Did Water & Power Wendy Flip Flop?

Wendy Greuel passed a motion before the LA City Council in 2008 directly catering to the Valley Industry and Commerce Association better known as VICA, she may be beholden to the Department of Water and Power, but she is clearly not looking out for the best interest of LA City Employees In her motion that she brought before council she requested that the City Administrative Officer and the Chief Legislative Analyst evaluate the attached 50 recommendations from the Valley Industry and Commerce Association and report back to the Council in 30 days on the feasibility and necessary steps to implementing the viable recommendations.

What were some of those recommendations in Wendy Greuel’s Motion?

Here are some recommendations that may sound familiar.
Put City employees on a two-tiered pension system.
Employees hired after July 1, 2009 should have higher co-pays for health care and a different retirement plan.
Move the City pension fund from a defined benefits plan to a defined contributions plan.

Here is the top recommendation of the business Task Force Below

BUSINESS RETENTION & ATTRACTION TASK FORCE

1. Lower the City Business Tax to 50% of 1999 Tax Rates.
2. Eliminate all “Pass-through Revenue” from the City Business Tax
calculations. The inclusion of pass-through revenue historically has
kept many businesses out of Los Angeles and caused many to leave.
3. Provide a City Business Exemption for a period of years for new
businesses locating in an “Enterprise Zone”.
4. Target certain industries for City Business Tax relief that are
important contributors to jobs (i.e., entertainment tech, bio-med, etc.).
5. Give all new businesses locating in Los Angeles one-year exemptions
and then give them tax credits over four (4) years (75 percent, 50
percent, 25 percent) until they would pay 100 percent of the tax on the
sixth year.

Just Who is VICA?

VICA is a huge proponent of eliminating the gross receipts tax that helps all city residents by providing Police services, fire department services that protect life and property, street resurfacing and reconstruction projects that repave streets and rejuvenate neighborhoods. Curtailing the above services while risking the safety of our homes and family all over a mere minimum tax of $153.00, or 0.132%. Bravo to vica for championing the reduction of critical services for those who give freely to join their exclusive organization. Some of the benefits they tout sound as familiar as the Gold Card Program in the Department of Transportation they sell it as the following:
Through our familiarity with government and our key contacts with the right problem solvers VICA’s Red Tape Busters can help you:
Expedite your request for city services
Get a call-back from hard to reach bureaucrats
Shop legislation to change existing laws

Let’s review briefly some of their client list and the results they achieved at City Hall because VICA membership sounds like a bargain if you’re looking to make a $15.4 million dollar real estate deal with the defunct CRA like the “one selected bidder” the Trammell Crow Company or you just happen to end up on the City of Los Angeles Worst Tax Deadbeat list like another one of their members the Sportsmen’s Lodge.

Latham & Watkins Law Firm had a potential conflict of interest Waived by the City Council when it wanted a fat contract from Water and Power, the law firm had it granted and the case, LA City’s water gathering activities in Owens Valley the one the LA Times reported on along with the potential millions in liability  the DPW faces.

Again in 1998 and again for Latham and Watkins the council approved  another conflict waiver this time for the Mojave Generation Plant Lawsuit why did they require these Waivers? It was, “due to Latham & Watkins representing other entities ADVERSE to the Department of Water and Power in other matters not related to this case.”

Basically it’s like hiring your soon to be ex-wife’s law firm in a nasty bitter divorce to defend you as well, not a great idea.

When the University of Southern California (USC) engaged in the development process for its controversial University Park Campus, they called on the law firm of you guessed it Latham & Watkins to ensure that the taxpayers voice would be muffled and the developers would get their way.

Let’s review just briefly some of their other client list and the results they achieved at City Hall.

Citadel Environmental Services, Inc.  111,000.00

COLICH & SONS, LP Contracts totaling over $70,000,000.00

When it comes to taxes, business just doesn’t want to pay and they consistently use the line that we will make more by reducing the taxes business pay, this is fundamentally flawed, and always results in hurting the local economy except in cases of entire industries such as the movie industry.

