In the midst of a public health crisis, AFSCME District Council 36 members in the City of Los Angeles are unwavering in their commitment to providing the essential services our communities depend on. Los Angeles and its Labor partners have endured many hardships together, and if the COVID-19 pandemic continues to accelerate, our members will remain dedicated to ensuring Angelenos continue to receive crucial city services.
Last Friday, AFSCME Locals 741, 901, 2006, 2626, 3090 & 3672, along with our partners in the Coalition of Los Angeles City Unions, met with city officials to review Mayor Garcetti’s proposed 2021 budget. Our LA City Locals have fought, and will continue to fight, relentlessly to ensure that any budget proposal aimed at cutting costs and raising revenues does not do so at the expense of vital city employees. As such, we have already won a commitment from city officials of no layoffs, the preservation of all city services, and an agreement to fund all currently agreed upon future salary increases for city employees, and we’re not done yet. “Labor will continue to engage the leadership of Los Angeles City, as we have done in previous crisis, to collectively minimize the financial fall-out and impact of this pandemic,” says Andreas Jung, President of AFSCME District Council 36. “AFSCME will advocate for our members, clients, and residents of Los Angeles, to join in the ambitious goal set by Mayor Garcetti of ‘reinventing’ Los Angeles and coming out of this crisis better than when we were thrust into it.”
The Mayor’s budget proposal recommends targeted civilian employee furloughs of up to 26 days in certain departments. While our members are classified as “civilian employees” their furloughs will have far reaching consequences. Our members employed by the City of Los Angeles answer the phone when you call 911 & 311, they keep our parks safe, and coordinates witnesses for the City Attorney. Our members identify finger prints retrieved from crime scenes, coordinate cargo ships & services to manage the Port of LA, provide services at LA City Libraries, and process paperwork for all city related functions. AFSCME District Council 36 will continue to work alongside our coalition partners to reduce the number of furlough days, and to address the equity of those members impacted, while continuing to provide the essential services that the citizens of Los Angeles have come to count on.
“After the Mayor's budget presentation, tomorrow, AFSCME and our coalition partners will make sure our officials understand that furloughs mean fewer workers at work. And make them answer, how can those services continue during this emergency pandemic for Los Angeles?” says Carmen Hayes-Walker, President of AFSCME Local 3090. Our members have been on the frontlines since the beginning of this pandemic, and the essential services they provide should be protected at all costs.
