UPDATE: LA County Supervisor Don Knabe, the board chairman, reports agreement was reached Wednesday with all labor unions on a two-year, no-change extension of their current contracts.
The extensions include no cost-of-living increases or salary increases.
Nearly represent nearly 90-percent of the
approximately 101,000 County employees.
“Our union partners stepped up and recognized the shared sacrifice we
are all in right now,” said Knabe. “Los Angeles County is in
difficult financial times, between diminishing tax revenue from the
local economy and round after round of funding hits from the State of
California. We are all in this together as we weather this economic
storm.”
A lot is wrong with the way LA County is run, health care to the poor and foster children services come to mind, but fiscal irresponsibility is not its failing.
In the downturn in the 1990s, workers went a couple years without raises to keep their jobs and services to the public flowing as well as possible.
Now, after intense negotiations, 55,000 workers — nurses, park employees, social service workers, librarians and others who work
directly with the public represented by SEIU Local 721 — have agreed to terms with the county on a new two-year contract.
No raises.No layoffs. No sweetened early retirements. No furloughs. No nonsense.
“We took a totally new approach and we are proud of it because it worked,” Linda Dent, an intermediate clerk in the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office and vice president of the SEIU 721 executive board, said in the announcement. “We were honest about the state of the economy and the demand for services, so we found efficiencies in the system and we protected services. I believe LA will come out of these tough times even stronger than before.”
Imagine that: Living within your means makes a difference.
With the cost of living down 1.7 percent, county workers can live without a raise. With revenues down, the county can survive without drastic service cuts or draconian measures. They aren’t giving raises like DWP workers are getting, they aren’t deferring raises for another day like the city, they aren’t slashing services like the city.
Times are tough but the county isn’t hurtling to the precipice of bankruptcy as the city is.
The difference is leadership and the political will to make fiscally responsible decisions.
Ask yourself if County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky would be silent about the budget crisis if he were mayor of LA, if he would simply roll over to union demands if they were unaffordable and lead to catastrophe?
The county has a lot of problems and the supervisors are hardly saints. But there is a world of difference between the way the county is run and the way the city is being run into the ground.
Did the county of LA give county workers 25% raises in December 2007? Could that be the difference?
The difference is people like Zev and Molina. While they are fairly liberal, they are not carelessly liberal economically. They are smart, but they are also trusted by most sides and…most importantly, NOT looking for higher office, like the likes of Villaraigosa.
This is a case where term limits will hurt the county.
Yup, term limits only shuffle the problem…between Downtown, Sacramento, and (gadzooks) D.C.
That being said, could it me that 15 CD’s ist too many for pragmatic leaders to emerge? Or too few for true grass root “empowerment”?
The key, to enable an informed and engaged voter basis, is to outweigh the BullSpin and the professional blognoxious egos out there, with emerging new mediums to enough integrity to do so.
Hey Chelsea!!!
Zev for Mayor in 2013!!
I would hardly hold Molina up as an good example – she’s petty and very ethnocentric when it comes to big issues like where the subway should go, ganged up with Antonovich/Knabe vs. Yaroslavsky and Burke- Ridley-Thomas until overruled by whole MTA Board. She does this in other cases as well, and was on Burke’s side in not doing anything about the employee problems at King-Drew for PC reasons for way too long. (With full support in this incompetence by of course Janice Hahn the worst kind of liberal, who also always raises taxes on homeowners and businesses to grandstand to Latino immigrant workers like around LAX and gang program workers in her district.)
I’ll grant however that Molina can be more sensible fiscally than the lefties on city council but that’s not saying much when you look at Janice, Rosendahl, Alarcon, Reyes, Cardenas, Perry, most of them. But it’s the conservatives who are the ones stupidly insisting that the LAPD force and fire stations be reduced to dangerous levels while they also want furloughs and cuts on current cops and firefighters. AND it’s the same “fiscal hawks” who sit on the Budget Committee that’s as responsible for our current mess as anyone, Parks, Zine and Smith, who insist that the trash fees and Phone Tax S “reduction” were never promised for cops and public safety exclusively, in a bold-faced lie.
What I see is a sadly polarized council between these two extremes, and that’s largely because these people are thinking more about their next elections either for council or higher office, so they’re more interested in grandstanding to some voting demographic than in doing the right thing. Meanwhile the Supervisors are secure for many years and don’t have to worry about that, big difference.
Plus the County has a lot more money and a lot fewer poor people, as even the city’s new CFO bluntly noted: the County has lots of rich, small cities to balance its needy. And yet the county hospitals and clinics are still closing or on reduced hours. Despite having many times bigger budget than LAPD which is leading the charge, Sheriff Baca refused to test DNA rape kits for most of this year until a national human rights and victim’s outcry embarrassed Zev into calling him on the carpet and working out the details with him. Zev could do this because you’re right Ron, with fewer members each of the 5 has lots more power. BUT would we trust the current city council to choose any 5 members amongst itself to represent us?