Clearly it is not the pensions that they are after that is only one prong of many in the attack against public employees in the City of Los Angeles, the goal is to dismantle the entire operation to enrich themselves at the Taxpayers expense After all how many members of the public can afford a $75 Million dollar palatial estate named La Villa Contenta, in Malibu?

Would you believe the very same man who is the Owner of the Sportsmen’s lodge? Richard Weintraub son of former LAUSD Board President Roberta Weintraub who is good friends with Former Mayor Richard Riordan. Richard  Weintraub is also the President of Weintraub Financial the very same company that claimed it did not have the capital to purchase the land where the previous LAFD Station #78 was located and the same one that Wendy Greuel herself wrote the motion below for, a solid campaign contributor has to be taken care of after all.

Wendy Gruels Motion for Top Tax Deadbeat Leaves Eyesore in District

Wendy quick to look after the VICA members and contributors who I call the Elite others call the 1%, allowed the Sportsmen’s lodge to protect it’s neighborhood and keep out competition by spending a fraction of the cost it would have otherwise had to by allowing them to lock up the sale of Prime Real Estate in Former Fire Station #78.  On August 12, 2008, in a questionable deal, the city took a deposit on the property of a mere 10% to prevent its sale to competitors, and to the CVS corporation who was actively looking at purchasing real estate in the area Wendy Greuel took to the Council a Motion allowing the company Weintraub Financial Services, Inc  a purchase option to provide time to secure financing. The company allegedly did not have the capital to purchase the property, and the city could have sold that property, instead it sits vacant to this day. The Weintraub Family is a very politically active family that has donated thousands of dollars to elected officials, the ethics commission has yet to ever investigate a single donation from them, vica, or Weintraub Financial Services Inc. If someone owns a 75 Million dollar home, how could they not raise the capital?

Afriat Consulting Group

Another Consulting firm has donated  as The Political Machine/Afriat Consulting  $24,277.38, they also list Weintraub Financial Services as a client.

None of this is illegal it appears, it is just Pay to Play politics and another way that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer only we are the ones getting poorer and the taxpayers are being misled by these campaigns in order to steal tax money for private contracts and public private partnerships all while cheating taxpayers with accounting trickery and high priced consultants. Even VICA acknowledged in their annual dinner package the assistance of their members the Port of LA, and the DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER! They went on to say , “We have now positioned The Valley Economic Alliance to be a resource for business introductions, community and media outreach, public/private partnerships, marketing and promotion, and ongoing business assistance.”

Wendy Gruel and the Waste Fraud and Abuse Tag-line

Clearly it sounds good, but it has nothing to do with Wendy Greuel at all.

As early as 2004 the Budget and Finance Committee funded the New Governmental Efficiency Unit (Unit) within the Office of the Controller as a FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE UNIT.

So this is Not a new idea in the controllers office, just rehashing a tag line that was previously used and developed into a funded program.

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Wendy Greuel Campaign Furious at new Youtube Video which claims ”Greuella De Vil is a metaphor for #TeamWendy”

This campaign is starting to get good and they do say the De vil is in the details!

Watch the Greuella De Vil starring Wendy Greuel video below.

Is this payback for the Eric Garcetti “living like a star” mailer?

Can’t see the video? Search for ‘youtube proxy’

Clearly the same detractors of her campaign have not been kind to Nuch or Villaraigosa in the past.

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If Bernard Parks was a County Supervisor he would be calling for Bankruptcy For LA County, instead the county is considering using tax revenue from  a sales tax hike intended to resolve the deficit without further cutting services to pay for cost of living increases for employees. All of this while they fail to address their retiree health deficit which is larger than the entire 24 Billion dollar budget. Luckily for union members they put millions into Mark Ridley Thomas, the bought and paid for County Supervisor from the Second District who will ignore the plight of the community he represents and the 13% unemployment rate in order to cater to the unions.  Retiree health care has not been funded adequately for the 55,000 Current and former LA County Employees, instead it has lagged behind other responsible cities like Los Angeles who pre fund the employee retiree health care liability, In Los Angeles City Employees were forced by SEIU 721 to begin paying for this benefit when it was threatened with freezing  the subsidy by council and mayor in what has resulted in litigation for Los Angeles.

