Coalition of LA City Unions

City Council Votes Unanimously for City Workers' Better Way for LA

June 26, 2009

On Friday, June 26, just days before the new fiscal year, the LA City Council voted 14-0 to approve a landmark agreement between the City and the Coalition of LA City Unions that will avert layoffs and furloughs and prevent major service reductions.

"Our goal all along was to keep people working and serving the residents of Los Angeles," SEIU 721 President Bob Schoonover said. "This challenge to us has always been about more than our jobs and paychecks--it's about the City we love and serve. This agreement keeps the City running, but also makes us part of the engine for economic recovery rather than part of the problem."

"We have seen the damaging effects of layoffs and furloughs in communities across the country, and we were determined to find a better way for LA," said Cheryl Parisi, Chair of the Coalition and Executive Director of AFSCME Council 36. "This is a big city solution, a partnership agreement between workers and City officials thinking big and thinking long term for the people of Los Angeles."

"This agreement allows us to balance the budget without layoffs and furloughs that hurt workers and cut services at a moment when our families need them most," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

"I think we are doing the best thing for the city because we're still going to be able to deliver services," said Dave Bunjac, Principal Storekeeper and President of Coalition LIUNA 777. "We're not putting anybody on the unemployment lines, and we're saving half a billion dollars to keep the City running."

Download Coalition leaflet with summary of the agreement here