Their lack of leadership is unacceptable. The City rejected reasonable alternatives that would allow the City to operate at nearly full service, save the budget more than layoffs, and avoid adding to record unemployment.

Last year, workers ratified an agreement to defer pay increases and save taxpayers millions of dollars.

Unfortunately, the City has decided to break that agreement and move forward with 10% service cuts on top of layoffs.

We certainly hope the City will change course before these devastating cuts become official on July 1.

Signed,

Bob Schoonover, Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic with the City of Los Angeles and President of SEIU Local 721

Alice Goff, Police Service Representative with the City of Los Angeles and President of AFSCME Council 36

Roy Stone, Librarian with the City of Los Angeles and President of the Librarians' Guild.

Information for SEIU 721 Members Facing Layoff

SEIU 721 has set up a hotline for members on the layoff list who have questions: (213) 251-3722. You can also talk to your Steward or Worksite Organizer or call the Member Resource Center at (877) 721-4YOU [4968]. SEIU will meet with the city to mitigate layoffs including by moving affected employees to other positions.

City Workers Alert the Public to “Two-Week Notice” on Service Cuts
Coalition Continues to Push City Leaders toward Alternatives

pink slips LA City workers gathered Tuesday morning at City Hall as the city continues to threaten to send layoff notices to members who provide animal, library, engineering, IT, child care, and other important services. Effective July 1, the city plans to cut library hours, childcare, animal services and other services residents need, particularly during hard times.

City workers handed out "pink slips" that gave the public "two-week notice" for service cuts. The Coalition continues to oppose layoffs, and City Council can still stop these cuts before the budget goes into effect July 1.

Coalition Leaders Reaffirm Fight against Layoffs, Furlough Cuts
City Residents to Receive “Two Weeks’ Notice” on Service Cuts Pushed by Council and Mayor

June 14, 2010

On Saturday, the Building Trades hosted a meeting of leaders from Coalition unions to discuss strategy for saving services and jobs. As the clock ticks down on the fiscal year, the City continues down a costly path of layoffs as well as 10% pay and service cuts through furloughs. The Coalition continues to argue that there is no reason to move towards hasty layoffs.

Worker leaders were firm and unified in continuing to fight for services. Everyone recognizes that the current layoffs could be only a start – once the City takes the leap with the first group, each further layoff would be much easier for them.

What is the timeline?

The City could issue pink slips to workers as early as Wednesday, June 16. Even though notice could be sent this week, workers are protected until the end of the current fiscal year, so layoffs would not be set in stone until at least July 1. The Coalition and each bargaining unit affected will address the impact of layoffs if the City proceeds.

What are we doing?

At City Hall...
The Coalition continues to put every reasonable alternative in front of City leaders and advocate for a balanced budget that prioritizes services. Representatives of Coalition unions continue talking every day to CAO Miguel Santana, members of the City Council and the Mayor’s office, arguing for a change in direction.

Across the City...
Workers continue to demonstrate the service impact of layoffs and furloughs. Some services, such as libraries, engineering, and child care, would be decimated by the current layoff plan. Most other services would be cut by 10% through the City’s unilateral furlough plan. Workers are talking to members of the public at the point of service, letting them know how they'll be impacted and seeking support.

In our Communities...
Community and faith groups are standing with City workers to oppose service cuts through layoffs and furloughs. Clergy members and other faith leaders have held prayer vigils at City Hall, are speaking out to their congregations and signing onto a letter opposing cuts.

City Moves towards Layoffs, Mandatory Furloughs;
Coalition Continues to Fight
Pink Slips could be issued on 6/15, Setting in motion layoffs that would cost more than they save

June 10, 2010

Since the economy dipped into recession, the Coalition of City Unions has successfully fought to prevent the reduction and elimination of City services due to layoffs. City workers represented by Coalition member unions contributed tens of millions in budget ideas and last year ratified an agreement that among other things:

Move 2,400 of the City’s highest paid workers to retire, permanently reducing the City’s workforce without mass layoffs; and Defer COLAs in Fiscal Year 2009-10 and 2010-11 if no layoffs are implemented.