LA County 24 Billion and Growing Liability

Strangely budget hawks have all but ignored this growing crisis, and union officials have failed to seek resolution to this growing deficit, even as employee health care costs skyrocket union officials made campaign promises to employees of 30% Raises even as the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association’s investment portfolio revised investment return assumptions.

Los Angeles County Grand Jury Investigation Of Underfunding

How big is this crisis? It is such a looming disaster that the Los Angeles Grand Jury investigated LACERA and other pension systems coming out with a 291 page report detailing the critical underfunding of these systems. In particular it found, “The County’s unfunded retiree health liability of $24.03 billion should be a significant concern for the County, especially when considering the rising costs of health care. The LACERA Board of Investments’ choice to book the $614 million STAR reserve as a Valuation Asset without booking a corresponding liability overstates the financial strength of the plan.” While LACERA is well run, members and the public should be cautious about the use of LACERA retirement funds in questionable investments suggested by some members in infrastructure projects to benefit union backers of these gimmicks.

Community Programs Take A Hit

LA County has historically funded increases in employee benefits by partially offsetting the funding for community programs, taxpayers have grown tired of funding what they see as excessive public employee benefits at the expense of community programs.

Los Angeles County Budget Policy Ignored

LA County has spared it’s employees shouldering the cost of their benefits or “Sharing the Sacrifice” by having the increases picked up by departments rather than passing those costs on to the workforce and they have failed to fully fund their reserve funds as County policy calls for a ten percent (10%) reserve of locally generated revenues in their Rainy Day Fund.  County deferred maintenance needs have also suffered proper funding and As noted above, the County also utilized ongoing departmental budget curtailments to help achieve a balanced budget.  William T Fujioka says that On average, departments suffered a 15% reduction to the
NCC portion of their budgets while at the same time absorbing certain employee benefit cost increases. Some departments also have structural deficits caused by several years of curtailments and cost absorptions. Strategically restoring these curtailments and correcting structural deficits should be given strong consideration as we move forward. It is up to County Supervisors if they will provide cost of living increases, ignore deferred maintenance potentially costing more in the long run, or fully fund a reserve plan.

30% Raises Promised By SEIU 721

In the recently concluded executive officer election, SEIU 721 board members and vice president made promises to their supporters of 30% raises if reelected.

In a time of huge financial uncertainty it is irresponsible to make promises like that when LA County Sheriffs and other safety personnel have gone longer without a Cost of Living increase, and the Retiree Health Deficit continues to loom over the County of Los Angeles. SEIU 721 should be ashamed of willfully ignoring the looming Retiree Health Care Crisis in the County of Los Angeles, while forcing other represented employees to take huge cuts in pay rather then protect a vested benefit. This kind of second class treatment is a clear reason why 93% of members failed to participate in the executive board election.

Passing blame for previous failures onto the county supervisors is no way to be a community partner and it leaves the workforce disenfranchised when they fail to make the gains they are promised. LA County Workers deserve a cost of living increase, but not at the expense of putting their retiree health care benefits in jeopardy.

The post LA County Faces Unfunded Liability Larger Than Entire 24 Billion Dollar Budget appeared first on LA City Workers.com.

Baker to Vegas, It’s a long drive, it’s not fun but every year they hold a race in the desert to see who can make it there first.

Only one problem, they don’t drive they run!

