L.A. City Workers Take Initiative in Attacking Budget Problem

Workers represented by unions affiliated with the Coalition of L.A. City Unions are committed to being part of the solution in the midst of budget difficulty. Representatives of the Coalition have been meeting regularly with the City Administrative Office to exchange ideas on addressing the budget gap, which city officials have estimated at between $300 and $500 million in the coming year.

We need your ideas!

Hundreds of ideas to save money, improve revenues, and increase efficiency have rolled in from City workers all over Los Angeles. This problem is too big to be solved at City Hall alone. Everyone out on the front lines of City work has some idea of how to do things better, cheaper, and more efficiently. Click on Budget Ideas at the top of the page to send in your ideas, big or small.

“We must work to avoid lay-offs and protect libraries and other city services,” said Roy Stone, a City Librarian and President of the Librarians’ Guild, AFSCME Local 2626. “We can do this with the involvement of the city employees and Unions in finding solutions. I work for the city because I believe in public service, and demand for our services continues to rise throughout Los Angeles.”

“We’re committed to keeping the city safe and running,” emphasized Donald Sherman, a Traffic Officer with the City of Los Angeles for the last 22 years and member of SEIU Local 721. “People have to be able to get to their jobs safely—through rain, power outages, fires, traffic signals shutdowns—we get people where they need to go. We’re committed to the city and have a vital part to play.”