Labor deal may be imminent at L.A. City Hall

Negotiators for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council scrambled to put the finishing touches on a deal to save an early retirement program for the city's civilian workforce while at the same time putting a dent in a $405-million budget shortfall.

The Coalition of L.A. City Unions, which has been pushing for early retirement, scheduled a 9 a.m. conference call between various civilian unions to discuss a potential deal. Minutes earlier, Villaraigosa and Council President Eric Garcetti were discussing progress on a potential agreement.

Any agreement would result in a council vote after 10 a.m.

"I feel very optimistic that we can have a vote today" on whether to save early retirement, said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who serves on the city's five-member negotiating committee.

Villaraigosa promised earlier this week to veto the early retirement program in its previous form, which would have allowed 2,400 workers to leave up to five years early. The city's top financial adviser has warned that the program would save only $12 million in this budget year and is part of a larger agreement that would limit the city's ability to make other cuts.

-- David Zahniser and Phil Willon at City Hall

 

Comments

[Dave]

If the deal does not include furloughs of SEIU/COCU members, then we will know it's BOGUS. Thousands of other city union workers are being furloughed, so there is NO good reason to exempt SEIU/COCU members from this.

[Chuck]

Dave, SEUI/COCU workers gave up their COLAs to avoid furloughs. EAA members did not.

[city worker]

Many of the 2400 are eligible to retire now. Why give them a cash incentive to leave. I have been furloughed since July and I am adamantly opposed to an increase in my retirement contribution to fund people who can retire anyway. Some of the very people (union leaders) pushing for this incentive are the very ones to benefit the most if the plan is implemented that includes a $1000 per year of service for anyone with a minimum of 33 years and have the age (55 or older). Some of the these people have 35+ years of service. So why haven't they retired already?

[ron]

lay them off

[How Sad]

People just don't realize when something is just not financially feasible, but it seems like unions (especially government unions) just don't care anymore as long as they get a good deal out of the situation. Screw the city as long as I get my pension benefit.

[Warren Todd]

If the city council members and heads of SEIU and the COCU couldn't find the money to pay for the E-RIP after working on it for months on end, are we supposed to believe that now in less than one week all the money to pay for this ill-conceived and very illegal plan has suddenly appeared? Garcetti wants to kiss up to the labor union leaders because he plans to run for mayor and doesn't want them to be upset with him. If this farce of a "savings" plan to balance the budget continues, then Garcetti, the Mayor, and the rest of the City Council better not be surprised when the residents of this city rise up in revolt against all of them. To our city leaders: If you think we aren't watching and that we don't care what you are doing, you better think again!

[ynot]

If the ERIP allows employees from propietary departments to retire it saves no money for the general fund.

[Nelson]

I really feel for all you who are being affected directly by all of this. I wish you all luck and hope that someday soon we can all look back at this, and say, "we've made it". I personally am affected too but in a different industry. Good luck to us all!!

[Dave]

Chuck,
EAA had a no reopener clause in exchange for their measly COLA; SEIU did not have this clause.

But don't worry, based on what I heard on still preliminary reports, looks like the SEIU rolled the city/mayor/council again. And in a few months will be right back to this same point.