Yup in the middle of the desert Law Enforcements finest runners gather to make the long journey they start the run 25 miles north of Baker California head across the state line into Nevada on Highway 372 to Pahrump NV., and on to the finish inside the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The race has a solid 20 year history and includes both men and women, sworn and civilian Full-time law enforcement personnel.
LA City fielded teams from all LAPD stations, Training Division,  and the following:

WOMEN LAPD TAKING FIRST PLACE IN THE WOMENS CATEGORY

LAPD DEPARTMENT TEAM Taking First Place in the OPEN Category

LA AIRPORT POLICE Finished # 11 in the Inv Category

LADOT/LAPD SECSD Finished #17 in the Inv Category

LA CITY ATTORNEY Team coming in an impressive #16 in the IMix Category

LAPD COMMUNICATIONS #27 in the IMix Category

LA REGIONAL CRIME LAB  #50 in the IMix Category

LOS ANGELES PORT POLICE #3 in the 150 Category

Congratulations to the men and women from the City of Los Angeles who competed and all the runners from all departments and agencies.

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SEIU 721 members in the various regions failed to make any change at all in the elected members of the union similar to elections held in other areas like Baghdad or Iran instead leaving a select few to fall victim to fancy flyers which made wild claims of fighting for the members. Some have even been promised 30% Raises even though bargaining has not officially begun for the LA county members or has it?

If any clearer sign was needed that the City Council, CAO, and Mayor can take away our raises, and increase our benefits it was this, waving a white flag proving the one thing that is still strong in this union is apathy. Members are so disgusted with this current union that they did not even vote, only approximately 7% of members returned their ballots. Only 5,667 total ballots made it back to be counted Union Wide.

Anyone that says that the members have spoken is clearly not listening. Here are the numbers using the LM-2 reported membership data and the latest data available from True Ballot.
Not a single candidate for an at large position got 5% of the membership Union Wide.
93% of the members Refused to vote. Which according to a True Ballot reps is the lowest they have ever seen in an election of this size.

Out of that total 1155 LA and Orange County Cities  ballots came back with 1114 valid ballots out of those the candidates received between  755 and 268 votes.  New leaders don’t get elected because you talk about it, the box has got to be checked, members need to spread the word, and those who seek to continue the concessions need to be shut down at the worksite, they are only looking out for themselves and the gravy train free ride the union will provide them. When your benefits shrink, blame those responsible, and hold them accountable, these usually are the same people who took down our flyers, told everyone to vote yes, and basically fail to think for themselves looking for a lost time gig.

Some positive things though, I have learned in this campaign, cut the dead weight early, don’t run with people who aren’t willing to put the same effort in that you are, and have a boatload of money.

Unofficial Results

President
3,209 Bob Schoonover
1,266  Kenn Turner
669  Victor L Tremmel

Vice-President
3,453  Linda Dent
1,669  Frank Dominguez

Treasurer
3,101  David Green
1,728  Paul Castro

Secretary
3,297  Lillian Cabral
1,719   Hana Kawano

Executive Board

LA/OC Cities

Board  Member  LA/OC Cities
755  Michael Simpson
722  Linda Stone
692  Simboa Wright
688  Charley Mlms
683  Andres Morales
669  Joaquin Avalos
667  Nady Maechling
646  Edwina Chism
302  Pedro Conde
284  Kesavan Korand
276  Brian Hollenbaugh
269  Nader Haghighat
268  Alan Peshek
1,155 Ballots valid of 1,114 Valids Returned

Inland Region

335  Wendy Thomas ** Under Appeal No Longer A Member or Eligible Employee
289  Barbara Cayon
270  Ed Toole
265  Tim Burke
257  Glenn Sanders
255  Cammie Dudek
250  David Warpness
237  Bill Notte
221  Kristina Zaragoza
202  Dolores Gonzalez RN
201  Rick Gay
181  Jennie Paul
181  Enrique J. Barllola
172  Anastasia Dilberakis
160  Marlo Clemons
535 Valids of 543 Returned Ballots

Tri-County Region

255 Grace Sepulveda
229 Shannon Abramovitch
215 Angela Port.lllo
196 Tom Johnston RRT
193 Ted (Bear) Perez
184 Perry Morefield
177 Rhea Voll
175 Gabriel Gomez
155 Saul Medina
148 Ed Alamillo
139 Rosa Castro
126 Charles Harrington
399 Valids of 407 Ballots Returned

