The City of Commerce saw the power of workers standing together at a City Council meeting on March 5, when AFSCME Local 773 members packed the house, demanding equitable treatment, affordable health care, greater job security and justice for part-time workers. (Check out a brief video of the Local's protest at the City Council meeting below!)

Armed with the official support of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, Local 773 President Laura Logan called on the City's elected leaders to faciliate a fair deal on behalf of these frontline service providers. The Local has been in bargaining for nine months, she said, with little progress.  The City negotiating team has stubbornly refused to agree to the workers' demands, and the union made clear it is ready to do whatever it takes to win what the workers deserve.

In a show of local labor solidarity and force, the LA Labor Federation just voted to support the Local in the event they should call for a strike. A number of the workers'concerns were articulated in a letter of support from Rusty Hicks, President of the LA Labor Federation, which the Local presented at the meeting.

"Nearly two-thirds of the unit at the bargaining table are part-time employees with little opportunity to promote into full-time positions," Hicks wrote. "Employees are also subjected to exorbitant deductibles for health care, constant threats of having their jobs contracted out and a flawed system to handle disputes with management."