LA City Workers Protest Service Cuts; Mayor Touts Progress In Labor Talks
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — City workers rallied Tuesday at job sites around Los Angeles to protest what they call cuts to municipal services even as Mayor Eric Garcetti touted progress in labor negotiations with employee unions.
Workers carrying oversized band-aids gathered early this morning at the Los Angeles City Sanitation Yard to call attention to what they say are failing equipment and trucks that have not been maintained.
A rally at Dockweiler Beach featured protesters wearing costumes festooned with trash to draw attention to trash that has been filling up storm drains because of the lack of city staff to clean them, according to organizers.
Similar actions were held at more than 60 job sites, including the L.A. Zoo, LAX, Department of Transportation and Public Works offices, organizers said.
Citing "real progress on substantive issues", Garcetti said he and other city leaders are not seeking any increased employee contributions to health-care costs and other concessions from the coalition of city employee unions.
"And I hope that's communicated to members," Garcetti said, adding that the city "will manage in a fiscally responsible way and through any job actions."
The citywide action comes as negotiations to renew a contract that expired in July continue between city officials and the Coalition of L.A. City Unions, which represents approximately 20,000 city workers.
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