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“Street Resurfacing and Repair of 14 Miles of Local and Residential Streets for $9,114,191.00 ”

$9, 114,191.00 That was the contracts estimated construction cost, the work called for Street Resurfacing the work that the Bureau of Street Services does on a daily basis, after all we ARE the largest paving company in the WORLD! We lay down more ac then anyone, if anybody is qualified to perform this job it is our own Bureau of Street Services right? Work Order No. E1907607

Well apparently not according to the Board of Public Works who attempted to get the contract spun through the Engineering department to look like an engineering contract, but why?

Records indicate the Bureau of Street Services has two fully operational Asphalt Plants, more then capable of producing numerous types of asphalt, and our transportation drivers as well as our personnel are thee most qualified individuals to perform the task.

Apparently if the contract was bid out through the engineering Department it would draw less scrutiny from Street Service Personnel  it was a perfect plan since according to a high level engineer SEIU 721 told them they did not have to bother them with notification, further more records prove they have consistently failed to challenge any work contracted out for similar projects even after they were notified by the engineering division

Contracting out to businesses who are taking work away from Street Service Personnel is not new it has been happening more and more every year as SEIU 721 Fails to challenge any large projects, out of nearly 50 Million, or $50.000,000.00 worth of contracts this year alone which city staff could have performed some or all of the duties, SEIU 721 made a total of 0 challenges ZERO.

Why? Bob Schoonover union president and Linda Dent Vice President did not care to be bothered with things like protecting Superior Court Workers or City of LA Public Works employees, it would interfere with the fun and travel they were doing on your dues money funded trips.

Public Works Commission Cancels Bids

Gary Lee Moore the City Engineer responsible for the projects recommended to the board the bids be cancelled and to introduce a motion at the Board of Public Works meeting claiming that “it has been determined that it is in the best interest of the City to cancel the bids for this project”

Why would it be in the best interest of the city? Because it did not want to produce a study that was called for by the City Charter because performing that study, it would have been nearly impossible to justify outside forces performing the work of city employees who can do it cheaper and better every time!

Did the Department of Engineering have a change of heart? Did they just decide to do what was right on their own?  NO!

EAA TO THE RESCUE

Sadly while SEIU 721 was busy campaigning for re-election, and allowing our Animal Control Officers to be disarmed, the City forgot about EAA Union.

EAA Union records show filed charges to protect it’s workers from outsourcing,  engineers tell us that EAA Union was none to happy to hear about this contract and that they in fact demanded the city prepare a charter 22 study because some of it’s members were affected by this contracting out and like a union should they stood up for their members, the beneficiaries are all public employees in the City, not just the EAA Members who got their union dues worth, but those members of SEIU 721 who were failed by their union, both staff who failed to care, and the President who encourages apathy.

Bodies Are Piling Up

While EAA members thought they would be better off leaving for SEIU 721, all too often they are realizing the mistake they made. SEIU 721 has failed to protect it’s members on a County Level in numerous counties, and on a city level, while the members see the layoff lines and large reductions in salary and benefits, Bob Schoonover has decided mailing out 3 fliers costing nearly $300,000.00 trying to get reelected was a great use of money, desperate to retain power, yet ignorant to the members desires leads to apathy,  or member decertification where they leave the union altogether.

Sadly this huge financial investment may payoff for him giving him yet another 3 years to give us more failed contracts, reduced retirement benefits, and more layoffs. All this with Higher dues then EAA Union while they consider raising our dues again Union Wide, members are left struggling to cope with the massive cuts they have taken and working conditions they are forced to suffer in because their union continues to fail them.

We deserve better, the vote count is Friday, and we will overcome, or we will leave, but we will not tolerate another 3 years of failed leadership and partnerships to outsource us.

