Union Meeting on Fiscal Crisis Draws Few People
VAN NUYS — A town meeting Wednesday sponsored by Los Angeles County’s largest employee union drew only a handful of people to discuss the impact of the county’s worst financial crisis on county workers and residents.
Most of the 25 people who attended the 6 p.m. meeting at Birmingham High School were members of Local 660 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 40,000 of the county’s 85,000 employees. Members of the local and the Democratic Party attended to show support for the workers, who face an 8.25% pay cut under the county’s $13.5-billion budget adopted last month.
The Board of Supervisors is negotiating with a coalition of 13 unions, including Local 660, in an attempt to reduce salaries to save more than $215 million toward balancing the budget.
County officials earlier this month declared an impasse in the negotiations. Bargaining has been suspended until a mediator is brought in, which is expected by the end of next week.
Union officials did not discuss the proposed pay cut at Wednesday’s meeting, focusing instead on possible reductions in services to county residents.
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