Though the economy has begun to recover, City revenues have not yet rebounded. Facing layoffs yet again, the Coalition produced a package of budget solutions in our Strong Budget.

In the end, our advocacy with the City Council and Mayor paid off – to a certain extent. Some of our ideas were accepted and our efforts – coupled with managers’ work to create efficiencies and transfer workers to special funded positions – have whittled down the layoffs from “thousands” to 246 filled positions covered under the Coalition contract.

At the Executive Employee Relations Committee (EERC) meeting on June 8, CAO Santana urged the committee to move forward with the remaining 246 layoffs – a savings of just $13.4 million – and reject the COLA deferral agreed to by members – costing $53 million in the next fiscal year ($28 million General Fund). The City then plans to recoup those pay raises, so they never reach your pocket, by implementing 26 days of mandatory furloughs – in direct violation of our Union contract.

The Bottom Line
The City intends to issue 246 pink slips on June 15 and in return grant 22,000 City workers a pay raise on July 1. He would then take back the pay raise and more from remaining workers with a 10 percent pay cut through 26 furlough days, unless we are able to block them in court.

In addition to the harm caused you and your families, the community will suffer needlessly. Not only is the City’s plan more expensive for taxpayers than the Coalition’s, but it would lead to major reductions in service for the community:
• Libraries will be open fewer days per week, taking away a safe haven for children.
• City-operated Child Care centers will be closed, removing a safe and affordable option for many families.
• Recreation programs that keep children off the streets will be dramatically reduced.
• There will be fewer park rangers keeping our facilities safe.
• Communications Electricians – already cut to the bone – would be reduced further, putting critical Police and Fire communication at risk.
• Neighborhood outreach to the owners of unlicensed dogs owners will be reduced, hurting service and the collection of revenues.

We Continue To Fight
It is absurd for City leaders to proceed with the layoffs and we are continuing to make our case to them. Deferring pay raises will save the City nearly $185 million over three years ($98 million General Fund). Savings from the layoffs over the same period – assuming those positions aren’t backfilled when the economy improves – is less than $50 million. The net cost to LA taxpayers of the layoff plan exceeds $135 million.

Additionally, the Coalition is pursuing a very aggressive legal challenge to the furloughs. A team of top notch attorneys have already begun meeting to plan for litigation.

Questions & Answers about the LA City Budget
Q: Didn’t the Mayor already Sign the Budget?
A: Yes, the City Council passed, and Mayor signed, a budget with 761 layoffs and up to 26 days of furlough for most workers (10% pay cut). The City Council could still act before July 1 to eliminate layoffs and take advantage of the COLA deferral ratified last year. They could also amend or end the furlough plan at any time.

Q: If the Mayor and Council do nothing, will layoffs start July 1?
A: Yes, pink slips could be issued as soon as June 15 and the layoffs would go into effect no sooner than July 1 when the fiscal year starts. Each union’s negotiating teams would bargain the impact of layoffs.

Q: Would furloughs also go into effect July 1?
A: The City Council's budget includes up to 26 days of furloughs for many general fund employees. But the city can't bank on furloughs. The Coalition of LA City Unions' agreement with the city precludes unilateral implementation of furloughs for represented employees. And in January a California judge rejected some furloughs of state workers and said "their implementation in some agencies saves nothing and increases costs." The Coalition would consider all legal actions to enforce our agreement and to fight the unilateral imposition of furloughs.

Q: How would the budget affect city professionals who are not party to last year’s agreement and already on furlough?
A: The professional units are in bargaining now and are fighting mandatory furloughs by legal means if necessary.

Q: Will we receive our raise on July 1 if layoffs of Coalition members go ahead?
A: Yes, our agreement requires the city to pay workers a 3% raise on July 1, and a 2.75% step increase to employees on their top step on Jan. 1, 2011, if any Coalition-represented workers are laid off in FY 2010-11.