Nothing proves this point more then attending tonight’s Animal Services meeting where Bob failed to attend, after all he didn’t have any stacks of fliers to hand off to one of the A.C.T.’s  like he did when he tried to champion himself off as a fighter for Animal Services.

Thank You EAA Union, your vigorous defense of your workers rights benefited all LA City Workers, for this I Thank You, You are a model to many in the city.

Shame on SEIU 721! Shame on Bob Screw-over and Linda Dent your failure to perform for the membership has caused more harm to thousands of workers over the last few years then in the last forty combined! SHAME ON YOU, I Hope the voters of this union know what is best for them and vote you out, and into retirement since it has been so long since either of you have seen your work sites you don’t remember what those are.

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Questionable deals in Real Estate, Funding Certain Employees Overtime,  continuing employees on payroll, executive board members payday and possible illegal contributions.

How many times can we buy a building? Apparently we now have a 17 million dollar mortgage and more the LM-2 Form from the DOl is also good to find out how much Union Staff Make, Julie Butcher is still making over $130,000.00 and  

EDWINA  CHISM Made $4200.00 to sell out the traffic officers.

Nady Maechling didn’t feel the bite of the furloughs or the extra retirement cost because she made $4200.00. That might explain her new found love for Bob since her personal hand picked choice for Executive Director Steve Matthews was shown the door but not before he collected a whopping $133,682.00

Andy Morales or ANDRES MORALES as he listed as his Government Name from the Department Of Sanitation Refuse Collection made a whopping $11200.00 Extra I am sure every member of Sanitation partook in the special secret 7 grand rebate just for him, I guess selling your members a song and dance about how great things have been over the last few years to those guys has to pay extra cause when Athens or Waste Management is on the doorstep, they will not forget.

Now on to the list feel free to download the pdf below and read it for yourself somehow David Greenes attempt to influence the voters by claiming to be the acting secretary fails since they went back to the well and Tony Bravo the real treasurer signed on March 29,2013  hey fraud for a treasurer candidate is what you can expect from the shady Bob Screwover camp. It’s your money afterall they are spending.

Bob Schoonover

Just ask Tyrone Freeman, and David Greene should consider his family since the allegations made by women and co-workers on the fidelity of seiu 721 elected members as well as employees has led to an ALL TIME HIGH in Corruption/Ethical investigations of SEIU 721 Yes it is a record! Never in the history of SEIU 721 have so many complaints been filed maybe the 30 %  raise Staff got while we were furloughed and laid off caused them to spend it on not so legal or medicinal party favors as is alleged about one second in command who allegedly drinks so much she shows up to work hungover and takes it out on staff going over the line even when she can’t walk a straight one herself. Well on to the records see if you can find the employee who has a huge increase in pay for the special favors she dished out to another elected member.

lacityworkers.com makes no claims of any kind everything is alleged unless clearly stated otherwise, OTHERS have clearly made these claims and evidence of such is provided on other websites.

Q: I DEMAND to see EAA LM-2 Filing as well!

A: EAA is not subject to the same Reporting requirements that the Massive Service Employees union is subject to, they therefore need not waste money, Members money on hiring the accounting firm to prepare a report that would not be filed anywhere.

Q: EAA Is stealing our money!

A: Really? Can you prove that? Because I have a union that is clearly not working for the members here and they have a 139 page document that shows how they clearly mis-spend our dues money, maybe you should sit down with your board of governors, who were elected with their own campaign funds, not your dues money and ask honest questions, I have seen at the risk of getting hate mail claiming I am an EAA loyalist, nothing but honest attempts at fairly representing the membership if I were to see anything else I am not shy about reporting on it, attempt to work with your leaders, go in expecting nothing and see the process, I have talked to MORE then one engineer who honestly admits SEIU 721 was a mistake.

Q: Why does EAA __________ ?

A: I belong to SEIU 721, I work to assist members in EAA, AFSCME 3090. SEIU 721, LAPPL, UFLAC, Local 501, 911, and 777, LACAA. I do it by answering questions when I know the answer, but mostly by promoting the fine work the men and women of the City of Los Angeles Sworn or Civilian do for the Taxpayers everyday. I am the PRO City Worker View I think our pensions aren’t nearly enough for the work that we do, Our salary is not enough and our benefits can be improved, We hear enough people say the opposite I will fight them at every turn.

