City of Los Angeles Demands Even More Cuts from Its Workers

Nov 12, 2012

The City of Los Angeles is demanding more cuts from its workers, according to a memo issued by Mayor Villaraigosa in October, disclosed by one employee on LACityworkers.com.

In the memo, the workers were blamed for causing the budget deficit with their wages, healthcare and retirement benefits. The memo explains that to fix the budget, the City eliminated more than 5,000 positions by layoffs, early retirement and attrition. Then the mayor bragged that increasing workers’ retirement contributions to 11% of their wages “is one of the largest increases” in the country.

But, according to the memo, these cuts were not enough. Now, the City demands even more. They want to reduce starting base wages, change layoff procedures, have more part-time employees, outsource some positions, reduce Cost of Living Adjustments, require a minimum of a 10% contribution to health premiums, eliminate pay for some holidays, reduce Workers’ Comp payments, cut the pensions of existing retirees by preventing automatic increases, and so on.

Not quite-billionaire Richard Riordan and his billionaire buddy Eli Broad also want a new ballot measure next year to cut the City workers’ income.

This is a full assault on workers by the rich and the City of Los Angeles. They squarely put the blame on the city workers: supposedly workers earn too much!

But last month, the city approved a so-called “business tax holiday” for companies from 2013 to 2015. Initiated in 2010, this tax break gives about 17 million dollars to businesses EVERY year. So, for the City, giving money to the rich does not cause any budget deficit!

Bottom line: Democratic Mayor and the City Council are in full agreement with the filthy rich people: attack the workers.