Workers to City: We Stepped Up for Services!
Workers Voted Last Year to Forego Pay in Order to Help Avoid Layoffs and Service Cuts

May 28, 2010

"City workers voted last year to defer wage increases if the City does not lay off in Coalition units. The savings to the City would be more than enough to cover the layoffs in this budget. If City leaders decide to reject this and lay off workers, they are making an unfortunate choice to cut services and put families on the unemployment line.”

– Alice Goff, President, AFSCME Local 3090

“Why would we give them new concessions when we can’t get them to take the one we already gave?”

– Bob Schoonover, President, SEIU 721

Payroll savings passed last year by workers would add up to
$53 million across the City next year, more than $27 million to the General Fund. Savings from layoff of Coalition workers is estimated at $24 million.

We Already Addressed the Structural Budget Shortfall
• The retirement program successfully reduced the city payroll by 2,400 workers, bringing the workforce down to 1997 levels.
• The agreement lowered ongoing costs by more than $100 million, in addition to $80 million in savings in the current year.

The Coalition Gave Ideas to Close Budget Gap
• We provided dozens of suggestions on how to increase efficiency and get greater value for our tax dollars.
• We proposed new ways of collecting and generating revenues.
• The Coalition has met with the Mayor and every Council office, trying to convince them to do the right thing for services and workers.

The Proposed Budget Cuts Most Services 10% Through Furloughs, While Layoffs Would Decimate Specific Programs

Libraries
Libraries will dramatically reduce the hours of operation, with librarians targeted for layoff and others diverted from serving patrons.

Department of Recreation and Parks
Recreation programs critical to crime prevention will be cut. All City operated Child care Centers will close.

Neighborhood and Street Services
All tree trimming will be left to residents. It will take longer to fill potholes and maintain city streets.

More Red Tape Delays
Due to reductions in admin personnel, Planning and Building and Safety permits will take longer. City processing will bottleneck.

Call Council President Eric Garcetti’s office at (213)-473-7013 and tell him to save city services, with no layoffs and no furloughs.

Download the flier

LA City Workers Keep Fighting for Services Over the Cuts Adopted by Council

City Council moved forward with a budget that cuts services through layoffs and furloughs yesterday.

May 18, 2010

City workers have been pushing for weeks for Council to adopt our Strong Budget for LA, a package of practical revenues and savings instead of cuts. Council included some of our ideas, like fines to banks to maintain foreclosed properties, in the budget they adopted and sent back to the Mayor.

The budget passed by Council cuts library hours, child care programs, park upkeep, and civilians in the LAPD and LAFD who are vital to supporting public safety.

Next steps: LA city workers in the Coalition of LA City Unions, with the firefighters, will continue to work with our allies in City Hall to amend the budget that was passed to fully implement the savings and revenue ideas we've offered--like cuts to supply purchases and contracts rather than cutting the jobs and hours of workers who serve the public.

Bob Schoonover "This thing keeps changing by the hour. It's not over. Council passed a budget that's still full of holes, and it's up to us to keep fighting, along with the people in the community who care, to fill in those holes with solutions that keep our libraries open, our parks clean, that keep LA strong and help our economy recover."
- SEIU 721 President and LA Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic Bob Schoonover

Will there be layoffs?

Until the Mayor signs the budget, due by June 1st, layoffs and furloughs are not certain. Even after the Mayor signs the budget, it can be amended and changed. We'll continue to fight to keep everyone working, full time, to provide critical neighborhood services.

What happens if there are layoffs?

If layoffs move forward we will get our full 3% raise on July 1st.

Stay tuned. Members will meet in the next few days to plan the next steps.

Laying off L.A. workers is the
wrong way to balance the budget
By Bob Schoonover and Alice Goff
Read L.A. TImes story online

Click on links for more updates.

Mayor Moves Forward on Transfers

Coalition Demands Implementation of Agreement

ERIP Window Closes

City Council Passes ERIP and Coalition Agreement

ERIP Window Opens to Tremendous Response

City Employee Unions Reach Tentative Agreement

Implementation of the Coalition's Binding Contract

Persistence Pays Off Big

Questions about the Early Retirement Incentive Program