I have great respect for UFLAC, LAPPL, IBEW, LACAA. They have done an outstanding job the last year or two both in the leaders they have elected and the work they have done on behalf of the membership, IBEW & LACAA Are amazing organizations with leaders who have made their membership proud. I look forward to working at supporting these fine men and women as we begin another budget year.

Download Here:  DOL Form Report (Disclosure) seiu 721 LM-2 

 SEIU 2012 LM-2 Is a yearly report Mandated by the Department of Labor

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Apparently a desperate Bernard parks caught wind that I am running for Treasurer of SEIU 721 and wants to get Bob Schoonover and the Giveback executive board to wipe us out once and for all and in council today he introduced the motion included below.

His top goal’s are making most positions part-time, Cutting our salary, significantly increasing our pension contributions from the current 11% , Contract out anything and everything he can, Contract out the Convention Center, Zoo, ITA, and LAFD Paramedics. He motion also calls for a non-exclusive Sanitation commercial and multi-family solid waste franchise hauling system.

His Motion was seconded by Jan Perry, and the Mayoral candidates will have to take sides, the controller can’t vote but our friend Eric “Tough on Labor” Garcetti Can!
Wait Bob Schoonover endorsed Wendy Gruel, and now he is left with giving up our raises again, and He WILL if left in power.

Comparisons are easy. He has given up or deferred our raises four out of the last five years and never once challenged the City of Los Angeles, I have however fought against opening up our contract, which led to many of these other concessions, and fought against the massive givebacks Bob Schoonover and the executive board have made. Wait there’s more, I personally filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles challenging the ERIP cost getting pushed onto current workers, and if elected will push my new colleagues to file one against the illegal 4%.

We are exactly where the CAO says we are, “at a crossroads” You can choose the same old weak leaders who will ultimately cost you money or your employment, or choose new leaders in Myself and those running as MDU candidates.

Don’t be fooled, the choice is important, SEIU will not fight for us, Make the right choice and follow new leaders willing to stand up for the City of Los Angeles employees and all members of Organized Labor.

1.) Study the DROP program for cost neutrality as mandated by implementing ordinance.
2.) Implement the negotiated “no code seven” policy within the LAPD (No Lunch)
3.) Eliminate the three-and-four-day work week (12 and 10-hour shifts)
4.) Re-evaluate LAFD’s “constant staffing” requirements emphasis on reduction of overtime.
7.) Freeze hiring Citywide, stop filling non-critical vacancies.
8.) Cut the size of the City’s workforce to a sustainable level, reduce service impacts by
investing in outsourcing to local businesses and contractors.
9). Reduce full-time City worker positions, where appropriate, to part-time positions.
10.) Establish new budget priorities, deployment strategies and department organizational
structures.
11.) Maximize civilianization.
12.) Prepare the legal basis for a City position to defer, mitigate or eliminate the employee raises, prepare strategies for negotiating new successor contracts for 2013 & 2014.
13.) Increase employee contributions to pension, current medical and retiree medical plans.
14.) Seek needed changes to reform the State’s workers’ compensation administration, seek
changes in local rules addressing overtime pay.
15.) Reject the currently-approved recommendations regarding the “exclusive commercial and
multi-family solid waste franchise hauling system”, implement CAO’s recommendations for a
non-exclusive system.
17.) Expand public-private partnerships, contract out Convention Center, Zoo, ITA LAFD paramedic administration and services.

Bernard Parks Motion PDF

The post Bernard Parks Calls For Slashing LA City Workers SEIU 721 To Giveback appeared first on LA City Workers.com.

It is unconscionable for Animal Services to have no staff on duty after midnight instead of reaching out to the community and extending the service hours in a bizarre move the department will end Night shifts for Animal Services at the few remaining shelters.