1:29
Well, word in his CD5 offices in 1989 is that he didn’t think he couldn’t raise the bucks needed. I think he’d have a better shot now, but would it be worth it for 8 years?
You can figure that Moline and Knaabe cancel each other out…and it’s kind of early to tell about Ridley-Thomas.
As for Antonovich…how long has he been lending his “expertise” to the sprawling developers of Los Angeles County? Let’s just say that some folks miss Baxter Ward.
Face it, looks like the leadership is here is with the SEIU Board.
Linda Dent for Mayor!
Speaking of union contracts, I was told that the DWP contract includes a guarantee of 20 hours a week overtime pay for employees? Whether or not overtime is needed, they get it. This is a typical scenario witnessed by many:7 DWP workers are doing their overtime. 5 are sleeping in the cab while 2 are working.
In addition, the contract pays for education and they are paid while attending school. This education payment has nothing to do with training. One can take a cooking class and it’s paid for (tuition and paid time off). Also, each facility has a gymnasium. I believe they still pay for those breast feeding classes too.
These are the sweet heart deals our politicians cow tow to at the demands (and threats of strikes) of the union leader.
Ron, could you get a copy of these union contracts to verify this?
Just to make a point, don’t turn LA County into this virtuous, fiscally smart, expert body that does everything right. They are as ethically challenged as the City, having recently fired an honest Planning Director who complained about his Hearing Officers being influenced by the Supervisors. They are as a team, as rotten as our politicos.
Speaking of union contracts, I was told that the DWP contract includes a guarantee of 20 hours a week overtime pay for employees? Whether or not overtime is needed, they get it. This is a typical scenario witnessed by many:7 DWP workers are doing their overtime. 5 are sleeping in the cab while 2 are working.
In addition, the contract pays for education and they are paid while attending school. This education payment has nothing to do with training. One can take a cooking class and it’s paid for (tuition and paid time off). Also, each facility has a gymnasium. I believe they still pay for those breast feeding classes too.
These are the sweet heart deals our politicians cow tow to at the demands (and threats of strikes) of the union leader.
Ron, could you get a copy of these union contracts to verify this?
Even better news – the County actually reached the agreement with EVERY County union and bargaining unit – not just SEIU. That’s almost 90-percent of the 101,000 County employees, far more than the 55,000 represented by SEIU 721. SEIU was able to get the news out to their members quickly, so there was some incomplete information out earlier today that didn’t include that the agreement was wth everyone, not just SEIU.
Supervisor Knabe’s office issued this press release this afternoon with all the details.
-ds
David A. Sommers
Communications Director
Chairman Don Knabe
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
dsommers@bos.lacounty.gov
Supervisor, Fourth District 822 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration Los Angeles 90012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: David A. Sommers
(213) 974-1095
LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND UNION LEADERS
REACH MAJOR AGREEMENT
LOS ANGELES, October 7, 2009 – Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, announced a major agreement today regarding several months of negotiations with the labor unions that represent County employees.
Under the agreement, every single County union and bargaining unit has agreed to a two-year, no change extension of their current contracts. The extensions include no cost-of-living increases or salary increases. The County’s union partners represent nearly 90-percent of the approximately 101,000 County employees.
“Our union partners stepped up and recognized the shared sacrifice we are all in right now,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Los Angeles County is in difficult financial times, between diminishing tax revenue from the local economy and round after round of funding hits from the State of California. We are all in this together as we weather this economic storm.”
# # #
I still think Zev would make a very good Mayor, far better than any of these midgets in City Hall, who got us in this mess. One problem,it will get worse.
Don’t forget, Zev Yaroslavsky originally ran for LA City Council in the 70′s as one of the youngest and more importantly a grass-roots candidate and not part of “the machine” – Groovy man!
I agree.The City needs Zev more than ever. We need him to clean up the mess.
October 7, 2009 5:03 PM: I have my issues with DWP, but your rumor about guaranteed 20 hours overtime is flat wrong. That would mean all 8,000-plus DWP employees get their salary plus 20 hours OT – absolutely false.
I’m sure that there are some DWP employees who have tons of OT (way more than “20 hours”) just like the Paramedic many years ago who was the highest paid in the City because of all of his overtime.
There is enough true problems with DWP that would fill up Ron Kaye’s web page, so don’t clutter it with false statements.
The DWP contract QUARANTEES to EVERY employee 10% MINIMUM overtime. A number of employees pile up as much as 80%!!! Now you know where your monthly bill goes. Wake up.
5:03PM.You forgot the writing lessons for engineers who make 6 fig salaries.
8:01PM. PLEASE, don`t shoot the messenger, if you don`t know the facts. You should know better than that.