This after sending the LAPD to raid local animal shelters to remove the Guns the Animal Control officers had assigned at stations leaving them with a reported 1 per station Brenda Barnette the General Manager is treating our brave Animal Control Officers like they weren’t at the Animal Shelter but in Waco, Texas.

Animal Control officers handle dangerous and deadly animals, a serious risk to Public Safety and they have been mistreated and neglected by the new General Manager and SEIU 721 for far too long.

Just weeks after I attended the Animal Services Commission meeting Kathy Riordan the strongest animal activist on the commission was forced to resign from the commission, not before a speaker during public comment claimed that the General manager Brenda Barnette had her own daughter working at the “ best friends” animal shelter drawing a salary.  I took my very limited 1:00 minute to ask the City Attorney representative present if this was indeed the case that a serious conflict of interest was present and that the GM should recuse herself, then letting them know the terror she tries to spread among the workforce with her management style.

All this after the failed Best Friends transfer which has the non-profit organization in a priority spot to raid local shelters taking only the most adoptable animals with little regard for the survival of all the animals.  Clearly in a perfect world LA would be a no-kill city, reality severe budget cuts and General Managers attempt to rule with an iron fist have left Animal Services in a terrible position.

Tax Payers cannot continue to fund state of the art facilities via bond measures like Prop F intended to reduce overcrowding and make animal services both humane and widely accessible to more residents if the Staff and hours are reduced while select private groups are allowed to take over tax payer funded facilities.

Los Angeles is full of amazing volunteers and non-profits whose goal is simply saving animals, Clearly we need much stronger spay and neuter policies, a larger investment in our Animal Control Officers that monitor the abuse and neglect of animals city-wide, and a stronger dedication to the staff who are some of the most amazing animal lovers in Los Angeles.

If you Care for Animals, Join Us Tonight for a candlelight vigil at the east Valley Animal Shelter  14449 Vanowen Street In Van Nuys 91405 from 6 – 9 PM

The post Brenda Barnette is Destroying Animal Services Cuts Services after Midnight appeared first on LA City Workers.com.

Dateline March, 20 2013
Los Angeles

LA City Workers.com served the City of Los Angeles the lawsuit today challenging the illegal 1% members would otherwise be forced to pay until approximately 2026. Paul Castro the LAcityworkers.com Administrator along with Ann Rosenthal a Deputy City Attorney are the named Plaintiffs along with doe’s 1-500.

Enough is Enough Mayor Villaraigosa!

Currently members are paying an additional pension contribution for a benefit that they don’t receive, it’s a benefit to somebody else who has already retired, picking up the city’s cost while they continue to mismanage the tax dollars of the residents of Los Angeles all while working harder then ever with the critical staff shortages. This Deal was negotiated for the benefit of those who were were retiring early at the expense of the remaining employees, neither the Union or the City can remove a Vested Benefit without providing a like benefit.

SEIU 721 did not have the authority to Bargain away our individual retirement benefits. In the last 6 years our Pension contributions have nearly doubled in order to reduce the impact to the general fund, severely reducing a benefit of employment.

Members of LA City Workers will receive information on the lawsuit as it become available and what steps they need to take.

An Individual Pension Benefit can not be removed without a like benefit.
The City of Los Angeles in partnership with a few questionable union leaders crossed the line. SEIU 721 has chosen to ignore the members and allowed the City to violate them time and time again. In September I told the LA Times “Eventually we’re going to have to sue the city, There’s no way around it.” I did exactly what had to be done for the members.

I work tirelessly doing everything in my power to stand up for the workers of this great city, it’s the members responsibility to elect new leaders.

I talk to Animal control officers, Traffic Officers, Street Service Workers, Refuse Collection Drivers all the time, they expect someone to fight for them, I hope our actions today give them a lift in morale knowing someone IS fighting for them.

LACAA Members have elected solid leadership and their members have reaped the benefits one day I hope our members will do the same.

See the Summons here

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