I agree that Zev would make a great Mayor. Smart, fiscally conservative, hard working, honest, with a record of accomplishments. Not a sell out.
It’s because of Zev catering to NIMBY’s in Cheviott Hills mainly, that we didn’t get a subway “to the sea” 2 decades ago when the feds were GIVING AWAY money – he said no thanks, made Waxman say no thanks again in 98, using the methane gas under Fairfax as an excuse. Only a year ago did these two say “OK, we need the dough,” but too late, no dough left.
So we’ve agreed to an extra 1/2c sales tax to try to get government matching funds so the extension will finally be built in 20 years. MAYBE. If Molina/Knabe/Antonovich don’t gang up against the “metro” downtown/hollywood/ westside corridor again (as their predecessors in Latino eastside and outer valleys did 2 decades ago, forcing the subway Red Line so far East and north to the valley instead of east-west as studies even then indicated as densest/ most needed) as “rich elitists.” A point of view people on this blog often take.
And it was Zev who proposed the one-way Pico- Olympic that became still another hot button NIMBY issue. NOW he’s riding the tide against over-development — not exactly as a groundbreaker. Having said this, I still agree he’s the best of the 5 on Supes and better than most on the council for mayor – better late than never when it comes to wising up. But let’s stop turning him and the whole BOS into heroes when they simply get a lot LESS scrutiny. None of the papers have ANY reporter assigned f/t to their County beat like they do city council – where they sit in their arses all day, read the blogs and “report” on what’s going on.
October 7, 2009 11:30 PM:
Here is the irony of what you are saying: You are taking the developers point of view. They are pushing a YIMBY PR program pushing endless, high density development and accusing those that oppose it to be “NIMBYs” (not in my backyard). But the wealthy developers live in single family homes and take their cars (nothing wrong with that, except for the hypocrisy) But they make money from taxpayers subsidies and give-a-ways and Eminent Domain for their developments.
Then fools like you (if you aren’t in the development industry) buy into the stupid Yes in my backyard (YIMBY) propaganda.
The bottom line: High density mega-development overcrowds our city, the aging infrastructure can’t take it, and our water sources aren’t enough to sustain it.
Again you have your facts wrong. You can actually make DWP and their workers look worse – just by the straight time salary they get, but at least get your facts right so that you have credibility.
You say every worker is guaranteed 10% overtime. If that’s true, you could request public information on the total number of employees who work at DWP and how much overtime each one worked.
You would find that not ALL DWP workers are getting overtime. And some are getting MORE than 10%.
This has been in their contract a long time. It is related to contracting out of work. But it only kicks in when work is contracted out and only applies to those affected by it.
October 7, 2009 8:36 PM:
I’m not shooting the messenger, I’m trying to help the messenger get his story straight.
You know how it is in the military, when an order is given and then sent down the chain of command. By the time it gets to the “buck Private,” it has a different meaning.
Just re-read what I posted and you will understand – and that’s direct, not carried down the chain taking on half truths.
October 7, 2009 11:30 PM
You raise a good point. Overall Zev is good, but he successfully pushed through the 1/2-cent sales tax (Measure R) for public transportation. This is a regressive tax and even Zev admitted that he was surprised it passed in “tough economic times” in a speech he gave on the Westside.
Public transportation is important, but the MTA has a history of cost overruns and late schedules (not to mention a host of issues facing subway construction that hasn’t been resolved).
LA and the State of California are in a financial mess from overspending and overtaxing causing business to leave the state. All these “pie in the sky” programs can’t be paid for when you push your source of businesses and jobs out of the state.
Dear Anonymous on October 7, 2009 @ 8:01 PM,
Please reread my comment. In the beginning of it I state that “I was told.” At the end of the comment I asked if Ron could get a copy of their contract to verify this.
Rumor? Yes
My rumor? No
Worth looking into? Absolutely
1:32 Am, you state that “This has been in their contract a long time. It is related to contracting out of work. But it only kicks in when work is contracted out and only applies to those affected by it.” Could you explain this some more? Does this mean they get overtime while the contracting out search is occurring? Do you have a copy of their contract(s)? How does their pay and promised overtime compare to those same level positions in other departments?
Thank you,
October 7 @ 5:03 PM and (oops) 5:09 PM
I understand that, while there were no raises that the county agreed to, they did agree to boost benefits. If this is true, then, once again, we have missed the forest for the trees. It is the benefits that we give public employees that are straining the system so badly.
Zev is a scoundrel like the others. We need new blood, so get over this recyling a known name. As to another comment, the developers who push high density usually live in places like Hidden Hills. Time we get over this idiotic word “NIMBY”. If it was your neighborhood, you’d feel the same.
How does the County stick with this plan if the economy gets worse and revenues decline?
How does the County stick with this plan if the economy gets worse and revenues decline?
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